US Reopens File of Hezbollah's American Hostage Taking in Beirut

The national flag flies over the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, Aug. 8, 2021. (AFP)
The national flag flies over the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, Aug. 8, 2021. (AFP)
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US Reopens File of Hezbollah's American Hostage Taking in Beirut

The national flag flies over the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, Aug. 8, 2021. (AFP)
The national flag flies over the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, Aug. 8, 2021. (AFP)

The United States has reopened the case of the American hostage crisis during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990).

The Rewards for Justice program released a reminder of a reward of up to $5 million for information that brings to justice those responsible for these attacks.

"Numerous kidnappings and murders were a part of the decade-long Lebanese hostage crisis undertaken by Hezbollah-related terrorists. The hostage crisis lasted from 1982 to 1992," it said on its website.

"On March 16, 1984, terrorists kidnapped William Buckley, the CIA Station Chief in Beirut. Buckley was interrogated, tortured and held captive for 15 months before the estimated date of his death."

"On December 3, 1984, American University of Beirut librarian Peter Kilburn was reported missing. Sixteen months later, he and two other captives were shot and killed, their bodies dumped in the mountains east of Beirut."

"On February 17, 1988, terrorists kidnapped Col. William Higgins from his United Nations peacekeeping vehicle. As a hostage, Col. Higgins was interrogated and tortured before being killed. The exact date of his death is unknown."

Diplomatic sources in Beirut told Asharq Al-Awsat that this was not the first time such a reward has been put up.

American University of Beirut history professor Dr. Makram Rabah said that period of the civil was "very critical" because it witnessed the birth of Hezbollah.

The kidnappings during the war were carried out by various parties, such as the "Islamic Jihad" and others, he continued. Hezbollah never declared its responsibility for kidnappings.

Everyone was aware of Iran's role in the hostage-taking of foreigners, especially under the term of President Ronald Reagan, he added.

He noted the "Irangate" affair, which was an attempt by Tehran to eliminate the US role in Lebanon, whether through bombing the Marine headquarters or by taking hostages.

Rabah said it was significant that Washington is bringing up the hostage crisis again at a time when nuclear negotiations with Iran have resumed in Vienna.

Hezbollah and all other Iranian militias are not being discussed at the negotiations. Washington's terrorist designation of pro-Iran militias that are responsible for the murder of Americans, whether through kidnappings or bombings, is also not up for negotiations or discussion, added Rabah.

The 1980s were the darkest years of the Lebanese civil war. Over a hundred foreigners are estimated to have been kidnapped in Lebanon between 1982 and 1992. The majority of the victims were Americans and western Europeans. Eight victims died in captivity: some were killed and others died from lack of sufficient medical care.

An FBI report in 1994 held Hezbollah responsible for the hostage-taking of at least 44 foreigners, including 17 Americans, three of whom died in captivity.



Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
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Rights Defenders Denounce US Sanctions on UN Expert on Palestinians

UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo
UN Special Rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese gives a press conference at the UN City in Copenhagen, Denmark February 5, 2025. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo

Human rights defenders rallied on Thursday to support the top UN expert on Palestinian rights, after the United States imposed sanctions on her over what it said was unfair criticism of Israel.

Italian lawyer Francesca Albanese serves as special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, one of dozens of experts appointed by the 47-member UN Human Rights Council to report on specific global issues.

She has long criticized Israeli treatment of the Palestinians, and this month published a report accusing over 60 companies, including some US firms, of supporting Israeli settlements in the West Bank and military actions in Gaza.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Wednesday Albanese would be added to the US sanctions list for work which had prompted what he described as illegitimate prosecutions of Israelis at the International Criminal Court.

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged Washington to reverse course.

"Even in the face of fierce disagreement, UN Member States should engage substantively and constructively, rather than resort to punitive measures," he said, Reuters reported.

Juerg Lauber, the Swiss permanent representative to the UN who now holds the rotating presidency of the Human Rights Council, said he regretted the sanctions, and called on states to "refrain from any acts of intimidation or reprisal" against the body's experts.

Mariana Katzarova, who serves as the special rapporteur for human rights in Russia, said her concern was that other countries would follow the US lead.

"This is totally unacceptable and opens the gates for any other government to do the same," she told Reuters. "It is an attack on UN system as a whole. Member states must stand up and denounce this."

Russia has rejected Katzarova's mandate and refused to let her enter the country, but it has so far stopped short of publicly adding her to a sanctions list.

Washington has already imposed sanctions against officials at the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister for suspected war crimes in Gaza. Another court, the International Court of Justice, is hearing a case brought by South Africa that accuses Israel of genocide.

Israel denies that its forces have carried out war crimes or genocide against Palestinians in the war in Gaza, which was precipitated by an attack by Hamas-led fighters in October 2023.

"The United States is working to dismantle the norms and institutions on which survivors of grave abuses rely," said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The group's former head, Kenneth Roth, called the US sanctions an attempt "to deter prosecution of Israeli war crimes and genocide in Gaza".

The United States, once one of the most active members of the Human Rights Council, has disengaged from it under President Donald Trump, alleging an anti-Israel bias.