Funding Terror

"[CBSA report meant to aid border agents] identify potential (Hezbollah) operatives and/or financial supporters. As Halifax is not a main airport for travel between Lebanon and Canada, it is possible that much larger sums of cash are leaving from other major Canadian airports, such as Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa."
Redacted government report on Lebanese terror group Hezbollah

"Everyone thinks that counter-terrorism is about protecting us here, and people are blind to the extent to which we export money and know how. If we are genuinely concerned about international stability, peace and security, then we need to be conscious of the fact that by not being more aggressive on these fronts, we are inadvertently fuelling conflicts around the world."
"Doing these little sting operations is not the way to go. If we're catching it at the border, then really it's too late. We basically need to invest more assets more effectively in the intelligence side to get more prosecutions."
Christian Leuprecht, Royal Military College terrorism expert

"When the officers suspect that the seized funds are proceeds of crime or funds for use in terrorist financing activities, seized non-reported currency and monetary instruments are forfeited with no terms of release."
CBSA spokesperson Amitha Carnadin

Hezbollah has been listed in some countries, including Canada (since 2002) and the European Union, as a terrorist group. Some would like to split hairs and differentiate between the presumed 'political' and 'social' wings of the Shia Iran-sponsored organization and its 'military' wing, a dainty little diplomatic nod to its various functions that Hezbollah itself holds in amused contempt.

It affirms loudly and proudly that it is one whole, entire operation, with no divisions, dedicated to the 'liberation' of Jerusalem, the destruction of Israel and the makeover of Lebanon to a Shia-Sharia-Islamist state emulating Iran's.

Canada, like Europe and as in the United States and elsewhere, has been well infiltrated by Hezbollah members and its sympathizers. Hezbollah flags are known to have been used and prominently displayed and photographed at demonstrations taking place in Toronto and Montreal. At some of those demonstrations some politicians have come out to render their sympathetic support.

In 2007 Windsor's Lebanese community put up a commercial billboard featuring Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's chief; taken down in the wake of complaints.

Wherever Hezbollah has its tentacles geographically it engages in smuggling of prohibited arms, drugs and whatever else is illicit and has a large return for their investment of time and effort. It also uses the vast expatriate Shia and Lebanese population from whom to extract homage to the cause; not difficult to do from those sympathetic to the aims of the group.

The funding received from Iran has taken a hit of late, but is more than made up for with the funds raised in Canada and elsewhere through crime, business, 'taxation' and front charities like the Martyr's Foundation.


Should government intelligence agencies focus too closely on law-abiding Lebanese-Canadians and suspect activities, painting with a broad brush the potential of an entire community, there would be shouts of condemnation from all levels of society; civil rights groups would trumpet the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and nothing of any substance might be gained.

The covert activities of Hezbollah agents largely go under the radar of identification when the help of sympathizers create a protective screen.

The Canada Border Services Agency report was released in May, redacted in part under an Access to Information request. The report's purpose was to alert agents. To inform them that over $135,000 in undeclared cash had been apprehended being carried out of Canada by travellers "primarily destined for Lebanon". This was the result of a weeklong blitz at the Halifax airport in July of 2012.

A mere hint of what occurs elsewhere at Canada's larger city airports with commensurately larger populations.

Hezbollah turns to the Lebanese diaspora for financial support, be it voluntary or through the techniques of extortion. Travellers carrying in excess of $10,000 in cash are compelled by Canadian law to disclose that fact when they pass through customs and come before border agents. Travellers transporting funding from Canada destined to reach the hands of Hezbollah often ensure they have just a tad under $10,000 to declare, enabling them to pass unrestrained.

One week of focusing on a relatively minor Canadian airport gained over $135,000 in undeclared cash being conveyed as a gift to Hezbollah from the faithful living in Canada. The mind boggles in contemplating what a year's worth of similar placatory 'taxation' conveys through major Canadian airports with Lebanese-Canadians making their pilgrimage back to Lebanon.