Elie Hobeika
Elie Hobeika | |
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إيلي حبيقة | |
Leader of the Lebanese Forces | |
In office 1985–1986 | |
Preceded by | Fouad Abou Nader |
Succeeded by | Samir Geagea |
Personal details | |
Born | Elias Joseph Hobeika 22 September 1956 Baskinta, Lebanon |
Died | 24 January 2002 Beirut, Lebanon | (aged 45)
Spouse | Gina Raymond Nachaty |
Children | Joseph Hobeika |
Parent(s) | Joseph Hobeika, Badr Salman al-Reef |
This article is part of a series on |
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Elie Hobeika (also transliterated as Hubayqa;
Early life
Hobeika was born in
Lebanese Civil War
Hobeika distinguished himself as a ruthless fighter in the
He steadily became prominent in the
During Israel's
Hobeika was involved in another incident in March 1985. The CIA reportedly paid Hobeika (through Lebanese army intelligence officers) to assassinate
In December 1985, the various Christian militias, the
After this event, Hobeika fled to Zahle and then to West Beirut.
In June 2001, Chibli Mallat, a left-wing Maronite lawyer, filed a case against Ariel Sharon in Belgium under a law that allowed foreigners to be sued for crimes against humanity. Just before his death, Hobeika publicly declared his intention to testify against Sharon about his involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacres in the Belgian court. Josy Dubié, a Belgian senator, was quoted as saying that Hobeika had told him several days before his death that he had "revelations" to disclose about the massacres and felt "threatened". When Dubié had asked him why he did not reveal all the facts he knew immediately, Hobeika is reported to have said: "I am saving them for the trial". At a news conference, he said, "I am very interested that the [Belgian] trial starts because my innocence is a core issue."[3]
Political career
As head of the Promise Party, Hobeika was elected to Parliament in 1992 and in 1996.
Personal life
Hobeika married Gina Raymond Nachaty in 1981.[2] They had a daughter, who died in infancy, and a son, Joseph.[2][3]
Assassination
Hobeika was killed on 24 January 2002 at the age of 45 when a car bomb detonated near his house in the Beirut suburb of
Perpetrators
A group, Lebanese for a Free and Independent Lebanon, issued a statement after the assassination, claiming responsibility for the killing of Hobeika.
Lebanese and Arab commentators blamed Israel for the murder of Hobeika, with alleged Israeli motive that Hobeika would be "apparently poised to testify before the Belgian court about Sharon's role in the Sabra and Shatila massacre".[15] Prior to his assassination, Elie Hobeika had stated: "I am very interested that the [Belgian] trial starts because my innocence is a core issue."[3]
Others have speculated that Syrian intelligence assassinated Hobeika, who had "specifically stated that he did not plan to identify Sharon as being responsible for Sabra and Shatila", to prevent him from testifying on Syria's involvement in the massacre.[16][17]
Condemnation
President
See also
- List of assassinated Lebanese politicians
References
- ^ a b c d e Hassan, Maher (24 January 2010). "Politics and war of Elie Hobeika". Egypt Independent. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Elie Hobeika". The Telegraph. 25 January 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ a b c d e Mostyn, Trevor, The Guardian, 25 January 2002
- ^ a b c d e Gambill, Gary C.; Bassam Endrawos (January 2002). "The Assassination of Elie Hobeika". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 4 (1). Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ISBN 82-02-09346-5.
- ^ Kahan, pp. 21, 22
- ^ a b "Who Killed Elie Hobeika?". The Estimate. 8 February 2002. Archived from the original on 21 August 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ Hassan Krayem, The Lebanese Civil War and the Taif Agreement American University of Beirut
- ^ "Electricity in Early Lebanon".
- ^ "Profile: Elie Hobeika". BBC. 24 January 2002. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
- ^ Yehia, Ranwa (31 August – 6 September 2000). "A lighter Syrian shadow". Al Ahram. 497. Archived from the original on 23 December 2002. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
- ^ "Elie Hobeika Assassinated". Lebanese Forces. Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ^ MacFarquhar, Neil (25 January 2002). "Car Bomb Kills Figure in 1982 Lebanese Massacre". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
- ^ a b Philps, Alan (25 January 2002). "Warlord killed in Beirut car bombing". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ^ Joel Campagna, The Usual Suspects, World Press Review, April 2002. Accessed 24 February 2006.
- ^ Alexander, Edward; Bogdanor, Paul (2006). The Jewish Divide Over Israel. Transaction. p. 90.
- ^ "Elie Hobeika's Assassination: Covering up the Secrets of Sabra and Shatilla". Jerusalem Issues Brief. 30 January 2002.
- ^ "لحود يتهم اسرائيل باغتيال حبيقة". middle-east-online.
- ^ "بيان حزب الله تعليقاً على اغتيال حبيقة". mediarelations-lb.
External links
- Media related to Elie Hobeika at Wikimedia Commons