Organization of the Oppressed on Earth

The Organization of the Oppressed on Earth is a group that claimed responsibility for kidnappings, bombings, and executions in Lebanon in the 1980s. It was considered a precursor to, or another name for, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah.

Connection to Hezbollah

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The US, Israel, and Canada consider the names "Islamic Jihad Organization", "Organization of the Oppressed on Earth" and the "Revolutionary Justice Organization" to be synonymous with Hezbollah.[1][2][3]

Jeffrey Goldberg wrote in the New York Post:

Using various names, including the Islamic Jihad Organization and the Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Hezbollah remained underground until 1985, when it published a manifesto condemning the West, and proclaiming, "Allah is behind us supporting and protecting us while instilling fear in the hearts of our enemies."[4]

Activities

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Bombings

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The group claimed responsibility for a 1985 bombing attack against the Madrid offices of British Airways and Trans World Airlines.[5]

Kidnappings

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The group kidnapped 4 Jews in 1985, including Isaac Sasson, leader of the Jewish community in Lebanon, and Dr. Ellie Hallaq, the community doctor. [5] Sasson (Arabic: إسحق ساسون) was taken at gunpoint March 31, 1985, on his way from the Beirut International Airport, after a trip to Abu Dhabi.[6] The group killed the abductees one-by-one.[7][8]

In 1987, the group kidnapped British citizen Terry Waite who was in Lebanon as a hostage negotiator.[9] Waite was retained in captivity for 1,763 days, the first four years of which were spent in solitary confinement. He was finally released on 18 November 1991.[10]

In 1989, the group kidnapped and then later hung United States Lieutenant Colonel Richard Higgins. Higgins was a member of the United Nations Truce Supervisory Organization observer unit and was accused of spying by his captors.[11][12] A videotape was released July 31, showing his body hanging from a gallows.[13]

References

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  1. ^ Levitt, Matthew. "Hezbollah Finances – Funding the Party of God." The Washington Institute. February 2005. 1 February 2015.
  2. ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (11 April 1996). "Hizbullah". Retrieved 17 August 2006.
  3. ^ "SOR/2003-53: Criminal Code; Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities" (PDF). Canada Gazette Part II. 137 (1 extra): 1. 12 February 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 January 2012.
  4. ^ In The Party Of God Archived 23 February 2007 at the Wayback Machine Part I, By Jeffrey Goldberg, The New Yorker, 14 October 2002
  5. ^ a b ""Shiite Moslem Faction Says It Holds 4 Lebanese Jews"". The Washington Post.
  6. ^ Jack Anderson (Sep 17, 1985). "Caught in the cross-fire". Lewiston Daily Sun. p. 3.
  7. ^ "URGENT Police Find Body of Missing Lebanese Jew". Associated Press.
  8. ^ "Terrorism in the Cold War: State Support in the West, Middle East and Latin America". p. 202.
  9. ^ "Who are Hezbollah?". 4 April 2002.
  10. ^ "From the archive: Bells ring nationwide to welcome Terry Waite". www.churchtimes.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  11. ^ Hijazi, Ihsan A. (August 1989). "GROUP IN BEIRUT SAYS IT HANGED US COLONEL". The New York Times.
  12. ^ " "Hostage-Taking and Kidnapping Terror in the COE".
  13. ^ "Sketches of Groups Holding Hostages in Lebanon With AM-Hostages, Bjt". Associated Press.
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