Michel Samaha

Michel Samaha (aka Mishal Fuad Samahah and Saadah Al Naib Mishal Fuad Samahah; born 9 September 1948) is a former Lebanese intelligence operative, deputy, and former minister of information and tourism.^[1] Samaha is known for his pro-Assad regime views and described as silver-tongued politician.^[2] He was one of the pro-Syrian Lebanese officials who were sanctioned in 2007 by the United States for alleged "contributing to political and economic instability in Lebanon."^[3][4] Subsequently confessing to the aforementioned terrorist actively, Samaha was on 17 December 2012 listed by the United States as a global terrorist under section 1(b) of Executive Order 13224.^[5][6][7]

Early life and career

Samaha was born on 9 September 1948.^[8] He became a member of the Phalangist or Kataeb Party in 1964 when he was a student. He was elected head of the party's student body in the 1970s.^[9] After graduation, he was appointed by Amine Gemayel as his media advisor. Then he became the chairman of the board of Tele Liban.^[10] During the Lebanon civil war, he acted as a mediator between the party and Assad regime.^[11] Samaha served as an advisor and envoy to Amine Gemayel during the latter's presidency from 1982 to 1988.^[12][13]

However, later he joined the Lebanese Forces (LF) faction led by Elie Hobeika.^[14] In 1985, he began to act as both a Lebanese political operator and a Syrian-French intelligence operative.^[10] He agreed to support the 1985 tripartite agreement between the LF represented by Hobeika, Nabih Berri’s Amal Movement, and Walid Jumblatt’s Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) on the eve of its signing.^[10] Samaha left the LF-controlled areas on 15 January 1986. LF was headed by Samir Geagea during this period.^[10]

Samaha was also the advisor and close ally of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the Assad family since the time of late President Hafez Assad.^[15][16] Samaha served as the advisor of Bashar Assad in regard to his public relations in Europe.^[11] Samaha had close ties with the French, Canadian, and US governments and assumed secret diplomatic and security roles.^[16]

When his close friend Elias Hrawi became president whose term lasted from 1989 to 1998, Samaha was made by him the information minister in 1992, then tourism minister for six months, then information minister again from 1992 to 1995.^[10] Samaha won the Catholic parliamentary seat in North Metn in 1992 after the Taif agreement became effective.^[17] However, he lost it in the 1996 and 2000 elections.^[10][18] Then prime minister Rafik Hariri appointed him information minister in 2003.^[17][19] This appointment was made during the term of president Emile Lahoud whose tenure lasted from 1998 to 2007.^[10]

After the 2000 elections, Samaha involved in the establishment of the Movement for Democratic Renewal.^[11] However, in 2002, he allied himself with the pro-Syrian political camp in Lebanon. Just before his arrest in August 2012, he was a member of Omar Karami’s pro-Syrian movement, the National Gathering.^[11]

Arrest

Samaha was arrested on 9 August 2012 due to his involvement in transporting explosives into Lebanon with the help of the Syrian Security Chief Ali Mamlouk and his attempt to destabilize the country.^[20] The other reason for his arrest was "inciting sectarian strife" in Lebanon.^[21] Samaha was arrested based on the instructions from the acting public prosecutor of Lebanon.^[22]

In December 2012, 14 March MP Okab Sakr claimed that Jamil Al Sayyed, who is one of Samaha's close confidants, had been in the car with Samaha along with a third person while transferring explosives from Syria to Lebanon to carry out terrorist attacks.^[23][24] Samaha had close links with various senior Syrian political and intelligence aides, including top adviser to President Assad, Butheina Shaban in relation to this activities.^[25][24]

One of Samaha's lawyers is Sayyed's son, Malek Sayyed.^[26][27] Samaha confessed on 10 August to the Internal Security Forces Information Branch that Syrian President Bashar Assad wanted bomb attacks in Lebanon.^[28] Najib Mikati, the Lebanese Prime Minister, stated in September 2012 that Samaha admitted his involvement of plotting terror attacks in Lebanon.^[29] According to leaked interrogation transcripts, Samaha suggested that the bombs were meant to target Lebanese Christian leaders in order to raise sectarian tensions.^[30]

The intelligence branch of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (ISF), headed by Wissam al-Hassan who was assassinated on 19 October 2012, played a central role in his arrest.^[31][32] Samir Geagea argued that al-Hassan was assassinated due to his involvement in the arrest of Samaha.^[33]

US designation as global terrorist

On 17 December 2012, the US government designated Samaha a "global terrorist" for helping the Syrian President Bashar Assad to launch attacks in Lebanon.^[7][34] In addition, the US Treasury announced that economic sanctions on him were in effect, freezing any assets he owns under US jurisdiction and forbidding US citizens from doing business with him.^[34]

Personal life

Samaha is a Greek Catholic,^[11] and holds dual citizenship, Lebanese and Canadian.^[34] He is married to Gladys Samaha^[11] and has three daughters.^[35]

References