GCC decision ‘not targeting Lebanese nationals’

Manama: The decision by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to take action against Hezbollah’s supporters over its involvement in the Syrian conflict will not affect Lebanese nationals staying in Kuwait, local sources have said.

“The GCC recommendation does not target Lebanese expatriates who have no links with the group,” security sources told local Kuwaiti daily Al Rai. “It in fact applies to anyone involved in suspicious activities, be they political, partisan or financial, for the party. This is against the state laws that forbid all foreigners from engaging in political activism or in any activity that could threaten the security of Kuwait. The laws have been in place well ahead of the recommendations and they cover all nationalities,” the daily quoted the identified sources as saying on Wednesday.

Emotions are running high in Kuwait over the developments in Syria and the involvement of Hezbollah in the armed conflict between pro and anti-President Bashar Al Assad forces.

According to Lebanese sources, around 500,000 Lebanese live in the six member states of the GCC – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Lebanese economist Gazi Wazni reportedly told The Daily Star in Beirut that nobody was sure of how many of them were Shiites, the sect of Islam that Hezbollah belongs to.

“No one has details or information on the number of Lebanese Shiites in the Gulf region but I doubt that the number of the Shiites will exceed 18 per cent of the entire Lebanese expatriates in these countries,” Wazni said.

Kuwaiti officials said that around 50,000 Lebanese lived in Kuwait.

“They do have their full rights and are well respected. Any decision that the authorities take is related to the violations of the rules and regulations that constitute a threat to national security,” the sources said. “People who could be a threat to the country’s security and stability will be deported.”

Tensions are high in Kuwait over the developments in Syria with Islamists spearheading a popular movement to support Syrians rebelling against the regime. On Tuesday evening, several people staged a demonstration in front of the Lebanese embassy in Kuwait City.

According to reports published in Beirut, annual remittances from Lebanese expats in the GCC were around $4 billion (Dh14.68 billion) annually – more than 50 per cent of the global total remittances into Lebanon — and the local economy would suffer dramatically if the figure fell.

Lebanese officials are also concerned about the possible withdrawal of Gulf investments from the Mediterranean country. The GCC has reportedly invested around $12 billion in Lebanon over the past 10 years.