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Editorial: Why The Obama Administration Should Spearhead For A Regime Change In The Gambia?
The Obama administration should consider championing for a regime change in the Gambia, in a bid to disrupt the activities of some Lebanese Hezbollah financiers in that impoverished nation. The current regime in the Gambia is anti US interest. This is evident on the dictator’s open embracement of Hezbollah supporters in Banjul. Lebanese businesses linked to financing terrorism have been allowed to operate in that country despite US’S concerns about the implications of harboring such enemies of freedom.
Washington should act expeditiously to protect its own interest before enemies of freedom will strike. Hezbollah is expanding its network in the Gambia at an alarming rate!
Supporters of the terrorist group normally posed as investors to launder money and in the process, proceeds derived from their nefarious elicit business activities are wired overnight to Lebanon and elsewhere around the world to their business subsidiaries. Banjul is becoming a fast money laundering ground to expand the Hezbollah network.
The blacklisting of Prime Bank Gambia, and its affiliate body in Canada did not stop the Hezbollah supporters from carrying out their callous economic crimes. The group is now using a local Gambian Bank—partly owned by the Gambia Government to evade the US Treasury Department sanctions to wire money to their contacts overseas.
It’s imperative to note that the US can only succeed on its War on terror provided that host countries such as the Gambia are willing to cooperate.
The head of state Yahya Jammeh wants to dine with the people of the United States and Hezbollah supporters at the same time. That’s impossible. Jammeh will either dine with freedom loving Americans, or come out from the closet and declare his support for Hezbollah.
Jammeh’s apparent silence to act on the recent US Treasury Department report—linking the Tajideen brothers to financing terrorism speaks volume. One would have expected him to initiate an independent investigations into the business activities of the Tajideen brothers in the Gambia, as the Angolans did with the view of taking decisive actions to safeguard the reputation of this country. But for Jammeh, he cannot afford to lose the Tajideens since they are meeting his economic needs. He is behaving as if everything is cool and dandy when US’S interest is at stake!
The Obama administration should realize that the continued presence of Hezbollah supporters in Banjul, will not only undermine US national security, but the safety of its own citizens in that country. Hezbollah needs to be tackled in the Gambia in the interest of global peace!
For this to happen, it requires political will, commitment and dedication on the side of Washington to engage dictator Jammeh into an adult conversation. Mr. Jammeh needs to be told upfront that he is working against US’S interest by allowing the Tajideen brothers and other Lebanese terrorist supporters to operate in the Gambia. Jammeh also needs to be told that harboring a US enemy tantamount to aiding and abetting. He either play by the democratic card, or be declared a “sworn enemy” of the United States.
Hezbollah supporters have hijacked Gambia’s financial system—thanks to the blank check accorded to them by the dictator. The so called investors had infiltrated the local banking industry. They can wire millions of dollars on a single day overseas unmonitored.
Due to the growing culture of corruption in The Gambia, Lebanese businesses linked to Hezbollah bribe their way by having the backing of the state. No one dares question the legitimacy of their illicit business practices. All monetary transactions—be it legitimate, or illegitimate are okayed without question.
Besides the growing presence of Hezbollah backers in the Gambia, that country is becoming a hot spot for South American drug cartels. Tons of cocaine are being deposited on the shores of The Gambia by South American planes. Hezbollah normally derived its funds mainly through drug trade and money laundering, according to documented research papers by security experts.
A highly placed source close to Gambia’s anti narcotic unit has confided to us that a cousin of the indicted Lebanese brothers was on their radar when the one billion dollar cocaine case was impounded in that country. The Babob Island lodge in Kuloro, which was rented out to the South American drug dealers was built by the Lebanese national.
“ When our men made the arrest of the one billion cocaine case, the Lebanese national in question was in Lebanon on a trip. We wanted to invite him for questioning, but he never return to the Gambia since the incident. Lamin Darboe was just hired to manage the property,” said our source.
“ The Babob Lodge in Kuloro serves as a control tower for the planes that drop off the Cocaine from South America. This was the place where the crew had their communication gadgets. The lodge do not belong to Lamin Darboe. It belongs to a Lebanese man related to the Lebanese Hezbollah supporters in the Gambia.”
Black listing the Lebanese Canadian bank is not enough; without including local Gambian bank(s) being used at this hour by Hezbollah supporters to evade the US action. The Obama administration must act now in the interest of safeguarding US national security and interest overseas!
