Hezbollah

Czech Republic, Lebanon
Jihad El Annan Part II: The Czech Connection

In the second part of our series on the Lebanese entrepreneur, we look at how he has spun his web as far as the Czech Republic through a network of partners with strong ties to local defence circles.

Lebanon
Jihad El Annan, once connected to pro-Hezbollah circles, supplies Lebanese intelligence

The businessman's former ties with the Amhaz brothers, blacklisted by the US for their connections with Hezbollah, have not stopped him from expanding his defence and intelligence businesses in Lebanon.

France, Lebanon, United States
Washington counts on General Joseph Aoun to maintain its local investment in Lebanon

The commander of Lebanon's armed forces Joseph Aoun has an extensive political network in the US, which has stage-managed a bid to move him from the barracks to the presidential palace.

Syria, United States
Cham Bank picks lawyer Gassan Baloul for legal fight against OFAC

The lawyer, who is an expert in the Middle East, has clients ranging from Lebanese banks IBL and Jamal Trust Bank to the Republic of Iraq. He is now defending Syria's Cham Bank which is suing the US Treasury for having placed it under sanctions.

Lebanon, UAE
Deloitte and Lebanese ex-partner Al Fadl escape LCB shareholders' wrath for now

A legal battle between Deloitte and former shareholders in Lebanese Canadian Bank, relaunched in February, involves an array of characters including a member of the Qatari royal family and Beirut financial consulting figure Joseph Al Fadl.

The Agencies' Gazette
Intelligence Academy seeks director, Abbas Ibrahim's mandate, Moscow's anti-drone battle, CIA's PCRB problem, Bulgarian intelligence

Appointments, reforms and the issues at stake: every Monday, Intelligence Online serves up snippets big and small from the global intelligence community. This week we look at Moscow, Washington, Paris, Sofia and Beirut.

France Intelligence Academy advertises for new director

Lebanon Berri joins push to extend Ibrahim's mandate

Russia Intelligence at forefront of fight against drones

United States CIA publication review process questioned

Bulgaria Internal security under scrutiny

Iran, Syria
Tehran pulls its militias from Syria to beef up domestic fronts

Now in difficulty on their home turf, the Revolutionary Guards are reviewing their militia system in order to adapt it to the evolving situation. Fighters in Syria, Iraq and even Lebanon are being redeployed to the most tense Iranian zones.

Iraq
Militias aim for top intelligence seat after Sudani approved as PM

Just weeks into the job, new Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is already having to deal with militia rivalries. To keep these in check, the Coordination Framework candidate has also named himself head of the national intelligence service.

Palestine, Syria
Moscow and Tehran behind Syria-Hamas reconciliation

Damascus and Hamas officially buried the hatchet on 16 September, after a decade of dispute, in a deal brokered by Russia and Iran that gives the Palestinian faction the lead over Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah.