CIA Accused of Role in Assassination of Wafiq Safa
A recent report by the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al Akhbar alleges that the CIA may have played a role in the assassination of Wafiq Safa, a senior Hezbollah official. The article, written by editor Ibrahim al Amin, claims that U.S. intelligence agencies, particularly the CIA, have been gathering information on Hezbollah from Lebanese security officials. This intelligence, according to the report, may have been instrumental in revealing Safa’s whereabouts ahead of an Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) strike earlier this month in Beirut.
CIA’s Alleged Collaboration with Lebanese Officials
The report further suggests that a team of CIA operatives arrived in Beirut, traveling under heavy armed escort to the U.S. Embassy to strengthen the agency’s station in the region. Lebanese security officials reportedly admitted that they had been in regular communication with Western intelligence agencies, led by the United States, sharing information about Hezbollah’s activities. Safa, who served as Hezbollah’s liaison with the Lebanese Army, was allegedly aware that he might be under surveillance or compromised.
Hezbollah’s Growing Suspicion
Hezbollah’s suspicions about U.S. involvement in the ongoing conflict with Israel heightened after Safa’s assassination, with one official explicitly claiming that American intelligence may have played a role in the attack. The official suggested that the United States is backing Israeli assassinations of non-military Hezbollah leaders as part of a strategy to weaken the group’s political influence in Lebanon.
A Strategy to Undermine Hezbollah’s Political Influence
The Al Akhbar report claims that U.S. support for targeted assassinations is part of a broader effort to diminish Hezbollah’s hold on Lebanese politics. The CIA, working closely with Israeli forces, is allegedly focused on undermining the Iran-backed group from within, weakening its leadership, and reducing its power in Lebanon’s political landscape.
