American Republican Representative Greg Steube has reintroduced the PAGER or “Preventing Armed Groups from Engaging in Radicalism” Act in the US Congress.
PAGER Act is a blatant insult to every Lebanese, says Zeinab Al Saffar. She was reacting to the recent developments in US Congress. In her recorded message, Zeinab Al Saffar believes that the senseless draft law incites sedition flagrantly. She also finds it a blatant insult to every Lebanese. The PAGER Act targets the Lebanese government, the Ministry of Defense, the Lebanese army, and some Lebanese parties. “All of these segments possess a large swathe of constituency and the highest electoral preferential votes,” says Zeinab.
The Act was reintroduced by American Republican Representative Greg Steube. He is a staunch supporter of Trump. He has reintroduced the “Preventing Armed Groups from Engaging in Radicalism” or the PAGER Act.
PAGER Act
If passed, the Act would prohibit aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces until the Lebanese government rescinds its recognition of both Hezbollah & Amal Movement. The bill was first introduced last September after the terrorist Pager Massacre; while it systematically targets Hezbollah, the Amal Movement, and their allies in Lebanon.
It also demands preventing affiliated individuals from holding any senior official positions. This provocative act also stresses that Lebanon must not allow so-called “Iranian influence” within its official institutions. The US draft law proposes to list the head of the military intelligence in southern Lebanon, Brigadier General Suhail Bahij Harb, as a global terrorist after an aggressively fabricated western & Arab media campaign against him.
The draft law further sets a strict deadline for the Lebanese government, not exceeding 60 days from the date of its approval, to implement a series of strict conditions, otherwise American military aid to the Lebanese army will be stopped. The PAGER Act requires the Lebanese state to comply with UN Security Council resolution 1559 that calls for disarming Hezbollah. The Act also calls for imposing sanctions on political figures who provided political cover for Hezbollah within the state.
