Document #1004093
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
The Director of the Department of Political
Science and Public Administration at the American University of
Beirut (AUB) and the source of information for LBN24635.E of 16
July 1996, stated that the content of his 1996 interview regarding
forcible recruitment by Hezbollah is still valid in 1999 (25 Feb.
1999). The Director added that Hezbollah is not running out of
members either for its social activities or for its combat units.
As such, the Hezbollah does not have to force or threaten people
into becoming members of its organization. This information was
corroborated by three specialists on Lebanon: a journalist for the
Daily Star, a Beirut-based newspaper (26 Feb. 1999); a
senior researcher at the Centre for Lebanese Studies in Oxford (26
Feb. 1999); and a senior researcher at the Centre d'études
et de recherches sur le Moyen-Orient contemporain (CERMOC) in
Beirut (1 Mar. 1999).
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is
not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any
particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Director, Department of Political
Science and Public Administration at the American University of
Beirut (AUB), Lebanon. 25 February 1999. Telephone interview.
Journalist and specialist on Lebanon,
the Daily Star, Beirut, Lebanon. 26 February 1999.
Telephone interview.
Senior researcher, Centre for Lebanese
Studies, Oxford, England. 26 February 1999. Telephone
interview.
Senior researcher, Centre
d'études et de recherches sur le Moyen-Orient contemporain
(CERMOC), Beirut. 1 March 1999. Telephone interview.