For information on the history and activities of Sheikh Tufayli's movement, please consult the attached documents from The Lebanon Report (1997) and the Washington Report Middle East Affairs (30 Apr. 1998).

According to The Lebanon Report,

Shaykh Subhi Tufayli and his 'Revolt of the Hungry' movement have struck out, at least for the moment. In late January [1998], the Lebanese army militarily flushed Shaykh Tufayli and supporters out from a Hizballah-controlled hamza, or religious school, in the Biqa' valley. In the ensuing gun battle and its aftermath, three individuals were killed, one of them a former parliamentarian, Shaykh Khodr Tlays, and the two other soldiers.

Since it began in mid-1996, Shaykh Tufayli's 'Revolt of the Hungry' movement became increasingly difficult for the government to manage. The movement, which was directed primarily against the government's service-oriented economic policies, gradually developed into a Biqa'-based insurrection. At one stage, the cleric's supporters warned government ministers and parliamentarians that the Biqa' was off limits to them, and reportedly roughed up the deputy and former interior minister, Sami al-Khatib, who hails from the West Biqa'.

It was clear to many that Shaykh Tufayli's movement had implicit Syrian support. The Syrians saw Tufayli as a useful instrument to maintain pressure on Hizballah, one that did not, however, affect the party's ability to combat Israeli forces in southern Lebanon...

Neither the Iranians nor the Syrians appeared to want Shaykh Tufayli dead, however. The cleric was evidently allowed to flee the hamza with several supporters, and though his whereabouts are officially unknown, it seems that he is now back in his home village of Brital. The Shaykh may very well have a new role to play one day, whether on behalf of Syria, Iran, or both (spring 1998, 9).

According to ArabicNews.com, Tufayli is the former secretary-general of the Hezbollah (25 Oct. 1997). He has called for "public mutiny and civil disobedience, such as witholding taxes and utility payments" (ibid.). Tufayli was expelled from the Hezbollah in January 1998 for policy differences (ArabicNews.com 26 Jan. 1998). He headed Hezbollah from 1989 to 1992 when he was replaced by Musawi (The Jerusalem Post 23 May 1997). According to The Jerusalem Post,

Toufeili, an ideological radical who believes in the principles of the Iranian revolution, was reported to have launched a bid in 1994 to create a separate Hizbullah entity known as "the Soldiers of God," but failed. He was vehemently opposed to Hizbullah's entry into Lebanese politics, maintaining that the organization's only purpose is to "liberate south Lebanon as a prelude to freeing Jerusalem."

Since then, Toufeili and his militant supporters have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for an opportunity to return to Hizbullah's mainstream and gain a central place in the organization.

The opportunity has arisen with the forthcoming elections in Iran. With attention focused on the national poll and the prospect of intervention obviously lessened, Toufeili recently announced the formation of a new body known as the "Revolution of the Hungry." According to the prestigious Foreign Report, the formation of the new group was preceded by the ousting of several radical elements known to be Toufeili supporters from the ranks of Hizbullah's politburo (23 May 1997).

AFP indicated that Tufayli "draws his strength from clans in the Baalbeck-Hermel area, the poorest section of Lebanon which has been even harder hit since the 1992 program to eradicate the production of drugs (24 Jan. 1998). According to The Boston Globe, the movement led by Tufayli "has tapped into a groundswell of populist resentment among the farmers who feel betrayed by the West and ignored by the wealthy elite of Beirut" (28 June 1998).

For additional information on this subject please consult the attached documents.

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

Agence France Presse (AFP). 24 January 1998. "Lebanese Hezbollah Says Hardline Leader is Out". (NEXIS)

ArabicNews.Com. 26 January 1998. "Hizbullah Expels Maverick Sheikh and Previous Leader". [Internet] http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/daily/day/980126/1998012613.html [Accessed on 4 May 1999]

_____. 25 October 1997. "Security Sweeps in Hermel". [Internet] http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/daily/day/971025/1997/102505.html [Accessed on 4 May 1999]

The Boston Globe. 28 June 1998. Charles Sennott. "War on Drugs Impoverishes Farmers; The Bekaa Valley in Lebanon Gets Little from UN". (NEXIS)

The Jerusalem Post. 23 May 1997. David Rudge. "Hizballah Power Struggle May Have Sparked Attacks". (NEXIS)

The Lebanon Report [Beirut]. Spring 1998. No. 1. "Out of the Loop".

Attachments

The Lebanon Report [Beirut]. Spring 1998. No. 1. "Out of Loop".

_____. Winter 1997. No. 4. "Hizballah's Headache in the Biqa'".

_____. Fall 1997. No. 3. "Hungry for Revolt".

Washington Report on Middle Eastern Affairs. 30 April 1998. Carole Dagher. "Syria and Iran Make Significant Gestures in Lebanon". (NEXIS)