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Hezbollah Arrest

Local man among two arrested
on federal terrorism charges.

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June 15 • 2017

jn

Heidi Budaj

Dearborn man, said to be trained in bomb mak-
ing by terrorist group Hezbollah, is among two
people arrested and accused of planning attacks on
American and Israeli targets. The Department of Justice
identified the suspects as Samer El Debek, 37, of Dearborn
and Ali Kourani, 32, of the Bronx, N.Y.
Both were arrested June 1; El Debek was taken into cus-
tody in Livonia following an FBI raid at his Dearborn home.
“Recruited as Hezbollah operatives, Samer El Debek and
Ali Kourani allegedly received military-style training, includ-
ing the use of weapons like rocket-propelled grenade launch-
ers and machine guns,” said acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney
Joon Kim. “At the direction of his Hezbollah handlers, El
Debek allegedly conducted missions in Panama to locate the
U.S. and Israeli embassies and to assess the vulnerabilities of
the Panama Canal and ships in the canal.”
El Debek also allegedly conducted missions in Thailand.
Authorities say he is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was first
recruited by Hezbollah in 2007 and received military training
in Lebanon. Based on information he provided to the FBI,
“FBI bomb technicians have assessed that El Debek received
extensive training as a bomb-maker and has a high degree of
technical sophistication,” according to a press release from
the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York.
Investigators have determined El Debek was paid a salary by
Hezbollah for many years.

ADL APPLAUDS ARRESTS
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) welcomed the arrests
and said the organization’s Center on Extremism has been
tracking Hezbollah’s activities in the U.S., which typically
focus on credit card fraud and cigarette smuggling in an
effort to funnel money to the Lebanon-based terrorist orga-
nization. Founded in the 1980s, Hezbollah is responsible
for numerous terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds of
people worldwide. Officials characterized the recent arrests
as “surprising” and “rare.”
“[These arrests] may be the most significant Hezbollah-
related arrests ever in the U.S.,” said Oren Segal, director of
the ADL’s Center on Extremism. “People often forget that
prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Hezbollah was
responsible for the deaths of more Americans around the
world than any other terrorist organization. We are thankful
to law enforcement for their work fighting terrorism and will
continue to push for policies and initiatives designed to limit
the influence, capability and reach of Hezbollah.”
According to published reports, El Debek moved to
Michigan from New York about a year ago and worked as a
truck driver. Both men are charged with providing material
support to a foreign terrorist organization and a long list of
other charges. Penalties range from 10-20 years in prison for
each count. Both suspects appeared in Manhattan Federal
Court June 5 and were denied bond.
“I don’t think there’s a need for panic,” ADL Michigan
Regional Director Heidi Budaj said about the local arrest so
close to home. “But do I think there’s a very apparent need
for all of us to remain vigilant. If you see something, say
something.” •

To report an anti-Semitic or hate crime, contact the ADL at (248) 353-7553
or fill out their online form at michigan.adl.org.

