TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - At least 18 Lebanese citizens were expelled from Qatar after the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) pledged to act against Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, a government source in Beirut told AFP.
"Eighteen Lebanese have been expelled from Qatar, in the wake of GCC decision," the source said on condition of anonymity, saying it was not clear if they were Hezbollah members.
On June 10, the GCC said it would implement measures affecting "residency permits and financial and commercial transactions of Hezbollah" in response to the group's involvement in the conflict in Syria.
The GCC statement urged the Lebanese government to "assume its responsibilities towards the behavior of Hezbollah and its illegal and inhumane practices in Syria and the region."
The GCC, whose members include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, backs the uprising against Syrian President Bashar Al Assad. However, The decision stirred fears among the many Shiite Lebanese who work in the Gulf of being associated with the militant group.
Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Awwad Assiri, was asked if his country would move to expel Lebanese citizens, but said only that the GCC decision "affects those who support Hezbollah."
AFP | AL AKHBAR | CHOIRUL
