Country Report on Terrorism 2021 - Chapter 4 - Terrorist Safe Havens - Lebanon

Lebanon remained a safe haven for terrorist groups, including in Hizballah-run areas.  Hizballah used these areas for terrorist recruitment, training, fundraising, and financing.  The Government of Lebanon did not take meaningful actions to disarm Hizballah, even though Hizballah continued its weapons buildup in defiance of UNSCR 1701.

Other terrorist groups, including Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, continued to operate inside Lebanon’s Palestinian refugee camps, which remain outside of Lebanese government control.  Lebanon’s lack of a strong control regime for the storage and movement of weaponizable materials posed risks for the spread of WMDs, including for potential terrorism.  In 2021 the Lebanese Arms Forces, Internal Security Forces, and other Lebanese authorities partnered with U.S. government agencies to detect and prevent proliferation and trafficking of WMD.

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