Saudi-backed terrorist group leader dies in Beirut hospital

Crescent International

Rabi' al-Awwal 03, 1435 2014-01-04

Daily News Analysis

by Crescent International

Majed al-Majed, head of the Saudi-backed Abdullah Azzam Brigade, has died in mysterious circumstances in a Beirut hospital. He was captured from Sidon only last Monday and DNA tests had confirmed his identity. The group had claimed responsibility for the Iran Embassy bombing of November 19 resulting in 26 deaths. Iran wanted to join the investigation by questioning Majed. By killing Majed, this possibility has been eliminated.

Beirut, Crescent-online
Saturday January 04, 2014, 10:17 EST

In what appear to be highly suspicious circumstances, leader of the Saudi-backed Abdullah Azzam Brigade, Majed ibn Muhammad al-Majed has died in a Beirut hospital. Both Lebanese official sources and a Lebanese general confirmed Majed’s death.

“Majed al-Majed, who suffered from kidney disease and was in poor health, has died,” the Lebanese source said today wishing to remain anonymous. This view, however, is not widely shared by Lebanese commentators who say that Majed was murdered to prevent him from giving information about Saudi-financed terrorist operations in Lebanon.

His death is a special blow to investigations into the twin bombings of Iran’s Embassy in Beirut on November 19 that resulted in 26 deaths including that of Iran’s Cultural Attache, Hujjatul Islam Ebrahim Ansari. The blasts also injured 150 people including several staff members at the embassy.

The Saudi terror mastermind was arrested last Monday from Sidon. His group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigade, had claimed responsibility for the Iran Embassy attack. The group is closely linked to al-Qaeda and has been involved in many terrorist attacks across the Middle East.

Majed had traveled to Syria last summer and had detailed meetings with the Jabhat al-Nusra, a terrorist group that has caused havoc among the civilian population in Syria. Like the Abdullah Azzam Brigade, the Jabhat al-Nusra as well as Islamic Front and a number of other terrorist outfits in Syria are financed by Saudi Arabia.

The man behind all these groups is the Saudi intelligence chief Bandar bin Sultan. He has been handling the Syria file and has gone berserk over his failure to dislodge the government of President Bashar al-Asad from power in Syria.

This has led the Saudi regime to shift its terror tactics to Lebanon that is considered a soft target. The Saudis also have a number of Lebanese political groups on its payroll. Among them is Saad Hariri’s March 14 faction.

The playboy Hariri is a former prime minister of Lebanon and son of Rafik Hariri, also a former prime minister who was very close to the Saudis. In fact, the senior Hariri carried a Saudi passport while serving as prime minister of Lebanon. He was killed in a car bomb attack in February 2005.

On December 3, Hizbullah Secretary-General Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah had placed the blame for the Iran embassy bombing squarely on Saudi Arabia, saying he had no doubt that the Saudi intelligence agency has close links with the terrorist Abdullah Azzam Brigade.

This “is a bona fide group that has a Saudi amir and its leadership is directly linked to Saudi intelligence,” Seyyed Nasrallah said. Majed’s arrest last Monday and confirmation of his identity through DNA tests exposed the Saudis dangerously.

On December 29, Saudi king Abdullah announced a $3 billion aid package for the Lebanese army. This was seen by many as a way to bribe the Lebanese government and to maintain Saudi influence in Lebanon.

The killing of Majed may be the direct result of this payout to keep other Saudi agents in Lebanon from being exposed.

END