Hezbollah's New Tag: Construction Jihad

The US pledges $230 million for the reconstruction of Lebanon and what do the Lebanese people say?

Keep your dollars, we have plenty of our own!

Construction Jihad is taking care of us just fine.

Relief Agencies Find Hezbollah Hard to Avoid - New York Times

Some of the organization’s volunteers in Bint Jbail said Construction Jihad was in control of billions of dollars for the reconstruction, but Mr. Noureldine would not give a figure. He did say that much of the organization’s money has come from wealthy Lebanese donors in Africa, Latin America and the United States, though Iran is widely believed to have contributed a significant amount.

“We will not wait for the government to do anything down here; we will do it all ourselves while they are still just talking,” Mr. Noureldine said. “In fact, we’re happy the government is late to do anything. They are trying to divide the resistance and the people. The longer they wait to deliver any services, the more they will fail.”

Mr. Noureldine also dismissed the Bush administration’s pledge of $230 million in reconstruction aid. “If they were to give us all the money in the world, we would not take it,” Mr. Noureldine said. “They will not be able to buy our hearts. We are receiving billions now through our traditional channels. We don’t need American money.”