...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...’s Asharq al-Awsat newspaper has reported.
"More than 30 airport workers have been informed of the expiry of the permits granted to them and that it will not be possible to renew them," an informed source at the airport told the daily.
This decision "did not only involve workers who carry travelers’ luggage into and from the airport, but also those who carry luggage into and from planes, in addition to a number of employees who worked at the department of baggage inspection and lost items," the source said.
"The decision represented a shock to those affected by the expulsion, especially that they spent long years working at the airport while enjoying freedom of action and without any accountability," the source added.
These measures are aimed at "enhancing the security of the airport and travelers and weakening Hezbollah’s influence in it to the greatest extent," the source went on to say, noting that those expelled were "Hezbollah’s eyes and ears inside the airport and a main source of the information it used to gather about the movement of travelers from and into the airport."
"Granting them work and airport access permits used to take place following requests and pressure from Hezbollah, and anyone who was not loyal to Hezbollah used to be denied such a permit, which broadened its influence at the airport for long decades," the source added.
A security source meanwhile told Asharq al-Awsat that similar measures will target members and officers from the customs administration, Internal Security Forces and General Security, adding that many are suspected of having facilitated Hezbollah’s transactions over the past period.