New Hampshire Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Senator from Texas Ted Cruz have just tabled a bill: the "Zero Tolerance for Unlawful Detentions of US Citizens in Lebanon Act."

The aim is to secure the release of Amer Fakhoury (photo), detained in Lebanon since 12 September 2019, on charges of torture and other war crimes. The accused was a member of the South Lebanese Army (a militia collaborating with Israel during Lebanon’s invasion by the troops of Ariel Sharon). He served as senior warden of the sinister Khiam prison, which he supervised. Several witnesses provided evidence against him.

He first escaped to Israel, then sought asylum in the USA where he obtained citizenship. Despite having been sentenced in absentia to 15 years’ imprisonment, he made the foolhardy decision to return to Lebanon.

A defense lawyer has been sent from Massachusetts, and the new US ambassador expected to be appointed to Lebanon, Dorothy Shea, will be there on a mission to secure his release. His defense argues that he is now suffering from cancer and that all he ever did was to fight Hezbollah, which has been falsely portrayed as a network of Resistance whereas they are outright "terrorists".