A world connected (to the US government)

Last month the United States Treasury Department singled out local company Stars Group Holding for alleged ties to Hezbollah, adding the company, several subsidiaries and associated individuals to its ‘specially designated nationals’ (SDN) list. As part of its accusation, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said that these entities operate as a procurement front, purchasing sophisticated electronics for Hezbollah to use in the ongoing conflict in Syria. “With disturbing reach far beyond Lebanon, Hezbollah’s extensive procurement networks exploit the international financial system to enhance its military capabilities in Syria and its terrorist activities worldwide,” David Cohen, the Treasury’s undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a statement released on July 10. Based in Beirut, Stars Group Holding is one of Lebanon’s larger mobile phone distributors with branches in major shopping centers throughout the country. In addition, a number of Stars’ subsidiaries — in Lebanon, China and the United