Robert Maroun Hatem (Arabic: روبير حاتم, born c. 1956[1]) known by his code name Cobra,[2] (named after his personal pistol),[3] is the Lebanese former bodyguard[4][3] and head of security of Elie Hobeika, the leader of the Lebanese Forces at the time,[5] and who later moved to France as a political refugee[6] where he published his book From Israel to Damascus,[7][6] the book which caused so much controversy that later it was banned from being published and distributed in Lebanon.[5] The book focuses on Hobeika’s role as a militia leader during the civil war, including corruption and his role in the Sabra and Shatila operation.[2]
Biography
editFrom an early age, Hatem was involved in military trainings in the Lebanese Front and the Kataeb party.[3] In 1972, he moved to Israel to receive training and later became the personal assistant of Elie Hobeika (HK) for 20 years.[3] Cobra moved to France as an asylee,[6] where he wrote his book From Israel to Damascus, which some believe that he released to protect himself from the risk of political assassination because he knew so much sensitive information about HK,[3] who was later assassinated.[8] In 1999 a Lebanese daily, Al Bayrak, published an interview with Hatem which led to the prosecution of the paper's directors, Melhem Karam and Said Nasreddine.[9] Today he is believed to be in Paris.[10][5]
See also
edit- Boutros Khawand
- Elias Khoury
- Hanna Atik (a.k.a. 'Hanoun')
- Jocelyne Khoueiry
- Massoud Achkar (a.k.a. 'Poussy' Achkar)
References
edit- ^ "From Israel to Damascus - Chapter 1: 1975 the beginning of the war". www.thewatchersnetwork.com. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ a b "Prosecutors drop charges over 'Cobra' book". www.dailystar.com.lb. Archived from the original on 2021-09-20. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ a b c d e "روبير حاتم". www.aljazeera.net (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "World: Notebook: The 'Cobra' strikes at the heart of his master;". The Independent. 2015-09-20. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ a b c خارج النص – كتاب كوبرا في ظل حبيقة, retrieved 2021-09-19
- ^ a b c Hatem, Robert M. (1999-05-27). From Israel to Damascus : The Painful Road of Blood, Betrayal and Deception. Pride International Pub. ISBN 0964430436.
- ^ "كوبرا حزين على حبيقة.. احتجاز شخصين على ذمة التحقيق وحديث عن شهادة مسجلة قبل تصفيته". البوابة (in Arabic). Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "Led Christian Lebanese militia which massacred 2,000 refugees". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
- ^ "Journalists prosecuted over controversial interview". IFEX. 30 July 1999. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
- ^ "World: Notebook: The 'Cobra' strikes at the heart of his master;". The Independent. 2015-09-20. Retrieved 2021-09-19.
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