Hezbollah: Difference between revisions
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'''Hezbollah'''<ref>Other [[Romanization of Arabic|transliterations]] include '''Hizbullah''', '''Hizbollah''', '''Hezballah''', '''Hizballah''', '''Hisbollah''', and '''Hizb [[Allah]]'''.</ref> ({{lang-ar|حزب الله}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|ḥizbu-[[llāh]]}}'', literally "Party of God") is a [[ |
'''Hezbollah'''<ref>Other [[Romanization of Arabic|transliterations]] include '''Hizbullah''', '''Hizbollah''', '''Hezballah''', '''Hizballah''', '''Hisbollah''', and '''Hizb [[Allah]]'''.</ref> ({{lang-ar|حزب الله}} ''{{transl|ar|DIN|ḥizbu-[[llāh]]}}'', literally "Party of God") is a [[far-right]] wing [[Shia|Shi'a]] Islamic [[militant|militant group]] and political party based in [[Lebanon]].<ref name="HG20Ak02">{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HG20Ak02.html |title=Hezbollah's transformation |first=Dahr |last=Jamail |publisher=Asia Times |date=July 20, 2006 |accessdate=October 23, 2007}}</ref><ref name="rt">[http://rt.com/Politics/2010-07-08/tweet-editor-internet-inquisition.html?fullstory A Tweet too far: US editor latest victim of Internet Inquisition]. RT. Retrieved on October 19, 2010.</ref><ref name="CFR">{{cite web|url=http://www.cfr.org/publication/9155/hezbollah.html?breadcrumb=%2F |title=Hezbollah (a.k.a. Hizbollah, Hizbu'llah)|publisher=[[Council on Foreign Relations]]|date=September 13, 2008|accessdate=September 15, 2008}}</ref> It receives financial and political support from [[Iran]] and [[Syria]], and its [[paramilitary|paramilitary wing]] is regarded as a [[resistance movement]] throughout much of the [[Arab world|Arab]] and [[Muslim world|Muslim]] worlds.<ref name="HG20Ak02"/> The United States, the Netherlands,<ref>Muriel Asseraf, [http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=1323269&ct=4490703#_ftnref5 Prospects for Adding Hezbollah to the EU Terrorist List], September 2007</ref> the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Israel classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, in whole or in part.<ref>{{cite news|first=Renata|last=Goldirova|title=MEPs call on EU states to list Hezbollah as terrorist group |work=[[EUobserver]]|date=September 17, 2008|accessdate=August 6, 2009}}</ref> |
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Hezbollah first emerged in response to the [[1982 Lebanon War|1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon]], during the [[Lebanese civil war]].<ref name="bbc-hi-me">{{cite news|title=Who are Hezbollah|publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4314423.stm |date=May 21, 2008|accessdate=August 15, 2008}}</ref> Its leaders were inspired by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]], and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of [[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution|Iranian Revolutionary Guards]].<ref name="nybooks">{{cite web|url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17060|title= In Search of Hezbollah|author=Adam Shatz|publisher=[[The New York Review of Books]]|date=April 29, 2004|accessdate=August 14, 2006}}</ref> Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto listed its four main goals as "Israel's final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration," ending "any imperialist power in Lebanon," submission of the [[Phalangist]]s to "just rule" and bringing them to trial for their crimes, and giving the people the chance to choose "with full freedom the system of government they want," while not hiding its commitment to the rule of Islam.<ref name="The Hizballah Program">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iVJR9UZnTVAC&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=the+hezbollah+program&source=bl&ots=5E5UuyjTof&sig=wIJRQqjOGY_owKPN9BEy9wsKzXw&hl=en&ei=XEzHTtHHEumjiAL64YHSDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=the%20hezbollah%20program&f=false |title=Israel in the Middle East: documents ... |publisher=provided by Google Books |author=Itamar Rabinovich |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, which they refer to as the "[[Zionist entity]]."<ref name="The Hizballah Program"/> |
Hezbollah first emerged in response to the [[1982 Lebanon War|1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon]], during the [[Lebanese civil war]].<ref name="bbc-hi-me">{{cite news|title=Who are Hezbollah|publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4314423.stm |date=May 21, 2008|accessdate=August 15, 2008}}</ref> Its leaders were inspired by [[Ruhollah Khomeini|Ayatollah Khomeini]], and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of [[Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution|Iranian Revolutionary Guards]].<ref name="nybooks">{{cite web|url=http://www.nybooks.com/articles/17060|title= In Search of Hezbollah|author=Adam Shatz|publisher=[[The New York Review of Books]]|date=April 29, 2004|accessdate=August 14, 2006}}</ref> Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto listed its four main goals as "Israel's final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration," ending "any imperialist power in Lebanon," submission of the [[Phalangist]]s to "just rule" and bringing them to trial for their crimes, and giving the people the chance to choose "with full freedom the system of government they want," while not hiding its commitment to the rule of Islam.<ref name="The Hizballah Program">{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iVJR9UZnTVAC&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=the+hezbollah+program&source=bl&ots=5E5UuyjTof&sig=wIJRQqjOGY_owKPN9BEy9wsKzXw&hl=en&ei=XEzHTtHHEumjiAL64YHSDw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CFkQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=the%20hezbollah%20program&f=false |title=Israel in the Middle East: documents ... |publisher=provided by Google Books |author=Itamar Rabinovich |accessdate=November 18, 2010}}</ref> Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, which they refer to as the "[[Zionist entity]]."<ref name="The Hizballah Program"/> |
Revision as of 02:44, 18 July 2012
Hezbollah | |
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Leader | Hassan Nasrallah |
Founded | 1982–1985 (officially) |
Ideology | Shia Islamism Anti-Zionism |
Political position | Far-Right |
Religion | Shia Islam |
Colours | Yellow, Green |
Parliament of Lebanon | 12 / 128
|
Cabinet of Lebanon | 2 / 30
|
Website | |
See List of official sites. | |
Hezbollah[1] (Arabic: حزب الله ḥizbu-llāh, literally "Party of God") is a far-right wing Shi'a Islamic militant group and political party based in Lebanon.[2][3][4] It receives financial and political support from Iran and Syria, and its paramilitary wing is regarded as a resistance movement throughout much of the Arab and Muslim worlds.[2] The United States, the Netherlands,[5] the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Israel classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, in whole or in part.[6]
Hezbollah first emerged in response to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, during the Lebanese civil war.[7] Its leaders were inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini, and its forces were trained and organized by a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.[8] Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto listed its four main goals as "Israel's final departure from Lebanon as a prelude to its final obliteration," ending "any imperialist power in Lebanon," submission of the Phalangists to "just rule" and bringing them to trial for their crimes, and giving the people the chance to choose "with full freedom the system of government they want," while not hiding its commitment to the rule of Islam.[9] Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of the state of Israel, which they refer to as the "Zionist entity."[9]
Hezbollah, which started with only a small militia, has grown to an organization with seats in the Lebanese government, a radio and a satellite television-station, and programs for social development.[10] Hezbollah maintains strong support among Lebanon's Shi'a population, and is able to mobilize demonstrations of hundreds of thousands.[11] Hezbollah alongside with some other groups began the 2006–2008 Lebanese political protests in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.[12] A later dispute over Hezbollah preservation of its telecoms network led to clashes and Hezbollah-led opposition fighters seized control of several West Beirut neighborhoods from Future Movement militiamen loyal to Fouad Siniora. These areas were then handed over to the Lebanese Army.[13] A national unity government was formed in 2008, giving Hezbollah and its opposition allies control of eleven of thirty cabinets seats; effectively veto power.[4]
Hezbollah receives military training, weapons, and financial support from Iran, and political support from Syria. Following the end of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon in 2000, its military strength grew significantly.[14][15] Despite a June 2008 certification by the United Nations that Israel had withdrawn from all Lebanese territory,[16] in August, Lebanon's new Cabinet unanimously approved a draft policy statement which secures Hezbollah's existence as an armed organization and guarantees its right to "liberate or recover occupied lands." Since 1992, the organisation has been headed by Hassan Nasrallah, its Secretary-General.
Hezbollah became a part of the government for the first time on June 13, 2011.
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History
1980s
Ending Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon, which lasted for 18 years, was the primary focus of Hezbollah's early activities.[7] Israel had become militarily involved in Lebanon in combat with the Palestine Liberation Organization, which had been invited into Lebanon after Black September in Jordan. Israel had been attacking the PLO in Southern Lebanon in the lead-up to the 1982 Lebanon War, and Israel had invaded and occupied Southern Lebanon and besieged Beirut.[17] When the Shi'a population of southern Lebanon realized that Israel had no intention of leaving, they rebelled. The Amal Movement ("hope"), the main political group, initiated guerrilla warfare.
Hezbollah waged an asymmetrical guerrilla war against Israel using suicide attacks against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and against Israeli targets outside of Lebanon.[18] Hezbollah is reputed to have been among the first Islamic resistance groups to use tactical suicide bombing, assassination, and capturing foreign soldiers in the Middle East.[8] Hezbollah turned into a paramilitary organization and used missiles, Katyusha, and other type of rocket launchers and detonations of explosive charges instead of capturing,[19][20] murders,[19] and hijackings.[21] At the end of the Lebanese Civil War in 1990, despite the Taif Agreement asking for the "disbanding of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias," Syria, in control of Lebanon at that time, allowed Hezbollah to maintain their arsenal, and control the Shiite areas in Southern Lebanon along the border with Israel.[22]
After 1990
In the 1990s, Hezbollah transformed from a revolutionary group into a political one, in a process which is described as the Lebanonisation of Hezbollah. Unlike its uncompromising revolutionary stance in the 1980s, Hezbollah conveyed a lenient stance towards the Lebanese state.[23]
In 1992, Hezbollah decided to participate in elections, and Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran, endorsed it. Former Hezbollah secretary general, Subhi al-Tufayli, contested this decision, which led to a schism in Hezbollah. Hezbollah won all twelve seats which were on its electoral list. At the end of that year, Hezbollah began to engage in dialog with Lebanese Christians. Hezbollah regards cultural, political, and religious freedoms in Lebanon as sanctified, although it does not extend these values to groups who have relations with Israel.[24]
In 1997, Hezbollah formed multi-confessional Lebanese Brigades to Fighting the Israeli Occupation, which was an attempt to revive national and secular resistance against Israel, which marks the Lebanonisation of resistance.[25]
Islamic Jihad Organization
Whether the Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO) was a nom de guerre used by Hezbollah or a separate organization, is disputed.
Hezbollah leaders reportedly admitted their involvement in IJO's attacks and the nominal nature of "Islamic Jihad" – that it was merely a "telephone organization,"[26][27] and[28] whose name was "used by those involved to disguise their true identity."[29][30][31][32][33]
A 2003 decision by an American court found IJO was the name used by Hezbollah for its attacks in Lebanon, and parts of the Middle East, and Europe.[34] Hezbollah also used another name, Islamic Resistance, or al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, for its attacks against Israel.[35]
The names Islamic Jihad Organization, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth and the Revolutionary Justice Organization are considered to be synonymous with Hezbollah by the United States,[36] Israel,[37] and Canada.[38]
Ideology
The ideology of Hezbollah has been summarized as Shi'i radicalism.[39][40][41] Hezbollah was largely formed with the aid of the Ayatollah Khomeini's followers in the early 1980s in order to spread Islamic revolution[42] and follows a distinct version of Islamic Shi'a ideology (Valiyat al-faqih or Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists) developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the "Islamic Revolution" in Iran.[2][43] Although Hezbollah originally aimed to transform Lebanon into a formal Faqihi Islamic republic, this goal has been abandoned in favor of a more inclusive approach.[7]
The Hezbollah manifesto
On February 16, 1985, Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin issued Hezbollah's manifesto. Translated excerpts from Hezbollah's original 1985 manifesto read:
We are the sons of the umma (Muslim community) ...
... We are an ummah linked to the Muslims of the whole world by the solid doctrinal and religious connection of Islam, whose message God wanted to be fulfilled by the Seal of the Prophets, i.e., Prophet Muhammad. ... As for our culture, it is based on the Holy Quran, the Sunna and the legal rulings of the faqih who is our source of imitation...[9]
Hezbollah follows the Islamic Shi'a theology developed by Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.[43]
Attitudes, statements, and actions concerning Israel and Zionism
From the inception of Hezbollah to the present,[9][44] the elimination of the State of Israel has been one of Hezbollah's primary goals. Some translations of Hezbollah's 1985 Arabic-language manifesto state that "our struggle will end only when this entity [Israel] is obliterated".[9] According to Hezbollah's Deputy-General, Na'im Qasim, the struggle against Israel is a core belief of Hezbollah and the central rationale of Hezbollah's existence.[45]
Hezbollah says that its continued hostilities against Israel are justified as reciprocal to Israeli operations against Lebanon and as retaliation for what they claim is Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory.[46][47][48] Although Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, and their complete withdrawal was verified by the United Nations, Lebanon now considers the Shebaa farms—a 26-km² (10-mi²) piece of land captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 war and considered by the UN to be disputed territory between Syria and Israel—to be Lebanese territory. Additionally, Hezbollah claims that three Lebanese prisoners are being held in Israel.[49] Finally, Hezbollah consider Israel to be an illegitimate state. For these reasons, they justify their actions as acts of defensive jihad.[50]
If they go from Shebaa, we won't stop fighting them. ... Our goal is to liberate the 1948 borders of Palestine, ... The Jews who survive this war of liberation can go back to Germany or wherever they came from. However, that the Jews who lived in Palestine before 1948 will be 'allowed to live as a minority and they will be cared for by the Muslim majority.'
— Hezbollah's spokesperson Hassan Ezzedin, about an Israeli withdrawal from Shebaa Farms[51]
Attitudes and actions concerning Jews and Judaism
Hezbollah officials say that the group distinguishes between Judaism and Zionism. However, various anti-Semitic statements have been attributed to them.[52][53][54][55][56][57] Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a Lebanese political analyst, argues that although Zionism has influenced Hezbollah's anti-Judaism, "it is not contingent upon it" because Hezbollah's hatred of Jews is more religiously motivated than politically motivated.[58] Robert S. Wistrich, a historian specializing in the study of anti-Semitism, described Hezbollah's ideology concerning Jews:
"The anti-Semitism of Hezbollah leaders and spokesmen combines the image of seemingly invincible Jewish power ... and cunning with the contempt normally reserved for weak and cowardly enemies. Like the Hamas propaganda for holy war, that of Hezbollah has relied on the endless vilification of Jews as 'enemies of mankind,' 'conspiratorial, obstinate, and conceited' adversaries full of 'satanic plans' to enslave the Arabs. It fuses traditional Islamic anti-Judaism with Western conspiracy myths, Third Worldist anti-Zionism, and Iranian Shiite contempt for Jews as 'ritually impure' and corrupt infidels. Sheikh Fadlallah typically insists ... that Jews wish to undermine or obliterate Islam and Arab cultural identity in order to advance their economic and political domination."[59]
Conflicting reports say Al-Manar accused either Israel or Jews of deliberately spreading HIV and other diseases to Arabs throughout the Middle East.[55][60][61] Al-Manar, the Hezbollah-owned and operated television station, was criticized in the West for airing "anti-Semitic propaganda" in the form of a television drama depicting a Jewish world domination conspiracy.[62][63][64] Hezbollah also used anti-Semitic educational materials designed for 5-year-old scouts.[65][66] The group has been accused by American analysts of engaging in Holocaust denial.[67][68][69]
In November 2009, Hezbollah pressured a private English-language school to drop excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank, a book of the writings from the diary kept by the Jewish child Anne Frank while she was in hiding with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands,[70][71] after Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel complained, asking how long Lebanon would "remain an open arena for the Zionist invasion of education"?[71]
Organization
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/HezbollahOrgChart.svg/450px-HezbollahOrgChart.svg.png)
At the beginning many Hezbollah leaders have maintained that the movement was "not an organization, for its members carry no cards and bear no specific responsibilities,"[72] and that the movement does not have "a clearly defined organizational structure."[73] Nowadays, as Hezbollah scholar Magnus Ranstorp reports, Hezbollah does indeed have a formal governing structure, and in keeping with the principle of Guardianship of the Islamic Jurists (velayat-e faqih), it "concentrate[s] ... all authority and powers" in its religious leaders, whose decisions then "flow from the ulama down the entire community."
The supreme decision-making bodies of the Hezbollah were divided between the Majlis al-Shura (Consultative Assembly) which was headed by 12 senior clerical members with responsibility for tactical decisions and supervision of overall Hizballah activity throughout Lebanon, and the Majlis al-Shura al-Karar (the Deciding Assembly), headed by Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah and composed of eleven other clerics with responsibility for all strategic matters. Within the Majlis al-Shura, there existed seven specialized committees dealing with ideological, financial, military and political, judicial, informational and social affairs. In turn, the Majlis al-Shura and these seven committees were replicated in each of Hizballah's three main operational areas (the Beqaa, Beirut, and the South).[74]
Since the Supreme Leader of Iran is the ultimate clerical authority, Hezbollah's leaders have appealed to him "for guidance and directives in cases when Hezbollah's collective leadership [was] too divided over issues and fail[ed] to reach a consensus."[74] After the death of Iran's first Supreme Leader, Khomeini, Hezbollah's governing bodies developed a more "independent role" and appealed to Iran less often.[74] Since the Second Lebanon War, however, Iran has restructured Hezbollah to limit the power of Hassan Nasrallah, and invested billions of dollars "rehabilitating" Hezbollah.[75][76]
Structurally, Hezbollah does not distinguish between its political/social activities within Lebanon and its military/jihad activities against Israel. "Hezbollah has a single leadership," according to Naim Qassem, Hezbollah's second in command. "All political, social and jihad work is tied to the decisions of this leadership ... The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel."[77]
In 2010, Iran's parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said takes "pride in Lebanon's Islamic resistance movement for its steadfast Islamic stance. Hezbollah nurtures the original ideas of Islamic Jihad." While he also praised the group for "steadfast Islamic stance." He also instead turned charge on the West for having accused Iran with support of terrorism and said "The real terrorists are those who provide the Zionist regime with military equipment to bomb the people."[78]
Funding
Hezbollah says that the main source of its income comes from donations by Muslims.[79] Hezbollah receives substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran and Syria.[51][80][81] According to reports released in February 2010, Hezbollah received $400 million dollars from Iran.[80][82][83][84] The US estimates that Iran has been giving Hezbollah about US$60–100 million per year in financial assistance.[85] Other estimates are as high as $200-million annually.[79]
Hezbollah has relied also on funding from the Shi'ite Lebanese Diaspora in West Africa, the United States and, most importantly, the Triple Frontier, or tri-border area, along the junction of Paraguay, Argentina, and Brazil.[86] U.S. law enforcement officials have identified an illegal multimillion-dollar cigarette-smuggling fund raising operation[87] and a drug smuggling operation.[88][89]
Social services
Hezbollah organizes an extensive social development program and runs hospitals, news services, educational facilities, and encouragement of Nikah mut‘ah.[82][90] One of its established institutions, Jihad Al Binna's Reconstruction Campaign, is responsible for numerous economic and infrastructure development projects in Lebanon.[91] Hezbollah has set up a Martyr's Institute (Al-Shahid Social Association), which guarantees to provide living and education expenses "for the families of fighters who die" in battle.[84] An IRIN news report of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted:
"Hezbollah not only has armed and political wings – it also boasts an extensive social development program. Hezbollah currently operates at least four hospitals, twelve clinics, twelve schools and two agricultural centres that provide farmers with technical assistance and training. It also has an environmental department and an extensive social assistance program. Medical care is also cheaper than in most of the country's private hospitals and free for Hezbollah members."[82]
According to CNN, "Hezbollah did everything that a government should do, from collecting the garbage to running hospitals and repairing schools."[92] In July 2006, during the war with Israel, when there was no running water in Beirut, Hezbollah was arranging supplies around the city. Lebanese Shiites "see Hezbollah as a political movement and a social service provider as much as it is a militia."[92] Hezbollah also rewards its guerilla members who have been wounded in battle by taking them to Hezbollah-run amusement parks.[93]
Political activities
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![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Lebanon_Jul06.png/220px-Lebanon_Jul06.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Dec_10_2006_anti-government_rally_Beirut.jpg/220px-Dec_10_2006_anti-government_rally_Beirut.jpg)
Hezbollah alongside with Amal is one of two major political parties in Lebanon that represent the Shiite Muslims.[94] It holds 14 of the 128 seats in the Parliament of Lebanon and is a member of the Resistance and Development Bloc. According to Daniel L. Byman, it's "the most powerful single political movement in Lebanon."[95] Hezbollah, along with the Amal Movement, represents most of Lebanese Shi'a. However, unlike Amal, Hezbollah has not disarmed. Hezbollah participates in the Parliament of Lebanon.
Hezbollah has been one the main parties of March 8 Alliance since March 2005. Although Hezbollah had joined the new government in 2005, it remained staunchly opposed to the March 14 Alliance.[96] On December 1, 2006, these groups began the 2006–2008 Lebanese political protests, a series of protests and sit-ins in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.[12]
On May 7, 2008 Lebanon's 17-month long political crisis spiraled out of control. The fighting was sparked by a government move to shut down Hezbollah's telecommunication network and remove Beirut Airport's security chief over alleged ties to Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the government's decision to declare the group's military telecommunications network illegal was a "declaration of war" on the organization, and demanded that the government revoke it.[97] Hezbollah-led opposition fighters seized control of several West Beirut neighborhoods from Future Movement militiamen loyal to the backed government, in street battles that left 11 dead and 30 wounded. The opposition-seized areas were then handed over to the Lebanese Army.[13] The army also pledged to resolve the dispute and has reversed the decisions of the government by letting Hezbollah preserve its telecoms network and re-instating the airport's security chief.[98] At the end, rival Lebanese leaders reached consensus over Doha Agreement on May 21, 2008, to end the 18-month political feud that exploded into fighting and nearly drove the country to a new civil war.[99] On the basis of this agreement, Hezbollah and its opposition allies were effectively granted veto power in Lebanon's parliament. At the end of the conflicts, National unity government was formed by Fouad Siniora on July 11, 2008 and Hezbollah has one minister and controls eleven of thirty seats in the cabinet.[4]
Hezbollah currently sits in the opposition March 8 alliance. However, they withdrew from the government citing inability to discuss issues over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.
Media operations
Hezbollah operates a satellite television station, Al-Manar TV ("the Lighthouse") and a radio station al-Nour ("the Light").[100] Al-Manar broadcasts from Beirut, Lebanon.[100] Hezbollah launched the station in 1991[101] with the help of Iranian funds.[102] Al-Manar, the self-proclaimed "Station of the Resistance," (qanat al-muqawama) is a key player in what Hezbollah calls its "psychological warfare against the Zionist enemy"[102][103] and an integral part of Hezbollah's plan to spread its message to the entire Arab world.[102]
Hezbollah's television station Al-Manar airs programming designed to inspire suicide attacks in Gaza, the West Bank, and Iraq.[51][101][104] Al-Manar's transmission in France is prohibited due to promotion of Holocaust denial, a criminal offense in France.[105][106][107] The United States lists Al-Manar television network as a terrorist organization.[108]
Al-Manar was designated as a "Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity," and banned by the United States in December 2004.[109] It has also been banned by France, Spain and Germany,[110][111][112]
Materials aimed at instilling principles of nationalism and Islam in children are an aspect of Hezbollah's media operations.[113] The Hezbollah Central Internet Bureau released a video game in 2003 entitled Special Force and a sequel in 2007 in which players are rewarded with points and weapons for killing Israelis.[114]
Military activities
Hezbollah has a military branch known as Al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya ("The Islamic Resistance") and is the possible sponsor of a number of lesser-known militant groups, some of which may be little more than fronts for Hezbollah itself, including the Organization of the Oppressed, the Revolutionary Justice Organization, the Organization of Right Against Wrong, and Followers of the Prophet Muhammad.[115]
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 called for the disarmament of militia[116] with the Taif agreement at the end of the Lebanese civil war. Hezbollah denounced, and protested against, the resolution.[117] The 2006 military conflict with Israel has increased the controversy. Failure to disarm remains a violation of the resolution and agreement as well as subsequent United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.[118] Since then both Israel and Hezbollah have asserted that the organization has gained in military strength.[15] A Lebanese public opinion poll taken in August 2006 shows that most of the Shia did not believe that Hezbollah should disarm after the 2006 Lebanon war, while the majority of Sunni, Druze and Christians believed that they should.[119] The Lebanese cabinet, under president Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, guidelines state that Hezbollah enjoys the right to "liberate occupied lands."[120] In 2009, a Hezbollah commander (speaking on condition of anonymity) said, "[W]e have far more rockets and missiles [now] than we did in 2006."[121]
Suicide attacks and kidnappings
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Beirutbarr.jpg/220px-Beirutbarr.jpg)
Between 1982 and 1986, there were 36 suicide attacks in Lebanon directed against American, French and Israelis forces by 41 individuals with predominantly leftist political beliefs and of both major religions,[122] killing 659.[18] Hezbollah denies involvement in any attack, though it has been accused of some or all of these attacks:[123][124][125]
- The 1982–1983 Tyre headquarters bombings
- The April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing (by the Islamic Jihad Organization),[126]
- The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing (by the Islamic Jihad Organization), that killed 241 U.S. marines, 58 French paratroopers and 6 civilians at the US and French barracks in Beirut[127]
- A spate of attacks on IDF troops and SLA militiamen in southern Lebanon.[18]
- Hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985,[127]
- The Lebanon hostage crisis from 1982 to 1992.[128]
Accusations
Since 1990, Hezbollah has been accused of the following attacks and attempted attacks. Hezbollah leaders denied involvement[citation needed]:
- The 1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires, killing 29, in Argentina.[127]
- The 1994 AMIA bombing of a Jewish cultural centre, killing 85, in Argentina.[127]
- In 2002, Singapore accused Hezbollah of recruiting Singaporeans in a failed 1990s plot to attack U.S. and Israeli ships in the Singapore Straits.[129]
- The January 15, 2008, bombing of a U.S. Embassy vehicle in Beirut.[130]
- In 2009, a Hezbollah plot in Egypt was uncovered, where Egyptian authorities arrested 49 men for planning attacks against Israeli and Egyptian targets in the Sinai Peninsula.[131][132]
Conflict with Israel
South Lebanon conflict
Hezbollah has been involved in several cases of armed conflict with Israel:
- During the 1982–2000 South Lebanon conflict, Hezbollah waged a guerrilla campaign against Israeli forces occupying Southern Lebanon. Israel withdrew in 2000 in accordance with 1978's United Nations Security Council Resolution 425.[16] With the collapse of their supposed allies, the SLA, and the rapid advance of Hezbollah forces, they withdrew suddenly on May 24, 2000 six weeks before the announced July 7 date."[21] Hezbollah held a victory parade, and its popularity in Lebanon rose.[133] Hezbollah and many analysts considered this a victory for the movement, and since then its popularity has been boosted in Lebanon.[133]
- On July 25, 1993, following Hezbollah's killing of seven Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon, Israel launched Operation Accountability (known in Lebanon as the Seven Day War), during which the IDF carried out their heaviest artillery and air attacks on targets in southern Lebanon since 1982. The aim of the operation was to eradicate the threat posed by Hezbollah and to force the civilian population north to Beirut so as to put pressure on the Lebanese Government to restrain Hezbollah.[134] The fighting ended when an unwritten understanding was agreed to by the warring parties. Apparently, the 1993 understanding provided that Hezbollah combatants would not fire rockets at northern Israel, while Israel would not attack civilians or civilian targets in Lebanon.[135]
- In April 1996, after continued Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli civilians,[136] the Israeli armed forces launched Operation Grapes of Wrath, which was intended to wipe out Hezbollah's base in southern Lebanon. Over 100 Lebanese refugees were killed by the shelling of a UN base at Qana, in what the Israeli military said was a mistake.[137] Finally, following several days of negotiations, the two sides signed the Grapes of Wrath Understandings on April 26, 1996. A cease-fire was agreed upon between Israel and Hezbollah, which would be effective on April 27, 1996.[138] Both sides agreed that civilians should not be targeted, which meant that Hezbollah would be allowed to continue its military activities against IDF forces inside Lebanon.[138]
2000 Hezbollah cross-border raid
On October 7, 2000, three Israeli soldiers – Adi Avitan, Staff Sgt. Benyamin Avraham, and Staff Sgt. Omar Sawaidwere – were abducted by Hezbollah while patrolling the Israeli side of the Israeli-Lebanese border.[139] The soldiers were killed either during the attack or in its immediate aftermath.[140] Israel Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has, however, said that Hezbollah abducted the soldiers and then killed them.[141] The bodies of the slain soldiers were exchanged for Lebanese prisoners in 2004.[142]
2006 Lebanon War
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Hizbollah_posters_2006.jpg/220px-Hizbollah_posters_2006.jpg)
The 2006 Lebanon War was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israeli military. The conflict was precipitated by a cross-border raid by Hezbollah during which they kidnapped and killed Israeli soldiers. In a speech in July 2008, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah acknowledged that he had ordered the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers in order to free prisoners held in Israeli jails.[118][better source needed] The conflict began on July 12, 2006 when Hezbollah militants fired rockets at Israeli border towns as a diversion for an anti-tank missile attack on two armored Humvees patrolling the Israeli side of the border fence, killing three, injuring two, and seizing two Israeli soldiers.[143]
Israel responded with airstrikes and artillery fire on targets in Lebanon that damaged Lebanese civilian infrastructure, including Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport (which Israel said that Hezbollah used to import weapons and supplies),[144] an air and naval blockade,[145] and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah then launched more rockets into northern Israel and engaged the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in guerrilla warfare from hardened positions.[146] The war continued until August 14, 2006. Hezbollah was responsible for thousands of Katyusha rocket attacks against Israeli civilian towns and cities in northern Israel,[147] which Hezbollah said were in retaliation for Israel's killing of civilians and targeting Lebanese infrastructure.[148] The conflict is believed to have killed around 1,300 Lebanese people,[149][150][151][152] and 165 Israelis.[153]
2010 Gas Field Claims
In 2010, Hezbollah claimed that the Dalit and Tamar gas field, discovered by Noble Energy roughly 50 miles (80 km) west of Haifa in Israeli exclusive economic zone, belong to Lebanon, and warned Israel against extracting gas from them. Senior officials from Hezbollah warned that they would not hesitate to use weapons to defend Lebanon's natural resources. Figures in the March 14 Forces stated in response that Hezbullah was simply looking for another excuse to hold on to its arms. Lebanese MP Antoine Zahra said that the issue is another item "in the endless list of excuses" meant to justify the continued existence of Hezbullah's arsenal.[154]
2011 attack in Istanbul
In July 2011, Italian newspaper Corierre della Sera reported, based on American and Turkish sources,[155] that Hezbollah was behind a bombing in Istanbul in May 2011 that wounded eight Turkish civilians. The report said that the attack was an assassination attempt on the Israeli consul to Turkey, Moshe Kimchi. Turkish intelligence sources denied the report and said "Israel is in the habit of creating disinformation campaigns using different papers."[155]
2012 planned attack in Cyprus
In July 2012, a Lebanese man was detained by Cyprus police on possible charges relating to terrorism laws for planning attacks against Israeli tourists. According to security officials, the man was planning attacks for Hezbollah in Cyprus and admitted this after questioning. The police were alerted about the man due to an urgent message from Israeli intelligence. The Lebanese man was in possession of photographs of Israeli targets and had information on Israeli airlines flying back and forth from Cyprus, and planned to blow up a plane or tour bus.[156] Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Iran assisted the Lebanese man with planning the attacks.[157]
2010 Lebanon Takeover Drills
In 2009, the United Nations special tribunal investigating the murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri reportedly found evidence linking Hezbollah to the murder.[158]
Armed strength
Hezbollah has not revealed its armed strength. It has been estimated by Mustafa Alani, security director at the Dubai-based Gulf Research Centre that Hezbollah's military force is made up of about 1,000 full-time Hezbollah members, along with a further 6,000–10,000 volunteers.[159]
Hezbollah possesses the Katyusha-122 rocket, which has a range of 29 km (18 mi) and carries a 15-kg (33-lb) warhead. Hezbollah also possesses about 100 long-range missiles. They include the Iranian-made Fajr-3 and Fajr-5, the latter with a range of 75 km (47 mi), enabling it to strike the Israeli port of Haifa, and the Zelzal-1, with an estimated 150 km (93 mi) range, which can reach Tel Aviv. Fajr-3 missiles have a range of 40 km (25 mi) and a 45-kg (99-lb) warhead, and Fajr-5 missiles, which extend to 72 km (45 mi), also hold 45-kg (99-lb) warheads.[159] It was reported that Hezbollah is in possession of Scud missiles that were provided to them by Syria.[160] The reports were denied by Syria.[161]
According to various reports, Hezbollah is armed with anti-tank guided missiles, namely, the Russian-made AT-3 Sagger, AT-4 Spigot, AT-5 Spandrel, AT-13 Saxhorn-2 'Metis-M', АТ-14 Spriggan 'Kornet'; Iranian-made Ra'ad (version of AT-3 Sagger), Towsan (version of AT-5 Spandrel), Toophan (version of BGM-71 TOW); and European-made MILAN missiles. These weapons have been used against IDF soldiers, causing many of the deaths during the 2006 Lebanon War.[162] A small number of Saeghe-2s (Iranian-made version of M47 Dragon) were also used in the war.[163]
For air defense, Hezbollah has anti-aircraft weapons that include the ZU-23 artillery and the man-portable, shoulder-fired SA-7 and SA-18 surface-to-air missile (SAM).[164] One of the most effective weapons deployed by Hezbollah has been the C-802 anti-ship missile.[165]
Israeli commander Gui Zur called Hizbollah: "by far the greatest guerrilla group in the world".[166]
In April 2010 United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates claimed that the Hezbollah has far more missiles and rockets than the majority of countries. He said that Syria and Iran are providing weapons to the organization. Israel also claims that Syria is providing the organization with these weapons. Syria has denied supplying these weapons and views these claims as an Israeli excuse for an attack.[167] Leaked cables from American diplomats suggest that the United States has been trying unsuccessfully to prevent Syria from "supplying arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon", and that Hezbollah has "amassed a huge stockpile (of arms) since its 2006 war with Israel"; the arms were described as "increasingly sophisticated."[168] Gates added that Hezbollah is possibly armed with chemical or biological weapons, as well as anti-ship missiles with a range of 65 miles (105 km) that could threaten U.S. ships.[169]
Current estimates
As of 2010[update], the Israeli government believed Hezbollah had an arsenal of more than 15,000 long-range rockets stationed on its border with Lebanon. Some of these missiles were said to be capable of penetrating cities as far away as Eilat.[170]
The Israeli Ambassador to United States Michael Oren expressed deep concern with the revelation.
The Syrian-Iranian backed Hizbullah poses a very serious threat to Israel...Hizbullah today now has four times as many rockets as it had during the 2006 Lebanon war. These rockets are longer-range. Every city in Israel is within range right now, including Eilat.[170]
The IDF has accused Hezbollah of storing these rockets beneath hospitals, schools, and civilian homes.[170]
Targeting policy
Hezbollah has not been involved in any suicide bombing since Israel withdrew from Lebanon.[171] After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Hezbollah condemned Al Qaeda for targeting the civilian World Trade Center, but remained silent on the attack on The Pentagon.[8][172] Hezbollah also denounced the massacres in Algeria by Armed Islamic Group, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya attacks on tourists in Egypt,[173] and the murder of Nick Berg.[174]
Although Hezbollah has denounced certain attacks on civilians, some people accuse the organization of the bombing of an Argentine synagogue in 1994. Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman, Marcelo Martinez Burgos, and their "staff of some 45 people"[175] said that Hezbollah and their contacts in Iran were responsible for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina, in which "[e]ighty-five people were killed and more than 200 others injured."[176] In June 2002, shortly after the Israeli government launched Operation Defensive Shield, Nasrallah gave a speech in which he defended and praised suicide bombings of Israeli targets by members of Palestinian groups for "creating a deterrence and equalizing fear." Nasrallah stated that "in occupied Palestine, there is no difference between a soldier and a civilian, for they are all invaders, occupiers and usurpers of the land."[8]
Alleged Involvement in Murder of Rafic Hariri
On June 30, 2011, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, established to investigate the death of the former prime minister Rafic Hariri, issued arrest warrants against four senior members of Hezbollah.[177] On July 3, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah rejected the indictment and denounced the tribunal as a plot against the party, vowing that the named persons would not be arrested under any circumstances.[178]
Attacks on Hezbollah leaders
Hezbollah has also been the target of bomb attacks and kidnappings. These include:
- In the 1985 Beirut car bombing, Hezbollah leader Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah was targeted, but the assassination attempt failed.
- On July 28, 1989, Israeli commandos kidnapped Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid, the leader of Hezbollah.[179] This action led to the adoption of UN Security Council resolution 638, which condemned all hostage takings by all sides.
- In 1992, Israeli helicopters attacked a motorcade in southern Lebanon, killing the Hezbollah leader Abbas al-Musawi, his wife, son, and four others.[21]
- On February 12, 2008, Imad Mughnieh was killed by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria.[180]
Foreign relations
Hezbollah has close relations with Iran.[181] It also has ties with the leadership in Syria, specifically with President Hafez al-Assad (until his death in 2000) and his son and successor Bashar al-Assad.[182] Although Hezbollah and Hamas are not organizationally linked, Hezbollah provides military training as well as financial and moral support to the Sunni Palestinian group.[183] Furthermore, Hezbollah is a strong supporter of the ongoing Al-Aqsa Intifada.[8] American and Israeli counter-terrorism officials claim that Hezbollah has (or had) links to Al Qaeda, although Hezbollah's leaders deny these allegations.[184][185][186] Also, some al-Qaeda leaders, like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi[187] and Wahhabi clerics, consider Hezbollah to be apostate.[188] But United States intelligence officials speculate that there has been contact between Hezbollah and low-level al-Qaeda figures who fled Afghanistan for Lebanon.[189]
Public opinion
According to Michel Samaha, Lebanon’s minister of information, Hezbollah is seen as a legitimate resistance organization that has defended its land against an Israeli occupying force and has consistently stood up to the Israeli army.[8]
According to a survey released by the "Beirut Center for Research and Information" on July 26 during the 2006 Lebanon War, 87 percent of Lebanese support Hezbollah's "retaliatory attacks on northern Israel",[190] a rise of 29 percentage points from a similar poll conducted in February. More striking, however, was the level of support for Hezbollah's resistance from non-Shiite communities. Eighty percent of Christians polled supported Hezbollah, along with 80 percent of Druze and 89 percent of Sunnis.[191]
In a poll of Lebanese adults taken in 2004, 6% of respondents gave unqualified support to the statement "Hezbollah should be disarmed". 41% reported unqualified disagreement.[192] A poll of Gaza Strip and West Bank residents indicated that 79.6% had "a very good view" of Hezbollah, and most of the remainder had a "good view".[193] Polls of Jordanian adults in December 2005 and June 2006 showed that 63.9% and 63.3%, respectively, considered Hezbollah to be a legitimate resistance organization.[194] In the December 2005 poll, only 6% of Jordanian adults considered Hezbollah to be terrorist.[195]
A July 2006 USA Today/Gallup poll found that 83% of the 1,005 Americans polled blamed Hezbollah, at least in part, for the 2006 Lebanon War, compared to 66% who blamed Israel to some degree. Additionally, 76% disapproved of the military action Hezbollah took in Israel, compared to 38% who disapproved of Israel's military action in Lebanon.[196] A poll in August 2006 by ABC News and the Washington Post found that 68% of the 1,002 Americans polled blamed Hezbollah, at least in part, for the civilian casualties in Lebanon during the 2006 Lebanon War, compared to 31% who blamed Israel to some degree.[196] Another August 2006 poll by CNN showed that 69% of the 1,047 Americans polled believed that Hezbollah is unfriendly towards, or an enemy of, the United States.[196]
In 2010, a survey of Muslims in Lebanon showed that 94% of Lebanese Shia supported Hezbollah, while 84% of the Sunni Muslims held an unfavorable opinion of the group.[197]
Designation as a terrorist organization or resistance movement
Countries below have officially listed Hezbollah in at least some part as a terrorist organization.
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The Hezbollah External Security Organization | [198] |
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The entire organization Hezbollah | [199] |
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The entire organization Hezbollah | [200] |
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The entire organization Hezbollah | [201] |
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The entire organization Hezbollah | [202] |
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The entire organization Hezbollah | [203] |
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Hezbollah's military wing only | [204] |
![]() |
The entire organization Hezbollah | [205] |
Hezbollah’s status as a legitimate political party, a terrorist group, a resistance movement, or some combination thereof is a contentious issue. Several Western countries officially classify Hezbollah or its external security wing as a terrorist organization, and some of their violent acts have been described as terrorist attacks. Throughout most of the Arab and Muslim worlds, Hezbollah is referred to as a resistance movement, engaged in national defense.[2][206][207] Even within Lebanon, Hezbollah's status is contentious.
In the Western World
In 1999, Hezbollah was placed on the US State Department list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. After Hezbollah's condemnation of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the USA, it was removed from the list, but it was later returned to the list.[208]
The European Union does not list Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization";[209] In addition, on March 10, 2005, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution recognizing "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah"[210] and urging the EU Council to brand Hezbollah a terrorist organization and EU governments to place Hezbollah on their terrorist blacklists, as the bloc did with the Palestinian Hamas group in 2003.[210] The Council has been reluctant to do this because France, Spain, and Britain fear that such a move would further damage the prospects for Middle East peace talks.[210] In the midst of the 2006 conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, Russia’s government declined to include Hezbollah in a newly released list of terrorist organizations, with Yuri Sapunov, the head of anti-terrorism for the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, saying that they list only organizations which represent "the greatest threat to the security of our country".[211] Prior to the release of the list, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov called "on Hezbollah to stop resorting to any terrorist methods, including attacking neighboring states."[212]
The Quartet’s fourth member, the United Nations, does not maintain such a list,[213] however, the United Nations has made repeated calls for Hezbollah to disarm and accused the group of destabilizing the region and causing harm to Lebanese civilians.[214][215][216][217] Human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Hezbollah of committing war crimes against Israeli civilians.[218][219][220][221]
Argentine prosecutors hold Hezbollah and their financial supporters in Iran responsible for the 1994 AMIA Bombing of a Jewish cultural center, described by the Associated Press as "the worst terrorist attack on Argentine soil," in which "[e]ighty-five people were killed and more than 200 others injured."[176][222] During the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin condemned attacks by Hezbollah fighters on Israeli forces in south Lebanon, saying they were "terrorism" and not acts of resistance. "France condemns Hezbollah's attacks, and all types of terrorist attacks which may be carried out against soldiers, or possibly Israel's civilian population."[223] Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D'Alema differentiated the wings of Hezbollah: "Apart from their well-known terrorist activities, they also have political standing and are socially engaged."[224] German officials indicate that they would likely support a designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.[225] The Netherlands regard Hezbollah as terrorist discussing it as such in official reports of their general intelligence and security service[226] and in official answers by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[227]
In the Arab and Muslim World
In 2006 Hezbollah was regarded as a legitimate resistance movement most of the Arab and Muslim worlds.[2] "The indictments for the Hariri killing," the Associated Press reported in August 2011, "damages the group's crossover appeal in the Mideast's sectarian divides."[228] Furthermore, most of the Sunni Arab world sees Hezbollah as an agent of Iranian influence, and therefore, would like to see their power in Lebanon diminished.[229] Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have condemned Hezbollah's actions, saying that "the Arabs and Muslims can't afford to allow an irresponsible and adventurous organization like Hezbollah to drag the region to war" and calling it "dangerous adventurism,"[230]
Following the 2009 Hezbollah plot in Egypt, Egypt has officially classified Hezbollah as a terrorist group.[201]
During the 2011 Bahraini protests, Bahrain foreign minister Khalid ibn Ahmad Al Khalifah labeled Hezbollah a terrorist group and accused them of supporting the protesters.[231][199]
During the 2011 Syrian uprising Hezbollah's has voiced support for Syrian President Bashar Assad's government, which has prompted criticism from anti-government Syrians. As Hezbollah supported other movements in the context of the Arab Spring, anti-government Syrians have stated that they feel "betrayed" by a double standard allegedly applied by the movement. When during the summer of 2011 the violence in Syria escalated further, Hezbollah avoided talking about Syria’s uprising.[228]
In Lebanon
Following the 2006 Lebanon war, other Lebanese including the government were resentful of the large damage sustained by the country and saw Hizbullah’s actions as unjustified "dangerous adventurism" rather than legitimate resistance. They accused Hezbollah of acting on behalf of Iran and Syria.[232] An official of the Future Movement, part of the March 14 Alliance, warned that Hezbollah “has all the characteristics of a terrorist party”, and that Hezbollah is moving Lebanon toward the Iranian Islamic system of government.[233]
In August 2008, Lebanon's cabinet completed a policy statement which recognized "the right of Lebanon's people, army, and resistance to liberate the Israeli-occupied Shebaa Farms, Kafar Shuba Hills, and the Lebanese section of Ghajar village, and defend the country using all legal and possible means."[234]
Gebran Tueni, a conservative, Orthodox Christian editor of an-Nahar, referred to Hezbollah as an "Iranian import and said “they have nothing to do with Arab civilization.” Tuení believed that Hezbollah’s evolution is cosmetic, concealing a sinister long-term strategy to Islamicize Lebanon and lead it into a ruinous war with Israel. “Ask Mr. Nasrallah whether there would be a place for Christians in the Islamic Republic of Lebanon,” he said, “You might remind him that we are not an external force. We’ve been here longer than the Muslims—we are not Afrikaners!"[8]
Tueni was assassinated in 2005.[235]
While Hezbollah has supported popular uprisings in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain and Tunisia – Hezbollah publicly sided with Iran and Syria in their own violent repressions of dissent. In August 2010, 800 people demonstrated in Beirut against Syrian President Bashar Assad, and police were called in to contain the smaller pro-Syrian rallies that followed. Demonstrators were shouting, “Syria wants freedom,” “Anyone who kills his people is a murderer and a coward,” and “the people want an end to the regime.”[236]
Scholarly views
Some American and Israeli academics specializing in a wide variety of the social sciences believe that Hezbollah is an example of an Islamic terrorist organization. The Americans include former U.S. Secretary of State and current political science professor Condoleezza Rice, Lebanese-born terrorism scholar Walid Phares, historian Mark LeVine, and journalist Donna Rosenthal.[237][238][239][240] Israeli historians that have referred to Hezbollah as an Islamic terrorist organization include Avraham Sela, Robert S. Wistrich, and Eyal Zisser.[241][242][243] Iranian scholar Siamak Khatami, Singaporean scholar Rohan Gunaratna, Australian scholar Neeru Gaba, and Norwegian scholar Tore Bjørgo have all referred to Hezbollah using similar terms.[184][244][245][246]
Views of foreign legislators
J. Gresham Barrett brought up legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives which, among other things, referred to Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Congress members Tom Lantos, Jim Saxton, Thad McCotter, Chris Shays, Charles Boustany, Alcee Hastings, and Robert Wexler referred to Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in their speeches supporting the legislation.[247] Shortly before a speech by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, U.S. Congressman Dennis Hastert said, "He [Maliki] denounces terrorism, and I have to take him at his word. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization."[248]
In 2011, a bipartisan group of members of Congress introduced the Hezbollah Anti-Terrorism Act. The act ensures that no American aid to Lebanon will enter the hands of Hezbollah. On the day of the act's introduction, Congressman Darrell Issa said, "Hezbollah is a terrorist group and a cancer on Lebanon. The Hezbollah Anti-Terrorism Act surgically targets this cancer and will strengthen the position of Lebanese who oppose Hezbollah."[249]
In a Sky News interview during the 2006 Lebanon war, former British MP George Galloway said that Hezbollah is: "not a terrorist organization".[250]
See also
References
- ^ Other transliterations include Hizbullah, Hizbollah, Hezballah, Hizballah, Hisbollah, and Hizb Allah.
- ^ a b c d e Jamail, Dahr (July 20, 2006). "Hezbollah's transformation". Asia Times. Retrieved October 23, 2007. Cite error: The named reference "HG20Ak02" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ A Tweet too far: US editor latest victim of Internet Inquisition. RT. Retrieved on October 19, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Hezbollah (a.k.a. Hizbollah, Hizbu'llah)". Council on Foreign Relations. September 13, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ Muriel Asseraf, Prospects for Adding Hezbollah to the EU Terrorist List, September 2007
- ^ Goldirova, Renata (September 17, 2008). "MEPs call on EU states to list Hezbollah as terrorist group". EUobserver.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ a b c "Who are Hezbollah". BBC News. May 21, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ^ a b c d e f g Adam Shatz (April 29, 2004). "In Search of Hezbollah". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved August 14, 2006.
- ^ a b c d e Itamar Rabinovich. Israel in the Middle East: documents ... provided by Google Books. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
- ^ Deeb, Lara (July 31, 2006). "Hizballah: A Primer". Middle East Report. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
- ^ "Huge Beirut protest backs Syria." BBC News. March 8, 2005. February 7, 2007.
- ^ a b Ghattas, Kim (December 1, 2006). "Political ferment in Lebanon". BBC News. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
- ^ a b "Lebanese army moves into W. Beirut after Hezbollah takeover". Haaretz. Retrieved May 10, 2008.[dead link]
- ^ "UN: Hezbollah has increased military strength since 2006 war." Haaretz. October 25, 2007. May 25, 2011.
- ^ a b Frykberg, Mel (August 29, 2008). "Mideast Powers, Proxies and Paymasters Bluster and Rearm". Middle East Times. Retrieved May 31, 2011.
And if there is one thing that ideologically and diametrically opposed Hezbollah and Israel agree on, it is Hezbollah's growing military strength.
- ^ a b "Security council endorses secretary-general's conclusion on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon as of 16 June". United Nations Security Council. June 18, 2000. Retrieved September 29, 2006.
- ^ Avi Shlaim (2001) The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World W.W. Norton, ISBN 0-393-32112-6 Chapter 10; The Lebanese Quagmire 1981–1984 pp 384–423
- ^ a b c Pape, Robert (2005). Dying to win: the strategic logic of suicide terrorism. New York: Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6317-5. Specifically: "Suicide Terrorist Campaigns, 1980–2003", Appendix 1. (Page 253 of Australian paperback edition, published by Scribe Publications)
- ^ a b H. CON. RES. 190, 1st session, 101st congress (August 4, 1989). "Expressing the sense of the Congress over the reported murder of Lieutenant Colonel William Higgins and Hezbollah-sponsored terrorism". The Library of Congress. Retrieved August 8, 2006.
{{cite web}}
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- ^ a b c "Timeline: Lebanon". BBC News. July 19, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
- ^ Jeffrey Goldberg (October 14, 2002). "IN THE PARTY OF GOD Are terrorists in Lebanon preparing for a larger war?". The New Yorker. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
- ^ "The strategy and tactics of Hizballah's current 'Lebanonization process". Mediterranean Politics, Volume 3, Issue 1 Summer 1998 , pages 103 – 134.
- ^ Alagha (2006), pp.41–44
- ^ Alagha (2006), p.47
- ^ Marius Deeb, Militant Islamic Movements in Lebanon: Origins, Social Basis, and Ideology, Occasional Paper Series (Washington, DC, Georgetown University, 1986) p.19
- ^ al-Nahar, September 7, 1985
- ^ LaRevue du Liban, July 27, – August 3, 1985
- ^ al-Nahar al-Arabi, June 10
- ^ Ma'aretz, December 16, 1983
- ^ Le Point, July 30, 1987
- ^ al-Shira, August 28, 1988
- ^ Nouveau Magazine, July 23, 1988
- ^ see also Bates, John D. (Presiding) (September 2003). "Anne Dammarell et al. v. Islamic Republic of Iran" (PDF). District of Columbia, U.S.: The United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 31, 2005. Retrieved September 21, 2006.
{{cite journal}}
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(help) - ^ Ranstorp, Hizb'allah (1997), p.67
- ^ U.S Department of State (October 1, 1999). "Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations". Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (April 11, 1996). "Hizbullah". Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- ^ "SOR/2003-53: Criminal Code; Regulations Amending the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities" (PDF). Canada Gazette Part II. 137 (1 extra): 1. February 12, 2003.
- ^ Barak, Oren. "Hizballah." The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East. Ed. Avraham Sela. New York: Continuum, 2002. p. 350.
- ^ Rosenthal, Donna. The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land. New York: Free Press, 2003. p. 15.
- ^ Collier, Robert. "Everyone casting suspicious eye on Iraq's Hezbollah." SFGate. December 29, 2003. March 14, 2008.
- ^ Wright, Robin (July 13, 2006). "Options for U.S. Limited As Mideast Crises Spread". Washington Post. p. A19.
- ^ a b Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (April 11, 1996). "Hizbullah". Retrieved August 17, 2006. Cite error: The named reference "mfaGOV960411" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ United Nations Document A/54/723 S/2000/55, citing Al Hayyat, October 30, 1999 Letter dated January 25, 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General. Retrieved August 17, 2006.
- ^ "The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology: Religious Ideology, Political Ideology, and Political Program" By Joseph Elie Alagha, Published by Amsterdam University Press, 2006, ISBN 90-5356-910-3, ISBN 978-90-5356-910-8, 380 pages, Page 53
- ^ Joshua Mitnick. Behind the dispute over Shebaa Farms, Christian Science Monitor, August 22, 2006.
- ^ Flashpoint farmland , The Guardian, May 10, 2006.
- ^ "Central to this issue is Hizballah’s claim, which was also espoused by Lebanon’s former pro-Syrian government, that the disputed Shebaa Farms are Lebanese rather than Syrian territories and are occupied by Israel. Therefore, Hizballah maintains that it is a legitimate resistance movement fighting for the liberation of Lebanese territory. Under this pretext, Hizballah, supported by some Lebanese parties, could argue that it is not a militia and thus it is outside the jurisdiction of Resolution 1559." Robert Rabil. Reinforcing Lebanon’s Sovereignty, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, November 8, 2005.
- ^ Saad-Ghorayeb, Amal (July 23, 2006). "Hezbollah's Apocalypse Now". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ Thisreen (Syrian newspaper) June 21, 1999, reprinted by MEMRI Secretary General of Hizbullah Discusses the New Israeli Government and Hizbullah’s Struggle Against Israel. Retrieved July 30, 2006.
- ^ a b c "IN THE PARTY OF GOD Are terrorists in Lebanon preparing for a larger war? by Jeffrey Goldberg". The New Yorker. October 14, 2002. Retrieved March 3, 2007.
- ^ "Lebanon and Israel: Nasrallah wins the war." The Economist. August 17, 2006. November 18, 2011.
- ^ "Hezbollah: Hassan Nasrallah." ADL. March 31, 2008. November 18, 2011.
- ^ Solnick, Aluma. "Based on Koranic Verses, Interpretations, and Traditions, Muslim Clerics State: The Jews Are the Descendants of Apes, Pigs, And Other Animals." MEMRI. November 1, 2002. November 18, 2011.
- ^ a b Block, Melissa. "'New Yorker' Writer Warns of Hezbollah's Radicalism." National Public Radio. August 16, 2006. February 16, 2008.
- ^ Hassan Nasrallah: In His Own Words CAMERA. July 26, 2006
- ^ Hezbollah TV - Anti-Semitism
- ^ Saad-Ghorayeb, Amal. Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion. London: Pluto Press, 2002. pp. 168–86.
- ^ Wistrich, Robert S. A Lethal Obsession: Anti-Semitism from Antiquity to the Global Jihad. New York: Random House, 2010. pp. 766–767.
- ^ Sciolino, Elaine. "French Court Delays Decision on Hezbollah-Run TV Channel." The New York Times December 12, 2004. February 14, 2008.
- ^ Carvajal, Doreen. "French Court Orders a Ban on hezbollah-Run TV Channel." The New York Times. December 14, 2004. February 14, 2008.
- ^ Sciolino, Elaine. " A New French Headache: When Is Hate on TV Illegal?" The New York Times. December 9, 2004. February 16, 2008.
- ^ "Anti-Semitic Series Airs on Arab Television." ADL. January 9, 2004. February 16, 2008.
- ^ "Urge President Chirac to Block Hezbollah's Antisemitic and Hate TV."[dead link] Simon Wiesenthal Center. May 21, 2008.
- ^ "UN Human Rights High Commissioner Admits to Wiesenthal Center Delegation ... 'Hezbollah Deliberately Targeted Israeli Civilians.'"[dead link] Simon Wiesenthal Center. September 19, 2006. May 22, 2008.
- ^ Brown, Roy. "Hezbollah attacks IHEU speaker." International Humanist and Ethical Union. September 25, 2006. May 22, 2008.
- ^ "Hezbollah Pressures School Into Dropping 'Anne Frank.'" The Jewish Daily Forward. November 9, 2009.
- ^ Satloff, Roger. "The Holocaust's Arab Heroes." The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. October 8, 2006. January 14, 2009.
- ^ Stalinsky, Steven. "Hezbollah's Nazi Tactics." The New York Sun. July 26, 2006. January 14, 2009.
- ^ Hezbollah presses school into pulling Anne Frank Jewish Telegraphic Agency November 9, 2009
- ^ a b Yazbeck, Natacha Anne Frank Diary offends Lebanon's Hezbollah Agence France-Presse November 2009
- ^ al-Nahar al-Arabi walduwali, June 10–16, 1985; and La Revue du Liban, July 27, – August 3, 1985. quoted in Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997), p.41
- ^ Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997), p. 64
- ^ a b c Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997), p.45
- ^ Nahmias, Roee. "Syria, Iran determined to protect Hizbullah." Ynetnews. July 19, 2006. July 31, 2010.
- ^ Katz, Yaakov (September 18, 2009). "Hizbullah units being commanded by Iranian officers". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ Daragahi, Borzou. "Lebanon's Hezbollah savors increasing legitimacy." Los Angeles Times. April 13, 2009. April 17, 2009.
- ^ "Larijani: Iran proud of backing Hezbollah". Siasat. July 30, 2010. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Washington Post, December 20, 2004 Lebanese Wary of a Rising Hezbollah. Retrieved August 8, 2006.
- ^ a b Iran Massively Rearming Hezbollah in Violation of UN Security Council Resolution, American Chronicle, March 28, 2010 [1]
- ^ Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations, OFFICE OF THE COORDINATOR FOR COUNTERTERRORISM, October 8, 1999 [2]
- ^ a b c UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (March 29, 2006). "LEBANON: The many hands and faces of Hezbollah". Retrieved August 17, 2006.
- ^ Harel, Amos. "Iranian official admits Tehran supplied missiles to Hezbollah". Haaretz. Israel. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ a b Edward Cody and Molly Moore (August 14, 2006). "The Best Guerrilla Force in the World". The Washington Post.
- ^ "Hezbollah's Global Finance Network: The Triple Frontier". 2002. Retrieved August 7, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|month=
ignored (help)[dead link] - ^ Labaki, Boutros. "The Role of Transnational Communmities in Fostering Development in Countries of Origin." United Nations. May 12, 2006: 15–16. July 31, 2010.
- ^ Cigarette Smuggling Linked to Terrorism, The Washington Post
- ^ Levitt, Matthew (2007). Hamas. Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-12258-9.
- ^ Giraldo, Jeanne (2007). Terrorism Financing and State Responses. Stanford University Press. ISBN 978-0-8047-5565-8.
- ^ "The Militarization of Sex: The story of Hezbollah's halal hookups." by Hanin Ghaddar, Foreign Policy, November 25, 2009
- ^ Sachs, Susan. The New York Times. Helping Hand of Hezbollah Emerging in South Lebanon.[dead link] March 30, 2000.
- ^ a b CNN (July 25, 2006). "Hezbollah's secret weapon". Retrieved July 25, 2006.
{{cite news}}
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has generic name (help) - ^ Avakian, Alexandra. Windows of the Soul. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic. p. 186.
- ^ Seelye, Kate (April 1, 2005). "Lebanon's religious mix". PBS Frontline World. Retrieved July 28, 2006.
- ^ "Hezbollah: Most Powerful Political Movement in Lebanon". Council on Foreign Relations. May 29, 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2006.
- ^ "The Counter-revolution of the Cedars". Mideastmonitor.org. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Lebanon tensions rise in clash with Hezbollah". Haaretz. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
- ^ Worth, Robert F.; Bakri, Nada (May 11, 2008). "Hezbollah to Withdraw Gunmen in Lebanon". New York Times. Retrieved October 5, 2008.
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- ^ "Al-Manar Television". Archived from the original on April 10, 2003. Retrieved March 27, 2007.
- ^ "Al-Manar and the War in Iraq". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 2003. Retrieved August 24, 2006.
{{cite news}}
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ignored (help)[dead link] - ^ "Full Text of the decision (in French)". Conseil-etat.fr. March 29, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Press Release(in French)". Conseil-etat.fr. March 29, 2010. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "France pulls plug on Arab network". BBC News. December 14, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State (December 14, 2004). "United States Adds Al-Manar TV Network to Terrorism List". Retrieved February 28, 2007.
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{{cite web}}
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- ^ "Germany bans Hezbollah television station Al-Manar". Fox News. November 21, 2008. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
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- ^ " Hezbollah Releases Anti-Israel War Game." ADL. August 17, 2007. July 10, 2010.
- ^ US Department of State (October 8, 1999). "Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations". Retrieved February 5, 2007.
- ^ United Nations Security Council (September 2, 2004). "Resolution 1559 (2004)". Retrieved May 1, 2007.
3. Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non- Lebanese militias
{{cite web}}
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at position 69 (help) - ^ Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (Israeli) (September 7, 2005). "Hezbollah has no intention to disarm". Retrieved May 1, 2007.
- ^ a b "Hezbollah: Hezbollah and the Recent Conflict." ADL. September 29, 2006. June 26, 2007.
- ^ "Briefing: Lebanese Public Opinion". September–October 2006. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
- ^ Ha'aretz August 14, 2008, UN: We've cleared half the cluster bombs Israel dropped on Lebanon By Shlomo Shamir
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- ^ "... eight were Islamic fundamentalists. Twenty-seven were Communists and Socialists. Three were Christians. The American Conservative, July 18, 2005. Verified June 22, 2008.
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- ^ "Frontline: Target America: Terrorist attacks on Americans, 1979–1988", PBS News, 2001. Retrieved February 4, 2007.
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- ^ "Timeline of Hezbollah Violence." CAMERA: Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. July 17, 2006. November 18, 2006. Later reprinted in On Campus magazine's Fall 2006 issue and attributed the article to author Gilead Ini.
- ^ a b c d Hezbollah CFR. org Staff, the US Council on Foreign Relations, July 17, 2006
- ^ Terrorism – In the Spotlight: Hezbollah (Party of God) Michael Donovan, Center for Defense Information cdi.org, February 25, 2002
- ^ "Fast Facts: Hezbollah." Fox News. July 13, 2006. July 8, 2010.
- ^ Lebanon: Hezbollah and the Jan 15 Bombing Stratfor, January 15, 2008
- ^ Politics – Egypt's Brotherhood backs Hizbullah in spat with Cairo. The Daily Star (April 24, 2009). Retrieved on October 19, 2010.
- ^ AFP: Egypt summons Iran envoy over Hezbollah spat. Google.com (April 21, 2009). Retrieved on October 19, 2010.
- ^ a b See:
- "2000: Hezbollah celebrates Israeli retreat". BBC News. May 26, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- "Hezbollah flag raised as Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon". CNN. May 24, 2000. Archived from the original on August 13, 2006. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- ^ "Operation Accountability – Increased Israeli casualties led to Operation Accountability in 1993". Ynet.co.il. July 25, 1993. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "ISRAEL/LEBANON, Unlawful Killings During Operation "Grapes of Wrath"". BBC News. July 24, 1996. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
- ^ "The Grapes of Wrath Understanding". Mideastweb.org. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "History of Israel's role in Lebanon". BBC News. April 1, 1998. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
- ^ a b Cobban, Helena, "Hizbullah’s New Face." Boston Review. Accessed February 2, 2007. Originally published in the April/May 2005 issue of Boston Review.
- ^ "Israelis Held by the Hizbullah – October 2000 – January 2004". mfa.gov.il.
- ^ "Israel, Hezbollah swap prisoners". CNN. January 29, 2004. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ Stevn, Yoav and Eli Ashkenazi. "New film leaves parents in the dark on sons' fate during kidnap." Haaretz. September 6, 2006. February 28, 2008.
- ^ "Israel, Hezbollah swap prisoners." CNN.com International. January 29, 2004. February 20, 2008.
- ^ New York Times via the International Herald Tribune (July 12, 2006). "Clashes spread to Lebanon as Hezbollah raids Israel". Retrieved August 16, 2007.
- ^ "Israeli warplanes hit Beirut suburb". CNN. July 14, 2006.
- ^ Cody, Edward (August 24, 2006). "Lebanese Premier Seeks U.S. Help in Lifting Blockade". Washington Post. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
- ^ Urquhart, Conal (August 11, 2006). "Computerised weaponry and high morale". The Guardian. UK. Retrieved October 8, 2006.
- ^ Hezbollah Attacks Since May 2000 Mitchell Bard, the Jewish AIJAC, July 24, 2006
- ^ MacIntyre, Donald; Silver, Eric (July 14, 2006). "Israel widens bombing campaign as Lebanese militia groups retaliate". The Independent. UK. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Cloud of Syria's war hangs over Lebanese cleric's deathRobert Fisk, Tuesday 22 May 2012, The Independent
- ^ Reuters, Sept. 12, 2006; Al-Hayat (London), Sept. 13, 2006
- ^ "Country Report—Lebanon," The Economist Intelligence Unit, no. 4 (2006), pp. 3-6.
- ^ Lebanon Death Toll Hits 1,300, By Robert Fisk, 17 August 2006 , The Independent
- ^ Israel Vs. Iran: The Shadow War, By Yaakov Katz, (NY 2012), page 17
- ^ Internal Conflict in Lebanon Over Control of Oil and Gas Resources, By: H. Varulkar, Lebanon, MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis|624| July 12, 2010 [3]
- ^ a b
"Report: Hezbollah tried to kill Israeli consul." Ynetnews. July 18, 2011."Quoting Washington sources, the paper said the attack was meant to avenge the death of Iranian nuclear scientist Masoud Ali Mohammadi who was killed last year. ... Turkish intelligence first attributed the Istanbul attack ... to the Kurdish resistance, but later concluded that Hezbollah, working on behalf of Iran, had organized it. According to the report, three Hezbollah operatives arrived in Istanbul from Beirut to assassinate Kimchi."
- ^ Ravid, Barak (July 14, 2012). "Man detained in Cyprus was planning attack on Israeli targets for Hezbollah". Haaretz. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ "PMO: Iran connected to Hezbollah activity in Cyprus". Yedioth Ahronot. July 14, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
- ^ New Evidence Points to Hezbollah in Hariri Murder, By Erich Follath
- ^ a b "Analysis: Hezbollah a force to be reckoned with". Iiss.org. Agence France Presse. July 18, 2006. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Harel, Amos (April 13, 2010). "Syria is shipping Scud missiles to Hezbollah". Haaretz. Israel. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Syria: Israel's Scud accusation may be pretense for attack". Haaretz. Israel. October 25, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Missiles neutralizing Israeli tanks". Associated Press. March 18, 2007.[dead link]
- ^ Weitz, Paul (August 12, 2006). "Hezbollah, Already a Capable Military Force, Makes Full Use of Civilian Shields and Media Manipulation". JINSA Online. Archived from the original on January 7, 2008. Retrieved January 9, 2008.
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{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|month=
ignored (help)[dead link] - ^ Gardner, Frank (August 3, 2006). "Hezbollah missile threat assessed". BBC News. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Richard Augustus Norton – Hizbollah. Page 140
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...Cables describe the United States' failing struggle to prevent Syria from supplying arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has amassed a huge stockpile since its 2006 war with Israel. ... information that Syria was providing increasingly sophisticated weapons to the group.
- ^ U.S. military needs flexibility due to poor predictions, Gates says, By Charley Keyes, May 24, 2011
- ^ a b c Israeli US envoy: Hizbullah has 15,000 rockets on border. Jpost.com. Retrieved on October 19, 2010.
- ^ "Timeline of Hezbollah operations". Camera.org. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Wright, Robin (July 16, 2006). "Inside the Mind of Hezbollah". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 1, 2006.
- ^ Hezbollah's condemnation of murder of civilians in Egypt and Algeria is described in Saad-Ghorayeb, p. 101.
- ^ Usher, Sebastian (May 13, 2004). "Muted Arab reaction to Berg beheading". BBC News. Retrieved July 27, 2006.
- ^ Larry Luxner (March 4, 2006). "AMIA Probe Was Botched: Argentina". The Jewish Week. Retrieved February 5, 2007.
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- ^ "Hariri murder: UN tribunal issues arrest warrants". BBC News. June 30, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ "Hezbollah leader Nasrallah rejects Hariri indictments". BBC News. July 3, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
- ^ "Abduction of Sheikh Obeid, Security Council Resolution 638". Jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Hezbollah's most wanted commander killed in Syria bomb". Reuters. February 13, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2008.
- ^ Halliday, Fred. "A Lebanese fragment: two days with Hizbollah." openDemocracy. July 20, 2006. February 17, 2007.
- ^ Gambill, Gary. "Syria and Hezbollah: A Loveless Alliance." Mideast Monitor. March 4, 2005. February 17, 2007. Originally published in The National Post (Toronto).
- ^ "Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah: The Current Conflict" (PDF). CRS Report for Congress. July 21, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2006.
- ^ a b Gunaratna, Rohan. Insiade Al Qaeda: Global Network of Terror. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. p. 146.
- ^ Tehran, Washington, And Terror: No Agreement To Differ by A. W. Samii, Middle East Review of International Affairs, Volume 6, No. 3, September 2002 – citing Al-Majallah, March 24–30, 2002 and Al-Watan March 19, 2002
- ^ Stinson, Jeffrey. "Minister: Hezbollah doesn't need al-Qaeda's help fighting Israel in Lebanon." USATODAY.com. July 28, 2006. February 17, 2006.
- ^ BBC News (June 2, 2006). "'Zarqawi tape' urges Sunni unrest". Retrieved July 26, 2006.
- ^ Jerusalem Post, August 5, 2006 Saudi religious leader blasts Hizbullah. Retrieved August 6, 2006.
- ^ Mike Boettcher, Henry Schuster (August 13, 2003). "New terror alliance suspected in Iraq". CNN World News. Retrieved July 26, 2006.
- ^ Beirut Center for Research and Information (July 29, 2006). "Poll finds support for Hizbullah's retaliation".
- ^ Blanford, Nicholas (July 28, 2006). "Israeli strikes may boost Hizbullah base". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved July 29, 2006.
- ^ "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Hezbollah's Disarmament Pondered In Lebanon". Angus Reid Global Monitor. April 25, 2005. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
Source: Zogby International / Information International / The Arab American Institute
- ^ "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Palestinians Hold Hezbollah in High Regard". Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 29, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
Source: An-Najah National University
- ^ "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Hamas, Hezbollah Legitimate for Jordanians". Angus Reid Global Monitor. July 14, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
Source: Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan
- ^ "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Jordanians Review Legitimacy of Specific Groups". Angus Reid Global Monitor. January 11, 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2007.
Source: Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan
- ^ a b c "Israel/Palestinians." PollingReport.com. December 10, 2006.
- ^ Muslims offer mixed views on Hamas, Hezbollah, reject al Qaeda, CNN. December 3, 2010
- ^ "Hizballah External Security Organisation Relisted". Australian National Security. July 18, 2005. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ a b Spangler, Timothy (March 25, 2011). "Bahrain complains over Hezbollah comments on protests". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
- ^ See:
- "Reference list". Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada. Retrieved July 25, 2006.
- "Listed entities pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism Act (2001, c. 41)". Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC), Government of Canada. Retrieved June 12, 2009.
- ^ a b EGYPT: Cairo calls Hezbollah terrorist organization. LA Times, April 13, 2009
- ^ "Summary of Terrorist Activity 2004". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. January 5, 2005. Retrieved July 15, 2006.
- ^ Muriel Asseraf (September 2007). "Prospects for Adding Hezbollah to the EU Terrorist List".
{{cite web}}
: Text "/" ignored (help) - ^ British Home office official listing of Proscribed terrorist groups
- ^ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)". United States Department of State. October 11, 2005. Archived from the original on July 12, 2006. Retrieved July 16, 2006. "Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations ... 14. Hizballah (Party of God)".
- ^ "Hizbullah: Views and Concepts". Almashriq.hiof.no. June 20, 1997. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ "Statement of purpose". Almashriq.hiof.no. March 20, 1998. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
- ^ Lamb, Franklin. "Why is Hezbollah on the Terrorism List?". Retrieved May 4, 2008.
- ^ "The EU's relations with Lebanon". 2005. Archived from the original on May 24, 2007. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
{{cite web}}
: Unknown parameter|month=
ignored (help) - ^ a b c ISN Security Watch (March 11, 2005). "EU lawmakers label Hezbollah 'terrorist’ group". Retrieved March 3, 2007.
- ^
Meyer, Henry (July 28, 2006). "Hezbollah not on Russia's "terrorist" list". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
Sapunov told Rossiiskaya Gazeta the list of 17 "includes only those organizations which represent the greatest threat to the security of our country." Groups linked to separatist militants in Chechnya and Islamic radicals in Central Asia made the list.
- ^ Haaretz Service and News Agencies (July 15, 2006). "Russian defense minister says Hezbollah uses 'terrorist methods' – Haaretz – Israel News". Retrieved October 27, 2007.
- ^ United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Portal. Retrieved August 7, 2006.
- ^ Bajpai, Arunoday. "Pratiyogita Darpan." Google Books. October 2006. January 9, 2011.
- ^ "Lebanon truce holds despite clashes." CNN.com. August 15, 2006. January 9, 2011.
- ^ Nations, United (October 22, 2009). "Ban Ki-moon: Hizbullah poses threat to stability". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ Frank, Thomas. "Israel says it doesn't plan to occupy Lebanon." USATODAY.com. July 18, 2006. January 9, 2011.
- ^ "Israel/Lebanon: Hezbollah Must End Attacks on Civilians." Human Rights Watch. August 4, 2006. January 9, 2011.
- ^ "Amnesty: Hezbollah guilty of war crimes." CNN. September 14, 2006. January 9, 2011.
- ^ Cowell, Alan. "Amnesty International Says Hezbollah Committed War Crimes." New York Times. September 14, 2006. January 9, 2011.
- ^ Katie Fretland (September 14, 2006). "Amnesty: Hezbollah committed war crimes against Israel". Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved May 19, 2007.
- ^ "Judge: Arrest Ex-President Of Iran". The New York Sun. November 10, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ "French PM lashes Hezbollah 'terrorism'". BBC News. February 24, 2000. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ Dershowitz, Alan M. (August 29, 2006). "Italian FM: Hezbollah, Hamas are not al-Qaida". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
- ^ Germany’s Relations with Israel: Background and Implications for German Middle East Policy Congressional Research Service (January 19, 2007)
- ^ "Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Netherlands General intelligence and security service.
- ^ "Answers to questions on Hezbollah and the EU (in Dutch)". Netherlands Minsitry of Foreign Affairs.
- ^ a b Karam, Zeina. "Syria's crackdown hits ally Hezbollah's image." Boston.com. August 10, 2011. August 10, 2011.
- ^ Javedanfar, Meir. "An Israeli Opportunity in a Lebanese Crisis" The Atlantic. January 31, 2011. August 10, 2011.
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{{cite web}}
:|access-date=
requires|url=
(help); Missing or empty|url=
(help) - ^ Queenann, Gavriel (March 31, 2011). "Bahrain: Hizbullah a Terrorist Group". Israel National News. Arutz Sheva. Retrieved April 1, 2011.
- ^ Bologna Center Journal of International Affairs, Volume 13 / Spring 2010, Hizbullah and Lebanese Nationalism, Faysal Itani [4][dead link]
- ^ Allouch: Hezbollah qualifies as a terrorist group. YaLibnan. May 23, 2011
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- ^ FEATURE: In Lebanon, Murdered Journalists Also Deserve Justice[dead link]
- ^ Spangler, Timothy. "Syria uprising stirs old divisions in neighboring Lebanon". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
- ^ "Iran has been the country that has been in many ways a kind of central banker for terrorism in important regions like Lebanon through Hezbollah." Rice, Condoleezza. qtd. by Bruno, "State Sponsors: Iran."
- ^ Phares, Walid. Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against America. New York: Palgrave MacMillan, 2005. p. 148.
- ^ LeVine, Mark. "Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah, Hamas, fighting, terrorism, peace, by Mark LeVine." Beliefnet.com. January 18, 2011.M
- ^ "Many intelligence analysts consider Hezballah ... the terrorist 'A Team' and a greater danger than al-Qaeda." Rosenthal, Donna. The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land. New York: Free Press, 2003. p. 74
- ^ "Hizballah employed anti-Israel terrorism to pursue its goal of turning Lebanon into a state and society ruled solely by the Shari'a." Sela, Avraham. "Terrorism." The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East. Ed. Avraham Sela. New York: Continuum, 2002. pp. 822–836.
- ^ "The Shiite Hezbollah has indeed become a trusted mentor and role model to the Sunni fundamentalist Hamas. Both organizations have inscribed on their banner the rejection of any treaties or peace agreements with Israel, energetically work for its demise and encourage suicide terrorism to that end." Wistrich, 731.
- ^ Zisser, Eyal. "The Threat Posed by Hezbollah." Middle East Forum. November 26, 2002. January 18, 2011.
- ^ Khatami, Siamak. "Iran, a view from within: political ...." Google Books. January 21, 2011.
- ^ Gaba, Neeru. "Hezbollah: in transition." Google Books. 2007. January 21, 2011.
- ^ Bjørgo, Tore. "Root causes of terrorism: myths ..." Google Books. January 21, 2011.
- ^ Congress. "Congressional Record, V. 151, Pt. 4 ...." Google Books. March 11 to April 6, 2005. January 23, 2011.
- ^ Weisman, Jonathan. "Iraqi Prime Minister Presses for More Aid." Washington Post. July 27, 2006. January 23, 2011.
- ^ "Reps. Berman, Issa, Boustany, Rahall Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Make Certain No Taxpayer Funds Benefit Hezbollah." The United States House of Representatives. June 16, 2011.
- ^ George Galloway, Anna Botting. Getting a word in (TV) (News). Sky News. Event occurs at 3:59–4:04. Retrieved January 22, 2011.
But they're not a terrorist organization.
Further reading
- Books
- Joseph Alagha (2006). The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology: Religious Ideology, Political Ideology. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 90-5356-910-3.
- Tom Diaz, Barbara Newman (2005). Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil. Presidio Press. ISBN 0-345-47568-2.
- Ahmad Nizar Hamzeh (2004). In The Path Of Hizbullah. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 0-8156-3053-0.
- Judith Palmer Harik (2006). Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 1-84511-024-2.
- Hala Jaber (1997). Hezbollah. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-10834-6.
- Avi Jorisch (2004). Beacon of Hatred: Inside Hizballahs Al-Manar Television. Washington Institute for Near East Policy. ISBN 0-944029-88-4.
- Augustus Richard Norton (2000). Hizballah of Lebanon: Extremist Ideals vs. Mundane Politics. Council on Foreign Relations.
- Augustus Richard Norton (2007). Hezbollah: A Short History. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-13124-5.
- Qassem, Naim (2005). Hizbullah: The Story from Within. Saqi Books. ISBN 978-0-86356-517-5.
- Magnus Ranstorp (1996). Hizb'Allah in Lebanon: The Politics of the Western Hostage Crisis. St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-16491-2.
- Amal Saad-Ghorayeb (2001). Hizbullah: Politics and Religion. Pluto Press. ISBN 0-7453-1793-6.
- Jamal Sankari (2005). Fadlallah: The Making of a Radical Shi'ite Leader. Saqi Books. ISBN 0-86356-596-4.
- Articles
- Natalia Antelava (June 2, 2006). "Inside Lebanese Hezbollah militia". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
- Adam Shatz (April 29, 2004). "In Search of Hezbollah". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved October 27, 2007. (copy)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Wikiquote-logo.svg/34px-Wikiquote-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/38px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
Official sites
- Islamic Resistance in Lebanon
- Promise For the Resistance Movement Support
- Hizbullah – the Party of God – List of links to official websites and documents
UN resolutions regarding Hezbollah
- UN Press Release SC/8181 UN, September 2, 2004
- Lebanon: Close Security Council vote backs free elections, urges foreign troop pullout UN, September 2, 2004
Other links
- Hezbollah: Financing Terror through Criminal Enterprise, Testimony of Matthew Levitt, Hearing of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate
- Hizbullah's two republics by Mohammed Ben Jelloun, Al-Ahram, February 15–21, 2007
- Inside Hezbollah, short documentary and extensive information from Frontline/World on PBS.
- An Open Letter: The Hezbollah Program – five pages excerpted from Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto translated into English. The complete document is 20 printed pages in translation and may be found in Norton, Augustus (1987). Amal and the Shi'a: Struggle for the Soul of Lebanon. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0-292-73039-X. Specifically: "Nass al-risala al-maftuha allati wajjaha hizb allah ila al-mustad'afin fi lubnan wa al-'alam [Text of an Open Letter Addressed by Hizballah to the Downtrodden in Lebanon and in the World]", Appendix B, pp. 167–187.</ref>
- Hizbullah – the 'Party of God' – fact file at Ynetnews
- Political parties established in 1982
- Hezbollah
- Islam and antisemitism
- Islamic terrorism
- Israeli–Lebanese conflict
- Anti-Zionism
- Shi'a organizations
- Political parties in Lebanon
- Resistance movements
- Organizations designated as terrorist by the United States government
- United Kingdom Home Office designated terrorist groups
- Lebanese nationalism
- Jihadist organizations
- European Union designated terrorist organizations
- Government of Canada designated terrorist organizations
- March 8 Alliance