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For other uses, see Hezbollah (disambiguation).

Hezbollah[1] (Template:Lang-ar Template:ArabDIN,[2] meaning "party of God") is a Shi'a Islamist militant and political organization based in Lebanon. It follows a distinct version of Islamic Shia ideology developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.[3][4]

Hezbollah began to take shape during the 1982 Lebanon War; on February 16, 1985 Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin publicly declared the group's manifesto, which included three goals: the eradication of Western imperialism in Lebanon, the transformation of Lebanon's multi-confessional state into an Islamic state, and the complete destruction of the state of Israel.[5][6] Although Hezbollah still believes in an Islamic republic like Iran, it finds it for now an inaccessibile goal in Lebanon.[7] As a result, Nasrallah is trying to tone down the stark Shiite identity of his movement and replace it with Lebaneseness[8] for its last remaining goal; its commitment to the complete destruction of Israel. Hezbollah receives arms, training, and financial support from Iran, and from many other Arab sympathizers[9] and has "operated with Syria's blessing."[10][11] Hezbollah, which started only with a militia, has grown to an organization which has seats in the Lebanese government, a radio and a satellite television station, and programs for social development.[12]

Since 1992 the organization has been headed by Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, its Secretary-General.

Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands and Israel consider Hezbollah, or its external security arm, a terrorist organization. All other countries do not list Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation and all Arab countries consider it a resistance organization. The European Union does not list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. [13] The terrorist label is controversial and highly political; as many Arab and Muslim states support Hezbollah's goals and consider it legitimate.[14][15] Russia says that it doesn't list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization because it does not view Hezbollah as a threat to Russia's security.[16] Human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch accused Hezbollah of committing war crimes against Israeli civilians[17]. Hezbollah's supporters justify the killing of Israeli civilians[18] as reciprocal to Israeli crimes and retaliation for Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory.[19][20][21][22]

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Introduction and background

Hezbollah is one of two main political parties representing the Shiites; Lebanon's largest religious bloc. It participates in government.[23] In the elections for Parliament, it won over 10% of the seats (14 out of 128) and the bloc it forms with others, the Resistance and Development Bloc, 27.3% (see Lebanese general election, 2005). Hezbollah organizes an extensive social development program. Hezbollah also runs hospitals, news services, and educational facilities. [24] Its Reconstruction Campaign ('Jihad al-Bina') is responsible for numerous economic and infrastructure development projects in Lebanon.[25]

Hezbollah had its origins in the early 1980s in a milieu which included the recent Iranian Islamic Revolution, political and secular conflict in Lebanon, and the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.[26] Ending Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon was the main focus of Hezbollah's early activities. Israel had become militarily involved in Lebanon in combat with the Palestine Liberation Organization who moved into Southern Lebanon after being ousted from Jordan. The PLO was attacking Israel from Southern Lebanon in the lead up to the 1982 Lebanon War, and Israel had invaded and occupied Southern Lebanon to protect its Northern border.

According to the MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base and the BBC, "[f]or many years, Hezbollah was synonymous with terror, suicide bombings and kidnappings.[27][10] Hezbollah is reputed to have been among the first Islamic resistance groups to use tactical suicide bombing against foreign soldiers in the Middle East.[28] Hezbollah's acts have included multiple kidnappings,[29][30][31][32][33] murders,[34][35][36][37][38] hijackings,[39] and bombings.[40][41][42][43] Hezbollah has been subject to assassination and abduction by Israel as well.[44] Hezbollah's violent acts are characterized by some countries as terrorist attacks; while others regard them as resistance and some others regard them as Jihad.

Supporters of Hezbollah justify Hezbollah's attacks against Israel for several reasons. Firstly, Hezbollah supporters cite the occupation of Lebanese land. Many of these attacks took place while Israel occupied the southern part of Lebanon and held it as a security zone in spite of United Nations Security Council Resolution 425. Although Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2000, and their complete withdrawal was verified by the United Nations, Lebanon considers the Shebaa farms, 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, Israel holds between 2 and dozens of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails for crimes committed against Israel. Finally, Hezbollah and some of the Muslim world consider Israel an illegitimate state. For these reasons, many in the Arab world consider acts performed by Hezbollah against Israel to be justified as acts of Jihad.[45] Although some Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, 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"; calling it "dangerous adventurism".[46] "[T]hroughout most of the Arab and Muslim worlds Hezbollah is regarded as a legitimate resistance movement" with an emphasis on "calls for the destruction of Israel."[26][47][48][49] Even 74 percent of Lebanese Christians viewed Hezbollah at the height of the war as a resistance organization.[50]

In contrast, the United States, Israel and four other countries consider Hezbollah wholly or partly a terrorist organization. The European Union does not list Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization",[51] but does list Imad Mugniyah, a senior member and founder of Hezbollah as a terrorist.[52]

Flag

Main article: Flag of Hezbollah

The red lettering at the top of the flag of Hezbollah is a verse from the Quran from which its name is derivated, reading "It is only the party of God who wins."[53] The large green lettering is the name of the group — with the first letter of "Allah" reaching up to grasp a Soviet AK-47. The red lettering at the bottom reads, "The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon." Besides the AK-47, additional symbols on the flag include a globe, a book, a leaf, and a sword.

The picture on the flag closely resembles the flag of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Ideology

Main article: Hezbollah Ideology

At the beginning Hezbollah declared the principles of its ideology in "The Hizballah Program" on February 16, 1985.[54][3]

  • The solution to Lebanon's problems is the establishment of an Islamic republic as only this type of regime can secure justice and equality for all of Lebanon's citizens.
  • The Hizbullah organization views as an important goal the fight against 'western imperialism' and its eradication from Lebanon (including the Phalangist elements). Hezbollah strives for complete American and French withdrawal from Lebanon, including all their institutions.
  • The conflict with Israel is viewed as a central concern. This is not only limited to the IDF presence in Lebanon. Rather, the complete destruction of the State of Israel and the establishment of Islamic rule over Jerusalem is an expressed goal.

In the early 1990s, Hezbollah underwent what a number of observers have called a process of "libnaniyyat" (Lebanonization), which is reflected in acceptance of a multiconfessional Lebanon, rapprochement with a variety of non-Islamist forces, participation in electoral politics, and an emphasis on providing for the social welfare of its Shi'a Lebanese constituency.[55] This tendency was expressed in religious as well as strategic terms:

Christians and Jews differ with Muslims concerning the interpretation of the unity of God and the personality of God. Despite that, the Qur'an commands: Turn to the principle of unity--the unity of God and the unity of mankind. We interpret this to mean that we can meet with Marxists on the common ground of standing up to the forces of international arrogance; we can meet nationalists, even secular nationalists, on the common ground of Arab causes, which are also Islamic causes. Islam recognizes the Other. ... So Islam does not negate the Other; it invites the Other to dialogue.[56]

Shi'a Islamism

Hezbollah's original 1985 manifesto reads:

We are the sons of the ummah (Muslim community) - the party of God (Hizb Allah) the vanguard of which was made victorious by God in Iran. There the vanguard succeeded to lay down the bases of a Muslim state which plays a central role in the world. We obey the orders of one leader, wise and just, that of our tutor and faqih (jurist) who fulfills all the necessary conditions: Ruhollah Musawi Khomeini....We are an umma 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., Muhammad. Our behavior is dictated to us by legal principles laid down by the light of an overall political conception defined by the leading jurist....As for our culture, it is based on the Holy Koran, the Sunna and the legal rulings of the faqih who is our source of imitation.[57]

Hezbollah was largely formed with the aid of the Ayatollah Khomeini's followers in the early eighties in order to spread Islamic revolution[58] and follows a distinct version of Islamic Shi'a ideology (“Willayat Al-Faqih”) developed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.[3][26]

Although Hezbollah originally aimed to transform Lebanon into an Islamic republic, Hezbollah's spiritual guide Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah[56]claims this goal has been abandoned.[26][10] Doubts, however, remain.[59][11][60]Nasrallah has been quoted as saying, "We believe the requirement for an Islamic state is to have an overwhelming popular desire, and we're not talking about fifty percent plus one, but a large majority. And this is not available in Lebanon and probably never will be."[61] Although Hezbollah believes in one-person-one-vote system and disagree with the multi-confessional quotas under the Ta'if Accord, it does not intend to force a one-person-one-vote system onto the country’s Christians.[62]

Position on Israel

From the inception of Hezbollah to the present[4][63][64][65][66] the elimination of the state of Israel has been Hezbollah's primary goal. Secretary-General Nasrallah’s has stated that "Israel is an illegal usurper entity, which is based on falsehood, massacres, and illusions,"[45] and considers that the elimination of Israel will bring peace in the middle east: "There is no solution to the conflict in this region except with the disappearance of Israel."[67][68] In an interview with the Washington Post, Nasrallah said "I am against any reconciliation with Israel. I do not even recognize the presence of a state that is called 'Israel.' I consider its presence both unjust and unlawful. That is why if Lebanon concludes a peace agreement with Israel and brings that accord to the Parliament our deputies will reject it; Hezbollah refuses any conciliation with Israel in principle."[69]

In a 1999 interview, Nasrallah outlined the group’s three "minimal demand[s]: an [Israeli] withdrawal from South Lebanon and the Western Bqa’ Valley, a withdrawal from the Golan, and the return of the Palestinian refugees.”[45] An additional objective is the freeing of prisoners held in Israeli jails,[70][71][26] some of whom have been imprisoned for eighteen years.[72] Hezbollah's desire for Israeli prisoners that could be exchanged with Israel led to its abduction of Israeli soldiers which triggered the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.[73]

Israel's occupation of the Shebaa Farms, along with the presence of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails, is often used as a pretext and stated as justification for the Hezbollah's continued hostilities against Israel even after Israel's verified withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000. Hezbollah's spokesperson Hassan Ezzedin, however, had this to said that

"the Hezbollah campaign to rid Shebaa of Israeli troops is a pretext for something larger. 'If they go from Shebaa, we will not stop fighting them," he told [the New Yorker]. '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.' He added, 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.'"[74]

In 2002, according to the BBC, Hezbollah, "said publicly that it is ready to open a second front against Israel in support of the intifada."[10] In a 2003 interview, Nasrallah has answered questions concerning the establishment of a Palestinian state established alongside an Israeli state stating "that he would not sabotage what is finally a 'Palestinian matter.' But until such a settlement is reached, he will, he said, continue to encourage Palestinian suicide bombers."[75] In the same interview, Nasrallah stated that "at the end of the road no one can go to war on behalf of the Palestinians, even if that one is not in agreement with what the Palestinians agreed on," adding, "Of course, it would bother us that Jerusalem goes to Israel ... [but] let it happen. I would not say O.K. I would say nothing."[75] Similarly, in 2004, when asked whether he was prepared to live with a two-state settlement between Israel and Palestine, Nasrallah said he would not sabotage what is a Palestinian matter.[63] He also said that outside of Lebanon, Hezbollah will act only in a defensive manner towards Israeli forces, and that Hezbollah's missiles were acquired to deter attacks on Lebanon.[76]

Of course, in July 2006, Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers sparking the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.

Position on Jews and Judaism

Hezbollah's official web site marks a distinction between "Zionist ideology" and Judaism. It sees the rejection of Zionism as an attitude hold across "races, religions, and nationalities." It likens Zionism to "the concept of creating 'Israel' by the use of force and violence, by stealing the Arabs’ lands and killing Palestinians."[77]


Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a Shiite scholar and assistant professor at the Lebanese American University, however, argues that Hezbollah is not Anti-Zionist, but actually Anti-Jewish. She quotes Hassan Nasrallah as saying, "If we searched the entire world for a person more cowardly, despicable, weak and feeble in psyche, mind, ideology and religion, we would not find anyone like the Jew. Notice, I do not say the Israeli".[78] Regarding the official public stance of Hezbollah as a whole, she argues that while Hezbollah, "tries to mask its anti-Judaism for public-relations reasons..a study of its language, spoken and written, reveals an underlying truth." In her book, Hezbollah: Politics & Religion, she dissects the anti-Jewish roots of Hezbollah ideology, arguing that Hezbollah "believes that Jews, by the nature of Judaism, possess fatal character flaws." Saad-Ghorayeb also argues that "Hezbollah's Koranic reading of Jewish history has led its leaders to believe that Jewish theology is evil."[79] Hassan Nasrallah has allegedly made the anti-Jewish statement, "if they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide."[80] The managing editor of the Beirut Daily Star, which published the quotation, has however since called into question the accuracy of the quotation as well as the honesty of the reporter.[81] A search of the Daily Star's online archive shows that between August 2002 and November 2003, the newspaper published 170 reports by the journalist in question.[82]


In 2004 the Hezbollah-owned television station Al-Manar was banned in France on the grounds that it was inciting racial hatred. The court cited a 23 November broadcast in which a speaker accused Israel of deliberately disseminating AIDS in Arab nations.[83] No other European country has followed France's lead.

Position on use of armed strength to achieve aims

Hezbollah's 1985 founding Manifesto reads:

No one can imagine the importance of our military potential as our military apparatus is not separate from our overall social fabric. Each of us is a fighting soldier. And when it becomes necessary to carry out the Holy War, each of us takes up his assignment in the fight in accordance with the injunctions of the Law, and that in the framework of the mission carried out under the tutelage of the Commanding Jurist. ...This is why whatever touches or strikes the Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Philippines and elsewhere reverberates throughout the whole Muslim umma of which we are an integral part.[84]

According to Islamic law, all Muslims should defend Islamic lands through Defensive Jihad and fight non-Muslims to withdraw from them. Both Sunnis and Shiites accept this principle.[85]

Women’s rights

In keeping with Lebanon’s generally secular and egalitarian culture, Hezbollah recognizes and promotes women’s rights (in the mold of the Western liberal tradition) somewhat more strongly than do other groups associated with Islamic jihad or Iran."[86][87]

See also: Women in Muslim societies

History

Main article: History of Hezbollah

Background

See also: Israel-Lebanon conflict

Israel had become militarily involved in Lebanon in combat with the Palestine Liberation Organization who moved into Southern Lebanon after being ousted from Jordan. The PLO was attacking Israel from Southern Lebanon in the lead up to the 1982 Lebanon War, and Israel had invaded and occupied Lebanon to protect its Northern border. Also, in 1982, "Iran sent Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to train Lebanese groups while Israel was invading and occuping southern part of Lebanon.[88]

During the years prior to its official founding, Hezbollah was responsible or partially responsible for several attacks on Western (mostly American) targets; the most notable of which were the April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing ("killing 63 people"[89]) and the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing ("killing 241 American military personnel stationed in Beirut as past of a peace-keeping force"[89]).

Foundation

Hezbollah was formed primarily to combat the Israeli occupation following the 1982 invasion of Lebanon.[10][90][11] It was officially founded on February 16, 1985 when Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin declared the group's manifesto. The publication of the manifesto was timed to coincide with the anniversary of Ragheb Harb's death.[91]

Scholars differ as to when Hezbollah came to be a distinct entity. Some organizations list the official formation of the group as early as 1982[92] whereas Diaz and Newman maintain that Hezbollah remained an amalgamation of various violent Shi’a extremists until as late as 1985.[93] Another version states that it was formed by supporters of Sheikh Ragheb Harb, a leader of the southern Shiite resistance killed by Israel in 1984.[94] Regardless of when the name came into official use, a number of Shi’a groups were slowly assimilated into Hezbollah, such as Islamic Jihad, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth and the Revolutionary Justice Organization.[citation needed] These designations are considered to be synonymous with Hezbollah by the US,[95] Israel[3] and Canada.[96]

They have fought with Israel for more than twenty years and as a result tens of Hizbullah leaders and officials including the former Secretary-General,Seyyed Abbas al-Musawi have been assassinated by Israel.[97][94]

Political activities

Main article: Hezbollah political activities

Along with the Amal Movement, Hezbollah is one of the two main parties representing the Shia community, Lebanon's largest religious bloc, but the only remaining militant one (Amal is now only a political party).[98]

Hezbollah participates in the Parliament of Lebanon.[99] In the general election of 2005, it won 14 seats nationwide (of 128 total), and an Amal-Hezbollah alliance won all 23 seats in Southern Lebanon. The bloc it forms with others, the Resistance and Development Bloc, took 27.3% of the seats (see Lebanese general election, 2005). Also When municipal elections were held in spring 2004, the party won control of 21 percent of the municipalities.[94]

Hezbollah is a minority partner in the current Cabinet, holding two (and endorsing a third) cabinet positions[100][101] in the Lebanese government of July 2005. The two official Hizbullah ministers are Muhammad Fneish and Trad Hamadeh.

Hezbollah's political success is regarded as a model for other Islamic parties in the Middle East like Hamas and United Iraqi Alliance; its actions are thought to provide strong clues as to how these other emerging Islamist forces might behave.[94]

Lebanese government positions

The government of Lebanon's position on Hezbollah's disarmament is unclear.[102] On August 5, 2006 the Prime Minister of Lebanon said that "the continued presence of Israeli occupation of Lebanese lands in the Shebaa Farms region is what contributes to the presence of Hezbollah weapons. The international community must help us in (getting) an Israeli withdrawal from Shebaa Farms so we can solve the problem of Hezbollah's arms".[103] On the one hand it wants to solve the problem of Hezbollah's arms; but on the other hand it cannot politically do so.

Military activities

Main article: Hezbollah 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.[104][3][96]

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 called for the disarmament of militia with the Taif agreement at the end of the Lebanese civil war. Hezbollah denounced and protested against the resolution. The 2006 military conflict with Israel has increased the controversy. Failure to disarm remains a violation of the resolution and agreement, but a significant minority of Lebanese consider Hezbollah's weaponry a necessary and justified element of resistance. The official position of the Lebanese government is unclear, with conflicting statements given. [105]


Armed strength

File:Lebanese Hezbollah recruts being sworn in.jpg
Hezbollah recruits salute during a graduation ceremony in Beirut, November 11, 2001.
See also: Hezbollah rocket force

The strength of Hezbollah's forces are disputed, having been estimated by US government sources as either "several thousand"[106] or, alternatively, as several thousand supporters and a few hundred devotee operatives.[107] It is frequently claimed that Hezbollah's militia is supported by Iran and Syria.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates Hezbollah forces to consist of 600-1000 active fighters (with 3,000 - 5,000 regulars available and 10,000 reservists) and to possess stockpile of 10,000 - 15,000 rockets of the Katyusha, Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 type in addition to an estimated 30 missiles of the Zelzal type.[108]

Most mainstream media, including for example Israel-based Haaretz, report Hezbollah is not a small guerrilla group. It is frequently described as a trained, skilled, well-organized, highly motivated infantry equipped with modern weaponry from the arsenals of Syria, Iran, Russia, and the People's Republic of China. Analysts note the natural advantage that Hezbollah fighters tend to be very familiar with the territory wherein armed conflict takes place.[109]

Hezbollah military is generally considered to be the most capable non-state armed group in the Middle East. According to Jane's Information Group:

"Islamic Resistance guerrillas are reckoned to be amongst the most dedicated, motivated and highly trained of their kind. Any Hezbollah member receiving military training is likely to do so at the hands of IRGC [the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps], either in southern Lebanon or in camps in Iran. The increasingly sophisticated methods used by IRGC members indicates that they are trained using Israeli and US military manuals; the emphasis of this training is on the tactics of attrition, mobility, intelligence gathering and night-time manoeuvres."[110]

Intelligence capabilities

According to Israeli and American sources, Hezbollah has three units charged with intelligence operations.

One unit is responsible for intelligence activities against Israel, primarily by recruiting and running agents in order to gather information about Israeli military bases and other potential targets. It is claimed that this unit also gathers information on behalf of Iran,[citation needed] and is also known to conduct SIGINT operations against IDF communications.[111]

According to Michael Eisenstadt, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Hezbollah also has a unit called Unit 1800 which aids Palestinians engaged in their operations, by providing funding, direction, weapons, and bomb-building instructions.[112]

Media operations

Hezbollah operates a satellite television station from Lebanon, Al-Manar TV ("the Lighthouse") as well as a radio station, al-Nour ("the Light"). Kabdat Alla ("The Fist of God") is the monthly magazine of Hezbollah's paramilitary wing.

Al Manar broadcasts news in Arabic, English, French and Hebrew and is widely watched both in Lebanon and in other Arab countries. Its transmission in France (even via satellite, not by any station based on French territory) is controversial. It has been accused of promoting religious and racial hatred (against Jews), which is a criminal offense in France. On December 13, 2004, the French Conseil d'État, acting on the request of the French TV authorities, issued an injunction to Eutelsat to cease the broadcasting of Al Manar in France.[113]

The Hezbollah Central Internet Bureau in 2003 released a Video Game[114] titled Special Force, intended to simulate Arab-Israeli conflicts from an Arab perspective.

Materials aimed at children[115] are an aspect of Hezbollah's media operations.

Hezbollah attempts to maintain websites to run recruitment videos and post bank account numbers where supporters can donate funds.[116] These websites are also considered "an inseparable part of the psychological war"[117] and are tracked by other groups with a view to their closure.[118]

Social services

Hezbollah also organizes extensive social development programs, running hospitals, news services, and educational facilities. Social services have a central role in the party's programs. In 1996’s “The Electoral Program of Hizbullah,” the party declared its wish to improve the educational and health system.[119] Most experts believe that Hezbollah's social and health programmes are worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually.[120]

It has established some institutions which are Emdad committee for Islamic Charity,[121] Al-Shahid Social Association, Hizbollah Central Press Office, Al Jarha Association,[122] and Jehad Al Benaa Developmental Association.[123] Its Reconstruction Campaign ('Jihad al-Binna') is responsible for numerous economic and infrastructure development projects in Lebanon.[124] In March of 2006 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 programme. Hezbollah currently operates at least four hospitals, 12 clinics, 12 schools and two agricultural centres that provide farmers with technical assistance and training. It also has an environmental department and an extensive social assistance programme. Medical care is also cheaper than in most of the country's private hospitals and free for Hezbollah members".[24] Also Hezbollah's social service agencies provide health care and schooling for poor farmers.[125]

According to CNN: "Hezbollah did everything that a government should do, from collecting the garbage to running hospitals and repairing schools."[126] In July 2006, during the war with Israel, when there was no running water in Beirut, Hezbollah was arranging supplies around the city. "People here [in South Beirut] see Hezbollah as a political movement and a social service provider as much as it is a militia, in this traditionally poor and dispossessed Shiite community."[126] The Washington Post reported that Hezbollah had set up a Martyr's Institute, which guarantees to provide for the living and education expenses for the families of fighters who die in battle.[127] Also after the war it competes with the Lebanon government to reconstruct destroyed area. According to analysts like American University Professor Judith Swain Harik, Jihad al-Binaa has won the initial battle of hearts and minds in large part because they are the most experienced in the reconstruction field in Lebanon. [128]

Funding

Hezbollah mainly gets its money from donations. Lebanese Shi’ites often make zakat contributions directly after prayers, leaving change in the two-handed Hezbollah collection tins. Also Hezbollah receives financial and political assistance, as well as weapons and training, from the Islamic Republic of Iran.[24][129][127] The US estimates that Iran was giving Hezbollah about $60-$100 million per year in financial assistance but that assistance declined as other funding was secured, primarily from South America.[130][131][132] Some estimates of Iran's aid are as high as $200-million annually.[133]

Mohammed Raad, at one time leader of Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, said money from Iran came only through private charities to be used for health care, education and the support of war widows. Hezbollah's main sources of income, he said, are the party's investment portfolios and wealthy Shiites.[133]

Hezbollah has also received Iranian-supplied weaponry, including 11,500 missiles already in place in southern Lebanon. Three thousand Hezbollah militants have undergone training in Iran, which included guerilla warfare, firing missiles and rocket artillery, operating unmanned drones, marine warfare and conventional war operations. Finally, 50 pilots have been trained in Iran in the past two years.[134]

Mahmoud Ali Suleiman, the Hezbollah operative captured in August 2006 by the IDF for his role in the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12, admitted during his interrogation that he received weapons-training and religious instruction in Iran. He told his interrogators that he rode in a civilian car to Damascus, from where he flew to Iran. Other than the Russian-made Katyusha, Hezbollah's reported artillery cache is entirely Iranian-made.[135]

On August 4, 2006, Jane's Defense Weekly, a defense industry magazine, reported that Hezbollah asked Iran for "a constant supply of weapons to support its operations against Israel" in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The report cited Western diplomatic sources as saying that Iranian authorities promised Hezbollah a steady supply of weapons `"for the next stage of the confrontation".[136]

Iran long denied supplying Hezbollah with weapons,[26][137] despite persistent reports to the contrary.[138][139][136][140] However, "Mohtashami Pur, a one-time ambassador to Lebanon who currently holds the title of secretary-general of the 'Intifada conference,' told an Iranian newspaper that Iran transferred the missiles to the Shi'ite militia, adding that Hezbollah has his country's blessing to use the weapons in defense of Lebanon".[141] The Israel Defence Forces regard Hezbollah as virtually an arm of the Iranian armed forces; a senior Israeli defence official told Jane's Defence Weekly that "we should consider that what we are facing in Lebanon is not a militia but rather a special forces brigade of the Iranian Army."[142]

Similar claims and denials regarding supply of weapons have been made with respect to Syria[143][26][144][145][146]

The U.S. Treasury Department has also accused Hezbollah of raising funds by counterfeiting U.S. currency.[147] Researchers at the American Naval War College claimed that Hezbollah raises $10-million annually in Paraguay,[148] which may, in some cases, be extorted.[147] Dr. Matthew Levitt told a committee of the US Senate that Hezbollah engages in a "wide variety of criminal enterprises" worldwide in order to raise funds.[149]

Money is also received from supporters abroad. Mohammed Hammoud was convicted in the United States for "violating a ban on material support of groups designated as terrorist organizations". The amount was USD 3,500, which Hammoud claimed was to "support Hezbollah's efforts to distribute books at schools and improve public water systems."[150]

Foreign relations

Main article: Hezbollah foreign relations

It is widely believed that Hezbollah has close ties with the Alawite leadership in Syria, specifically with President Hafez al-Assad (until his death in 2000) and his son and successor Bashar al-Assad.

The United Nations refers to Hezbollah as a "resistance movement," as opposed to a terrorist organization. This is among the many divides that the United Nations has with the Israeli and American governments.

There is no concrete evidence of Hezbollah contact or cooperation with al-Qaeda. United States intelligence officials speculate there has been contact between Hezbollah and low-level al-Qaeda figures who fled Afghanistan for Lebanon.[151][152] Nasrallah denies links to al-Qaeda, present or past.[153]

Outside views of Hezbollah

Governments disagree on Hezbollah’s status as a legitimate political entity, a terrorist group, or both.

Throughout most of the Arab and Muslim worlds, Hezbollah is highly regarded as a legitimate resistance movement.[154] The Lebanese government confirmed it as a legitimate resistance against occupation.[48][49] Even 74 percent of Lebanese Christians viewed Hezbollah as a resistance organization.[155] The United States, Israel, the Netherlands, Australia and Canada consider Hezbollah wholly or partly a terrorist organization. (See Designation as a terrorist organization) The United Kingdom says the military wing of Hezbollah is a terrorist group, but not the political side of the organisation.[156] The European Union does not list Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization" but does list Imad Mugniyah, Hezbollah's senior Intelligence officer and one of its founders as a terrorist, on its list of wanted terrorists.[157][158] In a non-binding resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 10 March 2005, the MEPs urged the EU Council to brand Hezbollah a terrorist organization. However, the Council has so far been reluctant to do so, as France, Spain, and Britain fear that such a move would further damage the prospects for Middle East peace talks.[159] European legislators branded the radical Lebanese Hezbollah group a terrorist organization and urged EU governments to place Hezbollah on their terrorist blacklists, as the bloc did with the Palestinian Hamas group in 2003.[160] “EU Parliament considers that clear evidence exists of terrorist activities by Hezbollah. The EU Council should take all necessary steps to curtail them," legislators said in a non-binding resolution adopted during a session in Strasburg, France.[161]

In a 2004 article, Dennis Ross, the Middle East envoy under the first Bush and Clinton administrations, was cited as saying that Hezbollah's resistance to the Israeli occupation, unlike its past activities aimed at Western targets, is not terrorism and that the US included Hezbollah on its list of terrorist groups for Hezbollah's past activities, not for its ongoing resistance to Israel.[162]

Argentine prosecutors hold Hezbollah and their financial supporters in Iran responsible for the 1994 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."[163]

Lebanon’s majority Shi’a areas, where Hezbollah is most prominent

Public opinion

While al-Qaeda is known throughout the Arab world as a terrorist outfit, Hezbollah is just as widely seen as a legitimate resistance organization that has defended its land against the Israeli occupying force, and consistently stood up to the Israeli army.[164]

According to a poll released by the "Beirut Center for Research and Information" on 26 July during 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, 87 percent of Lebanese support Hezbollah's fight with Israel, a rise of 29 percent on a similar poll conducted in February. More striking, however, is 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,[165][166] while according to another poll, from July 2005, 74 percent of Christian Lebanese viewed Hezbollah as a resistance organization.[167]

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.[168]

A poll of Palestinians taken in the Gaza Strip indicated that 79.6% had "a very good view" of Hezbollah.[169]

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.[170] In the December, 2005, poll only 6% of Jordanian adults considered Hezbollah to be terrorist.[171]

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Aug. 3-6, 2006. N=1,002 adults in the US. MoE ± 3 (for all adults). 46% said Israel and Hezbollah are both responsible for the conflict in Lebanon, 39% said Hezbollah is most to blame, while only 7% said Israel is. 6% were unsure, and 1% felt otherwise. The same poll found that 58% blamed Hezbollah for the civilian casualties in Lebanon for locating its fighters and rocket launchers in civilian areas, while 21% blame Israel for bombing Hezbollah targets those areas. 10% said both, 9% were unsure, and 2% felt neither were to blame.[172]

A worldwide online poll conducted by Bill O'Reilly and sponsored by MSNDirect.com in August 2006 found that of the over 50,000 voters (mostly American), 96% say that Israel should not negotiate with Hezbollah or their demands. Only 4 percent said yes.[173]

Designation as a terrorist organization

List of entities officially designating Hezbollah as "terrorist"
Entity Part(s) designated as "terrorist" Reference
 United States The entire organization Hezbollah [174]
 Canada The entire organization Hezbollah [175]
 Israel The entire organization Hezbollah [176]
 United Kingdom The Hezbollah External Security Organization [177]
 Netherlands The entire organization Hezbollah [178][179]
 Australia The Hezbollah External Security Organization [180]

The European Union does not list Hezbollah, or any group within it, a "terrorist" organization,[181] but the European Parliament passed a resolution recognizing "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah"[182] 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.[183][184] The Council, however, 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.[185] The EU Council designates Imad Mugniyah as a terrorist, claiming he is Hezbollah's "Senior Intelligence Officer".[186]

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, saying that they only list organizations which represent "the greatest threat to the security of [23]".[187] This was a notable omission given Russia’s membership with the US, EU, and UN in the Middle East Quartet. 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."[188]

The Quartet’s fourth member, the United Nations, does not maintain such a list.[189]

Non Governmental Organizations

On September 14, 2006, Amnesty International released a report accusing Hezbollah of war crimes during the 2006 conflict with Israel.[190] Human Rights Watch have similarly accused Hezbollah of war crimes in a report issued on August 5, 2006.[191]

See also

References

  1. ^ Other transliterations include Hizbullah, Hizbollah, Hezballah, Hizballah, Hisbollah, and Hizb Allah.
  2. ^ In English the stress is most commonly placed on the final syllable, as suggested in the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (this is in accord with the Farsi pronunciation, of Iran); in the Arabic of Hezbollah's theatre of operations it is most commonly placed on the second syllable. Hizb (party) is the Modern Standard Arabic pronunciation, and hezb is closer to Persian (Farsi) and Lebanese dialect. The name is derived from a Qur’anic ayat (verse) referring to those who belong to and follow the "party of God" [1].
  3. ^ a b c d e Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996-04-11). "Hizbullah". Retrieved 2006-08-17. Cite error: The named reference "mfaGOV960411" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b "The Hizballah Program: An Open Letter". Institute for Counterterrorism. 1985-02-16. Retrieved 2006-10-25. The Jerusalem Quarterly, number Forty-Eight, Fall 1988, Early Hezbollah manifesto, in which it formally declares its existence
  5. ^ "The Hizballah Program: An Open Letter [to the Downtrodden in Lebanon and the World]". Institute for Counterterrorism. 1985-02-16. Retrieved 2006-08-24.
  6. ^ Preatoni, Robert (2006-08-01). "The war Israel cannot win". Zone-H.
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  9. ^ JEANNINE AVERSA (28 August 2006). "Iran 'central banker of terror'". Associated Press. {{cite web}}: Text "Accessed 7 September 2006" ignored (help)
  10. ^ a b c d e "Who are Hezbollah?". BBC News. 2002-04-04. Retrieved 2006-08-11. Cite error: The named reference "bbc-hi-me-1908671" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b c "Hezbollah (a.k.a. Hizbollah, Hizbu'llah)". Council on Foreign Relations. 2002-07-17. Retrieved 2006-10-06.
  12. ^ Deeb, Lara (2006-07-31). "Hizballah: A Primer". Middle East Report. Retrieved 2006-07-31.
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  17. ^ "Amnesty: Hezbollah committed war crimes against Israel". The Globe and Mail. 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2006-09-14.
  18. ^ "Lebanon: Hezbollah Rocket Attacks on Haifa Designed to Kill Civilians" Human Rights Watch''
  19. ^ [http://hrw.org/reports/1996/Israel.htm CIVILIAN PAWNS Laws of War Violations and the Use of Weapons on the Israel-Lebanon Border]
  20. ^ [http://hrw.org/reports/1997/isrleb/Isrleb.htm ISRAEL/LEBANON "OPERATION GRAPES OF WRATH"]
  21. ^ UN likely to cut request for Lebanon emergency aid
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  116. ^ Time, August 8, 2006 How Hizballah Hijacks the Internet Accessed August 15, 2006
  117. ^ Haaretz, August 3, 2006 Hezbollah reports becoming less and less believable Accessed August 15, 2006
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  123. ^ Jehad Al Benaa Developmental Association
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  140. ^ Video Clip
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  153. ^ 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
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  159. ^ http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/005325.php
  160. ^ "EU lawmakers label Hezbollah 'terrorist' group".
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  167. ^ Globalcomment.com - Mohammed Zahid
  168. ^ Angus Reid Global Scan, citing Zogby International / Information International / The Arab American Institute, April 25, 2005 Hezbollah’s Disarmament Pondered In Lebanon Accessed August 14, 2006
  169. ^ Angus Reid Global Scan, citing An-Najah National University, July 29, 2006 Palestinians Hold Hezbollah in High Regard Accessed August 14, 2006
  170. ^ Angus Reid Global Scan, citing Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, July 14, 2006 Hamas, Hezbollah Legitimate for Jordanians Accessed August 14, 2006
  171. ^ Angus Reid Global Scan, citing Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan, January 11, 2006 Jordanians Review Legitimacy of Specific Groups Accessed August 14, 2006
  172. ^ Israel/Palestinians
  173. ^ FOXNews.com - Bill O'Reilly
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  175. ^ See:
  176. ^ "Summary of Terrorist Activity 2004". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2005-01-05. Retrieved 2006-07-15.
  177. ^ "Proscribed terrorist groups". The Home Office Department, UK. 2005-10-14. Retrieved 2006-07-25. "Home Office"
  178. ^ "beantwoording_toezegging_inzake_de_positie_van_hezbollah" (website). The Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. p. 1. Retrieved 2006-10-11.
  179. ^ "Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Netherlands General intelligence and security service.
  180. ^ "Hizballah External Security Organisation Relisted". Australian National Security. 2005-07-18. Retrieved 2006-08-21.
  181. ^ "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2005/847/CFSP" (PDF). 29 November 2005. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  182. ^ See:
  183. ^ "EU lawmakers label Hezbollah 'terrorist' group".
  184. ^ "EU lawmakers label Hezbollah 'terrorist' group".
  185. ^ http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/005325.php
  186. ^ "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2005/847/CFSP" (PDF). 29 November 2005. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |publication= ignored (help)
  187. ^ "Hezbollah not on Russia's "terrorist" list". Associated Press. Retrieved 2006-08-10. {{cite news}}: Text "date-2006-07-28" ignored (help)
  188. ^ Haaretz (2006-07-15). "Russian defense minister says Hezbollah uses 'terrorist methods' - Haaretz - Israel News". Retrieved 2006-08-07.
  189. ^ United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Portal Accessed August 7, 2006
  190. ^ "Israel/Lebanon Under fire: Hizbullah's attacks on northern Israel". Amnesty International. 2006-09-14. Retrieved 2006-09-14.
  191. ^ "srael/Lebanon: Hezbollah Must End Attacks on Civilians". Human Rights Watch. 2006-08-05. Retrieved 2006-10-04.

Literature

  • Bregman, Ahron (2002). Israel's Wars: A History Since 1947. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-28716-2.

Official sites

UN resolutions regarding Lebanon

United States Department of State

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