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Template:Infobox Social political party Hezbollah (Template:Lang-ar ḥizbu-illāh(i), literally "Party of God") is a Shi'a Islamist political and paramilitary organisation based in Lebanon. Hezbollah is also a major provider of social services, which operate schools, hospitals, and agricultural services for thousands of Lebanese Shi'a, and plays a significant force in Lebanese politics. Many governments, including Arab ones, have condemned actions by Hezbollah while others have praised the party. Some western countries, including the United States, regard it in whole or in part as a terrorist organization.

Hezbollah first emerged in 1982 as a militia in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, also known as Operation Peace for Galilee, set on resisting the Israeli occupation of Lebanon during the Lebanese civil war. Its leaders were inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini. Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto listed its three main goals as "putting an end to any colonialist entity" in Lebanon and the establishment of an Islamic regime in Lebanon. Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of Israel.

Hezbollah maintains strong support among Lebanon's Shi'a population, and gained a surge of support from Lebanon's broader population (Sunni, Christian, Druze) immediately following the 2006 Lebanon War, and is able to mobilize demonstrations of hundreds of thousands. Hezbollah, along with some other groups, began the 2006–2008 Lebanese political protests in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. A later dispute over Hezbollah preservation of its telecommunication network led to clashes, and Hezbollah-led opposition fighters seized control of several West Beirut neighborhoods from Future Movement militiamen loyal to Fouad Siniora.

Hezbollah receives its financial support from the governments of Iran and Syria, as well as donations from Lebanese people and foreign Shi'as. It has also gained significantly in military strength in the 2000s. Despite a June 2008 certification by the United Nations that Israel had withdrawn from all Lebanese territory, Lebanon's Cabinet unanimously approved a draft policy statement which secures Hezbollah's existence as an armed organization and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."

History

1980s

Ending Israel's occupation of Southern Lebanon was the primary focus of Hezbollah's early activities. 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.

Hezbollah waged an asymmetrical guerrilla war against Israel using suicide attacks against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and against Israeli targets outside of Lebanon. Hezbollah is reputed to have been among the first Islamic resistance groups to use tactical suicide bombing, assassination, and capturing against foreign soldiers in the Middle East. Hezbollah turned into a paramilitary organization and used missiles, Katyusha, and other type of rocket launchers and detonations of explosive charges instead of capturing, murders, hijackings, and bombings. Hezbollah has been subject to assassination and abduction by Israel as well. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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," and whose name was "used by those involved to disguise their true identity."

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. Hezbollah also used another name, Islamic Resistance, or al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya, for its attacks against Israel.

The names Islamic Jihad, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth and the Revolutionary Justice Organization are considered to be synonymous with Hezbollah by the United States, Israel, and Canada.

Ideology

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...

Although Hezbollah originally aimed to transform Lebanon into a formal Faqihi Islamic republic, this goal has been abandoned. Since that time, Hezbollah has transformed from a revolutionary movement to a socio-political movement of Lebanese Shi'a and has accepted the multi-cultural situation of Lebanon.

Attitudes, statements, and actions concerning Israel and Zionism

From the inception of Hezbollah to the present, 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 is obliterated".

Israel's occupation of the Shebaa Farms, along with the presence of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails, is often cited as justification—and invoked as a pretext, according to many—for Hezbollah's continued hostilities against Israel even after Israel's verified withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

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

According to Joseph Alagha, Hezbollah's Deputy-General Na'im Qasim said during an interview on October 28, 2002 for the Daily Star that the struggle against Israel is a "core belief" of Hezbollah and "the central rationale of Hizbullah's existence".

In November 2009, Hezbollah pressured a private English-language school to drop excerpts from The Diary of Anne Frank after Hezbollah's Al-Manar television channel complained, asking how long Lebanon would "remain an open arena for the Zionist invasion of education"?

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, and their Secretary General, Hassan Nasrallah. Hezbollah accused Jews of deliberately spreading HIV and other diseases to Arabs throughout the Middle East. 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. Hezbollah also used anti-Semitic educational materials designed for 5-year-old scouts. The group has been accused by American analysts of engaging in Holocaust denial.

Organization

In its early years, many Hezbollah leaders maintained that the movement was "not an organization, for its members carry no cards and bear no specific responsibilities", and that the movement does not have "a clearly defined organizational structure." Since then, Hezbollah created a formal governing structure which "concentrate ... all authority and powers" in its religious leaders. Hezbollah leaders considered the Supreme Leader of Iran to be the ultimate clerical authority and appealed to him "for guidance and directives in cases when Hezbollah's collective leadership too divided over issues and fail to reach a consensus." 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. Since the Second Lebanon War, however, Iran has restructured Hezbollah to limit the power of Hassan Nasrallah, and invested billions of dollars "rehabilitating" Hezbollah.

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."

Funding

Hezbollah's financial support is a matter of controversy. Lebanese Shi’ites often make zakat contributions directly after prayers and an additional donation in a Hezbollah donation box. Hezbollah also receives financial and political assistance, as well as weapons and training, from the Islamic Republic of Iran. The US estimates that Iran has been giving Hezbollah about US$60–100 million per year in financial assistance.

Hezbollah has relied extensively 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. U.S. law enforcement officials have identified an illegal multimillion-dollar cigarette-smuggling fundraising operation and a drug smuggling operation.

Social services

Hezbollah organizes an extensive social development program and runs hospitals, news services, educational facilities, and encouragement of Nikah mut‘ah. One of its established institutions, Jihad Al Binna's Reconstruction Campaign, is responsible for numerous economic and infrastructure development projects in Lebanon. 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. 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".

According to CNN, "Hezbollah did everything that a government should do, from collecting the garbage to running hospitals and repairing schools." 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."

Political activities

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Hezbollah alongside with Amal is one of two major political parties in Lebanon that represent the Shiite Muslims. According to Daniel L. Byman, it's "the most powerful single political movement in Lebanon." 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. In 2005, the Resistance and Development Bloc, of which Hezbollah is a member, won all 23 seats in Southern Lebanon, and in total, 35 seats, or 27.3% of parliamentary seats nationwide. 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.

In November 2006, Hezbollah and two other parties jointly demanded the establishment of a "national unity government", in which they demanded one third of the Cabinet seats; effectively, a veto power. When negotiations with the ruling coalition failed, five Cabinet Ministers from Hezbollah and Amal resigned their positions. On December 1, 2006, these groups began organizing ongoing protests and sit-ins in opposition to the government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. This continued for 17 months until 2008 when violence 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 seized control of several West Beirut neighborhoods from Future Movement militiamen loyal to the Lebanese government in street battles that left 11 dead and 30 wounded. The opposition-seized areas were then handed over to the Lebanese Army. 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. Rival Lebanese leaders reached consensus over Doha Agreement in May 2008 to end the 18-month political feud that exploded into fighting and nearly drove the country to a new civil war. On the basis of this agreement, Hezbollah and its opposition allies were effectively granted veto power in Lebanon's parliament. A national unity government was formed by Fouad Siniora in July 2008. Hezbollah currently sits in the opposition March 8 alliance, though it has allies in the cabinet.

Media operations

Hezbollah operates a satellite television station, Al-Manar TV ("the Lighthouse") and a radio station al-Nour ("the Light"). Al-Manar broadcasts from Beirut, Lebanon. Hezbollah launched the station in 1991 with the help of Iranian funds. Al-Manar, the self-proclaimed "Station of the Resistance," is a key player in what Hezbollah calls its "psychological warfare against the Zionist enemy" and an integral part of Hezbollah's plan to spread its message to the entire Arab world.

Hezbollah's television station Al-Manar airs programming designed to inspire suicide attacks in Gaza, the West Bank, and Iraq. Al-Manar's transmission in France is prohibited due to promotion of Holocaust denial, a criminal offense in France. The United States lists Al-Manar television network as a terrorist organization.

Materials aimed at instilling principles of nationalism and Islam in children are an aspect of Hezbollah's media operations. 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.

Military activities

Hezbollah has a military branch known as "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.

Hezbollah denounced the UN resolution calling for the disarmament of the militia. Failure to disarm remains a violation of the resolution, the Taif Agreement, and the subsequent UN resolution agreed upon after the 2006 war with Israel. Since then both Israel and Hezbollah have asserted that the organization has gained in military strength. 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 non-Shia believed that they should. The Lebanese cabinet, under president Michel Suleiman and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, guidelines state that Hezbollah enjoys the right to "liberate occupied lands." There is speculation in the world press that Hezbollah is actively preparing for another war.

Suicide attacks and kidnappings

Between 1982 and 1986, there were 36 suicide attacks in Lebanon directed against American, French, and Israeli forces by 41 individuals with predominantly leftist political beliefs and of both the Muslim and Christian religions, killing 659. Hezbollah denies involvement in any attack, though it has been accused of some or all of these attacks: the April 1983 U.S. Embassy bombing, the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing (an attack that killed more than 200 U.S. Marines at their barracks in Beirut) and a spate of attacks on IDF troops and SLA militiamen in southern Lebanon. The period also saw the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 in 1985 and the Lebanon hostage crisis from 1982 to 1992. Hezbollah has been accused of the 2008 bombing of a U.S. Embassy vehicle in Beirut.

Outside of Lebanon, Hezbollah has been accused of the 1992 Israeli Embassy attack in Buenos Aires, killing 29, and the 1994 AMIA bombing of a Jewish cultural centre, killing 95, both in Argentina.

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. 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 7 July date." Hezbollah held a victory parade, and its popularity in Lebanon rose. Hezbollah and many analysts considered this a victory for the movement, and since then its popularity has been boosted in Lebanon.
• 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. 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.
• In April 1996, after continued Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israeli civilians, 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. 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. 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.

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. The soldiers were killed either during the attack or in its immediate aftermath. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz has, however, said that Hezbollah abducted the soldiers and then killed them. The bodies of the slain soldiers were exchanged for Lebanese prisoners in 2004.

2006 Lebanon War

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. 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.

Israel responded with massive 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), an air and naval blockade, 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. The war continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect on August 14, 2006. Hezbollah was responsible for thousands of Katyusha rocket attacks against Israeli civilian towns and cities in northern Israel, which Hezbollah said were in retaliation for Israel's killing of civilians and targeting Lebanese infrastructure. According to The Guardian, "In the fighting 1,200 Lebanese and 158 Israelis were killed. Of the dead almost 1,000 Lebanese and 41 Israelis were civilians."

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.

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 Template:Km to mi, enabling it to strike the Israeli port of Haifa, and the Zelzal-1, with an estimated Template:Km to mi range, which can reach Tel Aviv. Fajr-3 missiles have a range of Template:Km to mi and a 45-kg (99-lb) warhead, and Fajr-5 missiles, which extend to Template:Km to mi, also hold 45-kg (99-lb) warheads. It was reported that Hezbollah is in possession of Scud missiles that were provided to them by Syria. The reports were denied by Syria.

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. A small number of Saeghe-2s (Iranian-made version of M47 Dragon) were also used in the war.

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). One of the most effective weapons deployed by Hezbollah has been the C-802 anti-ship missile.

In April 2010 United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates claimed that the Hezbollah has far more missiles and rockets then 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.

Targeting policy

Hezbollah has not been involved in any suicide bombing since Israel withdrew from Lebanon. 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 The Pentagon, neither favoring nor opposing the act. Hezbollah also denounced the Armed Islamic Group massacres in Algeria, Al-Gama’a al-Islamiyya attacks on tourists in Egypt, and the murder of Nick Berg. In a 2006 interview with the Washington Post, Nasrallah condemned violence against American civilians.

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" said that Hezbollah and their contacts in Iran were responsible for the 1994 bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina, in which "ighty-five people were killed and more than 200 others injured." 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."

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. It has been alleged that the CIA was responsible for this attack.

• On July 28, 1989, Israeli commandos kidnapped Sheikh Abdul Karim Obeid, the leader of Hezbollah. 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.

• On February 12, 2008, Imad Mughnieh was killed by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria.

Foreign relations

Hezbollah has close relations with Iran. 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. Although Hezbollah and Hamas are not organizationally linked, Hezbollah provides military training as well as financial and moral support to the Sunni Palestinian group. Furthermore, Hezbollah is a strong supporter of the ongoing Al-Aqsa Intifada. Whether there has been cooperation or any relationship between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda has been questioned. Hezbollah's leaders deny links to al-Qaeda, present or past. Also, some al-Qaeda leaders, like Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Wahhabi clerics, consider Hezbollah to be apostate. But United States intelligence officials speculate that there has been contact between Hezbollah and low-level al-Qaeda figures who fled Afghanistan for Lebanon.

In an interview with the Associated Press Deputy Chief Sheikh Naim Qasim said Hezbollah would be highly prepared and ready "at any time" to counter any potential attacks by Israel; although he added that he does not expect a war with Israel, Hezbollah is preparing "as if it was happening tomorrow." He added that Israel's "devastating defeat" during the 2006 Lebanon war made Israel think twice about a future attack on Lebanon. In the interview he also ruled out negotiations with the United States unless there was a change in its policy in the Middle East. He said that "America is playing the role of troublemaker in the region."

Outside views

Public opinion

In much of the Arab world, 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.

According to a survey released by the "Beirut Center for Research and Information" on 26 July during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, 87 percent of Lebanese support Hezbollah's "retaliatory attacks on northern Israel", 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.

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. 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". 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. In the December 2005 poll, only 6% of Jordanian adults considered Hezbollah to be terrorist.

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. 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. 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.

Designation as a terrorist organization or resistance movement

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 referred to as a resistance movement. Hezbollah's violent acts are considered by some countries as terrorist attacks; other governments regard Hezbollah as resistance and engaged in national defense."

Countries below have officially listed Hezbollah in at least some part as a terrorist organization.

Australia	The Hezbollah External Security Organization
Canada	The entire organization Hezbollah
Israel	The entire organization Hezbollah
United Kingdom	Hezbollah's military wing only
United States	The entire organization Hezbollah

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. In 2002, US State Department official Christopher Ross was cited as explaining that while "the Hezbollah party and some of its members carried out terrorist acts in the past", "the acts that it carried out against the Israeli forces in South Lebanon were not terrorist acts."

The European Union does not list Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization"; it listed the deceased Imad Mugniyah, a senior member and founder of Hezbollah, as a terrorist. In addition, on March 10, 2005, the European Parliament passed a non-binding resolution recognizing "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah" 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. 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. 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". 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."

The Quartet’s fourth member, the United Nations, does not maintain such a list, 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. Human rights organizations Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have accused Hezbollah of committing war crimes against Israeli civilians, in which in the same article, they also accused Israel of war crimes but against Lebanese civilians.

Some other countries have criticized Hezbollah, citing terrorist activities, without maintaining such a list. 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 "ighty-five people were killed and more than 200 others injured." On 24 February 2000, French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin condemned attacks by Hezbollah fighters on Israeli forces in south Lebanon, saying they are "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." On August 29, 2006, 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." Germany does not maintain an independent national list of terrorist organizations, choosing instead to adopt the common EU list; however, German officials indicate that they would likely support a designation of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. While not maintaining a list as such, the Netherlands regard Hezbollah as terrorist discussing it as such in official reports of their general intelligence and security service and in official answers by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

In contrast, supporters of Hezbollah justify Hezbollah's attacks against Israel on several grounds. Firstly, Hezbollah justifies its operations against Israel as reciprocal to Israeli operations against Lebanese civilians and as retaliation for Israel's occupation of Lebanese territory. 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 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 has identified three Lebanese prisoners held in Israeli jails who it wants released. Finally, Hezbollah and others among the Muslim world consider Israel to be an illegitimate state. For these reasons, many in the Arab world consider acts performed by Hezbollah against Israel to be justified as acts of defensive Jihad. Although some Arab states (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," Hezbollah is regarded as a legitimate resistance movement throughout much of Lebanese society and the Arab and Muslim world. 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."

See also

• Hamas
• Fatah
• Israel-Lebanon conflict
• 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
• 2006–2007 Lebanese political protests
• 2008 conflict in Lebanon
• History of Lebanon
• Foreign relations of Lebanon
• Politics of Lebanon
• AMIA bombing
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 425
• United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701
• Al-Mahdi Scouts
• Operation Kept Promise
• Jihad Construction
• History of Terrorism

Footnotes

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 Persian pronunciation, of Iran); in the Arabic of Hezbollah's theater 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 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" .

   حزب الله ḥizbu-'llāh(i) -u nominative case marker in iḍāfa, initial "a" (written as "alif" ا) in Allāh (الله) is silent.

   Initial letter alif (ا) is usually dropped in this situation. Hence, expressions: bi-'llaah(i), wa-'llaah(i), etc. Final i (unwritten "kasra") (often dropped - is the genitive case marker). The 1st word ends in -u (unwritten ḍamma) in nominative case, -a in accusative, -i in genitive.

   ḥizbu-'llāh(i) - nominative

   ḥizbi-'llāh(i) - genitive

   ḥizba-'llāh(i) - accusative

3. ^ Jamail, Dahr (2006-07-20). "Hezbollah's transformation". Asia Times. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
4. ^ "Fast Facts: Hezbollah." Fox News. 13 July 2006. 8 July 2010.
5. ^ "Hezbollah (a.k.a. Hizbollah, Hizbu'llah)". Council on Foreign Relations. 2008-09-13. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
6. Iran and Syria continue to support resistance
7. ^ The Jerusalem Post (2006-07-17). "Arab world fed up with Hizbullah". Retrieved 2006-08-17.
8. Goldirova, Renata (September 17, 2008). "MEPs call on EU states to list Hezbollah as terrorist group". EUobserver. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
9. ^ "Who are Hezbollah". BBC News. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
10. ^ Adam Shatz (April 29, 2004). "In Search of Hezbollah". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 2006-08-14.
11. ^ author unknown. "The Hizballah Program" (PDF). provided by standwithus. com (StandWithUs). Retrieved 2007-10-29. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
12. ^ Stalinsky, Steven. "An Islamic Republic Is Hezbollah's Aim." The New York Sun. 2 August 2006. 1 November 2007.
13. ^ "Briefing: Lebanese Public Opinion". September–October 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: date format (link)
14. "Huge Beirut protest backs Syria." BBC News. 8 March 2005. 7 February 2007.
15. ^ Ghattas, Kim (2006-12-01). "Political ferment in Lebanon". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
16. ^ UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2006-03-29). "LEBANON: The many hands and faces of Hezbollah". Retrieved 2006-08-17.
17. ^ Iranian official admits Tehran supplied missiles to Hezbollah
18. ^ Frykberg, MelL (2008-08-29). "Mideast Powers, Proxies and Paymasters Bluster and Rearm". Middle East Times. Retrieved 2008-08-29. And if there is one thing that ideologically and diametrically opposed Hezbollah and Israel agree on, it is Hezbollah's growing military strength. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
19. ^ "Security council endorses secretary-general's conclusion on Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon as of 16 June". United Nations Security Council. 2000-06-18. Retrieved 2006-09-29.
20. Avi Shlaim (2001) The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World W.W. Norton, ISBN 0393321126 Chapter 10; The Lebanese Quagmire 1981-1984 pp 384-423
21. ^ Pape, Robert (2005). Dying to win: the strategic logic of suicide terrorism. Random House. ISBN 1-4000-6317-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |loc= ignored (help) Specifically: "Suicide Terrorist Campaigns, 1980-2003", Appendix 1. (Page 253 of Australian paperback edition, published by Scribe Publications)
22. Zionism and Israel - Encyclopedic Dictionary, Hezbollah Definition
23. Hezbollah – the real story dead link
24. ^ H. CON. RES. 190, 1st session, 101st congress (1989-08-04). "Expressing the sense of the Congress over the reported murder of Lieutenant Colonel William Higgins and Hezbollah-sponsored terrorism". The Library of Congress. Retrieved 2006-08-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
25. Telegraph, 2004/2/21
26. ^ "Timeline: Lebanon". BBC News. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
27. United States Department of State, April 2005.
28. "On this day". BBC News. 1994-07-26. Retrieved 2006-07-26.
29. Jeffrey Goldberg (October 14, 2002). "IN THE PARTY OF GOD Are terrorists in Lebanon preparing for a larger war?". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2006-08-21.
30. "The strategy and tactics of Hizballah's current 'Lebanonization process". Mediterranean Politics, Volume 3, Issue 1 Summer 1998 , pages 103 - 134.
31. Alagha (2006), pp.41-44
32. Alagha (2006), p.47
33. Marius Deeb, Militant Islamic Movements in Lebanon: Origins, Social Basis, and Ideology, Occasional Paper Series (Washington, DC, Georgetown University, 1986) p.19
34. al-Nahar, 7 September 1985
35. LaRevue du Liban, 27 July-3 August 1985
36. al-Nahar al-Arabi, 10 June
37. Ma'aretz, 16 December 1983
38. Le Point, 30 July 1987
39. al-Shira, 28 August 1988
40. Nouveau Magazine, 23 July 1988
41. 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. Retrieved 2006-09-21. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
42. Ranstorp, Hizb'allah (1997), p.67
43. U.S Department of State (1999-10-01). "Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations". Retrieved 2006-07-25.
44. Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996-04-11). "Hizbullah". Retrieved 2006-07-25.
45. Canada Gazette (2003-02-12). "Canada Gazette Vol. 137, no 1". Retrieved 2006-07-25.
46. United Nations Document A/54/723 S/2000/55, citing Al Hayyat, 30 October 1999 Letter dated 25 January 2000 from the Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General Accessed August 17, 2006
47. The Brunswickan Online. "Hizbollah promises Israel a blood-filled new year, Iran calls for Israel's end". (Student newspaper)
48. Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada Listed Entities - Hizballah Accessed July 31, 2006
49. Joshua Mitnick. Behind the dispute over Shebaa Farms, Christian Science Monitor, August 22, 2006.
50. Flashpoint farmland , The Guardian, May 10, 2006.
51. "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.
52. ^ "IN THE PARTY OF GOD Are terrorists in Lebanon preparing for a larger war? by Jeffrey Goldberg". The New Yorker. October 14, 2002. Retrieved 2007-03-03.
53. "The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology: Religious Ideology, Political Ideology, and Political Program" By Joseph Elie Alagha, Published by Amsterdam University Press, 2006, ISBN 9053569103, 9789053569108, 380 pages, Page 53
54. Hezbollah presses school into pulling Anne Frank Jewish Telegraphic Agency November 9, 2009
55. ^ Yazbeck, Natacha Anne Frank Diary offends Lebanon's Hezbollah Agence France-Presse November, 2009
56. Lappin, Elena. "The Enemy Within." The New York Times. 23 May 2004. 5 July 2010.
57. ^ Block, Melissa. "'New Yorker' Writer Warns of Hezbollah's Radicalism." National Public Radio. 16 August 2006. 16 February 2008.
58. Rubinfeld, Joel. "Open your eyes, smell the anti-Semitism." Ynetnews. 18 September 2006. 5 July 2010.
59. "JCPA Middle East Briefing: Hezbollah". United Jewish Communities. 14 February 2008.
60. Levin, Andrea. "EYE ON THE MEDIA: New Yorker Bests Times on Anti-Semitism Coverage." Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. 4 November 2002. 29 June 2010.
61. Sciolino, Elaine. "French Court Delays Decision on Hezbollah-Run TV Channel." The New York Times 12 December 2004. 14 February 2008.
62. Carvajal, Doreen. "French Court Orders a Ban on hezbollah-Run TV Channel." The New York Times. 14 December 2004. 14 February 2008.
63. Sciolino, Elaine. " A New French Headache: When Is Hate on TV Illegal?" The New York Times. 9 December 2004. 16 February 2008.
64. "Anti-Semitic Series Airs on Arab Television." ADL. 9 January 2004. 16 February 2008.
65. "Urge President Chirac to Block Hezbollah's Antisemitic and Hate TV." Simon Wiesenthal Center. 21 May 2008.
66. "UN Human Rights High Commissioner Admits to Wiesenthal Center Delegation ... 'Hezbollah Deliberately Targeted Israeli Civilians.'" Simon Wiesenthal Center. 19 September 2006. 22 May 2008.
67. Brown, Roy. "Hezbollah attacks IHEU speaker." International Humanist and Ethical Union. 25 September 2006. 22 May 2008.
68. Satloff, Roger. "The Holocaust's Arab Heroes." The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. 8 October 2006. 14 January 2009.
69. Stalinsky, Steven. "Hezbollah's Nazi Tactics." The New York Sun. 26 July 2006. 14 January 2009.
70. al-Nahar al-Arabi walduwali, 10–16 June 1985; and La Revue du Liban, 27 July-3 August 1985. quoted in Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997), p.41
71. Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997), p. 64
72. ^ Ranstorp, Hizb'allah in Lebanon, (1997), p.45
73. Katz, Yaakov. "Hizbollah units being commanded by Iranian officers." Jerusalem Post. 18 September 2009. 17 September 2009.
74. Daragahi, Borzou. "Lebanon's Hezbollah savors increasing legitimacy." Los Angeles Times. 13 April 2009. 17 April 2009.
75. ^ Edward Cody and Molly Moore (2006-08-14). "The Best Guerrilla Force in the World". The Washington Post.
76. "Hezbollah's Global Finance Network: The Triple Frontier". 2002. Retrieved 2006-08-07. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
77. Hezbollah's Global Finance Network: The Triple Frontier
78. Cigarette Smuggling Linked to Terrorism, The Washington Post
79. Levitt, Matthew (2007). Hamas. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300122589.
80. Giraldo, Jeanne (2007). Terrorism Financing and State Responses. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804755658.
81. "The Militarization of Sex: The story of Hezbollah's halal hookups." by Hanin Ghaddar, Foreign Policy, November 25, 2009
82. Sachs, Susan. The New York Times. Helping Hand of Hezbollah Emerging in South Lebanon. March 30, 2000.
83. ^ CNN (2006-07-25). "Hezbollah's secret weapon". Retrieved 2006-07-25. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
84. "Hezbollah: Most Powerful Political Movement in Lebanon". Council on Foreign Relations. 2008-05-29. Retrieved 2006-09-15.
85. Seelye, Kate (2005-04-01). "Lebanon's religious mix". PBS Frontline World. Retrieved 2006-07-28.
86. Lebanon: Angus Reid Global Monitor
87. The Counter-revolution of the Cedars
88. "Nasrallah Warns of 'Street Demonstrations' if National Unity Government is not Formed"
89. San Francisco Chronicle (December 15, 2006). "In Lebanon, Saniora stiffens his resistance". Retrieved December 18, 2006.
90. Reuters (December 18, 2006). "Lebanon opposition demands early elections". Retrieved December 18, 2006.
91. The full text of Nasrallah`s speech on the invitation to participate in an open sit-in in Beirut
92. "Lebanese army moves into W. Beirut after Hezbollah takeover". Haaretz. Retrieved 2008-05-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
93. Worth, Robert F.; Bakri, Nada (2008-05-11). "Hezbollah to Withdraw Gunmen in Lebanon". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-10-05. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
94. "Lebanese leaders 'expect to elect a president' in 24 hours". France 24. Retrieved 2008-05-31. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
95. ^ Elise Labott and Henry Schuster (2006). "Lebanese media outlets' assets blocked". cnn.com.
96. "Terrorist Television Hezbollah has a worldwide reach". National Review Online. December 22, 2004. Retrieved 2007-03-31.
97. ^ Avi Jorisch (Winter 2004). "Al-Manar: Hizbullah TV, 24/7". Middle East Quarterly. Retrieved 2006-09-03.
98. "Al-Manar Television". Retrieved 2007-03-27.
99. "Terrorist Television Hezbollah has a worldwide reach". National Review Online. December 22, 2004. Retrieved 2006-08-22. {{cite news}}: line feed character in |title= at position 21 (help)
100. "Al-Manar and the War in Iraq". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 2003. Retrieved 2006-08-24. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
101. Full Text of the decision (in French)
102. Press Release(in French)
103. France pulls plug on Arab network
104. 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.
105. Roee Nahmias (31 August 2006). "Hizbullah presents". ynetnews.com. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
106. " Hezbollah Releases Anti-Israel War Game." ADL. 17 August 2007. 10 July 2010.
107. US Department of State (1999-10-08). "Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations". Retrieved 2007-02-05.
108. Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies (Israeli) (2005-09-07). "Hezbollah has no intention to disarm". Retrieved 2007-05-01.
109. ^ "Hezbollah: Hezbollah and the Recent Conflict." ADL. 29 September 2006. 26 June 2007.
110. Ha'aretz 14 August 2008, UN: We've cleared half the cluster bombs Israel dropped on Lebanon By Shlomo Shamir
111. "... eight were Islamic fundamentalists. Twenty-seven were Communists and Socialists. Three were Christians. The American Conservative, July 18, 2005. Verified 22nd June 2008.
112. "Frontline: Target America: Terrorist attacks on Americans, 1979-1988", PBS News, 2001. Accessed 4 February 2007
113. "Timeline of Hezbollah Violence." CAMERA: Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America. 17 July 2006. 18 November 2006. Later reprinted in On Campus magazine's Fall 2006 issue and attributed the article to author Gilead Ini.
114. ^ Hezbollah CFR. org Staff, the US Council on Foreign Relations, 2006-07-17
115. ^ Terrorism - In the Spotlight: Hezbollah (Party of God) Michael Donovan, Center for Defense Information cdi.org, 2002-02-25
116. Lebanon: Hezbollah and the Jan. 15 Bombing Stratfor, January 15, 2008
117. ^ See:
     • "2000: Hezbollah celebrates Israeli retreat". BBC News. 2000-05-26. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
     • "Hezbollah flag raised as Israeli troops withdraw from southern Lebanon". CNN. 2000-05-24. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
118. Ted Koppel on NPR report: Lebanon's Hezbollah Ties. All Things Considered, July 13, 2006.
119. YNet Operation Accountability ""Increased Israeli casualties led to Operation Accountability in 1993"
120. "ISRAEL/LEBANON, Unlawful Killings During Operation "Grapes of Wrath"". BBC News. 1996-07-24. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
121. "The Grapes of Wrath Understanding"
122. "History of Israel's role in Lebanon". BBC News. 1998-04-01. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
123. Cobban, Helena, "Hizbullah’s New Face." Boston Review. Accessed February 2, 2007. Originally published in the April/May 2005 issue of Boston Review.
124. "Operation Grapes of Wrath". ynetnews. 2006-08-01. Retrieved 2007-10-24.
125. "Israelis Held by the Hizbullah - October 2000-January 2004". mfa.gov.il. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
126. "Israel, Hezbollah swap prisoners". CNN. 2004-01-29. Retrieved 2010-04-02. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
127. Rothfeld, Michael. "War touches raw nerve for grieving parents." Newsday.com. 9 August 2006. 21 February 2008.
128. Gutman, Matthew. "Prisoner swap due to go ahead today." ProQuest Archiver. 21 February 2008
129. Stevn, Yoav and Eli Ashkenazi. "New film leaves parents in the dark on sons' fate during kidnap." Haaretz Daily Newspaper. 6 September 2006. 28 February 2008.
130. "Israel, Hezbollah swap prisoners." CNN.com International. 29 January 2004. 20 February 2008.
131. New York Times via the International Herald Tribune (July 12, 2006). "Clashes spread to Lebanon as Hezbollah raids Israel". Retrieved August 16, 2007.
132. "Israeli warplanes hit Beirut suburb". CNN. July 14, 2006.
133. Cody, Edward (24 August 2006). "Lebanese Premier Seeks U.S. Help in Lifting Blockade". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
134. Urquhart, Conal (2006-08-11). "Computerised weaponry and high morale". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2006-10-08.
135. Hezbollah Attacks Since May 2000 Mitchell Bard, the Jewish AIJAC, 2006-07-24
136. The Independent - Israel widens bombing campaign as Lebanese militia groups retaliate
137. Urquhart, Conal (2007-03-09). "Israel planned for Lebanon war months in advance, PM says". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
138. ^ July 18th - - Agence France Presse - Analysis: Hezbollah a force to be reckoned with
139. Syria is shipping Scud missiles to Hezbollah
140. Syria: Israel's Scud accusation may be pretense for attack
141. "Missiles neutralizing Israeli tanks". Associated Press. 2007-03-18.
142. Weitz, Paul (2006-08-12). "Hezbollah, Already a Capable Military Force, Makes Full Use of Civilian Shields and Media Manipulation". JINSA Online. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
143. "Hezbollah Reportedly Acquires SA-18 SAMs". Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. 2003. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
144. Hezbollah missile threat assessed
145. Gates accuses Iran and Syria of providing weapons to Hezbollah Albuquerque Express 28 April 2010
146. Hezbollah Operations from the Israeli-Lebanese Border Since the Israeli Withdrawal from Lebanon
147. Timeline of Hezbollah operations
148. ^ Wright, Robin. "Inside the Mind of Hezbollah". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2006-08-01.
149. Hezbollah's condemnation of murder of civilians in Egypt and Algeria is described in Saad-Ghorayeb, p. 101.
150. Usher, Sebastian (2004-05-13). "Muted Arab reaction to Berg beheading". BBC News. Retrieved 2006-07-27.
151. Larry Luxner (2006-03-04). "AMIA Probe Was Botched: Argentina". The Jewish Week. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
152. ^ "Argentine prosecutors: Arrest former Iranian president." Jerusalem Post, 2006-10-26, "Prosecutor Alberto Nisman told a news conference that the decision to attack the center 'was undertaken in 1993 by the highest authorities of the then-government of Iran.' He said the actual attack was entrusted to the Lebanon-based group Hezbollah."
153. Horovitz, David. "Editor's Notes: Exposing Iran's ruthlessness." Jerusalem Post. 20 December 2007. 9 July 2010.
154. "Did A Dead Man Tell No Tales?". Time. 1987-10-12. Retrieved 2010-04-02.
155. Abduction of Sheikh Obeid, Security Council Resolution 638
156. "Hezbollah's most wanted commander killed in Syria bomb". Reuters. February 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-12.
157. Halliday, Fred. "A Lebanese fragment: two days with Hizbollah." openDemocracy. 20 July 2006. 17 February 2007.
158. Gambill, Gary. "Syria and Hezbollah: A Loveless Alliance." Mideast Monitor. 4 March 2005. 17 February 2007. Originally published in The National Post (Toronto).
159. "Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah: The Current Conflict" (PDF). CRS Report for Congress. July 21, 2006. Retrieved 8 September 2006.
160. ^ 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-March 30, 2002 and Al-Watan March 19, 2002
161. Stinson, Jeffrey. "Minister: Hezbollah doesn't need al-Qaeda's help fighting Israel in Lebanon." USATODAY.com. 28 July 2006. 17 February 2006.
162. BBC News (2006-06-02). "'Zarqawi tape' urges Sunni unrest". Retrieved 2006-07-26.
163. Jerusalem Post, August 5, 2006 Saudi religious leader blasts Hizbullah Accessed August 6, 2006
164. Nimir, Suleiman. "Middle East Online." 4 August 2006. 17 February 2007.
165. CBS News (2002-07-26). "Terrorism Alliance?". Retrieved 2006-07-26.
166. Mike Boettcher, Henry Schuster (2003-08-13). "New terror alliance suspected in Iraq". CNN World News. Retrieved 2006-07-26.
167. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=132432&sectionid=351020203
168. Beirut Center for Research and Information (July 29, 2006). "Poll finds support for Hizbullah's retaliation".
169. Blanford, Nicholas (2006-07-28). "Israeli strikes may boost Hizbullah base". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2006-07-29.
170. "Poll finds support for Hizbullah's retaliation". Beirut Center For Research & Information. 2006-07-29. Retrieved 2006-08-08.
171. "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Hezbollah's Disarmament Pondered In Lebanon". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2005-04-25. Retrieved 2007-10-27. Source: Zogby International / Information International / The Arab American Institute
172. "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Palestinians Hold Hezbollah in High Regard". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2006-07-29. Retrieved 2007-10-28. Source: An-Najah National University
173. "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Hamas, Hezbollah Legitimate for Jordanians". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2006-07-14. Retrieved 2007-10-28. Source: Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan
174. "Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls & Research / Jordanians Review Legitimacy of Specific Groups". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2006-01-11. Retrieved 2007-10-28. Source: Centre for Strategic Studies at the University of Jordan
175. ^ "Israel/Palestinians." PollingReport.com. 10 December 2006.
176. ^ Hizbullah: Views and Concepts
177. Statement of purpose
178. "Hizballah External Security Organisation Relisted". Australian National Security. 2005-07-18. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
179. See:
     • "Reference list". Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada. Retrieved 2006-07-25.
     • "Listed entities pursuant to the Anti-Terrorism Act (2001, c. 41)". Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC), Government of Canada. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
180. ^ "Summary of Terrorist Activity 2004". Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2005-01-05. Retrieved 2006-07-15.
181. ": A Pragmatic Terror Organization of Global Reach - A Snapshot (February, 2005)". the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT). 2005-02. Retrieved 2007-03-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
182. British Home office official listing of Proscribed terrorist groups
183. "UK ban on Hezbollah military arm". BBC News. 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2009-06-12.
184. ^ "Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs)". United States Department of State. 2005-10-11. Retrieved 2006-07-16. "Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations ... 14. Hizballah (Party of God)".
185. Lamb, Franklin. "Why is Hezbollah on the Terrorism List?". Retrieved 2008-05-04.
186. "Ross: Hizbullah's resistance of Israel is not terrorism". arabicnews.com. 2002-03-23. Retrieved 2007-10-29. In a statement to the Kuwaiti daily al-Rai al-Am issued on Friday, Ross said: ... "we are obliged to describe this organization by putting it in the American lists as a terrorist."
187. redirect
188. "COUNCIL DECISION of 21 December 2005 implementing Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2580/2001 on specific restrictive measures directed against certain persons and entities with a view to combating terrorism and repealing Decision 2005/848/EC(2005/930/EC)" (PDF). Official Journal of the European Union.
189. "COUNCIL COMMON POSITION 2005/847/CFSP" (PDF). Official Journal of the European Union. 29 November 2005.
190. "The EU's relations with Lebanon". 2005. Retrieved 2007-05-19. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
191. ^ ISN Security Watch (March 11, 2005). "EU lawmakers label Hezbollah 'terrorist’ group". Retrieved March 3, 2007.
192. Meyer, Henry (2006-07-28). "Hezbollah not on Russia's "terrorist" list". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-10-27. 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.
193. Haaretz Service and News Agencies (2006-07-15). "Russian defense minister says Hezbollah uses 'terrorist methods' - Haaretz - Israel News". Retrieved 2007-10-27.
194. United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Portal Accessed 7 August 2006
195. "Ban Ki-moon: Hizbullah poses threat to security." Jerusalem Post. 22 October 2009. 23 October 2009.
196. Katie Fretland (14 September 2006). "Amnesty: Hezbollah committed war crimes against Israel". TheGlobeandMail.com/AP. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
197. French PM lashes Hezbollah 'terrorism'
198. D'Alema: The end of unilateralism, UN back in the lead
199. Italian FM: Hezbollah, Hamas are not al-Qaida
200. Germany’s Relations with Israel: Background and Implications for German Middle East Policy Congressional Research Service (January 19, 2007)
201. "Annual Report 2004" (PDF). Netherlands General intelligence and security service.
202. "Answers to questions on Hezbollah and the EU (in Dutch)". Netherlands Minsitry of Foreign Affairs.
203. CIVILIAN PAWNS, Laws of War Violations and the Use of Weapons on the Israel-Lebanon Border
204. ISRAEL/LEBANON "OPERATION GRAPES OF WRATH"
205. Hezbollah's Apocalypse Now
206. Thisreen (Syrian newspaper) June 21, 1999, reprinted by MEMRI Secretary General of Hizbullah Discusses the New Israeli Government and Hizbullah’s Struggle Against Israel Accessed July 30, 2006
207. Nafez Qawas, The Daily Star (August 6, 2008). "Berri summons Parliament to vote on policy statement" Retrieved August 6, 2008.

References

Books

• Joseph Alagha (2006). The Shifts in Hizbullah's Ideology: Religious Ideology, Political Ideology. Amsterdam University Press. ISBN 9053569103.

• 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 1-845-110242.

• 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 978-0863565175.

• 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 (2006-06-02). "Inside Lebanese Hezbollah militia". British Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
• Adam Shatz (2004-04-29). "In Search of Hezbollah". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 2007-10-27. (copy)
• Dahr Jamail (2006-07-20). "Hezbollah's transformation". Asia Times. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
• "Lebanon: Angus Reid Global Monitor". Angus Reid Global Monitor. 2005. Retrieved 2007-10-27. (full election results report)

External links

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 - Hezbollah's 1985 manifesto translated into English.
• Hizbullah - the 'Party of God' - fact file at Ynetnews

v t e Political parties in Lebanon
Ministers (24)	March 8 Alliance (16) Amal Movement (3) Hezbollah (2) Free Patriotic Movement (6) Lebanese Democratic Party (1) Marada Movement (2) Syrian Social Nationalist Party (1) Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Tashnag) (1) March 14 Alliance (3) Future Movement (2) Lebanese Forces (0) Progressive Socialist Party (1) Others (5) PM's share (5)
National Assembly (128)	March 8 Alliance (60) Free Patriotic Movement (17) Amal Movement (14) Hezbollah (13) Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Tashnag) (3) Marada Movement (2) Al-Ahbash (2) Ba'ath Party (1) Dignity Movement (1) Popular Nasserist Organization (1) Union Party (1) Independent (5) March 14 Alliance (38) Lebanese Forces (19) Future Movement (8) Kataeb Party (4) Independence Movement (2) National Liberal Party (1) Islamic group (1) Independent (3) 17 October Revolution (13) Taqaddom (2) Lebanese Communist Party (1) Beirut Tuqawem (1) Tahalof Watani (1) Khatt Ahmar (1) Lana (1) Osos Lebanon (1) ReLebanon (1) Others (10) Progressive Socialist Party (8) Popular Nasserist Organization (1) National Dialogue Party (1)
Politics of Lebanon

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• Political parties established in 1982
• Hezbollah
• Israel–Lebanon conflict
• Anti-Zionism
• Islam and antisemitism
• Islamist groups
• Shi'a organizations
• Political parties in Lebanon
• Terrorism in Lebanon
• Islamic terrorism
• Resistance movements
• U.S. State Department designated terrorist organizations
• United Kingdom Home Office designated terrorist groups