Hezbollah was formed to combat the Israeli occupation following the 1982 invasion of Lebanon and opposes the fundamental existence of the Israeli state. Initially, it aimed to transform Lebanon into an Islamic republic, though it has since abandoned this goal in favor of a more inclusive platform. 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.
It was largely formed with the aid of the AyatollahKhomeini's followers in the early eighties in order to spread Shia revolution. Hezbollah views Israel as a whole as "an illegal usurper entity, which is based on falsehood, massacres, and illusions," These designations are considered to be synonymous with Hezbollah by the US, Israel and Canada.
Hezbollah's strength was enhanced by the dispatching of one thousand to fifteen hundredThird World Quarterly, Vol 14, No 2, 1993, reprinted at Al Mashriq Lebanon's Hizbullah: from Islamic revolution to parliamentary accommodation Accessed 2006-07-26 members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and the financial backing of Iran. It became the main politico-military force among the Shi'a community in Lebanon and the main arm of what became known later as the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon. Hezbollah follows a Shiite Islamist ideology shared by the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini.
Hezbollah is reputed to have been among the first Islamic resistance groups to use tactical suicide bombing in the Middle East, and early bombings attributed to the group (e.g. the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing) inspired other militant extremist groups to adopt the tactic for their own purposes. The Palestinian Sunni group Hamas is perhaps the most well-known of these copycats, and while Hezbollah has largely ended its own suicide bombing campaign, some claim it continues to help Hamas in planning and training for suicide missions to this day.
According to Robert Pape's Dying to Win, Specifically: "Suicide Terrorist Campaigns, 1980-2003", Appendix 1. (Page 253 of Australian paperback edition, published by Scribe Publications)Hezbollah conducted three distinct suicide bombing campaigns against forces it deemed to be occupying Lebanon:# 1983â€"1984: 5 acts against the US and France, including these specific acts:#* April 18, 1983: U.S. embassy bombing in Beirut.#* October 23, 1983: Beirut barracks bombing, targeting French soldiers and U.S. Marines; responsibility for this is disputed (see 1983 Beirut barracks bombing).# 1982â€"1985: 11 acts against Israel.# 1985â€"1986: 20 acts against Israel and the South Lebanon Army.
In addition to these campaigns, Pape documents six other isolated suicide attacks taken by Hezbollah between 1985 and 1999.
Upon Israel's withdrawal from South Lebanon in 1990, according to Pape, the necessary conditions for Hezbollah's continuing use of suicide attacks evaporated. Hezbollah has not directly participated in suicide bombings since 1999, its leaders evidently having renounced the tactic, at least for the time being (see Stance on the use of terrorist tactics).
Hezbollah's ideology is rooted in the Shi'a tradition of Islam, specifically in the concept of "Willayat Al-Faqih" put forth by Ayatollah Khomeini and other Islamic scholars in Iran. In an early August speech, Iranian Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezai, and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards said, "Iran is a model and example for Hizbullah. The Iranian faith, tactics and experience are being put to practice in Lebanon... Hizbullah looks to Iran for tactics and moral [support], and we are proud that our experience [serves] other Muslim countries." http://www.roozonline.com/01newsstory/016885.shtml (Arabic)
Source states, among other things, that Hezbollah seeks the return of Lebanese prisoners from Israel:
, some of whom have been imprisoned for eighteen years.Private website, registered to Bassam Kantar, Beirut Lebanon (WHOIS search, August 4, 2006) Freedom for Samir Kuntar Accessed August 4, 2006
Position on Israel
In its public rhetoric, Hezbollah supports the destruction of the state of Israel. (Student newspaper)
Despite the strident rhetoric, Hezbollah seems to have neither the intention nor the capacity to destroy the state of Israel. Hezbollah's present leadership disclaims any interest in contesting Israel's right to exist outside of disputed territories. In a 2003 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."
Nasrallah has a history of making anti-Semitic statements (most infamously "if they [Jews] all gather in Israel, it will save us the trouble of going after them worldwide"See Hassan Nasrallah.). Hezbollah's website, however, 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". "[O]pposing the Zionists ideology is not opposing setting a home for Jews". The Truth Is Spoken: Anti-Zionists Are No Anti-Semitists... The Zionists ideology versus the Torah and Judaism, Archive search result page, labeled "Aljazeera, 1-1-2006."
Women's rights
In keeping with Lebanon's generally secular and egalitarianculture, 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 for that matter than does Iran, Hezbollah's self-proclaimed "model and example" (see Women in Muslim societies). http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_1007.shtml
One member of the Hezbollah Political Council, speaking to an Online Journal correspondent in July 2006, claimed that "Hezbollah differs from many Islamic groups in our treatment of women. We believe women have the ability like men to participate in all parts of life." The Online Journal correspondent writes,:From its founding in the 1980s, Hezbollah women have headed education, medical and social service organizations. Most recently Hezbollah nominated several women to run in the Lebanese elections. It named Wafa Hoteit as a chief of Al Noor Radio (also recently bombed), and promoted 37-year-old Rima Fakhry to its highest ruling body, the Hezbollah Political Council. Part of Fakhry's duties include interpreting Islamic feminism in Sharia law for the Committee for Political Analysis.
Hezbollah's inclination towards secular, liberal values should not be overstated, however. For example, its official stance on homosexuality hews close to traditional religious teachings (see Gay rights in Lebanon: Politics).
Lebanon's majority Shi'a areas, where Hezbollah is most prominent
Hezbollah not only has armed and political wings but also organises an extensive social development programme. This civilian wing runs hospitals, news services, and educational facilities. Its Reconstruction Campaign ('Jihad al-Bina') is responsible for numerous economic and infrastructure development projects in Lebanon.Sachs, Susan. The New York Times. Helping Hand of Hezbollah Emerging in South Lebanon. March 30, 2000.Ted Koppel on NPR report: Lebanon's Hezbollah Ties. All Things Considered, July 13, 2006. The group 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 provided through Hezbollah is also less expensive than in most of the country's private hospitals and free for Hezbollah members. Most experts believe that Hezbollah's social and health programmes are worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Politics
Along with the Amal Movement, Hezbollah is one of the two main organizations representing the Shia community, Lebanon's largest religious bloc, but the only militant one (Amal is a political party).
Mohamed Fneish was appointed Energy and Water Minister in the cabinet and has been quoted as saying "We are a political force that took part in the polls under the banner of defending the resistance and protecting Lebanon and got among the highest level of popular backing ... Hezbollah's resistance (against Israel) does not in any way contradict its political role. If joining the government and parliament is a national duty, then so is defending the country."Gulf Times (Reuters) Hezbollah seeks talks over arms
In 1996's "The Electoral Program of Hizbullah," the organization declared its wish to improve educational and health system.Al Mashriq The Electoral Program of Hizbullah, 1996 Accessed 2006-07-25Then on May 2006 as UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs published:"Hezbollah not only has armed and political wings - it also boasts an extensive social development programme. The group 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."
Now Hezbollah social service agencies provide health care and schooling for poor farmers. Washington Post, July 22, 2006 History repeats itself in new conflict? Not quite Accessed 2006-07-25 Even during the war with Israel during July 2006 when there is no running water in Beirut, Hezbollah is arranging supplies all 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 that delivers the goods for its followers, in this traditionally poor and dispossessed Shiite community."
Hezbollah also engages in organizing youths in the universities in other activities, such as promoting recycling on campus. NPR Hezbollah's Next Generation
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.See: *full text of the decision *press release (in French) *BBC report
The strength of Hezbollah's forces are disputed, and has been variously estimated as "several thousand" and several thousand supporters and a few hundred devotee operatives. The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates Hezbollah forces to 600-1000 active fighters (with 3,000 - 5,000 available and 10,000 reservists), 10,000 - 15,000 rockets of the Katyusha, Fajr-3 and Fajr-5 type. They also estimate a stockpile of 30 missiles of the Zelzal type.According to Haaretz Hezbollah is not a small guerrilla organization. Israel faces a trained, skilled, well-organized, highly motivated infantry that is equipped with the cream of the crop of modern weaponry from the arsenals of Syria, Iran, Russia and China, and which is very familiar with the territory on which it is fighting.
The military wing of Hezbollah is considered to be the most capable non-state armed group in the Middle East. "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."Janes World Insurgency and Terrorism Group Profile: Hezbollah Accessed July 28, 2006
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 , and is also known to conduct SIGINT operations against IDF communications .
Preventive Security is the organization's internal security formation, and is responsible for counter-intelligence and communication security, as well as operating its prisons and interrogation centers.
According to Michael Eisenstadt, of the pro-Israeli 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.
Stance on the use of 'terrorist' tactics
Hezbollah has disclaimed the use of some 'terrorist' tactics, particularly those that result in the deaths of innocent people. For example, although the group first became known for pioneering the use of suicide bombings in the region, its clerics have never been entirely comfortable with the tactic,"But all these theological somersaults suggest that religion may be as much a hurdle, which the perpetrators of ‘martyrdom operations' need to overcome, as a motive for their violence. Hizbullah's clerics, for example, have always been squeamish about suicidal missions." http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2329785 and it has not been directly involved in a suicide bombing since 1999.from section above
After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Hezbollah condemned Al Qaeda for targeting the civilian World Trade Center, though it remained silent on the attack on the Pentagon, presumably considering it a legitimate military target.It denounced the Armed Islamic Groupmassacres in Algeria, Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya attacks on tourists in Egypt, Hezbollah's condemnation of murder of civilians in Egypt and Algeria is described in Saad-Ghorayeb, p. 101.and the murder of Nick Berg.Nasrallah, in a 2006 interview with the Washington Post, condemned violence against innocent civilians: "[I]f there are American tourists, or intellectuals, doctors, or professors who have nothing to do with this war, they are innocent, even though they are Americans, and it is forbidden. It is not acceptable to harm them."
In the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, however, Hezbollah's targets have been largely civilian. It has aimed for communities in northern Israel, including Haifa, Nazareth, Kiryat Shmona, Afula, Hadera, and, reportedly, Tel Aviv. From the conflict's start until August 6, 2006, civilians have accounted for approximately one-third of casualties inflicted by Hezbollah. (By contrast, the overwhelming majority of Lebanese casualties inflicted by the Israel Defense Force have been civilians.)http://news.independent.co.uk/world/fisk/article1211295.ece Israel has attempted to differentiate itself from Hezbollah by claiming the guerilla group's targeting of civilians is deliberate. (See Targeting of civilian areas in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict.)
The former head of the German intelligence service BND, August Hanning, during the press conference in Beirut, regarding the German negotiated prisoner exchange between Israel and Hezbollah. January 30, 2004 see also Elchanan Tenenbaum.
Hezbollah claims that it forbids its fighters entry into Iraq for any reason, and that no Hezbollah units or individual fighters have entered Iraq to support any Iraqi faction fighting the United States. However, on April 2, 2004, Muqtada al-Sadr announced his intention to form chapters of Hezbollah and Hamas in Iraq. He is not known to have consulted Hezbollah or Hamas before making this statement.
It is widely believed that Hafez al-Assad, who was president of Syria from 1971 to 2000, and Hezbollah were closely linked; this did not significantly affect his relations with the rest of the world. Bashar al-Assad, his son and successor, has been subjected to sanctions by the U.S. due to (among other things, such as occupying Lebanon) his continued support for Hezbollah, which it views as a terrorist organization. However, on March 3, 2005, United States PresidentGeorge W. Bush and his administration stated that it would consider Hezbollah legitimate if it disarmed, but also said that this did not represent a change in their view of the organization, which is unlikely to do so.
In an interview on Al-Arabiya TV in Dubai, former Hezbollah Secretary-General Subhi Al-Tufeili said Video clip Hezbollah definitely fosters its relations with the Syrians, but Hezbollah's real leadership is 'the rule of the jurisprudence'.
On the other hand, others point out that al-Qaeda's SunniWahhabist ideology is largely incompatible with Hezbollah's relatively liberal brand of Shia Islam; in fact, some Sunni leaders consider Hezbollah to be apostate.Jerusalem Post, August 5, 2006 Saudi religious leader blasts Hizbullah Accessed August 6, 2006Al-Qaeda has demonstrated its distaste for Shi'as in suicide bombings and attacks on Shi'a civilian targets in Iraq.Hezbollah denies any ties to al-Qaeda,and many reliable sources report that there exists no evidence of a connection between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda.Janes World Insurgency and Terrorism.Group Profile: Hizbullah Accessed July 28, 2006See: *Saint Petersburg Times: (mirror by ABC News: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=2114525) *MSNBC: Zarqawi has issued an audio recording in which he called Hezbollah an "enemy of Sunnis" and a "shield" for Israel,for protecting Israel by preventing Palestinian attacks from Lebanon.
Nasrallah denies links to al-Qaeda, present or past, stating in a 2002 interview that the two organizations work in different areas and face different enemies. Hezbollah's aim has been the "confrontation of the Zionist plan," said Nasrallah, while bin Laden has focused on Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Bosnia, and Chechnya. "So we are talking about two different areas and battles facing two completely different enemies. This was the reason why there wasn't any contact."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
The UN's Deputy Secretary-General, Mark Malloch Brown, contests characterisations of the Lebanese militia as a terrorist organisation in the mould of al-Qaeda.While acknowledging that "Hezbollah employs terrorist tactics," he says that it is unhelpful to call it a terrorist organization; the United States and the international community, in his view, would do well to respect it as a legitimate political party. Brown also criticized Hizbullah, "It is making no effort to hit military targets; it's just a broadside against civilian targets," .
Relationship to the Lebanese government
The government of Lebanon has accepted Al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya as a legitimate resistance organisationIsrael has lodged continual complaints about Hezbollah's actions.
Relationship to Hamas and Palestinian national movement
According to CRS report for U.S. congress "Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, suggested that the Hezbollah operation might provide a way out of the crisis in Gaza because Israel had negotiated with Hezbollah indirectly in the past although it is refusing to negotiate with Hamas now. He said that the only way the soldiers would be returned would be through a prisoner exchange. Although Hezbollah and Hamas are not organizationally linked, Hezbollah has acted in some ways as a mentor or role model for Hamas, which has sought to emulate the Lebanese group's political and media success. Hamas's kidnaping of the Israeli soldier follows a different Hezbollah example. Hezbollah has been claimed to provide terrorist training for Hamas, and the two groups share the goal of driving Israel from occupied territories and ultimately from Israel proper; both maintain close ties with Iran."CRS Report for Congress, July 21, 2006 Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah: The Current Conflict Accessed August 4, 2006
According to an Israeli military source, Hezbollah assists Hamas with bomb production: "They know how to make them more concentrated, what kind of screw to use, how to pack more explosives into less space."Washington Post, August 18, 2002 Suicide Bombers Change Mideast's Military Balance Accessed August 4, 2006
Nasrallah has declared his support for the ongoing al-Aqsa intifada.
Hezbollah allegedly receives financial and political assistance, as well as weapons and training, from the Islamic Republic of Iran http://memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD122006. 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. Some estimates of Iran's aid are as high as $200-million annually.Washington Post, December 20, 2004 Lebanese Wary of a Rising Hezbollah Accessed August 8, 2006
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.
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. 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.
On August 42006, 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 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". Video Clip 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 the organization has his country's blessing to use the weapons in defense of Lebanon".Haaretz, August 5, 2006 Iranian official admits Tehran supplied missiles to Hezbollah Accesed August 5, 2006 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." "Israel to counter Hizbullah forces", Jane's Defence Weekly, 26 July 2006
Similar claims and denials regarding supply of weapons have been made with respect to Syriahttp://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=214&ar=1132wmv&ak=null
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."Washington Post, June 22, 2002 N.C. Man Convicted Of Aiding Hezbollah Accessed August 6, 2006
Hezbollah claims to raise most of its money from donations. "It's no secret that Hezbollah receives financial help from Iran, but not from Syria," said Hezbollah spokesman Hussein Nabulsi.
In a July 20, 2006 article, the widely respected Iran and Middle East scholar, Fred Halliday, wrote that Sheikh Naim Qassem, deputy leader of Hizbollah under Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, told him Hizbollah follows Iran's leadership as a matter of principle:
"On the matter of political relations with Iran, the sheikh was absolutely clear. Hizbollah regards the Iranian supreme leader, in this case Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as its ultimate authority; all major political decisions regarding Hizbollah are referred to â€" when not actually taken in â€" Iran. He gave the example of the decision taken in 1992 to enter Lebanese national politics: Hizbollah set up a commission, which prepared a report, with various options; this report was sent to Iran; it was Ayatollah Khamenei himself who took the final decision, in favour of participation."
Governments disagree on Hezbollah's status as a legitimate political entity, a terrorist organization, or both.
Within Lebanon, popular support for Hezbollah's military actions had been waning since Israel's withdrawal in 2000. Since the start of the present conflict with Israel, however, that has changed. Public opinion has swung dramatically in Hezbollah's favor, with one poll in late July showing an overwhelming majority of Lebanese, across sectarian lines, now backing the group's "confrontation."
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., while according to another poll, from July 2005, 74 percent of Christian Lebanese viewed Hezbollah as a resistance organizationGlobalcomment.com - Mohammed Zahid.
Designation as a 'terrorist' organization
'''List of entities designating Hezbollah as terrorist
Entity
Type of Designation!Reference
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The organization Hezbollah in full.
See: * "Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations . . . 14. Hizballah (Party of God)".
The organization Hezbollah in full
See: *
The organization Hezbollah in full
The Hezbollah External Security Organization
"Home Office"
The organization Hezbollah in full
The Hezbollah External Security Organization
The EU does not consider Hezbollah, or any group within it, a terrorist organization. The EU Parliament passed a resolution recognizing "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah". See: *. The EU Council does list a Hezbollah's senior intelligence officer - Imad Mugniyah as a terrorist.
In the midst of the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, 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 [Russia]" . 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."
The Quartet's fourth member, the United Nations, does not maintain such a list. United Nations Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Portal Accessed August 7, 2006
