Hezbollah
Hezbollah (or Party of God, also written as Hizbullah) is a Shia group in Lebanon, initially formed to defend Shiites and their territory in southern Lebanon from Israeli attacks and military occupation.
Organization
Hezbollah is closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran but may have conducted operations that were not approved by Tehran. Hezbollah came into existence to defend the Lebanese territory, as a reaction to Israeli military attack and occupation of southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is profesedly anti-Zionist]].
The organization is believed to consist of several thousand members. It receives substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran and Syria.
Some western media outlets sometime associate the name 'Hizballah' with 'terrorism', whereas other sources do not.
Activities
Hezbollah was formed after three years of Israeli's occupation in Lebanon and what Hezbollah sees as state terrorism by Israel. Hizballah objected to the Israeli attacks and occupation of southern Lebanon (where many Shia muslims of Lebonon live) in 1978. The Israelis continued their occupation in violation of UN Security Council resolution number 425. Since the end of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon on May 24 2001, the Hizballah has been involved in activities like building schools, clinics, hospitals and other needed services for their society, as well as violently taking by force 3 Israeli soldiers in a border raid and attacking Israeli forces near Shebaa Farms. Today, Hezbollah is an active participant in the political life and processes of Lebanon, and it's scope of operation is far beyond its initial militant one.
It is known or suspected to have been involved in numerous anti-United States terrorist attacks during their stuggle with Israeli "occupation" forces and the United States "peace-keeping" forces in Lebanon in the 1980's, including the suicide truck bombing of the U.S. Embassy and US Marine barracks (some called this a U.S. annex) in Beirut in October 1983 and the United States embassy annex in Beirut in September 1984. Elements of the group have been linked to involvement in kidnapping and detention of American and other Western hostages in Lebanon but the Hizbullah has never accepted responsibility for it. The group has also been been linked by Israel for being responsible for the attack on the Israeli Embassy in Argentina in 1992.
The Hizballah, as a self-described defensive force, have not been engaged gainst Israeli citizens - their struggle started and ended with Israeli occupying forces, and for a short while, with the so-called United States "Peacekeeping Forces" who the Hezbollah claimed had been supporting the Israelis. Hizballah is primarily active in the borders of Lebanon. It operates in the Bekaa Valley, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and southern Lebanon.
Combat
Israeli air force has (and continues to) conducted bombing runs on Shia villages in southern Lebanon and civilian services, including 3 power plants, a radio station, etc., as well as targeting civilians. The Israelis have used tank shelling, helicopter bombing, missile fire, and heavy machine gunning on targets in southern Lebanon. The Hizballah have defended their territories against their occupiers and bombers by using low intensity warfare tactics, including bombing of military and political targets.
After more than 15 years of resistance, Hezbollah finally drove the Israeli occupying forces out of Lebanon.
From time to time, the Israeli air force still conducts bombings in on Shia villages in southern Lebanon, killing civilians.
American involvement
On August 25 1982, elements of US Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group 2-82 and 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit conducted a flawless landing from the sea into the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. After occupying the Port, elements of 32nd, serving as the US portion of a multinational force, evacuated 6,436 combatants, including Syrian and PLO elements, in order to stablize the city.
Reference
- This article incorporates text from the United States Department of State, "Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations," released by the Office of Counterterrorism, October 8, 1999.