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Hezbollah

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This article is about the Hezbollah based in Lebanon. For an article about the unrelated Hezbollah in Turkey, see Hezbollah (Turkey).

The neutrality of this article is disputed.

File:Hizb.jpg
Hizbollah militant
Guerrilla carrying Hezbollah Flag

Hezbollah (Arabic ‮حزب الله‬, meaning Party of God; also written as Hizbullah or Hizbollah) is a militant Shia political party in Lebanon. Hezbollah began as a guerrilla group fighting against the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon; despite Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 it still maintains an active militia, known as the Islamic Resistance.

Hezbollah seeks to create an Islamic fundamentalist, Iranian-style state in all Lebanon, and eventually nearby states. Its leaders state that they seek the destruction of the State of Israel, and its replacement with an Islamic state. It seeks the removal of all non-Islamic influences.

The United States government considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization; the U.S. Department of State notes that Hezbollah has killed more than 300 American citizens. Hezbollah denies any links to the militant attacks. Some in the European Union consider Hezbollah as a Lebanese political group. Hezbollah is not currently on the European Union list of terrorist organisations. The United Nations listed Hezbollah in the "Suppression of Terrorism Regulations".

Hezbollah has no known links to Al-Qaida. Though Hizbullah has a shi'ite ideology, this does not exclude it from co-operation with sunnite groups, but in the instance of Al-Qaida and Taliban (which are respectively a wahabi and a deobandi group) they aggressively assert that shi'ism is outside the fold of Islam, thus making it less likely that there are ties between Hizbullah and these groups. Attacks on shiites in Afghanistan, the hazara, iranian diplomats in afghanistan, shi'ite mosques in tribal areas of Pakistan close to the afghan border and lately the attacks on shi'ites in Iraq during the festival of Ashura in Karbala and Baghdad indicate the level of animosity towards shi'ites from wahabi influenced group. Furthermore Hizbullah is backed by Iran which has had a longstanding policy to oppose wahabi influence and extremism.

Hezbollah maintains a civilian arm, which runs hospitals, schools, orphanages, a television station and holds 12 seats in the Lebananese Parliament. Hezbollah is primarily active in the Bekaa valley, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and southern Lebanon. The group is headed by Sheik Hassan Nasrallah.

History

Hezbollah was formed from numerous other Lebanese Shia groups shortly after Israel's 1982 invasion of the southern, Shia region of Lebanon. It's organization was greatly aided by the arrival of 1,500 Revolutionary Guards from Iran, only three years after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran, as an Islamic republic -- especially a Shia one -- remains a close ally, influence, and model for Hezbollah.

Combat Operations

Prior to 2000

Until the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, Hezbollah fought Israel's occupation forces. The Israelis used tank shelling, helicopter bombing, missile fire, and heavy machine guns on targets in southern Lebanon. The Hezbollah have responded with low intensity warfare tactics, including sniper fire, machine gunning, rocket fire, bombing of military and political targets and kidpnapping of Israelis.

Hezbullahs elite unit, modeled after Israels Navy Commandos, is their Unit 13 Hunter Killer Anti-Commando Unit, some of whom participated in the devastating 1997 Israel SEAL ambush.

In 2002, American Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage likened Hezbullahs Special Forces units to those of his own American Special Forces when he publicly stated "Hezbullah is the "A" Team of world guerrilla groups."

Hezbollah is known or suspected to have been involved in numerous attacks on American targets in Lebanon during the 1980's, including the suicide bombings of the U.S. Embassy, which killed 63 including 17 Americans, and of the US Marine barracks in Beirut (see Marine Barracks Bombing), which killed 241 American servicemen. The attack upon the United States embassy annex in Beirut in September 1984 killed 20 people including 2 Americans. American forces were at the time engaged in fighting against Hezbollah, both viewing the others party as the aggressor. Elements of the group have been linked to involvement in kidnapping and detention of American and other Western hostages in Lebanon by groups such as Islamic Jihad who claimed the hostage-takings were in retaliation to the detentions without charge, trial or POW status of many Arabs at Israeli prison and torture chamber Khiam, where many prisoners were apparently hostages (e.g. the families of suspected Hezbollah guerrillas may be deatained). (Hezbollah has not accepted responsibility.)

In 1992 and 1994,Hezbollah carried out the Israeli Embassy Bombing and the AMIA Bombing in Buenos Aires, Argentina. No hard evidence or proof of this has been uncovered by either Argentina or Israeli police investigations.

However when a former Israeli Policeman Yuval Kuperman was arrested for providing explosives obtained from Atlit Navy base to blow up Greek ships in an insurance scam, he confessed to also selling explosives to narco-guerrillas in Bolivia. A small amount of the explosives Kuperman sold to Arab narco-guerrillas were used in the Argentine Israeli embassy bombing. Kuperman was never prosecuted for complicity in the embassy bombings.

In 1995 Hezbullahs F Squadron Phantom GHQ Liaison unit negotiated a covert business agreement with Israels 504 Unit & Lebanon Liaison Unit to allow Hezbullahs Unit 13 Hunter-Killer Anti-Commando Firqat to remain hidden near Markaba and undetected by Israel at the borders of Israel & Lebanon. Their mission to immediately attack every Israeli troop convoy as soon as it crossed from Israel to Lebanon. Their ambushes of Israels troops were always less than 100 meters from Israels border and quickly destroyed morale of Israels forces. Unable to provide reinforcements and resupply by land because of Unit 13's successful guerrilla attacks, Israel took to the air and began using helicopters to resupply its troops in Lebanon.

Hezbullahs mutually beneficial covert business arrangements with the Israel-Lebanon Liaison Unit date from its earliest days when Tat Aluf Meir Dagan commanded it, through mutual business arrangements with Tat Aluf Gaby Ashknenazi culminating with Hezbullahs final business arrangements with the last Liaison Unit Commander-Tat Aluf Benny Gantz, who led the Israel Liaison unit out of Lebanon during Israel military withdrawal in May 2000.

Taken under constant fire by Hezbullahs shoulder fired missile anti-helicopters teams known as Saladins Falcons and equipped with SA-7, SA-14, SA-18 and Stinger missiles, Israel helicopters had to fly very high to avoid missiles. Hezbollah missiles controlled the skies over Lebanon resulting in a collision of 2 Israel helicopters on 4 Feb. 1997,loaded with reinforcement troops and ammunition for their Sojod outpost causing death of over 70 Israel soldiers in crash of both helicopters.

Subsequent damage to Israel helicopters in 1997 failed Israel Navy Commando raid, continuous hits on other IDF helicopters from 1997-1999 and the downing of and heavy landing of an Israeli helicopter in security zone when SA-18 missile struck tail rotor; led Israel to fly from this point forward too high. All further air raids by Israel F16 fighters & helicopters over Lebanon were flown at such high altitudes, no damage was ever inflicted on Hezbullahs military installations, weapons depots & barracks in S. Lebanon.

Unit 13 Hunter-Killer Anti-Commando Firqat had been trained by a team of international experts in parachuting, complex remote control & detonator demolitions/mechanical ambushes, day & night small unit combat operations, anti-tank snipers, infiltration from land and scuba from sea, espionage, sabotage, anti-tank snipers, force multiplication, psychological warfare, bribing IDF personnel, instructing other guerrilla groups & assassination of enemy security services key personnel. Unit 13 finished the War in 2000 with the highest kill ratio and highest number of successful operative missions against Israel Army of any Hezbollah special forces unit.

On 10 June 1996 Hezbullah hunter-killer elements ambushed a patrol of Israel Sayaret Paratroopers and killed 5 soldiers. This successful ambush led to Hezbullah greatly increasing their special forces capability.

In 1997 Hezbollah ambushed a Israel Commando SEAL unit, leaving 11 Israeli commandos dead and 4 wounded. This ambush signaled the beginning of a series of Hezbollah attacks against Israeli patrols which led to the end of Israels occupation of Southern Lebanon.

November 1997 saw a real life Hezbullah RAMBO in daylight walk unarmed into an unguarded IDF outpost at Sojod and engage an Israeli paratrooper in a fistfight. Then walk away unhit in a hail of bullets. Israel Armys unwillingness to guard their outposts and bases allowed Hezbullah to enter Israel military positions at their time of choosing, day or night.

Proof Israel Army still does not guard its Lebanon border bases was televised on Israeli Ch. 1 television on April 7, 2004 when a reporter entered an Israeli military base a few meters from Lebanons border unchallenged. Not a soldier on guard or insight. Everywhere were helmets, weapons, ammunition & armored personnel carriers, anti-tank missiles, but no soldiers.

From 1984-2000, Hezbullah fighters repeatedly encountered the same unguarded Israel army bases in S. Lebanon . Entered Israel army bases unchallenged by soldiers and carried away all the Israel weaponry & ammunition it desired.

In 1999, 2 major ambushes against IDF forces proved the continued hopelessness of Israels military occupation of S. Lebanon.

  1. A 3 man Hezbullah squad from their elite C Squadron, Abu Musa SAS Special Forces Unit ambushed a 27 man Israels Paratrooper Sayaret Recon patrol killing the 3 officers and wounding another 5 soldiers, taking their M-16s with nightscopes, grenades, explosives, stripping bodies of uniforms, and retreating unharmed.
  2. In February 1999, sappers from the Sheikh Musawi sapper unit avenged the death at Israels hands of their former leader Sheikh Musawi with a roadside mechanical mine ambush killing Israel General Gerstein.

Following these ambushes, Israel concentrated the remainder of 1999 until their withdrawal in May 2000 on Air Force operations and no longer carried out further passive patrolling operations.

Special actions of the Hezbullah Abu Ruhm Special Forces Unit against the Israeli sponsored South Lebanese Army mercenary forces resulted in blinding SLA by assassination of its key Security Services Intelligence assets and ably assisted by unceasing attacks on SLA by Hezbullahs Abu Burdah Special Forces Unit led to SLA's panicked surrender & IDF hasty 24 hour withdrawal.

2000 and Later

In 2000, Israel withdrew from Lebanon to the UN-agreed Israeli border. The area known as the Shebaa Farms is used by Hezbollah as a pretext for their ongoing anti-Israeli campaign. The Shebaa Farms area is occupied by Israel, which Hezbollah regards as part of Lebanon territory. However, the UN does not accept Hezbollah's claim, and has verified that Israel has fully withdrawn from Lebanon. The UN apparently considers the Shebaa Farms part of the Syrian territory of the Golan Heights, which has been illegally occupied by Israel since 1967 and has since been unilaterally annexed by Israel.

Hezbollah captured three Israeli soldiers and attacked Israeli forces near Shebaa Farms continued to shell the northern border region of Israel with mortars and Katyusha artillery rockets. Hezbollah has sought to obtain the release of 14 Lebanese prisoners. Some of whom have been held since 1978. On January 25, 2004, Hezbollah and Israel has agreed on a exchange of prisoners. The prisoner swap was carried out on January 29, 30 Lebanese and Arab prisoners, the remains of 60 Lebanese militants and civilians, 420 Palestinian prisoners, and maps showing Israeli mines in South Lebanon were exchanged for 4 Israelis, an Israeli businessman and army reserve colonel kidnapped in 2001 and the remains of the 3 Israeli soldiers mentioned above.

Entrance in political arena

Today, Hezbollah is an active participant in the political life and processes of Lebanon, and its scope of operation is far beyond its initial militant one. In 1992, it participated in elections for the first time, winning 12 out of 128 seats in parliament. It won 10 seats in 1996, and now holds 8. Since the end of the Israeli occupation of Lebanon on May 24 2001, the Hezbollah has been involved in activities like building schools, clinics, hospitals and other needed services for their society.

United Nations list of alternate names

Hezbollah is also known as Islamic Jihad (Islamic Holy War), Islamic Jihad Organization, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, Ansar al-Allah (Followers of God), Al-Muqawamah al-Islamiyyah (Islamic Resistance), Organization of the Oppressed, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of Right Against Wrong, and Followers of the Prophet Muhammed). [source: United Nations Suppression of Terrorism Regulations (SCHEDULE 1), SOR/2001-360, Registration: 2 October, 2001][1]

Organization

Hezbollah is closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran and Syria but may have conducted operations that were not approved by Tehran or Damascus. Hezbollah is strongly anti-Zionist, anti-West, and anti-Israeli government. Some western media outlets sometimes associate the name 'Hezbollah' with 'terrorism', whereas other sources do not.

Hezbollah is claimed to be a right arm of Syria which allows it to attack Israel without being directly responsible to it. Although it is well known that Assad and Hezbollah are closely related, he managed to avoid international criticism, thus the USA is threatening Syria with economical sanction for their suppport of terrorism.

Israel has bombed serveral Syrian targets in retaliation for terror attacks of Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah that Israel claims were sponsored by Syria. An Israeli official said that those attacks are a "message to Syria to stop sponsering terrorism".

However, some commentators believe that Hezbollah has grown in strength and that it is no longer a puppet of Syria. According to them, Hezbollah has a strong reputation among the Arab world that allows it to defy the directions from Damascus and Tehran.

Ideology

The organization holds an Islamic republic as the ideal and eventual form of state. However, as their conception of an Islamic republic requires the consent of the people, and Lebanon remains a religiously and ideologically heterogeneous society, their political platform revolves around more mundane issues. According to their published political platform in 2003, Hezbollah favors the introduction of an Islamic government in Lebanon by peaceful democratic means. According to the United States Department of State and reports submitted to Defense Technical Information Center (among other United States agencies) as late as 2001, the organization is seeking to create an fundamentalist Iranian-style Islamic republic and removal of all non-Islamic influences.

Al-Manar TV Network

Hezbollah is said to operate its own satellite television station from Lebanon. The station is called Al-Manar TV, meaning "the Lighthouse". The Israelis claim that Al-Manar is the mouthpiece of Hezbollah.

Al-Nour radio

Hezbollah is said to operate his own radio station, named by Al-Nour (means Light).

Other

Qubth Ut Alla (The Fist of God), the monthly magazine of Hezbullah's paramilitary wing. Reportedly, this has more detailed than Israel's Bahamane (In the Camp) monthly magazine of the IDF.

See also

Anti-Israel movements | Arab-Israeli conflict | Axis of evil | Council on American-Islamic Relations | Dar al-Islam | Foreign relations of Iran | Foreign relations of Lebanon | History of Lebanon | Imad Mugniyah  | Islam | Islam as a political movement | Islamic Terrorism | Islamism | Israel Defence Forces | Israeli-Palestinian conflict | Katyusha | List of terrorist groups | Oslo Accords | Politics of Lebanon | Qassam rocket | Shebaa Farms | Special Force (computer game) | Terrorism | War on Terrorism | William Francis Buckley

External links, Resources, and References

Official site

United States Department of State

see also: United States Department of State

Information

Specific attacks

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