...Hezbollah “The Party of God” Who Are They Ronald M. Reeves Jr. Columbia Southern University MCJ 6453 Professor David Milen Aug 30, 2012 Hezbollah “The Party of God” Who Are They We are not fighting so that the enemy may offer us something. We are fighting to wipe out the enemy ( Hussein Mussawi, Former Hezbollah Leader). Who are the Hezbollah? This little statement from their former leader sums it up what they are and what they stand for. Hezbollah is an Islamic Shi’ite group that has its origins in Iran and they also have a branch in Lebanon. Their name in Arabic means “Party of God”, it is derived from the Surra 5, verse 56 of the Quran: Lo! The Party of God, they are victorious, this group is not only a political party but a terrorist organization (Encyclopedia of the Middle East). The flag for the Hezbollah is yellow with a green AK 47 and green rocket truck with the entire globe in the background. The early history and foundation of Hezbollah, Hezbollah came around long before the Iranian revolution of 1979, they have strong ties with the religious scholars from Iran and Lebanon, These scholars or Shi’ite ulema studied theology in the academies in Iraq. During the 1950’s and 1960’s these academies were very active bringing together an Islamic response to nationalism and secularism (Encyclopedia of the Middle East). At this point we need to briefly discus the difference between Sunni and Shiite Musliams, the origin of Islam began back in 610 A.D. Sunnis...
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...Abstract Hezbollah (Arabic for "Party of God") is an umbrella organization of various radical Islamic Shi'ite groups and organizations which receives substantial financial and philosophical support from Iran. Hezbollah's formation was a direct response to Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon designed to eliminate the Palestinian Liberation Organization's base of operations. Hezbollah's stated objectives include the establishment of a Shiite theocracy in Lebanon, the destruction of Israel, and the elimination of Western influences from the Middle East. The Hezbollah terrorist group can be described as a loosely coupled, highly adaptive networked organization. The ability of the Hezbollah and its affiliates to conduct increasingly larger and more audacious terror operations over years, suggests a well-developed pattern of organizational learning. Hezbollah focus was to create a terrorist organization that promotes the doctrine associated with radicals in the Islamic nation, namely the Shiites . This was all concocted by their fearless leader Ayatollah Khomeini, who departed life in 1989. Hezbollah started as a local group in Lebanon, and today has grown globally into political movement with global capabilities in the sphere of terrorism, a well-developed military apparatus, and destructive weapons that include land-to-land missiles. Hezbollah operates from three major areas, Lebanon, Palestine and on a global arena. This terrorist group relies heavily a network of collaborative...
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...Lebanon The Israel Hamas Hezbollah Conflict The United States and the Israel-Hezbollah War Prof. Jeremy Pressman Although American soldiers were not involved in the fighting in Lebanon and Israel this past summer, the United States was nonetheless a central player in the war. U.S. policy was defined by staunch American support for Israel and repeated calls by U.S. officials to use the crisis as a means to get at the root causes of violence in the region. What were the American objectives in this war? Does a preliminary assessment suggest that Washington took steps toward achieving them? How does U.S. policy on the Arab-Israeli conflict look moving forward? American Objectives in the Israel-Hezbollah War Two global foreign policy commitments informed the United States view of the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation this past summer; the war on terror and the democratization of the Middle East. Since September 11, 2001, the American war on terror has been defined to include several different international actors. In his speech of September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush stated that the war would “not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated,” and that “any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.” In addition, he warned, terrorists could not be accommodated but instead must be met by force. This approach has most directly been applied to al-Qaeda and its satellites...
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...HEZBOLLAH (حزب الله) A LOOK INTO THE HISTORY AND IDEOLOGY OF A TERRORIST GROUP TURNED POLITICAL POWERHOUSE BY DEAN M. KEMP TERRORISM (ADJ 202) DELAWARE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BACKGROUND Hezbollah is also known as: Islamic Jihad, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Party of God, Revolutionary Justice Organization, and The Islamic Resistance. The name “Hezbollah” is Arabic, which translates to, “Party of God,” and whose name comes from a Koranic verse promising triumph to all those who join the Party of God. Shia clergymen founded Hezbollah in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley in 1982, with the goal of driving Israel from Lebanon, and establishing an Islamic state there. Hezbollah closely coordinated its efforts with Iran, and quickly became an effective fighting force thanks to the training, weapons, and funding of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was operating in Lebanon at the time. Soon thereafter, Hezbollah began running training camps for not only its members, but for other terrorist organizations on how to conduct assassinations, kidnapping, suicide bombings, and guerilla warfare. In addition to Lebanon, Hezbollah’s security apparatus operates in parts of North and South America, Europe, East Asia, and other parts of the Middle East. Hezbollah’s current goals include the establishment of a Shiite theocracy in Lebanon, the destruction of Israel, and the elimination of Western influences from the...
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...Hezbollah is a radical Islamic militant group turned political party in Lebanon. The United States considers it to be a terrorist organization, since Hezbollah has been apart of a number of attacks, like the 1983 suicide bombings in Beirut, where Hezbollah attacked U.S. Marine and French Foreign Legion headquarters. Hezbollah is an Arabic term, which translates to “Party of God”. It is associated with the Shi’a branch of Islam. It formed in 1982 when a radical group of radical Shitte Muslims broke away from Lebanon’s mail Shi’a political party. Hezbollah has a set of pillars or goals that it wishes to achieve. One is to end foreign occupation and fight against Israel and end its inhuman practices in Lebanon, Palestine and other parts of the Middle East. Second, is to become a voice of innocent Lebanese citizens and to show that Israel is not invincible. Another goal is to participate in Lebanese politics and influence Lebanon’s domestic and foreign policy to help better the region. Hezbollah also wishes to present a true picture of Islam. They believe it is a religion that is logical, practical and in accordance with modern day requirements. Finally, Hezbollah’s last goal is to work for the social and economic development of Lebanon through services in the fields of health, education, agriculture and any other charitable services (“Palestinian Facts”). Hezbollah emerged as a reaction to two major events in the Middle East, the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the 1982...
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...thousands of Palestinians fled their homes as Israeli troops advanced on them. About 150,000 Palestinians became refugees in Lebanon. The Palestinians come to play an important, if indirect, part in Lebanese politics. Outgoing President Amine Gemayel appoints an interim military government under Maronite Commander-in-Chief Michel Aoun in East Beirut when presidential elections fail to produce a successor. Prime Minister Selim el-Hoss forms a mainly Muslim rival administration in West Beirut. Politics : Hizbo lah The United States has declared that Hezbollah (Party of God) is a major terrorist organization, but public officials in Lebanon, where the group is based, and it’s a Shiite group . Hezbollah has grown to an organization with seats in the Lebanese government, a radio and a satellite television-station, programs for social development and large-scale military deployment of fighters beyond Lebanon's borders. Hezbollah was largely formed with the aid of the Ayatollah Khomeini's followers in the early 1980s in order to spread Islamic revolution[75]...
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...Assignment 2: Terrorist Victor Sanchez L University Professor M H LOR August 30, 2001 Describe the history of the organization The meaning of Hezbollah is the “Party of God”, a radical Islamic organization that functions out of Lebanon. According to El Husseini, R. (2010), in October 1983, an attack on barracks housing US and French military personnel in Beirut resulted in the deaths of over 240 US Marines. It was the deadliest individual assault on US interests between World War II and the World Trade Center attacks of 2001. This act was attributed to what was then a relatively new organization, Hezbollah. It left an indelible mark on the psyche of young American policy makers of the 1980s, which explains why many in the US government still see Hezbollah as ‘the A-team of terrorism’ while regarding even al-Qaeda as ‘the B-team. However, this characterization ignores significant differences between the Beirut and the World Trade Center attacks. While Hezbollah killed military personnel in Beirut who were seen as direct participants in a local conflict the Lebanese civil war al- Qaeda attacked the US on its own soil and targeted civilians. Furthermore, the emphasis that the US continues to place on Hezbollah as a terrorist organization is undermined by the lack of ongoing threats; Hezbollah has not carried out an attack on US interests arguably since the early 1990s. Hezbollah’s attacks have been overwhelmingly directed against Israel, and they fall within...
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...persecuted during the time of Saddam Hussein’s presidency and currently they are seeking recognition and revenge against the Sunnis, who enjoyed powerful positions and more freedom during Saddam's reign. Since the escalation of conflict, people on both sides have been killed or kidnapped; others had to leave their homes because they feared for their lives. The second Washington Post article on this topic talks about the conflict in Lebanon between its official government and the Hezbollah party. Lebanon also has a conflict between Sunnis and Shiites, since the prime minister of Lebanon, Fouad Seniora, is Sunni and a Hezbollah leader, Hasan Nasrallah, is Shi’a. So far, no military tactics have been used in Lebanon, but threats were exchanged. Supporters of Hezbollah have come out to the streets to protest against the government and there were rumors that the protestors were planning to block the roads in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. As a response, the government has sent troops to patrol the streets. The Hezbollah members have adopted a contentious tactic and would not settle for a compromise. One of Hezbollah's supporters told a journalist: “What’s happening, it’s us or them. And whoever wins receives the country. All of it…” Nasrallah wanted a substantial representation in the Lebanese government, but since it was not given him, he has been trying to gain power by more aggressive tactics. Iraq would benefit from professional mediators from the United States and from non-governmental...
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...External Aid of Iran and Increased Political Power of Hizbullah (Research Proposal) by Lee, Joosong Middle East and African Studies Graduate School of International and Area Studies Hankuk University of Foreign Studies I. Research Background Hizbullah is the most powerful single political movement in Lebanon. Hizbullah, along with the Amal Movement, represents most of Lebanese Shi'a. The political 'victory' of Hizbullah in 2005 election was a refreshing jolt for both Lebanon and international community. The 2005 Lebanese General Elections were the first in Lebanese history to be won outright by a single electoral block and were also the first to be monitored by the United Nations. In the general elections, Hizbullah won fourteen seats in the Parliament out of 128; that is about 11% in total, and fifth most in number. And in the general elections of 2009, Hizbullah won twelve seats, which is about 10%. The results were quite a shock for the Western countries since Hizbullah’s status is quite controversial; it is in fact a legitimate political party in Lebanon, but still a resistance movement group. What is more contentious is that Hizbullah was a terrorist group before; and some states still consider Hizbullah as a terrorist group, partly or as a whole. As a matter of fact, currently Hizbullah is a legitimate political party in Lebanon which was elected by legitimate elections. The discussion now needs to move on to what was the critical factor...
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...In the U.S.-led “global war on terrorism,” al-Qa`ida and its militant affiliates have come to serve as both symbol and explanatory matrix for a range of disparate militant groups in the Middle East and beyond. Included among these are the Palestinian rejectionist factions and the Lebanese Hizballah, despite the fact that their roots, worldviews, and agendas are inimical to those of al-Qa`ida. This article argues that the scholarly and political effort to lump together diverse resistance groups into a homogenous “terrorist enemy,” ultimately symbolized by Osama Bin Laden, is part and parcel of neocolonial power politics whereby all “native” struggles against established power structures are placed beyond reason and dialogue. The authors contend that while the Palestinian rejectionist factions and the Lebanese Hizballah may be understood as local representations of the anticolonial “third worldist” movement, al-Qa`ida and its affiliates operate within a “neo–third worldist” framework, a dichotomy that entails tactical and strategic differences, both political and military. The article draws on an extensive series of author interviews with leaders and cadres from Hizballah and the Palestinian factions. In response to al-Qa`ida’s 11 September 2001 attacks, the United States declared war not merely against those who had set upon it, but against an open-ended range of “terrorist organizations and those who harbor and support them.”1 Within two weeks of the attacks, U.S. President George...
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...David D'Alleva September 24, 2013 “Free Fruit For Young Widows” By Nathan Englander (Question 1) This short story is about Shimmy Gezer and his son Etgar. Shimmy Gezer had a fruit stand in Jerusalem and his son worked with him when he wasn't in school. Shimmy had once been a soldier for the Israeli Army with his friend Tendler who now became Professor Tendler. During the story, Etgar tries to understand why his father never allows Professor Tendler to pay for his groceries each time he comes to the fruit stand. “After Etgar weighed the tomatoes and the cucumbers, his father would take up the bag, stick in a nice fat eggplant, unasked, and pass it over to Professor Tendler” (Englander 32). Shimmy would also give free products to the widows of Israeli soldiers who had died during battle. As the story progresses, Etgar's character changes, and he understands the true motivations behind his father's relationship with Professor Tendler. “Etgar wasn't one of the gray. He was a tiny, thoughtful, bucktoothed boy of certainties” (Englander 33). We have this image of Etgar as being a good innocent boy trying to understand why his father treated Tendler so good, considering Tendler's actions during the war. Tendler had murdered innocent people and had gave Shimmy such a beating while they were at war, that Shimmy still could feel the flattened bones on his face. “It was not his father's act of forgiveness but his kindness that baffled Etgar” (Englander 33). Etgar also tries...
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...Hezbollah represents the modern standard by which we compare other hybrid threats to. It's actions and involvement in the 2006 Lebanon-Israel War led to a perception shift about who and what qualifies as a threat to a modern nation-state. I will briefly expand upon Hezbollah's origins, capabilities, and actions during the 2006 conflict which led to the reemergence and recognition of hybrid threats in the modern era. Hezbollah is a militant Shi'a group headquartered and founded in Lebanon in 1982, where it also employs a political wing of the same name. It originated in South Lebanon when several militant groups joined together to oppose a Shi'a political and militant party called the Amal Movement. Hezbollah's primary focus in its formative years was the expulsion of Israel from Lebanon, after Israel's invasion in the early 1980s. From it's inception, Hezbollah utilized tactics and techniques across the entire spectrum of land operations, using guerrilla tactics alongside conventional forces, coupled with propaganda and political maneuvering....
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...The Hezbollah have played a major role in contributing to the conflict in the Middle East. As a ‘party of God’ they have been labelled as a terrorist organisation for their ‘revolutionary resistance’ to Israeli presence in the Middle East. The future of the Hezbollah is currently unknown but many believe it has passed its time. Almost every conflict seen or heard in the media and on the news about the Middle East has been attributed to a war or a ‘Jihad’ against Western ideology. There are many different groups and Islamic extremists that have declared war on Western society including the Jewish people within the State of Israel. But one extremist Islamic political party or militant group behind anti-Israeli culture and their occupation in...
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...The saying ‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’ is often used thoughtlessly. Wise analysis of the saying will definitely show that critically thinking individual ought to distance himself/herself from the saying. It is very important to note that, “freedom is an end while terror is a means “(Vallicella 2009). This means that, to term a combatant terrorist is a way of trying to mention something about her/his strategies. That is means of approaching the end. While terming a combatant as a freedom fighter, is totally saying nothing about his/ her strategies to see the end. Thus, it implies that an individual can be both a terrorist as well as freedom fighter. I am going to support my argument using the video “Inside Hezbollah...
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...Khobar Towers was a housing complex that was occupied by US and allied forces. On June 25, 1996, a sewage tanker was filled with over 5000 pounds of plastic explosives exploded. The explosion claimed the lives of 19 Americans and wounded 372 others. Majority of the casualties were due to fling glass and debris (Khobar Towers, 2002). The investigation later reviled that members of Saudi Hizballah terrorist organization drove a sewage tanker and a getaway car into a parking lot along the northern fence of the compound. When the tanker was backed up to the fence and the attackers fled the scene, the sentries became suspicious and began to evacuate the building (Grant, 2006). After reading articles and journals I think this started out being an example of guerrilla warfare but ended up due to causality lost a terrorist attack. The tanker was parked facing the towers that our military personnel were housed. Even though civilians were killed I think the attackers were aiming for our soldiers occupying the building. The aims of terrorism and guerrilla warfare may well be identical; but they are distinguished from each other by the targets of their operations. The guerrilla fighter’s targets are military ones, while the terrorist deliberately targets civilians. By this definition, a terrorist organization can no longer claim to be 'freedom fighters' because they are fighting for national liberation. Even if its declared ultimate goals are legitimate, an organization...
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