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Hezbollah and Lebanon

Background

Hezbollah – (Arabic for “Party of God”) - is an umbrella terrorist organization formed by radical, Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite groups in 1982. The organization, which includes both political and militant factions, has the stated goals of (1) the destruction of Israel, including “liberating Jerusalem” (2) the establishment of an Iranian-style Shi’a theocracy in Lebanon (3) the eradication of Western influence in Lebanon and the Middle East. Hassan Nasrallah is Hezbollah’s senior political leader, and in January 2011, Hezbollah won enough support to gain veto power over the Lebanese government and select the prime minister.

key points

Iran-backed Hezbollah had killed more Americans than any terrorist organization before 9/11 and has launched thousands of attacks against Israel since the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.

• Iran and Syria are the chief backers of Hezbollah. Iran and Syria are Hezbollah’s main source of weapons and funding. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps have trained Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon and Iran.
• Hezbollah has been responsible for several major terrorist attacks. Besides targeting Israeli and U.S. interests, Hezbollah has attacked targets in Jordan, France, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, the Philippines, Thailand, and Argentina. These include:
  • A series of kidnappings of Westerners in Lebanon, including several Americans, in the 1980s
  • Suicide truck bombings in 1983 of U.S. Embassy and Marine and French Army barracks in Beirut, killing more than 200 U.S. Marines
  • The 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847 en route from Athens to Rome
  • The 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina, which killed 29 people, and the 1994 bombing of the Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 95 people
  • Kidnapping and killing of two IDF soldiers at the Israel-Lebanon border in 2006, sparking the war fought by Israel against Hezbollah that summer

• Hezbollah is increasing its arsenal and military capability. Hezbollah has amassed up to 60,000 rockets and missiles, including 40 missiles capable of hitting Tel Aviv and most of Israel as well as 10 Scud-D missiles.
• Hezbollah has a well-established presence in South America. Hezbollah raises $300-$500 million annually in South America and has used the region to establish new training camps, create propaganda, and sponsor local attacks.

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ISSUE BRIEF: Hezbollah and Lebanon (PDF), 8/3/2011