Notes on Hezbollah

• Also known as: Hizballah, Party of God, Islamic Jihad, Islamic Jihad Organization, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, also known Allah, or Followers of the Prophet Muhammad;
• The Hezbollah is a radical Shia group formed in Lebanon and dedicated to the creation of an Iranian-style Islamic republic in Lebanon. It is strongly anti-Western and anti-Israeli.
• Links between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda or Osama Bin Laden are extremly tenuous at best. The basic conflict of the goals of Shia versus Wahabi Islam make any significant cooperation between the two unlikely.
• Lebanese Shiite Muslim guerrilla movement
• Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is the leader of the Hezbollah faction
• Hezbollah operates primarily in Lebanon and supported the liberation of Lebanon from Israel's 18-year occupation. Since Israel withdrew last year Hezbollah supports the Palestinians in their struggle against Israel. Not linked to Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. Bassiouni, M. Cherif. The face of terror. Chicago Tribune, 10/24/2001
• After Israel withdrew from Lebanon Hezbollah sought a new mission to justify its own existence. In meetings in teheran with Veleyet-e-Faqi (chief religious guide) Ali Khamenei, he suggested to Hezbollah leader Sheik Nasrallah and his delegation that they shift their focus to the liberation of Jerusalem from the Jewish usurpers.
• Both Iran and Syria back Hezbollah.
• Imad Mughniyah Hezbollah security chief.

For Further Reading:

Index to JBOC's Rug Notes

Thanks and best wishes,

J. Barry O'Connell Jr.