Hizballah (Party of God)

The Hizballah is an umbrella organization of a mixture of Shi'ite groups and organizations that believe in a Khomeinistic ideology . It was created and sponsored by Iran in 1982, initially as a form of resistance to the Israeli presence in Southern Lebanon. Hizballah was established as an organizational body for Shi'ite fundamentalists, under the spiritual leadership of Sheikh Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah.

Near the end of 1982 Iran sent 1,200 fighters from its 'Iranian Revolutionary Guards' in order to assist in the establishment of a revolutionary Islamic movement in Lebanon whose members would participate in the 'Jihad', Holy War, against Israel. These forces, which were located in the area of Ba'albek in the northern Beqa'a valley provided Hizballah fighters with a combination of ideological indoctrination, vast financial support, and military training and equipment. The presence of the Iranians is what transformed the loose network into an organized and highly disciplined movement with a sophisticated guerilla force.

The organization maintains a training apparatus in Lebanon throughout t

• In what is known as the “tri-border area” where Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay converge, there is a long-standing presence of Islamic extremist organizations, primarily Hizballah . In February 2000 Paraguayan authorities arrested a Lebanese businessman who had been allegedly selling millions of dollars worth of pirated software and funneling the proceeds to Hizballah. Weeks after his arrest, however, he was released on bail and fled. Investigations continued against the activities of Assad Ahmad Barakat, the alleged ringleader of Hizballah’s financial network in the Triple Frontier. After September 11, Paraguayan police raided a wholesale electronics store owned by Barakat (who had just been added to the Bush administration’s terrorist list) and uncovered documents as well as videos and literature that “encouraged young men to join Hizballah’s war against Israel and become suicide bombers.” Barakat’s remittances to Hizballah are believed to have totaled up to $50 million dollars since 1995 .” Since the September 11 attacks, the Chilean authorities have also investigated Hizballah fundraising in the Triple Frontier. Two businesses owned by Barakat and another man, registered as legitimate import and export businesses, were found to be fronts for money laundering. Seven Lebanese citizens were arrested in connection with this affair on charges of illegally financing a terrorist group.

It is therefore of utmost importance to closely monitor Hizballah’s operational and military behavior, as well as its leaders’ declarations, which seem intended to prepare the Lebanese and Arab peoples for a future conflict. The Western powers must not be mislead by the wishful voices that hope for the “politicization” of the movement in the Lebanese internal arena. Such hopes have been dashed time after time in the past decade; it is unlikely that the next few months will offer any change.

The current Secretary General of Hizballah is Hassan Nasrallah. At the start of the 1980's he was responsible for the Beka'a area on behalf of the AMAL movement. He left the organization in 1982 and affiliated with Hizballah, taking with him many of his followers. Following the death of Abbas Musawi, he was unanimously elected as his successor as commander of operations.

• Sweden’s Sapo intelligence agency has identified 15 people in Sweden who have direct links with the al-Qaida and Hizballah terrorist organizations. They are suspected of assisting the terrorist organizations with information, communications, and financing.

Like the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Hizballah maintains military, political and social welfare branches. Hizballah’s strength lies in providing assistance, housing, medical care and education to some of Lebanon's poorest communities. The organization thus wins ideological support and loyalty, while the villages themselves serve as multiple and constantly shifting bases of operation for its military wing.

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