Hezbollah military activities

Hezbollah has a military branch known as "Al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya" ("The Islamic Resistance"), and is the possible sponsor of a number of lesser-known groups, some of which may be little more than fronts for Hezbollah itself. These groups include the Organization of the Oppressed, the Revolutionary Justice Organization, the Organization of Right Against Wrong, and Followers of the Prophet Muhammad. [ [http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2801.htm US Department of State Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations] ] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1996-04-11). Hizbullah. Retrieved on 2006-08-17.] ] [cite news | url =http://www.meib.org/articles/0304_l1.htm | title = Al-Manar and the War in Iraq | publisher = Middle East Intelligence Bulletin | date = April 2003 | accessdate = 2006-08-24 ]

Disarmament

United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 called for the disarmament of militia with the Taif agreement at the end of the Lebanese civil war. Hezbollah's denounced and protested it. Its refusal to disarm has after the more recent conflict with Israel become controversial. Some still consider it a violation of the resolution and agreement and others now consider it a necessary and justified element of resistance. The official position of the Lebanese government is unclear, with conflicting statements given. The Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera" recently quoted Prime Minister Saniora was saying that, "Hezbollah has created, a 'state within a state,' adding: 'The entire world must help us disarm Hezbollah. But first we need to reach a cease-fire.'. According to a Forbes article, Saniora later denied these remarks, saying he "told the paper that 'the continued presence of Israeli occupation of Lebanese lands in the Chebaa Farms region is what contributes to the presence of Hezbollah weapons. The international community must help us in (getting) an Israeli withdrawal from Chebaa Farms so we can solve the problem of Hezbollah's arms'. [ [http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2006/07/20/ap2893194.html] Dead link|date=March 2008] Hezbollah denounced. [ cite web
url=http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/dispatches/lebanon.syria/seelye2.html
title=Lebanon's religious mix
first=Kate
last=Seelye
publisher=PBS Frontline World
date=2005-04-01
accessdate=2006-07-28] The former prime minister of Lebanon, Najib Mikati, stated that "in our terminology Hezbollah is not a militia, it is a resistance and we believe there is a difference between resistance and militia".cite news|publisher=CNN|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/05/06/lebanon.report/index.html |title=Hezbollah disarmament unclear|date=May 7, 2005|accessdate=2006-08-05] Butros Harb, a Lebanese lawmaker, recently spoke against Hezbollah's failure to disarm saying, "We can't have an illegal army at the heart of our state, all weapons must be held by the Lebanese government". [cite web|url=http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1157913679699&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull|date=22 September 2006|publisher="Jerusalem Post"|title=Nasrallah hails 'victory' in first appearance since July| author=AP and JP Post staff|]

On August 5, 2006 the Prime Minister of Lebanon said that "the continued presence of Israeli occupation of Lebanese lands in the Shebaa Farms region is what contributes to the presence of Hezbollah weapons. The international community must help us in (getting) an Israeli withdrawal from Shebaa Farms so we can solve the problem of Hezbollah's arms". [cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/business/healthcare/feeds/ap/2006/07/20/ap2893194.html|title=Israelis, Hezbollah Clash Again in Lebanon|publisher=AP|date=July 20, 2006|accessdate=2006-08-07]

An attempt made by the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah led to a new wave of violence in Lebanon at the first decade of May 2008. The militants belonging to Hezbollah and its allies have blocked Beirut airport as well as main city streets, paralyzing the life in the capital. On May 8, 2008 gun battles erupted between Hezbollah supporters and pro-government loyalists, while the leader of the organization called the government's decision "a declaration of war". [cite news
url=http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSL08466882._CH_.2400
title=Reuters: Hezbollah says Beirut government declares war
date=May 8, 2008
accessdate=2008-05-08] Hezbollah took control of Western Beirut and after expelling pro-gouvernment militas from the city and than handed it over to the Lebanese Army, later they also cleared out out Mount Lebanon of pro-government forces.

ee also

* Hezbollah Ideology
* Hezbollah political activities
* Hezbollah foreign relations
* South Lebanon conflict (1982–2000)

References

External links

* [http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=243&issue=112 Hizbollah and the war Israel lost] Chris Harman analyses the organisation for "International Socialism" journal
* [http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde020252006 Israel/Lebanon Under fire: Hizbullah’s attacks on northern Israel] Amnesty International
* [http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/MoralLogic.htm The Moral Logic of Hizbullah] by Martin Kramer.
* [http://www.geocities.com/martinkramerorg/Calculus.htm Hizbullah: The Calculus of Jihad] by Martin Kramer.
* [http://yalibnan.com/site/gallery/#id=war&num=1 The Horrific War - Photo Gallery]
* [http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1148 Timeline of Hezbollah Violence] , by CAMERA.org
* [http://www.cfr.org/publication/16382/hezbollahs_shadow_war.html?breadcrumb=%2F Hezbollah's Shadow War] by Council on Foreign Relations
* [http://www.merip.org/mero/mero042803.html Hezbollah in the Firing Line] . Middle East Report, April 28, 2003
* [http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=1828&l=1 Hizbollah: Rebel without a cause?] . Middle East Briefing N°7 by the International Crisis Group, 30 July 2003
* [http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/3412 Jihad Against Hezbollah] by Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy In Focus, August 5, 2006.
* [http://www.counterpunch.org/lamb04062007.html Why is Hezbollah on the Terrorism List? - And Who Isn't But Should Be?]