Model Of Terrorism Hizballah example essay topic

HIZBALLAH: MODEL OF TERRORISM Hizballah, or Party of God, has been established as one of the best-organized movements towards independence within the Middle East. In 1983 the Lebanese Shiite Muslims formed this group as an Islamic rebellion against the United States as well as the Israeli Forces. Although Hizballah is a fairly new organization, it has quickly become a model organization not of behavior, but of terrorism in the Middle East and throughout the rest of the world. Hizballah believes that Israel is planning to take over a good portion of the Middle East from the Euphrates to the Nile as God promised to Abraham in Genesis 15: 18-21 (Thompson).

As far as Hizballah is concerned, fighting Israel's occupation is not just a national duty. It is a religious obligation that falls within their concept of jihad and they are determined to continue the fight until Lebanese soil is liberated (Jaber). This is where the organization gets its fuel for a Holy War against the nation of Israel, which are said to be squatters on the Holy Land. Its goal today, as always, is the creation of an independent, Islamic Lebanon and to clear it of anything related to the godless West. One of the most powerful factors that contribute to Hizballah is that the Islamic Republic of Iran funds them.

With funding from a government, the Hizballah are able to buy and train more men than most other terrorist organizations. President Clinton signed an executive order in 1995 that prohibited transactions with the group due to their potential for disrupting the Middle East peace process, and other nations have imposed sanctions on nations that sponsor terrorism. Nonetheless, Iran has not relented and Hizballah remains one of the most significant terrorist organizations operating today. The group's military wing, Islamic Resistance Movement (not to be confused with HAMAS which also uses the name), has received a steady supply of advanced explosives and detonating devices which has enabled Hizballah to create what has become their trademark: the car bomb. Never was this capability more evident than the infamous 1983 attack on the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut. In this incident, a suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden truck through the inadequate perimeter defenses before setting off his bomb.

The resulting explosion collapsed the building, killing hundreds (Jaber). Hizballah has become a fixture within the Lebanese political scene and is seeking recognition from the rest of the world. There has been an emphasis for a dialogue with the United States and the Hizballah. Other officials express their desire to improve the image of Hizballah in America (Norton). The only problem with recognition of this organization is that it could lead to a more powerful political representation. A dialogue of violence has been underway in South Lebanon for some time, defining the permissible limits of violent action and the resistance.

Far less developed is a dialogue to end the violence (Kaplan d). Obviously, Hizballah allies will have a lot to say about that dialogue, but if the violence is to come to an end, Hizballah will have to peel away the layers of vagueness surrounding its position. To this end, it would be productive for U.S. officials to publicly recognize that however shocking some of its actions continue to be, Hizballah is a fixture of Lebanese politics, not simply an armed and violent faction. Whether Hizballah is publicly recognized or not, it has become increasingly popular among the Muslims seeking an Islamic nation. The future of the organization is uncertain, but it has established itself as a political-player in the Middle East.

Although this group is fairly young, it has become a model organization not of behavior, but of terrorism with funding from the government of Islamic Republic of Iran and the blessing of a good majority of Muslims of in the Middle East.

Bibliography

Jaber, Hala. Hezbollah, Born with a vengeance. New York: Columbia University Press, 1997.
Kaplan, David and Andrew Marshall. The Cult at the End of World. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1996.
Norton, Augustus. Amal and the Shia: Struggle for the Soul of Lebanon. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1987.
Thompson, Frank. "The Holy Bible, New International Version", The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible. New York: International Bible Society, 1983.