Examining Iran’s Ties To Hezbollah

[Anonymouse]

Examining Iran’s ties to Hezbollah

 

Just how much influence does the Islamic Republic wield over Hezbollah?

 

By William O. Beeman

 

The conflict in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah had hardly begun when the Bush administration and its neoconservative supporters began blaming Iran for the conflagration. On July 25, Henry Crumpton, the State Department’s coordinator for counterterrorism, told a reporter that Iran is “clearly directing a lot of Hezbollah actions. Hezbollah asks their permission to do things, especially if it has broader international implications.” Meanwhile, in the July 24 Weekly Standard, William Kristol called Hezbollah’s fighting an “act of Iranian aggression” and suggested “we might consider countering [it] … with a military strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.”

 

However, giving Iran another tongue lashing, or worse, deciding to attack it, will do nothing to stop the violence in the region. Not only is there no evidence that Iran had a role in instigating this round of violence, the possibility itself is unlikely.

 

Iran’s control over Hezbollah has been steadily declining since approximately 1996, during the reformist presidency of Mohammad Khatami. Money does continue to come “from Iran” to support Hezbollah, but not the Iranian government. Instead, it’s private religious foundations that direct the bulk of support, primarily to Hezbollah’s charitable activities. Nor are the amounts crucial to Hezbollah’s survival; even the high estimate frequently cited in the press—$200 million per annum—is a fraction of Hezbollah’s operating funds. However, the most important reason for not targeting Iran for the continued fighting in Lebanon is that this conflict is antithetical to Iran’s interests.

 

Neoconservatives clearly have another agenda in attacking Iran besides stopping Hezbollah. By blaming Iran for this latest flare-up, neoconservatives are following their decade-long program to encourage a military attack against the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s support for Hezbollah

 

The broad assertion that Iran supports Hezbollah is verifiable, but it is important to understand what the nature of this support is, and the extent to which Iran is able to influence the actions of this Shi’ite Lebanese group.

 

Since 90 percent of Iran’s population is Shi’ite, its citizens had an undeniable interest in the fate of its co-religionists in Lebanon following the Revolution of 1978-79. Like Iranians, the Lebanese Shi’ite community was under oppression both from Sunnis and Maronites. Moreover, Palestinian refugees, settled in Lebanon without consultation with the Shi’ite community, served as a drain on weak local economic resources and drew fire from Israel. The Shi’ites felt helpless and frustrated. The successful revolution in Iran was enormously inspirational to them. While the Iranian central government was weak and scattered after the Revolution, semi-independent charitable organizations, called bonyad (literally, “foundation”) sponsored by individual Shi’ite clerics began to help the fledgling Hezbollah organization establish itself as a defense force to protect the Shi’ite community. This was simply not state support. Given the semi-independent corporate nature of Shi’ite clerics, especially in the early days of Iran’s revolution, when internal power struggles were endemic, there was little the Khomeini government could do to curtail these operations.

 

Now, after nearly two decades, this ad hoc export of Iranian revolutionary ideology may have succeeded too well. Whereas today the bulk of the Iranian population has at least some doubts about their government, Hezbollah maintains a stronger commitment to the symbolic legacy of the Iranian Revolution than Iranians, according to Georgetown University professor Daniel Byman. In a 2003 Foreign Affairs article, Byman pointed out that, “[iran] lacks the means to force a significant change in the [Hezbollah] movement and its goals. It has no real presence on the ground in Lebanon and a call to disarm or cease resistance would likely cause Hezbollah’s leadership, or at least its most militant elements, simply to sever ties with Tehran’s leadership.”

 

In short, Hezbollah has now taken on a life of its own. Even if all Iranian financial and logistic support were cut off, Hezbollah would not only continue, it would thrive.

 

Hezbollah has achieved this independence by becoming as much a social welfare and political organization as a militant resistance organization. In a 2004 speech, Dwight J. Simpson, a professor of international relations at San Francisco State University, reported that it had “12 elected parliamentary members…[and] many Hezbollah members hold elected positions within local governments.” At that time, the group had already built five hospitals and was building more. It operated 25 primarily secular schools, and provided subsidies to shopkeepers.

 

The source for their money, Simpson reported, is zakat—the charitable “tithe” required of all Muslims. The Shi’ites, having seen their co-religionists in Iraq succeed in initial elections there in 2005, had hopes that they too would assume the power in Lebanon that accorded with their status as the nation’s largest community, approximately 40 percent of the population. The growth of Hezbollah’s charitable operations increased non-state-level financial support for the organization not only from Iran, but from the rest of the Shi’ite world, since formalized charity is a religious duty. As this charitable activity increased, Hezbollah was on the road to ceasing its activities as a terrorist group and gradually assuming the role of a political organization. Even in its current engagement with Israel, its “terrorist” activities have been reframed as national defense, especially as Hezbollah began to use conventional military forces and weapons.

 

Many of these weapons, it is claimed, have been acquired from Iran over the years, but even this is not fully verified. The rockets used by Hezbollah have been tentatively identified as Katushya rockets, of the form manufactured by Iran, and known as Fajr-3 and Fajr-5. But the United States has not been able to identify that these rockets are absolutely Iranian.

 

Moreover, although it is certainly possible that branches of Iran’s Islamic guard may be operating in Lebanon without the full knowledge of the central government of Iran, no country has yet been able to verify their presence in the current conflict, and rumors that they have aided in the firing of the rockets have been vehemently denied by Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah. Given the loose and ambiguous nature of the Iranian government’s control over support for Hezbollah, claims by U.S. officials that Iran has an organized state-level support system for such activities are clearly exaggerated.

 

Added to all of this is the fact that the Lebanese violence does not serve Iran’s political purposes. The verbal attacks of its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, against Israel would cause it to be targeted if Israel were ever involved in a wider conflict with the Islamic world. Although Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has claimed that Iran instigated this attack to draw attention away from criticism of its nuclear development program, this scenario seems far-fetched. Indeed, Iran’s strategic situation has certainly been worsened by this fighting. Kenneth Katzman, senior Middle East analyst at the Congressional Research Service, recently told Voice of America: “Iran is viewed, widely viewed, as at least complicit in what is going on, supporting Hezbollah. And that is likely to make some of the fence-sitters, I guess Russia and China perhaps, take a dimmer view of Iranian intentions and perhaps be more amenable to U.S. and other arguments that Iran is playing a destabilizing role in the region and needs to be confronted by the [u.N. Security] Council.”

Beyond state support

 

Why would the United States repeat such unfounded assertions with such incessant regularity as if they were established fact? Aside from their continuity with 27 years of ongoing attacks against Iran, such assertions accord with a longstanding U.S. foreign policy myth that believes terrorism cannot exist without state support. If a state is needed to explain the continued existence of groups like Hezbollah, then Iran is an ideal candidate. Ergo, the connection must exist. Such claims serve to bolster the central, but fallacious, political doctrine for the Bush administration that the Global War on Terrorism really exists.

 

The alternative is to understand that terrorism is fundamentally community-based. Sub-state groups with grievances that they feel cannot be addressed in any other way resort to terrorism as a way of increasing attention to their plight and pressuring those whom they perceive to be oppressing them. Though they may welcome external financial support, the impetus and motivation for terrorist groups’ actions is not dependent on it. Indeed, the more pressure they are subjected to, the stronger their collective will to resist increases.

 

When this dynamic is understood, the problems of addressing terrorism also come into focus. Rather than looking for global fantasy structures such as al-Qaeda and their state supporters, the international community needs to employ methods to address the needs of sub-state groups, while simultaneously working to curtail their activities as conditions improve. For the Shi’ites in Lebanon, it may be far too late to employ such a strategy.

William O. Beeman is Professor of Anthropology and Middle East Studies at Brown University. His most recent book is The "Great Satan" vs. the "Mad Mullahs": How the United States and Iran Demonize Each Other.

 

http://www.inthesetimes.com/site/main/article/2790/

[skhara]

Well Iran may not command Hezbollah directly, but Hezbollah is certainly an extention of Iranian power.

 

Does anyone here call Hezbollah "terrorists", and if so, what is your justification?

[ED]

in 1984 Huzallah bombed US marine baraks for no good reason, isent it a terorist act?

Izrael killed 2000 palestinians under direct order of sharon, thats a terorist act

US invaded soveren Nation, Iraq, thats a terorist act

brits partitianed palestine without asking palestinians, thats a terorist act

Freach terorized Algir for dacates, thats a terorist act

 

 

I guess its up to a stronger power to give a sutable name for such actions.

 

even Armenians are not amune from being called tororists

 

for all I or who ever cares I dont give a damn what they call

[Anonymouse]

in 1984 Huzallah bombed US marine baraks for no good reason, isent it a terorist act?

Izrael killed 2000 palestinians under direct order of sharon, thats a terorist act

US invaded soveren Nation, Iraq, thats a terorist act

brits partitianed palestine without asking palestinians, thats a terorist act

Freach terorized Algir for dacates, thats a terorist act

I guess its up to a stronger power to give a sutable name for such actions.

 

even Armenians are not amune from being called tororists

 

for all I or who ever cares I dont give a damn what they call

 

What that only proves is that terrorism's definition is very subjective and depends alot on who is the one using it.

 

Since terrorism is a tactic, it's stupid that somehow the Bush junta has managed to make it into a noun synonomous with Muslims.

 

Terrorism is practiced by all and is certainly not a monopoly of Islamic radicals, but has been widely and effectively used by America and Israel. After all, it's quite an easy argument to make that the dropping of the A-Bomb was a terrorist act.

[Verginne]

So mouse you slam the door shut on discussion at your place and come here to talk, eh????

[Verginne]

CSI Forensics Proves Who Killed US Marines

By Ralph Forbes

 

The Beirut bombing that killed 241 U.S. Marines was "the largest non-nuclear explosion in history," according to General Paul X. Kelley, past-Commandant of the Marine Corps.

 

On June 8, 1982 - the 15th anniversary of the sneak attack against the U.S.S. Liberty by Israeli forces - Israel launched sneak attacks against Lebanon (weakened by a Mossad campaign of terrorism and false flag operations) and Syria, destroying Syria's air force and defense systems.

 

President Reagan sent 1,800 marines to Beirut to act as "peace keepers." They were denied to have live ammunition to be able to properly protect themselves. Veterans worried if they, like the crew of the U.S.S. Liberty, were being set up as "live bait."

 

Around 6:20 am, October 23, 1983, a terrified city is awakened by a deafening explosion. The ground shakes. Have the Israelis begun another bombing rampage? A towering mushroom cloud billows from the rubble of what had been the U.S. barracks at Beirut International Airport where the 1st Battalion 8th Marines had been sleeping.

 

The "official version" put out by the federal government still repeated today was that the explosion was caused by a truck loaded with "2,000 pounds of dynamite" rammed the building. No one with any knowledge of explosives believed the "official version, because that explosion could not have been caused by TNT, just as fuel oil can't melt steel; or as General Parton proved, a Ryder truck of fertilizer could not bring down the Murrah building.

 

Against the evidence and common sense, immediately, the blame was laid on "terrorists almost certainly Hezbollah" - and guilt by word association blaming two of Israel's bitterest enemies, Iran and Syria. But the official story never tells you.

 

The Mossad had advance knowledge of the notorious suicide bombing in Beirut but didn't pass on that information to American intelligence. By Way of Deception, Confessions of ex-Mossad agent, Victor Ostrovsky. "Intelligence lies are like the Russian dolls, open one, find another. The real story - like 911 - is even worse than they knew but didn't warn us."

 

U.S. military intelligence's equivalent of CSI (Crime Scene Investigators), using the most sophisticated, high tech diagnostic tests, forensically examined evidence found at the scene of the terrorist explosion that killed 241 U.S. Marines in Beirut - They know where the bomb came from, but the stunning truth has been suppressed for 23 years. Even without full disclosure of those test results, experts on explosives and terrorism believe more than enough proof exists to establish who is guilty. The truck that blew up the Marine Barracks was loaded with 666 pounds of enhanced RDX "rag bombs."

 

The Israelis call RDX, "rag bombs," because they use it to kill "rag-heads" or to blame bombings on "rag-heads." Also, the "safest" way to handle it is in "rags" that have been soaked in RDX and dried. Their planted bombs often look like a pile of dirty "rags."

 

The only active sources of RDX in 1983 were the United States, Canada, France, Sweden, China - and Israel.

 

But even 666 pounds of RDX (the most powerful, non-nuclear explosive in the world) couldn't have done the damage caused by "The largest non-nuclear explosion in history." Only "enhanced RDX," an Israeli specialty, could have caused that holocaust.

 

Forensic Evidence Points to Israelis Guilty of Massacre of U.S. Marines!

 

The RDX that killed our Marines was "enhanced" with propane gas and primed with PETN boosters or detonation cord, according to Yosef Bitar, Lebanon's top explosive expert. Bitar is an expert; between 1975 and 1983 he had defused 1,870 bombs! Gas-enhanced RDX bombs are exotic devices. Only explosive experts with a great deal of practical experience can prepare a gas-enhanced bomb. The bomb must be prepared so that first the gas cylinders are exploded to create a cloud in which the RDX is detonated. The gas cloud "amplifies" the exploding plastic charge.

 

In November of 1982 (when gas-enhanced bombs first started appearing in Lebanon) the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF G-2) intelligence headquarters was destroyed by one of these new devices. Many senior Israeli officers were killed. The Israelis say the explosion was an accident and blame it on a cigarette or match- even though RDX (aka cyclonite, hexogen or T4) base is very stable and difficult to detonate.

 

Israel has made so much RDX and other exotic weapons of mass destruction they are making their own nest uninhabitable. A biological treatment process for wastes contaminated with the explosive RDX (cyclonite) is under investigation in the laboratory using wastewater of a munitions factory in Israel. This study is designed to find solutions for the removal of both RDX and nitrate residues in these wastes, materials that can contribute to groundwater contamination. A bacterium was isolated from soil contaminated by RDX capable of aerobically removing nitrite residues from RDX, which is the first step in the biodegradation of RDX. They spend fortunes of the money congress sends them to study the kinetics of RDX and HMX biodegradation in the groundwater of the Israeli Coastal Aquifer. So much soil and groundwater has been polluted Israel has to import tons of RDX and other nasty chemicals.

 

The only place that officially admits to making RDX is Chemko in Slovakia. To buy it requires a government license. Chemko has never traded "with an Arab country." However, in letter dated May 2003, the Czech ministry says it has "no objections" to the "application of the company Chemko to issue a license for the export of explosives to Israel (RDX - 55 t, oktog�n [HMX] - 15 t)."

 

The first stage of the present crisis in Lebanon began when former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated on Feb 14, 2005. Tellingly, the huge bomb used to kill him and everyone unfortunate enough to be within "collateral damage" range was made out of RDX.

 

The Beirut bombing that killed 241 U.S. Marines was "the largest non-nuclear explosion in history," according to General Paul X. Kelley, past-Commandant of the Marine Corps.

 

Ralph Forbes had appointments to the U.S. Air Force Academy and West Point, but eager to help his country fight Communism he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps instead. While on active duty he volunteered for combat missions in both Lebanon and Vietnam. "Thank God, they didn't send me; because today I know the real purposes of these wars were not for America, but against her."

[Anonymouse]

So mouse you slam the door shut on discussion at your place and come here to talk, eh????

 

The people at my place cannot hold a discussion without resorting to emotional outbursts and name calling. I'm f'ing tired of that. Only little children cannot hold a discussion.

[Boghos]

Only little children cannot hold a discussion.

 

I take it you don´t have children...

[vava]

The people at my place cannot hold a discussion without resorting to emotional outbursts and name calling. I'm f'ing tired of that. Only little children cannot hold a discussion.

 

Unfortunately that happens here as well.

[Verginne]

The people at my place cannot hold a discussion without resorting to emotional outbursts and name calling. I'm f'ing tired of that. Only little children cannot hold a discussion.

 

 

Funny the discussion was doing just fine for a long time until "certain" people make an appearance.

 

They cause trouble and then get rewarded for it because they don't like the discussion to continue.

[ED]

Funny the discussion was doing just fine for a long time until "certain" people make an appearance.

 

They cause trouble and then get rewarded for it because they don't like the discussion to continue.

 

 

why do I have a feeling the discussion always ends up about jews and jew bashing?

I told you this before, this is an Armenian forum, i hardly give a rats ass what they do or dont, stick with topics that concerns Armenia and Armenians, IE learn to ignore what jews do to you and consitrate what you should do.

 

"do you like jews?"

"yes"

"F***ck you then your no Armneinan"

"why"

"how can you be one if you like them"

"my child, things are not what they are but what they appear to be"

 

moral of the story is,

if you dont want to end up an Arab some day learn from there mistakes and master it

[skhara]

CSI Forensics Proves Who Killed US Marines

 

In 1982 Hezbollah was an embryo. I had assumed that the people who planned the bombing were the predecessors/sympothisers of what became Hezbollah in 1985. I've read that Hezbollah's official position is that they deny any involvement in the marine baracks bombing but call it "justified". This is the first time I'm seeing information on a possible Israeli 'false-flag' operation.

 

It makes sense as Israel have had a history with false-flag type ops and also desperate attempts at creating enmity between Washington and Israel's enemies. A perfect example being the "Lavon Affair".

[skhara]

if you dont want to end up an Arab some day learn from there mistakes and master it

 

The reason Arabs became what they are is because they are a pathetic, disunited, and clueless lot. They lacked knowlege of their enemy while their enemy knew their weak spots and how to keep them disunited. They lacked the skills of deception, while their enemy's moto is "By way of deception thou shalt do war." They lacked the skills of propaganda, while their enemy set up a project called the 'hasbara' project, to ensure that the zionist propaganda is the only 'news' on western mainstream. And most importantly, they lacked any kind of cut-throat, aggressive initiative. That one is the biggy, because that means they only react to the moves of their enemy. That means their enemy controls their responses.

 

Yeah emotional outbursts is about the worst way to go about anything. The "ideologically righteous" ones do not score.

 

As far as Hezbollah is concerned. They are the only ones who have their act together in the Arab world. They are the only ones who understand these qualities and continue to improve them. If Arabs had some more like the Hezbollah, no matter what aid comes from the West, the Arabs would have scored their victory long ago.

Edited August 18, 2006 by skhara

[Anonymouse]

I take it you don´t have children...

 

Lucid observation!

[MosJan]

So mouse you slam the door shut on discussion at your place and come here to talk, eh????

 

let it go / or more like What Happens In Vegas Stays In Vegas.

[Verginne]

Edward, I think it would totally impossible to have a discussion about the aggression on Lebanon by so and so without bringing up the subject.

[Sassun]

Well Iran may not command Hezbollah directly, but Hezbollah is certainly an extention of Iranian power.

Likewise, Israel is an extension of American power... I don't see anyone crying foul over it.

[skhara]

Likewise, Israel is an extension of American power... I don't see anyone crying foul over it.

 

Not really. American power is zionist power. It reminds of a virus penetrating a healthy organism.

 

 

I do think its funny how Israel complains about Iranian arms in Hezbollah's arsenal. They also sent a delegation to Moscow to comlain about the Russian made anti-tank systems that cost them 125 tanks in S Lebanon (with 30+ completely destroyed), all the while they push to expedite the shipment of huge laser-guided bombs and anti-personel rocket system.

Edited August 20, 2006 by skhara

[Verginne]

Not really. American power is zionist power. It reminds of a virus penetrating a healthy organism.

I do think its funny how Israel complains about Iranian arms in Hezbollah's arsenal. They also sent a delegation to Moscow to comlain about the Russian made anti-tank systems that cost them 125 tanks in S Lebanon (with 30+ completely destroyed), all the while they push to expedite the shipment of huge laser-guided bombs and anti-personel rocket system.

 

They think it's UNFAIR for the enemy to have anything but ROCKS for weapons. Then they can act all big, bad and tough.

 

They think it's UNFAIR that anyone insist they abide by international law and UN resolutions, but they absolutely INSIST that everyone else be required to do so.

 

And a CEASEFIRE is only for the other side, they will kill, destroy and shoot at will, however, because it is their right.

 

The are in violation of almost seventy UN resolutions and it would be more like two hunded, had it not been for the intervention of their puppets in Washington.

Edited August 21, 2006 by Verginne

[MosJan]

AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI’S MESSAGE TO NASRALLAH

 

On August 17, spearhead of Iran’s Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, sent a message to the leader of Hezbollah, sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Irna news agency reports.

 

Ayatollah Khamenei congratulated the sheikh on impressive victory over Israel in anti-Lebanese war emphasizing that by God’s blessing Hezbollah dispelled the myth of the Israeli army’s invincibility, brought to naught the common US-Israeli project of Greater Middle East, restored Arabs’ dignity, uncovering duplicity of the USA and the European states that backed up Israel in its killings of women and children.

 

In his message Khamenei called on the Lebanese people to remain reasonable and wished good luck in liquidating all plots of the Zionist regime and its supporters.

 

By Hakob Chakrian

[phantom22]

As I read the back and forth of comments here, the rantings of an Azeri mullah keep swirling in my brain. The comments were made during the Artsakh war.

 

"Where the green flag of Islam has flown, no land should be lost! NO BETRAYAL Permitted!!"

 

What do you anti-Zionists propose to do with the Jews who inhabit Israel if Israel is no more?

[Verginne]

As I read the back and forth of comments here, the rantings of an Azeri mullah keep swirling in my brain. The comments were made during the Artsakh war.

 

"Where the green flag of Islam has flown, no land should be lost! NO BETRAYAL Permitted!!"

 

What do you anti-Zionists propose to do with the Jews who inhabit Israel if Israel is no more?

 

 

So after all this, what are you? zionist or anti-zionist?

 

Anyway, don't forget who supported who during the Artsakh War. Iran supported Armenians and israel supported azerbaboons.

 

Anyway, the jews in israel can go back to where they came from. Or they can go and stay with their stinking turkish friends until Western Armenia is liberated. Then they can accompany them to Mongolia or wherever else they end up.

[phantom22]

Verginne,

 

I am an avid zionist.

 

You are hallucinating. Israelis are not going to leave nor be pushed out. As for their Turkish friends, they are making asses (read: donkeys, not turkeys) of themselves on the world stage. They are prosecuting a biographer who quoted from the memoirs Ataturk's wife of two years that he dressed up as a woman to escape from an assasin. If only the truth came out about what we bisexuals know, that Ataturk swung both ways. If anyone dared utter that truth in Turkey, they would be executed on the spot

 

 

 

So after all this, what are you? zionist or anti-zionist?

 

Anyway, don't forget who supported who during the Artsakh War. Iran supported Armenians and israel supported azerbaboons.

 

Anyway, the jews in israel can go back to where they came from. Or they can go and stay with their stinking turkish friends until Western Armenia is liberated. Then they can accompany them to Mongolia or wherever else they end up.

[skhara]

What do you anti-Zionists propose to do with the Jews who inhabit Israel if Israel is no more?

 

Maybe you should ask Palestinians? Perhaps if your hypothetical situation happens, they could be kind and put Jews into the Gaza and the West Bank and help them join the rest of those settlers? Hey maybe even give them a part of Jerusalem?

[phantom22]

Skhara,

 

I know that your statement is jesting, but in truth the USA would never approve of your scenario.

 

Maybe you should ask Palestinians? Perhaps if your hypothetical situation happens, they could be kind and put Jews into the Gaza and the West Bank and help them join the rest of those settlers? Hey maybe even give them a part of Jerusalem?