Hezbollah

Hezbollah (literally "Party of Allah" or "Party of God")—also transliterated Hizbullah, Hizballah, etc.—is a Shi'a Islamist militant group and political party based in Lebanon. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese parliament. After the death of Abbas al-Musawi in 1992, the group has been headed by Hassan Nasrallah, its Secretary-General.

Quotes

• Hezbollah is not a state. They're a, you know, supposed political party that happens to be armed.
  • George W. Bush, "President Bush and Prime Minister Blair of the United Kingdom Participate in Press Availability". July 28, 2006.

• Although Hezbollah and Hamas are not organizationally linked, Hezbollah provides military training as well as financial and moral support to the Palestinian group and has acted in some ways as a mentor or role model for Hamas, which has sought to emulate the Lebanese group’s political and media success. Hamas’s kidnapping of the Israeli soldier follows a different Hezbollah example. Moreover, two groups share the goal of driving Israel from occupied territories and ultimately eliminating it; both maintain close ties with Iran.
  • From a CRS report for the U.S. Congress; Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah: The Current Conflict (PDF). CRS Report for Congress (July 21 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.

• If you want to call Hezbollah a terrorist organization, then you must call Israel a terrorist organization.
  • David Duke’s radio show broadcast, 10 August 2006: The Israeli Invasion and Bombing of Lebanon) [1]

• Some area Arabs and Muslims consider Hezbollah and Hamas resistance fighters, not terrorists, though groups such as the Council on American Islamic Relations recognize the terrorist designations and urge Muslims not to support the groups.
  • Paul Egan, "Feds tie Dearborn charity to terror". The Detroit News. July 25, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-07-25. 

• The new cooperation [between Hezbollah and al-Qaeda] … includes coordination on explosives and tactics training, money laundering, weapons smuggling and acquiring forged documents, according to knowledgeable sources. This new alliance, even if informal, has greatly concerned U.S. officials in Washington and intelligence operatives abroad who believe the assets and organization of Hezbollah's formidable militant wing will enable a hobbled al Qaeda network to increase its ability to launch attacks against American targets.
  • From the Washington Post; Priest, Dana and Douglas Farah. "Terror Alliance Has U.S. Worried." 30 June 2002. 18 September 2006.

• Hizbollah is not and has never been a terrorist organisation. It is the legitimate national resistance movement of Lebanon. [...] I glorify the Hizbollah national resistance movement, and I glorify the leader of Hizbollah, Sheikh Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
  • George Galloway, (29 July 2006). "Hizbollah is right to fight Zionist terror". Socialist Worker.

• Hezbollah enjoys utmost prestige in Lebanon, because it freed our country. All over the Arab world you hear: Hezbollah maintains Arab honor, and even though it (Hezbollah) is very small, it stands up to Israel. And of course Nasrallah has my respect.
  • Emile Lahoud, Spiegel Interview with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud: 'Hezbollah Freed Our Country'. Der Spiegel. 25 July 2006.

• Hezbollah will never accept the existence of Israel.
  • Hassan Nasrallah, al-Manar Television, 7 May 1998.

• No one has a greater motive for these assassinations than Israel, their ambition is to drag Hizbullah into an internal war in Lebanon. There are those inside Lebanon who blame Hizbullah for the murders and this serves Israel's agenda. Israel is trying to drive a wedge between Syria and Lebanon and these killings weaken Syria and its allies in Lebanon.
  • Hassan Nasrallah, "Nasrallah: We have remains of soldiers killed in Second Lebanon War". YNet News. 01.03.08. 

• For if Iran remains exalted, we too shall be exalted. I am a lowly soldier of the Imam Khamenei. Hizbullah youths acted on behalf of the Imam Khomeini, with the aid of Imam Hussein, and sent their blessings to the Iranian people.
  • Hassan Nasrallah, on the anniversary of the Second Lebanon War; "Iran censors Nasrallah to protect Lebanese sensibilities". YNetNews. 08.18.07. Retrieved on 2007-08-19. 

• "On the matter of political relations with Iran, the sheikh was absolutely clear. Hizbollah regards the Iranian supreme leader, in this case Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as its ultimate authority; all major political decisions regarding Hizbollah are referred to – when not actually taken in – Iran. He gave the example of the decision taken in 1992 to enter Lebanese national politics: Hizbollah set up a commission, which prepared a report, with various options; this report was sent to Iran; it was Ayatollah Khamenei himself who took the final decision, in favour of participation."
  • Naim Qassem, A Lebanese fragment: two days with Hizbollah | openDemocracy