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Hassan Nasrallah imagines an unchallenged complete Islamic state
By Charlie Duerr
Posted: Aug 26, 2006
With a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon getting underway, the United Nations is confident that
an end to the violence between Israel and Islamic militant group, Hezbollah, is close at hand.
Somebody should probably tell that to Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The unwaveringly focused
leader and his followers have a history that suggests that as long as Israel exists, there are battles to
be fought.
It was announced last week that Israel plans to complete its pull-out of southern Lebanon within the
next 10 days. The United Nations also plans to send roughly 3,500 troops to keep the peace and
prevent further violence between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. The UN will work with Lebanese
troops to create a demilitarized zone near the boarder of Israel and Lebanon. The ceasefire shows
signs of positive things to come in the area, but with the nature of Hezbollah and its leader, many
questions remain and violence looms overhead like a restless buzzard with an empty stomach.
Hezbollah (Party of God) is the political and military force that has strictly focused on driving Israeli
troops out of Lebanon since the 1980s. Inspired by the Iranian Revolution, Hezbollah strives to
transform Lebanon into a fully functioning Islamic state and has been forthcoming on its belief that
Israel has no right to even exist.
In May of 2000, Hezbollah succeeded in forcing Israeli military out of Lebanon. Using guerrilla tactics
on Israeli target spots, Hezbollah’s dominance in Lebanon grew and soon had thousands of trained
guerrillas and seats in Parliament. The group set up a welfare programme benefiting large numbers
of Lebanese people, but the strict codes of Islamic behaviour enforced in the villages and towns
illustrated its overly militant tendencies.
Hezbollah is heavily supported by Iran and Syria, and pegged as a highly dangerous terrorist
organization by the United States and Israel. Most recently, Iran and Syria made statements that
Hezbollah is the key reason there is now “peace” in Lebanon, while President Bush claimed that the
ceasefire is an important defeat suffered by the group.
However, the issue is not Iran and Syria’s support for Hezbollah, or the United States’ disdain for it, but
rather the group’s overachieving leader, Hassan Nasrallah. For some reason, Nasrallah does not
seem like the type of guy who is going to let a little praise from Iran and Syria go to his head. I can see
him now, sitting in his undisclosed quarters, looking in the mirror while stroking his beard and saying,
“Hey handsome, you just got supported by two nations that have always supported you, I think your
quest to destroy all things Israeli is complete.”
Not likely. Nasrallah is the type of leader who is not going to settle for anything less than complete
victory, a complete Islamic state that is challenged by no one, especially menacing Israelis. I mean, he
is the man who pushed his son to fight Israeli troops, saying that there is no surer way to enter the
afterlife than martyrdom. If that’s not a commitment to a cause, then I don’t know what is. This is why
the UN’s confidence in peace between Hezbollah and Israel seems premature.
The UN seems to be taking precautions with its plan to send troops into southern Lebanon, and I’m
not jumping to any judgment that the United States and the UN think they have heard the last of
Hezbollah. There is just no room for ego and power trips. There is much potential for more violence in
Lebanon and Israel, and the ruthless dedication of Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah militia
cannot be underestimated.
### ### ###
Charlie Duerr is a Global Affairs Intern, The Atlantic Affairs.
By Charlie Duerr
Posted: Aug 26, 2006
With a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon getting underway, the United Nations is confident that
an end to the violence between Israel and Islamic militant group, Hezbollah, is close at hand.
Somebody should probably tell that to Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah. The unwaveringly focused
leader and his followers have a history that suggests that as long as Israel exists, there are battles to
be fought.
It was announced last week that Israel plans to complete its pull-out of southern Lebanon within the
next 10 days. The United Nations also plans to send roughly 3,500 troops to keep the peace and
prevent further violence between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. The UN will work with Lebanese
troops to create a demilitarized zone near the boarder of Israel and Lebanon. The ceasefire shows
signs of positive things to come in the area, but with the nature of Hezbollah and its leader, many
questions remain and violence looms overhead like a restless buzzard with an empty stomach.
Hezbollah (Party of God) is the political and military force that has strictly focused on driving Israeli
troops out of Lebanon since the 1980s. Inspired by the Iranian Revolution, Hezbollah strives to
transform Lebanon into a fully functioning Islamic state and has been forthcoming on its belief that
Israel has no right to even exist.
In May of 2000, Hezbollah succeeded in forcing Israeli military out of Lebanon. Using guerrilla tactics
on Israeli target spots, Hezbollah’s dominance in Lebanon grew and soon had thousands of trained
guerrillas and seats in Parliament. The group set up a welfare programme benefiting large numbers
of Lebanese people, but the strict codes of Islamic behaviour enforced in the villages and towns
illustrated its overly militant tendencies.
Hezbollah is heavily supported by Iran and Syria, and pegged as a highly dangerous terrorist
organization by the United States and Israel. Most recently, Iran and Syria made statements that
Hezbollah is the key reason there is now “peace” in Lebanon, while President Bush claimed that the
ceasefire is an important defeat suffered by the group.
However, the issue is not Iran and Syria’s support for Hezbollah, or the United States’ disdain for it, but
rather the group’s overachieving leader, Hassan Nasrallah. For some reason, Nasrallah does not
seem like the type of guy who is going to let a little praise from Iran and Syria go to his head. I can see
him now, sitting in his undisclosed quarters, looking in the mirror while stroking his beard and saying,
“Hey handsome, you just got supported by two nations that have always supported you, I think your
quest to destroy all things Israeli is complete.”
Not likely. Nasrallah is the type of leader who is not going to settle for anything less than complete
victory, a complete Islamic state that is challenged by no one, especially menacing Israelis. I mean, he
is the man who pushed his son to fight Israeli troops, saying that there is no surer way to enter the
afterlife than martyrdom. If that’s not a commitment to a cause, then I don’t know what is. This is why
the UN’s confidence in peace between Hezbollah and Israel seems premature.
The UN seems to be taking precautions with its plan to send troops into southern Lebanon, and I’m
not jumping to any judgment that the United States and the UN think they have heard the last of
Hezbollah. There is just no room for ego and power trips. There is much potential for more violence in
Lebanon and Israel, and the ruthless dedication of Hassan Nasrallah and the Hezbollah militia
cannot be underestimated.
### ### ###
Charlie Duerr is a Global Affairs Intern, The Atlantic Affairs.
| (c) 2006 New Criterion Foundation, London |
| Security. Ideologies. Multiculturalism. |