Hezbollah is a Cancerous Growth in the Body of Lebenon

Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

The organization Hezbollah is comparatively new on the world scene and is the creation of Iran in Middle East to fight Israel that once occupied large portions of Lebanon territory. Iran has inspired, armed and funded this militant outfit to be a constant source of trouble to Israel. With Egypt, Jordon and Saudi Arabia opting to be out of this Arab and Israeli conflicts and with Iraq under Saddam Hussein having been vanquished, Syria and Lebanon only remained as the States creating trouble to Israel .Palestine conflict however is an alive igniting flame. The leader of Hezbollah, Syed Hassan Nasrallah is being acclaimed by the Muslim fundamentalists and some sympathizing writers as an outstanding leader of great leadership qualities. Ayaz Amir writing in Dawn stated “In the last hundred years, the Muslim world has produced only two outstanding politico-military figures. Mustafa Kemal and Hassan Nasrallah, the one who is almost irreligious, the other stepped in the spirit of Islam” (1), (It is another aspect that Turkey enjoys best relations with Israel and Turkish policy is comprehensible and not digestive to the conventional Muslim world in general who follow Shariat and mix religion and politics and can not comprehend a Muslim State without mixing these two). The fact is that Mustafa Kemal Pasha was the only leader in the Muslim world who established a secular democracy on the lines of West keeping religion away from politics and won admiration of all while Nasrallah is a mere terrorist aiming to create disorder in the society in the name of Jihad against Israel and obviously USA. To compare Nasrallah with a distinguished visionary and former Head of State of Turkey like Kemal Pasha (Ata Turk) is only insulting him. It is claimed that Hezbollah is neither a militia nor a political party as per Robert Pape writing in Guardian (2). It has evolved in 1982 owing to the occupation of Lebanon by Israel. This of course does not sound altogether well and convincing. It’s existence is fundamentally based on hared to West in particular to USA and Israel. If it is not a militant outfit then what it is? Why it is armed to teeth? Why it is involved in conflicts, suicide missions and crazy utterances? Has it evolved like a Congress party in India led by late Mohandas Karam Chand Gandhi, Father of Indian nation who led a non- violent peaceful fight against the British to gain independence and died preaching peace? Facts and figures and actions of Hezbollah since 1982 have proved completely other way. It has political and military wings. But working independently and the strategies are formulated by the top leaders and are passed to the cadres. Originally it was a Shia outfit created by Iran and subsequently it has been coordinating activities from various resistance groups in Lebanon with a common aim of defeating Israel. It is a fact that the organization over the years has become more cohesive, better disciplined and as a strong force based in Lebanon. The organization now seeks to coordinate all the struggles in the world obviously against west and probably India too. It is trying to put on the mantle of world leader co coordinating all such struggles giving a polished name of resistance movements while these are mere terrorist activities. This does not give it creditability of being a lawful organization on international scene as projected by some vested interests and loyalists. It is also believed by some that Hezbollah was able to bring some unity between Sunni and Shia sects that generally live with drawn swords who demonstrated on the Arab streets in the recent conflict with Israel in which it is being claimed that Israel has been defeated (3). This is the view of some partisan third world writers who make it a point to use every moment to highlight that Israel has been defeated in the last conflict. What a wishful thinking indeed? Has Israel surrendered to Hezbollah after the conflict? Can Hezbollah defeat Israel by firing few rockets? Was there any surrender ceremony after the conflict? Has Israel gone on knees begging Hezbollah to kindly pardon and spare them? Chest beating by some biased writers of third world does not make Hezbollah a holy cow. It is being propagated that Hezbollah stands for true Islam and is a party of God. How one can justify? Hezbollah conducted suicide bombings against American and Israeli and French targets in 1982 to 1986 including the infamous Beirut bombing of US Marine barracks in which 280 Marines died. Are suicides sanctioned in Islam? The Holy Quran in no uncertain terms has forbidden suicides. Can a Muslim deny this fact? The suicide bombings kill innocent people too. These acts are against tenets of Islam. Then how it is claimed that Hezbollah is true Islam by some writers? Following verses from Holy Quran clarify (4):

“O ye who believe! Eat not up to your property among yourselves among yourselves in vanities, but let there be amongst you traffic and trade by mutual goodwill nor kill ( or destroy) yourselves: for verily Allah hath been to you Most merciful1” (Holy Quran 4:29)

It is clear that Hoy Quran prohibits suicides and Hezbollah that claims to be the Puritan is indulging in suicides where young men are being used as gun fodder in the hope that they would attain paradise because they are dying for faith and all these mindless violent activities are termed as Jihad. This is not dying for faith. These are mere suicides and surely they would be refused entry into paradise. There would be some truth if they go down fighting the enemy on a battle field. Thus, the claim made by some writers that Hezbollah is an outfit practicing pure Islam stands defeated.

The position and status of Hezbollah in Lebanon can be gauged by the warning by Lebanese Defense Minister who warned the rogue elements against inciting Israel that would break the truce and result in retaliation by Israel When he referred to rogue elements, he obviously meant Hezbollah. Israel sent it’s war planes on 21 August 2006 over the coastal city of Tripoli about 60 Km north of Beirut that was a scene of commando raid that was taken unto interdict weapons shipments from Syria(5). The recent conflict with Israel was due to instigation by Hezbollah that fired rockets into Israel civilian localities and also on its warship near Haifa. Israel had to retaliate and it let it go destroying bulk of infrastructure in Lebanon. Hezbollah has placed its Rocket and missile launch platforms in the civilian residential areas and it’s men were also accordingly located. Thus, civilian casualties occurred when Israel attacked these areas. Why Lebanon has allowed such deployment of Hezbollah in civilian localities? Why third world press is not questioning Hezbollah for such deployment? There were many unfortunate deaths of children too as some of the civilian homes were destroyed. Every one feels sorry for these deaths and no one celebrates death of innocent children. It is not that Israel is very happy with such deaths. Children died in Israel too in Rocket attacks. This has given rise to uproar in certain quarters that Israel has willfully bombed civilian areas. In Britain the opinion is divided. Sizable section feels that Israel has over reacted against Lebanon. In this connection statement made by Britain’s Junior Foreign Minister Kim Howells on behalf of the Prime Minister Tony Blair to BBC is relevant. The statement condemned the overkill and disproportionate reaction (6). Nasrallah even remarked that they are prepared to send their children with bombs strapped to them to kill the enemies and in the process get blown. Do these crazy utterances give any credit to Hezbollah as a puritan organization waging a valid war against an enemy? These citing are enough to prove that Hezbollah is nothing but a mere terrorist organization in plain truth falling in line with Al Qaeda, Hamas, and Lashkar E Toiba, Jaish E Mohammed etc. All it’s claims as a puritan force and justification in third world press are hollow.

It would be worthwhile to recollect the past history of Lebanon. It was created by France with present territories in 1920. The population had majority of Christians and there was comfortable peace under French rule with composite population consisting of Sunni, Shia and Christians. All these groups shared important positions in the administration of the country. Lebanon became a commercial capital for the Arab world in nineteen fifties. Beirut was the banking capital. This good fortune was soon to vanish when Head Quarters of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) under Yaser Arafat which was driven out of Jordan was established in Beirut in 1970 and Arafat established his centers for terrorist activities in Southern Lebanon close to border with Israel. The aim of PLO was to destroy Israel at all costs. The greatest gift given by Arafat to the world is the science of modern terrorism although he was the undisputed leader for Palestinians and was hailed as the hero by the third world. The local administration was too weak to evict Arafat. Israel as a measure of retaliation against PLO entered Lebanon and occupied and created ten mile wide corridor and in 1982, PLO withdrew due to severe air attacks by Israel as per the truce arranged by USA. It was the first mistake of Lebanon administration to allow the growth and establishing of PLO on it’s territory. It was like a tumor. It will destroy the body unless surgically removed. Lebanon paid for it.

There was a second historical mistake when Hezbollah was allowed to function on it’s soil. Hezbollah as stated earlier was created by Iran where feel that they have the noble and divine mission of destroying Israel and Hezbollah grew with this sole aim. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad made irresponsible statements that it would destroy Israel and wipe it off from the world map (7) (8). Nasrallah repeats the challenge thinking and hoping that the whole world would sit down and watch the show of destruction of Israel on television channels as a past time and entertainment show. Can such organizations be accepted to exist and continue their nefarious activities? Unfortunately the biased third world press and sympathizers of Arab cause highlight these nefarious activities of Hezbollah as most patriotic actions and as if they have divine sanctions and they project the unlawful organization as puritan. Hezbollah has been armed with Iran by various Rockets and small size missiles and unmanned Aerial Bombs. It is generally estimated that it had 12000 Rockets in its armory (9) many of which have been fired. It had very close co operation with Iran and the hand behind the trigger was Iran.

Iran has supplied C 802 shore to ship missiles, FAJR missiles and Katyusha Rockets along with unmanned flying bombs Ababil, UAV (Un- manned Aerial vehicles) to Hezbollah in the recent war with Israel. These were used by Hezbollah in the conflict. The hand behind the war has been confirmed as Iran (13). These rockets were fired into civilian areas of Israel causing casualties and Israel has shown considerable patience against such attacks. Nasrallah the leader of the terrorist outfit has grown arrogant as if being invincible as there was no earlier response from Israel and at last Israel had to reply and it retaliated with considerable force that has drawn criticism from sympathizers of Arabs and arm chair tacticians and drawing room strategists that excessive force has been used against Hezbollah. Are they to decide quantum of force? Was it not Hezbollah that started the conflict being irresponsible? Can it think of winning the war against a powerful Israel by firing few rockets? How long they would sustain? Is it correct to Project a terrorist outfit such as Hezbollah as a holy cow? It was not a conflict between two sovereign nations. It was the conflict between a notorious and murderous terrorist outfit and a sovereign nation. Lebanon is unable to evict Hezbollah and the situation is similar to the position of PLO when it was located in Lebanon. Hezbollah although being a militant outfit has sent some of it’s members to Lebanese Parliament and it has entrenched itself becoming a cancer in the body of Lebanon. The UN resolution No. 1559 of date September 2, 2004 calling for disbanding all Militia in Lebanon is not being carried out. It becomes essential to surgically remove the cancerous parts in the body at the earliest or else, the body would be destroyed. It is very essential to destroy Hezbollah at the earliest as it has already become a malignant tumor in the body of Lebanon and also to the world (10) (11) (12). Lebanon that was a prosperous Arab country unfortunately got entangled in to the regional conflict and it is time that the Government of Lebanon disarms, disbands Hezbollah and throws them out. Or else, the State would be doomed. It is to be treated on par with Al Qaeda for offensive operations against it.

Hezbollah has also made base in the heartland of America. It has many sympathizers in USA. Considerable amount of money is being transferred by it’s sympathizers into Lebanon by clandestine operations some of which have been exposed and culprits were brought to justice. Illegal activities in Charlotte in North Carolina were exposed. Imad Hammound and his ring of Lebanese Americans from Detroit area would buy boxes of cigarettes in North Carolina, where the State tax is the lowest in the country, allegedly transport the goods to Michigan and sell them at a profit of US $ 10 per carton. A portion of the money earned would then be wired to a member of the group in Lebanon. In 2002, the group was suspected to be running US $ 500,000 worth of cigarettes a weak across the State. Imad Hammound was convicted and sentenced to 155 years in prison for providing material support for terrorism (13). This money is being used for purchasing weapons.

The accused were planning to purchase Night Vision Goggles, Radars, Binoculars, Laser Range Finders, Mine detection equipment and Advanced Aircraft Design and Analysis software to be used by Terrorists. Support for Hezbollah runs high in Local American Lebanese circles. Hezbollah flags, pictures of Nasrallah, and his audio tapes were found in a search operation Lt John Stedman (Deputy of Los Angels county Sheriff) at the house of a Lebanese immigrant in Los Angels in 2004. In case of Lebanese immigrant in Dearborn, Michigan, who is suspected in a tax fraud, prosecutors have show cased pictures of the suspect seated alongside Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Hezbollah spiritual leader, at a 2002 fund raiser in Lebanon (14). The men of Hezbollah are now content with fund raising activities and have entrenched in the mainland of USA. They are scared of taking any terrorist action in the main land. In the words of Chris Hamilton, former CBI’s unit Chief for Palestine Investigations and a senior fellow now at the Washington Institute for near East studies, “The fact is, they have ability to attack the United States (15). It is more likely to attack Americans abroad (16). In the words of Dennis Lormel who was the FBI’s chief for terrorist financing until 2003 “ their fund raising activities have been very fruitful in the United States …. With Israel clamping down on their other sources of revenue, it wouldn’t make sense for them to wreck their own ability to continue making money here (17). Thus it is noticed that Hezbollah has spread itself similar to Al Qaeda. It has become a proxy for Iran in Middle East. Soon it would start its nefarious operations in India too at a greater scale. Its future association with Indian Militant Outfits such as Student Islamic movement of India (SIMI), Deendar Anjuman and Dargah- E- Shahdat and many others. It would soon enter the terrorist activities in Kashmir along with other Pakistani agents and terrorist outfits. Pakistan that is a den of terrorist outfits would embrace Hezbollah if not openly for the fear of America, but clandestinely. As per their own words, Hezbollah would co ordinate world terrorist activities termed in polished words as resistance movements.

Iran is separated from Israel by other countries and therefore can not attack and invade Israel. It is capable of launching missiles into Israel. But they have to fly over other countries. But through Hezbollah, it can be a constant source of trouble to Israel and US forces in Iraq. It is projecting itself as a Messiah for all the resisting groups in the world against alleged American imperialism and hegemony. Hezbollah adores the Venezuelan President Mr Chavez than Arab leaders (18). It claims that it has few Shiites and Sunnis too. They are in close co operation with Hamas of Palestinians. Its involvement in Iraq in active participation is not ruled out in near future. Thus Hezbollah poses threat to world peace similar to Al Qaeda. Therefore any amount of force against this terrorist outfit is justified by the world powers. Sooner is better as the days grow the evil gets stronger day by day. It is also essential that All Arab nations accept the existence of Israel and make peace with it. Forward thinking nations such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia have no problems with it now and these countries are developing. Organizations such as Hezbollah do more damage to their own people than bringing any peace or good to them. Peace in Arab land can not be brought by posing to annihilate Jews in Israel. They have also right to exist in this world. It is essential that Muslim masses reject fundamentalist ideology and provocation and reject such outfits. Then only peace would prevail.

Bibliography

1. Ayaz Amir, The Hizbollah movement,( By arrangement with Dawn) Deccan chronicle, Hyderabad, AP, India, Date August 28, 2006, PP 7 (Column 1)

2. Ibid, Column 2

3. Seema Mustafa, Hezbollah,: we don’t have Shia agenda, Deccan chronicle, Hyderabad. AP, India, Date August 17, 2006, PP 14

4. The Holy Quran translated by Abdullah YousufAli, Al Ittehad Publications Private Limited, B 35, Basement Opposite Mogra Guest House Nizamuddin West, New Delhi 110013, PP 87

5 Zeina Karam, Beirut warns Hezbollah against inciting Israel, Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad, AP, India, Date August 21, 2006, PP 20

6. Farrukh Dhondy, Foreign policy is a four letter word, Deccan Chronicle. Hyderabad. AP, India, Date July 26,2006, PP 7

7.Editorial, Total evacuation is the only solution, Radiance Views weekly, Published by Board of Islamic publications, New Delhi, India, Volume XL, No 25, Dated 6-12 Nov 2005, PP5

8. Sheikh Mohammed Mahmood Siyam, Palestine movement is on the true line of Islamic Jihad, Submitted by Correspondent, Radiance Views weekly, Published by Board of Islamic publications, New Delhi, India, Volume XL, No 28, Dated 27 Nov- 3 Dec 2005, PP14

9. Christopher Dickey, Kevin peraino and Babak Dehgan, The hand that feeds terror (Tehran’s silent strategy) Newsweek, ISSN -0028-9604, Volume CXVIII no 4, July 24, 2006, PP 28

10. Ram Jeth Malani, Arabs must make peace with Israel, Deccan chronicle. Hyderabad, AP, India, Date August 5, 2006, PP 7

11. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired)K Prabhakar Rao, Middle East the ever boiling Cauldron with hatred to West, www.faithCommons.org, October 16, 2006, 07:18

12. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao. Is Iran going to be a nuclear reality? www.faithCommons.org

13.Dan Ephron and Michael Isikoff, Nasrallahs men inside America, Newsweek, ISSN August 14, 2006, Volume CXLVIII 0028-9604, No 7, PP 25

14. Ibid, PP 25

15. Ibid, PP 24

16. Ibid, PP 25

17. Ibid. PP 25

18. Seema Mustafa, Hezbollah, we don’t have Shia agenda. Deccan Chronicle, Hyderabad. AP, India, Date August 17, 2006, PP 14 (Column 1 and 7)

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