Here’s a piece I published in Foreign Affairs about the terrorist organization, Hezbollah, and their new role in the Lebanese government. With Iran’s economy weakening, and Syria in political turmoil, Hezbollah has launched a crime wave to gather funds, something Western countries should leverage to hurt the organization’s legitimacy and support.
Hezbollah: Party of Fraud – Foreign Affairs
In June, Lebanon’s new prime minister, Najib Mikati, announced the formation of a government dominated by members and allies of the Shiite terrorist organization Hezbollah. The creation of the new government has made Hezbollah the most dominant political force in Lebanon just six years after the “Cedar Revolution,” which placed the group on the defensive and forced its Syrian patrons to leave the country. With control of the Lebanese government, a vast social-service network, an army of soldiers and operatives, and an arsenal of more than 40,000 rockets, Hezbollah has arguably never been more powerful.
Hezbollah would not have achieved its current stature without the assistance of its creator and chief sponsor, Iran. Since founding Hezbollah in 1982, Iran has armed, funded, and trained the organization, transforming it into a potent terrorist and fighting force. Yet Hezbollah has not relied entirely on Iran to finance its operations. Instead, it has raised funds through criminal activities, including counterfeiting currencies and goods, credit-card fraud, and money laundering. In 2002, for example, Hezbollah operatives in North Carolina were convicted for smuggling cigarettes across state lines and sending a significant portion of their profits — estimated to be more than $1.5 million — back to their commanders in Lebanon.
Read the full story.
LAST 5 POST BY Matthew Levitt
- The Iranian Security Threat in the Western Hemisphere: Learning from Past Experience - May 15th, 2012
- Abu Zubaida's Clear Ties to al-Qaeda - April 19th, 2012
- New Data Guidelines Help Tracking Hezbollah in US - March 27th, 2012
- Iran, Hizballah, and the Threat to the Homeland - March 22nd, 2012
- Money Troubles: The Financial Woes of al-Qaeda's Leaders - February 29th, 2012
