(Middle East Quarterly) Eyal Zisser - Hizballah has established its own "Hizballahland," a territory in south Lebanon over which it has complete control. It has a rocket arsenal that covers the entire north of Israel, presenting a more direct and immediate threat to the Israeli civilian population than that of some neighboring Arab states. Syria, which once had an important say in the activities of the organization, has been brushed aside, with Iran now in charge. Indeed, when the April 2002 crisis between Israel and Hizballah subsided thanks to Hizballah's own decision to suspend the offensive it had launched against Israel, the restraining influence appears to have been Iran, not Syria.
2002-12-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive