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Hizbullah Takes Risks by Fighting Rebels in Syria
(New York Times) Anne Barnard - Recruited and trained to battle Israel, Hizbullah's Lebanese Shiite guerrillas are pushing more and more deeply into a very different fight in neighboring Syria, against fellow Arab Muslims trying to topple President Assad. On Tuesday, Syrian opposition activists reported that rebels had killed 15 Hizbullah fighters in Qusair. Hizbullah is struggling to preserve credibility at home as it fights to preserve Assad's rule in Syria, and the crucial arms pipeline he provides. Hizbullah has already paid a political price for its Syria stance. Supporting Assad's brutal crackdown has already destroyed its reputation in the wider Arab world as a champion of the underdog. Now it is stoking anger at home, where rivals say that Hizbullah has betrayed promises to use its arms only to defend Lebanon.