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Iran-Backed Hizbullah's New Strength

(NBC News) Sulome Anderson - Hizbullah has emerged from the Syrian conflict stronger and more powerful than ever, thanks to a steady stream of funds and advanced weaponry from its patron, Iran. At the behest of Iran, Hizbullah has been training thousands of Shiite militiamen in Iraq and Yemen, spreading its military might across the region and leading to concern that Iran might be trying to remake the Middle East, with Hizbullah as Iran's enforcer. Andrew Exum, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security who was a deputy assistant secretary of defense in the Obama administration, said Iran is committed to expanding across the region - no matter the price. "They haven't been shy about talking about their regional ambitions," he said. "Iran very much sees this as a zero-sum game with America for influence in the Middle East." Despite Hizbullah's bravado, in another war with Israel the resulting devastation would likely engulf Lebanon. Gen. Giora Eiland, former head of Israel's National Security Council, said, "The army of Lebanon is fully subordinate to the word of Hizbullah....That is why it is much more just and moral to hold the government and the people of Lebanon as accountable for Hizbullah."
2017-09-19 00:00:00
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