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HIZBALLAH
(PARTY OF GOD)
5TH PLT, SLC Class 11-001
SFC Crouse
SFC Nearhood
SFC Serrano
SFC Disman

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PURPOSE

The purpose of this brief is provide the class with a

basic understanding of the history, organization, and
goals of Hizballah (Party of God).

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SCOPE

This brief will cover three overall subjects with respect

to Hizballah:

•Background – to include: history, classification, organization, goals,

allies, and critical variables

•Targeting – to include: Hizballah’s preferred targets, TTPs, and activities

•United States Response – to include: interests, biases, and Courses of

Action.

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HIZBALLAH
(PARTY OF GOD)
Background

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Foundation and Strength

• Formed in 1982 – Israel/Lebanon War

• Official Designation:
• United States – Terrorist Organization
• Other Countries – Little Agreement

• Strength:
• Militants –
• approx. 1,000 Regular
• 4,000 – 6,000 Volunteers
• Conscript and Recruitment
• Activists – Tens of Thousands
• Arsenal –
• approx. 80,000 rockets
• 25km - ~ 100km
• AA missiles
• AS missiles
• AT missiles and mines
• UAV
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Hizballah AO
• Areas of Operation
• All of Lebanon HIZBALLAH AO
Control
• All of Southern Lebanon
• Large portions bordering Syria
• West Beirut

• Areas of Influence
• Northern Israel
• Golan Heights
• Palestine
• Lebanese Shi’a population
• Lebanese Government

• Areas of Interest
• Israel
• Syria

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Hizballah Objectives and Biases

Excerpted from the Hizballah Manifesto (1985)

Our Objectives
Let us put it truthfully: the sons of Hizballah know who are their major enemies in the
Middle East - the Phalanges (a mostly defunct fascist party), Israel, France and the US.
The sons of our umma are now in a state of growing confrontation with them, and will
remain so until the realization of the following three objectives:

a) to expel the Americans, the French and their allies definitely from Lebanon,
putting an end to any colonialist entity on our land;
b) to submit the Phalanges to a just power and bring them all to justice for the
crimes they have perpetrated against Muslims and Christians;
c) to permit all the sons of our people to determine their future and to choose in all
the liberty the form of government they desire. We call upon all of them to pick
the option of Islamic government which, alone, is capable of guaranteeing justice
and liberty for all. Only an Islamic regime can stop any further tentative attempts
of imperialistic infiltration into our country.

These are Lebanon's objectives; those are its enemies.

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Hizballah Objectives and Biases

Excerpted from the Hizballah Manifesto (1985)

We see in Israel the vanguard of the United States in our Islamic world. It is the hated
enemy that must be fought until the hated ones get what they deserve… our struggle
will end only when this entity is obliterated. We recognize no treaty with it, no cease
fire, and no peace agreements, whether separate or consolidated… We vigorously
condemn all plans for negotiation with Israel, and regard all negotiators as enemies…

Excerpted from the Hizballah Manifesto (2009)

Israel represents an eternal threat to Lebanon – the State and the entity – and a real
danger to the country in terms of its historical ambitions in land and water especially
that Lebanon is considered to be a model of coexistence in a unique formula that
contradicts with the idea of the racist state which expresses itself in the Zionist entity.

“There is no solution to the conflict in this region except

with the disappearance of Israel” – Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah
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Leadership
SAYYID HASSAN NASRALLAH (‫صــهلل‬ ‫نـار‬ ‫) حـسن‬
Secretary General of Hizballah
Preceded by: Abbas Al Musawi
Age: 50 yrs old (32 yrs old when he assumed office, 1992)
The face and leader of Hizballah; very popular; no alias

SHEIKH NA’IM QASSEM ( ‫لاذيـةتـ‬ ‫) لاـسرةيـ‬

Deputy Secretary General of Hizballah
Age: 56 yrs old (38 yrs old when he assumed office, 1992)
Taught HS chemistry; degree in chemistry
Possibly the military leader; popular; no alias

SUPREME AYATOLLAH SYED ALI HOSEYNI KHĀMENE’I

Supreme Leader of Iran
Religious and political leader/mentor to Hizballah
No alias

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SUPREME AYATOLLAH KHAMENEI
“Comforting” a wounded soldier

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Organization

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Related Groups
• Army of the Guardians of the Islamic
Revolution (Iranian Revolutionary Guard)
• Trains and Arms Hizballah Militants

• Islamic Jihad Organization

• Likely a name used by Hizballah
militants acting as terrorists
• Took responsibility for the terrorist
attacks in the 80s
• Mostly defunct name

• Martyrs Foundation
• “Charity” for the family of suicide
bombers
• Located in Paraguay
• Run by Sobhi Mahmoud Fayad

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Funding
• Iran
• between $60 - $200 million annually
• Armament provision

• South America
• Undisclosed amount donated and
funneled through Paraguay
• Unnamed Colombian cocaine ring
• 12%

• United States
• Personal donations through Charlotte,
NC based finance cell Nasrallah and Ahmadinejad
• approx. $2 million seized

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Critical Variables of the Operational Environment

• Nature and Stability of the State
• Largely Determined by Hizballah
• 2006 Israel/Lebanon War
• 2008 seizure of W. Beirut

• Demographics
• Lebanon approx. 49% Shia

• Military Capabilities
• Large Militia force
• Armed by Iran (External Organization)

• Regional Relationships
• Supported by, and supports, Syria,
Palestine, Iran anti-Israel, anti-US

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HIZBALLAH
(PARTY OF GOD)
Targeting

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Preferred Targets
• Israeli Defense Forces
• Engagements and kidnappings

• Israeli cities
• rockets

• Infrastructure

•Selection of Israeli targets is driven by a

group hatred of Israel.

•Does not consider Israel to be a legitimate

nation
• Considers Israel’s existence as an
illegal invasion and occupation of
Muslim territory

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Modus Operandi
• Government Infiltration

• Kidnappings

• Car Bombs

• Indirect Fire

• Suicide Attacks

• IEDs

• Closed Telephone Network

• Small Group Tactics (5-6 man teams)

• Human shields

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Activities – (partial list of successes)

July 19, 1982: First kidnapping of many Westerners – David S. Dodge

April 18, 1983: U.S. Embassy in Beirut car bomb attack, killing 63

Oct. 23, 1983: Hezbollah attacks U.S. Marine barracks with a truck bomb, killing 241 American military personnel
stationed in Beirut as part of a peace-keeping force. A separate attack against the French military compound in Beirut
kills 58.

Sept. 20, 1984: U.S. embassy annex in Beirut car bomb attack, killing 24

April 12, 1984: Restaurant Bombing near the U.S. A.F. Base in Torrejon, Spain.

Dec. 4, 1984: Hijack a Kuwait Airlines plane.

June 14, 1985: Hijack TWA flight 847. U.S. Navy diver, Robert Stethem, killed.

March 17, 1992: Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires bombed, killing 29 and injuring over 200.

July 18, 1994: Jewish community center in Buenos Aires bombed, killing 86 and injuring over 200.

Oct. 7, 2000: Kidnap, and kill, three Israeli soldiers.

July 12, 2006: Katyusha rocket attacks on N. Israel cities, 2 Israeli soldiers kidnapped, starts 2nd Lebanese/Israeli war.
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Activities – (partial list of failures)

Feb. 16, 1992: Hizballah leader, Abbas Musawi,
killed by Israel

March 30, 1996: Hizballah fires 28 Katyusha

rockets into northern Israeli towns. A week later,
the group fires 16 rockets, injuring 36 Israelis.
Israel responds with a major offensive, known as
the "Grapes of Wrath" operation, to stop
Hezbollah rocket fire. Hizballah forces seriously
degraded.

February 12, 2008: Imad Mughniyah, founding

member and leader of military wing, assassinated.

May 2008: Hezbollah takes over W. Beirut.

Although, it appears to be a success, much
popularity is lost because Hizballah attacked
Lebanese citizens.

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HIZBALLAH
(PARTY OF GOD)
U.S. Response

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U.S. interest in Hizballah

• U.S. relationship with Lebanon
• millions of dollars in support of the country
• U.S. support of Israel
• Hizballah open call for its destruction
• Stabilization of Mid-East
Resolution 1559
Gravely concerned at the continued
presence of armed militias in Lebanon,
which prevent the Lebanese Government
from exercising its full sovereignty over all
Lebanese territory,

• Hizballah ties to Iran Reaffirming the importance of the extension

• Iran’s probable attempt to obtain nuclear
capability
• Iran’s shared interest to destroy Israel
•U.S. Position on Hizballah
• Hizballah is a terrorist organization in full
• U.S. supports UN Security Council
Resolution 1559
of the control of the Government of Lebanon
over all Lebanese territory…
… Calls upon all remaining foreign forces to
withdraw from Lebanon;
Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of
all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias;

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U.S. Courses of Action
COA 1
• Support the enforcement of UNSCR 1559
• Provide funds and training to strengthen
civil/military security capability to disarm
Hizballah
COA 2
• Train and fund internal security and border
control.
• Place sanctions and tariffs on imports from
specified countries supporting terrorism and
instability
• Play to the political aspect of the organization’s
desire to provide civil support without providing
them aid/funds
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COA 3
• Provide training and funding to Lebanese
security forces. Strengthen Counter Terrorism
capability to locate and neutralize terrorist cells
and support.
• Actively target, seek, and kill or capture Hizballah
as an active partner with Lebanon
The most likely means the US will use to defeat
the organization will occur at the strategic level
combined with operational support through
training, funding, and weapon provisions.
Intelligence, political pressure and FID are the
likely COA’s. Hezbollah’s current charter is to
defend against foreign invaders so a tactical
approach will likely not work due to the
population majority’s support of this idea.
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HIZBALLAH
(PARTY OF GOD)

QUESTIONS

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