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Essay on Hezbollah: Lebanese Shiite Militia

Decent Essays

To most of the world, Hezbollah is known as a Lebanese Shiite militia that takes an anti-western stance, and despises Israel and the United States. To the Arabs, Hezbollah is known as a resistance group that provides socioeconomic and social services to Shiite communities is southern Lebanon.# The group as been held accountable for several attacks against Israel and Western targets, but yet provides social services in Lebanon by running hospitals, schools, orphanages, and media outlets. It has adopted the strategy of constantly altering public opinion by using a mixture of political and ideological agendas.# The group has adopted the strategy it has in order to continue growing and to remain relevant in both Lebanon and the global sphere, …show more content…

Iran gave direct support to Hezbollah through the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. Hezbollah opposed Lebanon because it was supported by Israel and the United States, and in 1985 it issued its political agenda through the “Open Letter to the Downtrodden in Lebanon and in the World.”# In 1989, the Taif Accord emerged and the Lebanese Civil War ended in 1990 when Syrian troops moved into parts of Lebanon that were not occupied by Israel. The Taif Accord balanced powers between Christians and Muslims in Lebanon, and overall tried to maneuver equality amongst both groups although Sunni elites were given the dominant role. After the Taif Accord, economic conditions continued to worsen and many began to underestimate the ability of Syria to control Lebanon. Syria then made the strategic move to promote Rafiq al-Hariri in 1992 to rescue Lebanon from its eventual demise. Hariri was able to boost the economy and revive morale in the Sunni communities. By the 1990s Hariri was capable of governing Lebanon independent of Syria. This began a decline of Syrian support for him, and a decline of Sunni dominance. After Hariri’s assassination in 2005, Syria was able to grasp control of Lebanon once more, and enabled Hezbollah to demonstrate a larger role. First existing as a revolutionary Islamist movement,

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