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**Shek** · 05-02-2008, 20:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snc128

which Hezbollah you are refering to? because there are many... and to let you know, they arenot completely shi'a or sunni or even completely consist of muslims!

Lebanon's Party of God. The information below is for the benefit of Zemco.

Quote:

ICT - International Institute for Counter-Terrorism - Articles - Suicide Terrorism: Development & Characteristics

Hizballah suicide terrorism

Suicide terror attacks started in Lebanon in April 1983. A small—and until then unknown—group by the name of Hizballah directed a number of suicide attacks against Western targets. The first attack was directed at the American embassy in Beirut (April 1983), followed by attacks on the U.S. Marines headquarters and the French Multinational Force (October 1983). The last two were executed simultaneously and resulted in 300 casualties and dozens of wounded. The later attack made an indelible impression on world public opinion and terror organizations alike.

After the withdrawal of the Western forces from Lebanon, Hizballah redirected its suicide activities in Lebanon against Israeli Defense Forces (convoys, posts and boarder passages) and against South Lebanese Army posts. Hizballah henceforth significantly decreased its use of this modus operandi to one attack per year or less. Despite this it enjoyed its legacy as the pioneer of suicide bombings in the region.

The aims of Hizballah suicide missions changed and developed over the course of time. Initially, Hizballah was interested in building up it image as a power. Since it was until then a small and little-known group in Lebanon, let alone in the rest of the world, the introduction of this new and devastating modus operandi served the goal of gaining local and global publicity and notoriety.

Hizballah also represented its Iranian patrons with a valuable image for the spread of the Islamic revolution. The readiness of Shi’ite terrorists, utterly fearless and ready to sacrifice themselves for the defense of the “oppressed on earth” was an important propagandist instrument for both Iran and Hizballah.

Hizballah’s suicide attacks were successful in driving the foreign UN Peace Keeping forces out of Lebanon. The attacks also caused the Israeli army to withdraw from the heartland of central Lebanon to a narrow strip in the South.

Suicide attacks also served the organization as a weapon of retaliation and deterrence against Israel. After the Israeli Air-Force killed Hizballah’s secretary general, Abas Musavi in February 1992, the organization carried out a suicide attack against the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires (March 1992) killing 29 people and wounding 250.

In 1994 Hizballah executed another such attack in the same city, against the “AMIA” building of the local Jewish community in retaliation for I.D.F. aerial attack in Lebanon against a Hizballah training camp in Ein Dardara.

Lebanon had seen around 50 suicide attacks between 83-99. The Shiite organizations, Hizballah and Amal were responsible for about half of these. The second half is attributed to five other groups espousing a non-religious nationalist ideology. Impressed by the effectiveness of Hizballah’s attacks in precipitating the withdrawal of the “foreigners” from Lebanon, the nationalist groups followed suit.

Hizballah also influenced a number of terrorist organizations in other countries. Occasionally this influence went beyond merely being a role model.

In Kuwait there two suicide attacks were attributed to El-Dawa, a local Kuwaiti-Shiite fundamentalist group. The first suicide attack was carried out in December 1983 as one in a series of “conventional attacks” of attacks on American, French and Kuwaiti interests. The second attack was directed at the Emir al-Sabah, in May 1985. Hizballah’s direct involvement was proven when the Kuwaiti authorities arrested and tried seventeen people, among them, Mustafa Bader-el-Din a prominent terrorist in Hizballah’s external terror apparatus. Hizballah’s continuous and extensive efforts to release him and his partners came to be known as the “Dawa Seventeen” affair.