A Deafening Silence: Hizballah After the American Invasion of Iraq
Abstract
In 1983, the United States became intimately familiar with Hizballah and the ramifications of international terrorism. In April, a Hizballah member, using a previously unseen tactic, drove a truck laden with explosives into the American Embassy, killing sixty-one people. Then in October, in well-planned, simultaneous operations, suicide bombers using the same method struck the barracks complexes of American and French peacekeepers, killing two hundred forty-one American servicemen and twenty-three French soldiers. Further bombings, murders, and kidnappings greatly contributed to the American decision months later that the carnage and anarchy in Lebanon were not worth additional American lives. While September 11th, 2001, opened the chapter of America s war on terrorism, President Bush s State of the Union address in January of the following year marked the Lebanese group, Hizballah, as one of the primary targets of future American attention. Although al Qaeda and its affiliates were responsible for the most recent attacks against United States interests, many government officials and terrorism experts rank Hizballah as the greatest threat to American interests and security, particularly interests in the Middle East. Why? Why is this group perceived as such a great and contemporary threat, particularly taking into consideration that it has not targeted Americans since the 1990 s? Has Hizballah not altered its method and focus and become one of many legitimate political groups in Lebanon? With no recent anti-American actions, how can it be considered as great a threat as al Qaeda? Particularly in light of its low profile after the American invasion of Iraq, could not the United States focus on this Lebanese group simply be an antique resulting from former transgressions? What endows Hizballah with the ability to act as such a dangerous latent threat to the United States?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA473818
Entities
People
- Richard M. Wrona Jr.
Organizations
- United States Military Academy