Anyone have good info on Nasrallah's background and how you think

[KoKo]

his background will play into the ongoing confrontation? Anyone done any research on him and if he's totally devoted to Lebanon and what made him a Terrorist? :shrug:

[mike_c]

1. the U.S. media made him a "terrorist..."

...presumably with some help from U.S. and Israeli gov't spokespersons.

You might also look here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Nasrallah

[jrd200x]

7. That's because he IS a "terrorist"

I just can't stand it that any American eople are giving him and Hezbollah any slack at all. They're terrorists with big weapons.

They want to kill you too.

[mike_c]

8. they don't want to kill me in any personal sense....

That's ridiculous. They view America as their enemy. That doesn't make them "terrorists--" it makes them opponents. Hiz'bollah has constrained it's fight to military targets more than most in the region, certainly more than Israel has-- it's only been in response to Israel's campaign against Lebanese civilians during the last three weeks that Hiz'bollah has indescriminantly fired rockets at Israeli cities with any frequency, and with not a great deal of real success. I won't defend that-- it's a war crime-- but from a tactical standpoint I can certainly understand it.

But that's not the point. If Hassan Nasrallah dispises Americans that makes him our enemy, not a "terrorist." That's a term used by the gov't and media to demonize our opponents and place them outside any possiblitity of peace-- it's used to make them irrational, rabid, and beyond reason. Nasrallah is anything but irrational, as Israel is learning in Southern Lebanon.

[jrd200x]

9. You responded to something other than my comments

No, he's not a terrorist because he "despises" America. Did I ever say that?

He's a terrorist because Hezzbollah blows up civilians with bombs just ike Hamas does. They hijack airlines. They fire thousands of missles into towns and villages.

That's what makes him a terrorist.

[breakaleg]

11. why is it that only the US, Israel and Canada have officially named

Hezbollah a terrorist? If it's so obvious, why hasn't the international community made that determination as well?

Perhaps it's because they looked into ALL of the facts and aren't predisposed to come out on Israel's side.

[OrechDin]

16. Not ONLY US and Canada

List of entities designating Hezbollah as terrorist Entity Type of Designation Reference
United States The organization Hezbollah in full <172>
Canada The organization Hezbollah in full <173>
Israel The organization Hezbollah in full <174>
United Kingdom The Hezbollah External Security Organization <175>
Netherlands The organization Hezbollah in full <176>
Australia The Hezbollah External Security Organization <177>


The EU Parliament passed a resolution recognizing "clear evidence" of "terrorist activities by Hezbollah".
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov called "on Hezbollah to stop resorting to any terrorist methods including attacking neighboring states."<[br />

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah#Foreign_and_domestic_relations

[catmother]

12. well said. n/t

[jrd200x]

10. Oh, yes they do want to kill you in a personal sense

No, he doesn't have your address - but if you happen to wlking down the street when one of their bombs in a baby carriage goes off - blamb! you're dead.

Oh, but you're right, he's not a terrorist.

[barb162]

19. I question how much Nasrallah cares about Lebanese civilians

when the Hezbollah rocket launchers are used right in civilian areas. I really question that. Here's the answer: he doesn't care about them at all when one examines his actions and those of his group. And he cares nothing for Israeli civilians.

Your last paragraph is a poor apologia for terrorists. He's a terrorist.

[cali]

22. I certainly won't deny that

H'zbollah has engaged in terrorist activities in the past, but terrorist groups can evolve into legitimate actors, and H'zbollah, much as I may dislike their philosophy, has done precisely that. They are an integral part of the Lebanese government and completely interwoven in the life and communities of Southern Lebanon. You may not like that, but it's a fact.

[OrechDin]

15. Actually he made himself into a terrorist,

Recently sending his terrorist goons into a sovereign state to abduct 2 soldiers who border on a state who's sovereignty he has no respect for,then hid his terrorist fighters amongst civilians knowing that the Civilized state would attempt to minimize casualties amongst his innocent civilians that he decided to hide amongst.

He recently was responsible for thousands of innocent deaths in Lebanon and for what?

Picking a fight with a country that ended an occupation of his country many years previously.

NO ONE really understands what this terrorists beef with Israel really is all about...

[barb162]

18. He made himself into a terrorist, not the US media

The US government considers him a terrorist

[spindrifter]

2. Try this for some

background on Hassan Nasrullah.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassan_Nasrullah

I especially liked this part:

He is reputed internationally as an excellent speaker, capable of captivating audiences with both strong language and correct tone. He routinely cracks jokes in the midst of important political speeches, keeping in line with the sunnah of the Prophet to constantly smile.
+++++

It appears that he is an extremely complex personality. Of course, the U.S. characterizes him as a terrorist. I think he sees himself as a freedom fighter and a man of Allah.

[barb162]

3. Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (as of October 5, 2001

9. Hizballah (Party of God)
http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/rpt/fto/2001/5258.htm

See the criteria here for t what makes him and "Hizbolla" terrorists

[catmother]

13. thanks for the link barb.

[LiviaOlivia]

4. Read Juan Cole

http://www.juancole.com/2006/07/israelis-kill-un-peacekeepers-halutz.html#comments

~snip~

Israel's present policy toward Lebanon, of striking at so many civilian targets as to hold the entire civilian population hostage, is unspeakable.

I haven't complained about the Israeli border war with Hizbullah. I'm not sure it is wise, and I don't know how many Israelis Hizbullah even killed in, say, the year 2005. Is it really worth it? But I don't deny that Hizbullah went too far when it shelled dozens of civilian towns and cities and killed over a dozen innocent civilians, even in reprisal for the Israeli bombing campaign. (You can't target civilians. That is a prosecutable crime.) That is a clear casus belli, and I'd like to see Nasrallah tried at the Hague for all those civilian deaths he ordered. The fighting at Maroun al-Ra's and Bint Jbeil was horrible on all sides, but it was understandable, even justifiable. The fighting itself isn't going to lead anywwhere useful, though, and it is time for a ceasefire and political negotiations--the only way to actually settle such disputes.

Yes, yes, Nasrallah and his shock troops are also evil. They are also sick in the soul. We have established that. Halutz can have the 5,000 fighters and the 12,000 rockets to do as he pleases to them. I have been to Haifa, too, and the city means a lot to me. I mind deeply when I hear that the mad bombers around Nasrallah have killed people there and done substantial damage.

But you will note that 800,000 Israelis are not homeless, that the ports are still operating, that Tel Aviv airport is open, that over 400 Israeli civilians aren't dead in two weeks, that factories, roads, bridges, telecom towers are still there. In fact, you will note that no flotilla of international vessels had to come to evacuate tens of thousands of foreigners from Israel. It is suffering, and that is wrong. It is not suffering what Lebanon is.

~snip~

Yes, yes, Nasrallah and his shock troops are also evil. They are also sick in the soul. We have established that. Halutz can have the 5,000 fighters and the 12,000 rockets to do as he pleases to them. I have been to Haifa, too, and the city means a lot to me. I mind deeply when I hear that the mad bombers around Nasrallah have killed people there and done substantial damage.

But you will note that 800,000 Israelis are not homeless, that the ports are still operating, that Tel Aviv airport is open, that over 400 Israeli civilians aren't dead in two weeks, that factories, roads, bridges, telecom towers are still there. In fact, you will note that no flotilla of international vessels had to come to evacuate tens of thousands of foreigners from Israel. It is suffering, and that is wrong. It is not suffering what Lebanon is.

~snip~

[mom cat]

6. But what was done to Lebanon ... is among the most horrible war

crimes of the young 21st century. (from linl in OP)


"But what was done to Lebanon as a whole is among the most horrible war crimes of the young 21st century. And that it was done tells me that there is something sick in the heart of the Israeli military and political elite, a sickness of the soul that had better be faced and remdedied before our entire world catches the contagion.

After reading Alan Dershowitz shocking, even for him, screed on the admissability of killing women and children I had a shock of recognition.

Dershowitz and the other American neocons reflexively level the charge of "anti-Semitism" against anyone who dares criticize Israel or AIPAC's American policies toward Israel. I had always just assumed that the reason for this was to put such critics on the same side of that line drawn in the sand as Adolph Hitler and other such monsters.

But I think now that the real reason is not to castigate, to dehumanize, the outgroup, the critics, but to forge or reinforce the bond that keeps the ingroup coherent."

Much more at link!


Thanks so much for the post!

[KoKo]

5. WOW! Thanks to all of you for these links...I'll be up all night reading!

:hi: and appreciate the help from you guys. Gotta dig...like DU'ers do to get the facts and need help from friends.

[KoKo]

14. I just read that his son was killed by the IDF...back in the 90's but

don't know if this is true or not...he's kind of young to have a son old enough to be killed that way. :shrug: Anyone know any more about this?

[OrechDin]

17. What is he fighting Israel for?

What`s his beef with Israel,what is his cause,whats his prejudice against Jews?

Hes not Palestinian,Israels been outa Lebanon for many years..wht`s he want from Israel?

Thats the question..

[barb162]

20. see item 14. Hizballah (Party of God); He's a terrorist

http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/fs/37191.htm
Current List of Designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations

If he is soooooo devoted to Lebanon perhaps he should have asked the Lebanese government if it was okay to start a war with another country.

[Stockholm]

21. Hezbollah is not on the EU list (nor Russian terror list for that matter)

BRUSSELS, Aug 1 (Reuters) - The European Union does not intend to place Hizbollah on its list of terrorist organisations for the time being, EU President Finland said on Tuesday.

"Given the senstitive situtaion, I don't think this is something we will be acting on now," Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, told a news conference following an emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

Tuomioja's comments were in response to a letter signed by 213 members of the United States Congress sent to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana asking that the EU add Hizbollah to its terrorist list.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BRU004839.htm


Link to EU terror list:

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/lex/LexUriServ/site/en/oj/2005/l_314/l_31420051130en00410045.pdf

Obiter dicta; the US today finally lifted the name Ahmed Yusuf from its terror list. Ahmed is a Swedish citizen who worked for the informal banking system known as al-Barakaat, vital to poor regions such as Ahmeds' home country Somalia. 5 years ago al-Barakaat was added to the US terror list and Ahmed personally (an incredible lame EU, directly added the two to their own version of the terror list). Since then Ahmed has had his bank accounts blocked and lived with a travel ban making it impossible to visit his relatives in Somalia. The real kicker is that his attorney was informed by a fax that his client was no longer on the list, without explanations.

The laywer is quoted in the Swedish Daily DN saying: "We have not gotten any justification to why he ended up on the list, so we had not expected to recieve any explanation to why he was removed ..." http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=147&a=565778&previousRenderType=6

The story in English by Swedish radio http://www.sr.se/cgi-bin/International/nyhetssidor/artikel.asp?nyheter=1&ProgramID=2054&artikel=918446 :mad:

[furman]

23. Here is some information on Nasrallah and Hezbollah

Hezbollah is indeeed a terrorist organization.

Do not the propaganda and lies put out by Hezbollah or Lebanese sympathizers,
those who against Israeli policies, and far left-wing talking points.

Hezbollah are not "freedom fighters" as some would claim.
Their mission is the destruction of Israel and the creation of a
fundamentalist Islamic state in the model of Iran.

Their political wing that provides public services is in place only
in order to "win hearts and minds" over the downtrodden Lebanese Shiite population.


http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/harold_evans/2006/08/we_are_all_hizbullah_now_reall.html

Hassan Nasrallah: In His Own Words
http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=11&x_article=1158

Timeline of Hezbollah Violence
http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1148

Hezbollah and Lebanon: Myths and Facts
http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=7&x_issue=34&x_article=1183

Boston Globe Column: Death and Destruction Are Hezbollah's Goals
http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=31&x_article=1176

[breakaleg]

24. why is it that even on CNN when the refer to Hezbollah they say

"the US considers them a terrorist organziation" or similar? They don't say "terrorist organization Hezbollah" directly. That's because the majority of the world does NOT agree with this assessment.

[pelsar]

25. how about making up our own minds...

lets see:
hizballa takes over Southern lebanon, doesnt let the lebanese army/police/social services in, employees a differential tax system for muslims/druz and christians. (call it as you like)...and the citizens have no where to turn, they are in effect hostages (we could probably say they're being terrorized)

they take over parts of S. Berirut....samething over there, no go for the lebanese govt

they take over parts of E. Lebanon...samething....courts are hizballa operated.

they occasionally throw missiles, plant road side bombs and snipe at the country next door

they have an arsenal larger than the lebanese army

they are financed by countries hostile to lebanon (at least according to the druz, christians and some muslim lebanese)

and they run hospitals, social services and pick up the garbage (as do the fanatics in iran), and are in the govt

sounds like a pretty sophisticated terrorist organization to me.

[Phx_Dem]

26. They saw their opportunities and they took them.

Sound familiar?

[MrPrax]

27. Big bad terrorists...

that provide to their people the basic infrastructure the corrupt Lebanese government doesn't...in fact Hezbullah provides things to it's supporters that the US doesn't like free medical and housing.

Hezbullah is involved in the reconstruction efforts for it's people -- Israel on the other hand wouldn't even pay past 3 days for their old and vulnerable to stay in the South.

But then again the people who call them terrorists are usually rightwing GOP/LIkud fanatics and I don't usually bother with the opinions of those folks on any other subject anyhow...

According to Peter Galbraith's new book...Bush didn't even know there were two distinct Muslim groups. Hard to give these people any credibility to anything they say...they're liars.