INDEPTH: MIDDLE EAST Hezbollah CBC News Online | March 9, 2005
What is Hezbollah?
It is a Lebanese-based militant organization formed after Israel's invasion of Lebanon in the 1980s. It has broad support among Lebanon's Shia population. Its stated aim is to create a Muslim fundamentalist state modelled on Iran. The group's name means "Party of God."
Where does it get its support?
Hezbollah is sponsored by Iran and Syria and is a sworn enemy of Israel.
When Israeli soldiers ended their 20-year occupation of southern Lebanon in May 2000, Hezbollah took credit for driving them out.
The group is now an important inspiration to Palestinian militants in their fight to liberate occupied territory.
What has it done?
Hezbollah has been linked to a series of attacks against Israel, the United States and other Western targets, including the suicide truck bombings that killed more than 200 U.S. marines at their barracks in Beirut in 1983.
But Hezbollah has also become a formidable political force, with 12 members of parliament, its own schools and hospitals, even a television station.
How large is Hezbollah?
The U.S. government estimates that its core consists of several thousand militants and activists.
Who leads Hezbollah?
Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is described in media accounts as a "powerful and politically savvy leader."
What is Canada's official position on Hezbollah?
In December 2002, Ottawa placed the group's military and social wings on its list of banned terrorist entities. That means both are now listed in Canada under a UN resolution allowing countries to seize the assets of terrorist groups.
When Bill Graham was foreign affairs minister, he argued that the social arm of Hezbollah was a legitimate charity and independent of the group's military arm.
But Graham changed his mind, citing media reports that quoted Nasrallah urging Palestinians to expand their suicide bombings worldwide.
