Funding of Hezbollah

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The funding of Hezbollah occurs through donations. Lebanese Shi’ites often make zakat contributions directly after prayers, leaving change in the two-handed Hezbollah collection tins. Also Hezbollah receives financial and political assistance, as well as weapons and training, from the Islamic Republic of Iran.[1][2] The US estimates that Iran was giving Hezbollah about $60-$100 million per year in financial assistance but that assistance declined as other funding was secured, primarily from South America.[3][4] Some estimates of Iran's aid are as high as $200-million annually.[5]

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[edit] Monetary funding

Mohammed Raad, at one time leader of Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc, said money from Iran came only through private charities to be used for health care, education and the support of war widows. Hezbollah's main sources of income, he said, are the party's investment portfolios and wealthy Shiites.[5]

The U.S. Treasury Department has also accused Hezbollah of raising funds by counterfeiting U.S. currency.[6] Researchers at the American Naval War College claimed that Hezbollah raises $10-million annually in Paraguay,[7] which may, in some cases, be extorted.[6] Dr. Matthew Levitt told a committee of the US Senate that Hezbollah engages in a "wide variety of criminal enterprises" worldwide in order to raise funds.[8] Such as illegal sales of cigarettes in America.[9]

Money is also received from supporters abroad. Mohammed Hammoud was convicted in the United States for "violating a ban on material support of groups designated as terrorist organizations". The amount was USD 3,500, which Hammoud claimed was to "support Hezbollah's efforts to distribute books at schools and improve public water systems."[10]

[edit] Military funding

Hezbollah has also received Iranian-supplied weaponry, including 11,500 missiles already in place in southern Lebanon. 3,000 Hezbollah militants have undergone training in Iran, which included guerilla warfare, firing missiles and rocket artillery, operating unmanned drones, marine warfare, and conventional war operations.[11]

Mahmoud Ali Suleiman, the Hezbollah operative captured in August 2006 by the IDF for his role in the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid on July 12, admitted during his interrogation that he received weapons-training and religious instruction in Iran. He told his interrogators that he rode in a civilian car to Damascus, from where he flew to Iran. Other than the Russian-made Katyusha, Hezbollah's reported artillery cache is entirely Iranian-made.[citation needed]

On August 4, 2006, Jane's Defense Weekly, a defense industry magazine, reported that Hezbollah asked Iran for "a constant supply of weapons to support its operations against Israel" in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The report cited Western diplomatic sources as saying that Iranian authorities promised Hezbollah a steady supply of weapons "for the next stage of the confrontation".[12]

Iran long denied supplying Hezbollah with weapons,[13][14] despite persistent reports to the contrary.[15][16][12][17] However, "Mohtashami Pur, a one-time ambassador to Lebanon who currently holds the title of secretary-general of the 'Intifada conference,' told an Iranian newspaper that Iran transferred the missiles to the Shi'ite militia, adding that Hezbollah has his country's blessing to use the weapons in defense of Lebanon".[18] The Israel Defence Forces regard Hezbollah as virtually an arm of the Iranian armed forces; a senior Israeli defence official told Jane's Defence Weekly that "we should consider that what we are facing in Lebanon is not a militia but rather a special forces brigade of the Iranian Army."[19]

Similar claims and denials regarding supply of weapons have been made with respect to Syria[20][13][21][22]

[edit] References

  1. ^ UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (2006-03-29). LEBANON:The many hands and faces of Hezbollah. Retrieved on August 17, 2006.
  2. ^ Edward Cody and Molly Moore (2006-08-14). The Best Guerrilla Force in the World. The Washington Post.
  3. ^ Hezbollah's Global Finance Network: The Triple Frontier (January, 2002). Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  4. ^ CNN, November 7, 2001 Sources: Terrorists find haven in South America Accessed August 17, 2006
  5. ^ a b Washington Post, December 20, 2004 Lebanese Wary of a Rising Hezbollah Accessed August 8, 2006
  6. ^ a b US Treasury Department, June 10, 2004 Treasury Designates Islamic Extremist, Two Companies Supporting Hizballah in Tri-Border Area Accessed 2006-07-26
  7. ^ Naval War College Newport Papers #21 Latin American Security Challenges Accessed August 8, 2006
  8. ^ Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate Testimony of Dr. Matthew Levitt Accessed August 8, 2006
  9. ^ Cigarette Smuggling Linked to Terrorism, The Washington Post
  10. ^ Washington Post, June 22, 2002 N.C. Man Convicted Of Aiding Hezbollah Accessed August 6, 2006
  11. ^ "Iran Provider of Hezbollah's Weaponry", Asharq Alawsat, July 16, 2006.
  12. ^ a b "Missiles neutralizing Israeli tanks", 4 August 2006. Retrieved on August 7, 2006.
  13. ^ a b [1]
  14. ^ "Iran denies giving aid to Hizbullah", Jerusalem Post, July 28, 2006
  15. ^ AFP, August 4, 2006 Iran to supply Hezbollah with surface-to-air missiles Accessed August 5, 2006
  16. ^ Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism (2006-04-28). Country Reports on Terrorism: State Sponsors of Terror Overview. Retrieved on July 17, 2006.
  17. ^ Video Clip
  18. ^ Haaretz, August 5, 2006 Iranian official admits Tehran supplied missiles to Hezbollah Accessed August 5, 2006
  19. ^ "Israel to counter Hizbullah forces", Jane's Defence Weekly, 26 July 2006
  20. ^ Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism (2006-04-28). Country Reports on Terrorism: State Sponsors of Terror Overview. Retrieved on July 17, 2006.
  21. ^ "Hezbollah: Violence mixed with social mission", CNN, 2006-06-13. Retrieved on June 15, 2006.
  22. ^ Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism (2006-04-28). Country Reports on Terrorism: State Sponsors of Terror Overview. Retrieved on July 17, 2006.

[edit] External links

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