Hizbullah

Based in Lebanon, Hizbullah (in Arabic, “Party of God”) is a political and military organization that was founded in Lebanon in 1982. Also known as “Hizballah” or “Hezbollah,” it is a radical militant Shi’ite group violently opposed to the existence of the State of Israel. It is also strongly anti-Western and retains close ties with Iran. Among its stated objectives are the destruction of Israel and the elimination of Western influences from the region. With the exception of the attack upon the United States on September 11, Hizbullah is responsible for the largest terrorist attack on an American target, the truck bomb that killed of 241American Marines in Beirut in 1983. The symbol of the Hizbullah integrates an arm holding an automatic rifle, the Quran, and an olive branch, set against a globe in the background.

The U.S. State Department first designated Hizbullah a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 1997, and it continues to be so designated through 2005.

Since September, 2000, Hizbullah has been responsible for 15 attacks in Israel, resulting in injuries to at least 15 individuals.