Full Description
This book remains the most thorough examination of Hezbollah's covert activities outside Lebanon—with a new preface and epilogue that examine recent developments
Hezbollah—which translates as "Party of God"—is a multifaceted organization: It is a powerful political party in Lebanon, a Shia Islam religious and social movement, Lebanon's largest militia, a close ally of Iran and Hamas, and a terrorist organization.
Drawing on a wide range of sources—including declassified government documents, court records, and personal interviews with intelligence and law enforcement officials around the world—Hezbollah examines the party's beginnings, its first violent forays into Lebanon, and its subsequent terrorist activities and criminal enterprises worldwide. The book describes Hezbollah's ongoing role in Iran's shadow war with Israel and the West. This updated edition includes a new preface and a substantive epilogue by the author to update readers on Hezbollah's activities in recent years, particularly in supporting the Assad regime in Syria's civil war and the latest cross-border fighting between Hezbollah and Israel since October 7, 2023.
Levitt shows that Hezbollah's willingness to use violence both at home and abroad, its global reach, and its proxy-patron relationship with Iran remain serious international concerns. This is an important book for scholars, policymakers, students, and the members of the general public who are interested in international security, terrorism, international criminal organizations, and Middle East studies.
Contents
Preface to the Updated Edition (2024)
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Researching Hezbollah's Clandestine Activities
Chapter One: The Party of God is Born
Chapter Two: Branching Out: Hezbollah Targets Westerners in Lebanon and Beyond
Chapter Three: Hezbollah's European Debut
Chapter Four: Bombings in Buenos Aries
Chapter Five: A Near Miss in Bangkok
Chapter Six: Beirut to the Blue Ridge—Hezbollah Comes to North America
Chapter Seven: Bombing Khobar Towers
Chapter Eight: Unit 1800—Targeting the Israeli Heartland
Chapter Nine: Finance and Logistics in Africa
Chapter Ten: Unit 3800—Hezbollah in Iraq
Chapter Eleven: Party of Fraud—Hezbollah's Criminal Enterprise in America
Chapter Twelve: Shadow War
Afterword (2015)
Epilogue to the Updated Paperback Edition (2024)
About the Author
Index
