The Truth About Hezbollah's Allegiances

There are divisions between Hezbollah, Amal, and the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. Sources from each political group told me about their anger with the others.

Hezbollah often likes to blame all of their evils on others, normally Amal. They love to claim that Amal members are thieves and brigands who would steal from their own mothers. They become emotional explaining the divisions between Amal and Hezbollah, saying that there is still great enmity between the two groups. Yet, every time something major happens in Lebanon there is Hezbollah walking hand in hand with Amal.

Hezbollah loves to claim that SSNP members are thugs. They claim that Hezbollah is professional and merely took over the neighborhoods, but it was the SSNP thugs who went around stealing, harassing neighborhoods, and shooting up businesses they don't like. Hezbollah members claim that they have problems with the Syrian regime and claim that there is no way they will allow the Syrians back in to rule Lebanon, because, "We hate them. We know, more than anyone else, how bad they were to Lebanon and Lebanese. They treated us like animals. There is no way that Hezbollah, which is more powerful than it ever was underneath the Syrians who negotiate with Israel, will ever go back to living under them. Syria is an ally, but will never be Hezbollah's boss." Yet, SSNP members run through Beirut neighborhoods putting up pictures of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Hezbollah supporters say, "We do not like these pictures being put up. They are very bad. This is Lebanon, not Syria. The SSNP and Amal will be very happy if Syria returns. We do not believe this at all."

Hezbollah, even after undermining Lebanese democracy and security by invading Lebanese territory in collaboration with Amal and the SSNP, continues to claim it is only fighting for Lebanon and for the Lebanese people. Everything that is bad is blamed on Amal and the SSNP.

Hezbollah and its members love to talk about how good and just Hezbollah is. They love to claim that Hezbollah members are men of God who will not do anything evil and corrupt. Then, why do they cooperate with assassins, thieves, and thugs?

Hezbollah loves to tell everyone about how powerful they are. Their leaders love to claim that they can take over Lebanon before other leaders even know what has happened. They love to point out, as Naim Qassem did, that the Shia population is nearly a third of the Lebanese population, perhaps more. They love to project their power democratically, militarily, and through their media propaganda outlets. Why is it, then, that they need such horrible allies that they themselves claim are horrible allies? Why this visible, on-the-ground cooperation? Why make positive proclamations about pure Syrian allies without popular support, like Talal Arslan and Wiam Wahhab, as if these figures will be future Nobel Peace Prize Laureates?

Parliamentary elections? Amal and SSNP are on Hezbollah's list.

Political ideologies? In practice, Hezbollah, Amal, and the SSNP vote along the same lines once elected into office, and boycott the exact same meetings.

Riots? Guess who all comes out together? Guess who got center stage during the 8 March 2005 "thank you, Syria" rally?

Application of the law? Hezbollah, Amal, and SSNP all abuse state authority and prefer to deal with anything through political connections, undermining the Lebanese government. Hezbollah polices its own areas, and illegally kidnaps foreigners and Lebanese policemen. Hezbollah and Amal block positive developments for the people of Ouzai who are in desperate need of a sewage system. Hezbollah has not once objected to the way their allies pilfer state coifers. Even though they love to attack pro-government parties for civil war era abuses and Syrian era graft, al Manar has not once complained about the massacres Amal committed against the Palestinians during the civil war, or the enormous sums of money Amal, SSNP, and other allied leaders took from the Lebanese government.

Hezbollah may claim to hate Amal and the SSNP groups in order to maintain its holier than though image, but years of cooperation display the diametric opposite.