Terrorist Organizations and the International System

With the recent death of Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyeh the Lebanese are participating in a national day of mourning.  Mughniyeh was killed by a car bomb in Damascus, Syria late tuesday night. Hezbollah is a radical Shi’a dominated party created in the early 1980’s in Lebanon. The group has especially strong ties to Syria and Iran.  Chief Hassan Nassrallah of Hezbollah issued a statement blaming…

 ”Israel for his death and said its war against the Jewish state was not over.“Zionists, if you want this sort of open war, then let the whole world hear, so be it!” he declared. Nasrallah said that Israel thought that Mughniyeh’s death “would lead to the destruction of the resistance… but they are wrong” 

 

Thousands braved heavy rain to remember Hariri Enlarge Image

  Unlike the Lebanese the Israelis and Americans view Narallah’s death as a victory in the war on terror.  Mughniyeh has been on the United States “Most Wanted” list for many years.  Imad has committed many atroscites over the years.  Perhaps one of his most well known attacks occured in 1983 when he allegedly helped bomb the U.S barracks in Beirut killing hundreds of servicemen.  He has also been linked to the the  1985 TWA hijacking and the 1990 Buenos Aires bombing.  Imad has led the Lebanese secretive wing of Hezbollah for many years and was involved in the fighting against Israel in 2006.   The murder of such a prominent leader has only heightend the already tense relationship with neighboring Israel.   The day proves to be even more significant as it is also the three year anniversary of the death of former Prime Minister Rafick Hariri.  The Lebanese government was sent into termoil upon his death and has never recovered.  Lebanese presidential elections were scheduled to take place in November but the unstable political climate has made elections impossible.  The entire Lebanese Muslim population rallied around the death of Imad.  His death conveys the spilt within the international system. The United States and Israel view his death as a victory, whereas on the contrary, the Lebanese and those in the Middle East view it as a great tragedy.