0 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: Bahrain declares Hezbollah a terrorist organization
Hezbollah currently has 12 seats in Parliament. They are a Lebanese militant/political organization allied with Iran, not a "proxy army".
Comment by eeeewefweebfwefewfwe at 10/04/2013 at 04:04 UTC*
5 upvotes, 0 direct replies
They could have a majority of seats in parliament, they still would be a paramilitary movement. The IRA's political wing won seats in parliament, no one seems to think that makes them not a paramilitary organization. The whole idea of having a state is to have a monopoly on political violence. The difference between a proxy and an ally is mostly semantics. If you question how much choice Hezbollah has when Iran says jump then look at, when Iran has told Hezbollah to do things somewhat controversial and unpopular within their own supporters, such as fight in Syria with Assad, Hezbollah has complied. If they want to be considered a democratic political party, they should give their arms to their government. Chances are, the actual army would be better trained, not hide weapons behind human shields, and more able to garner international support, which is the real factor that decides who "wins" long term in many cases.
Comment by Cassius_Corodes at 10/04/2013 at 05:46 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
A proxy army is exactly what they are. The are iranian flags and pictures of kohmeni all throught south lebanon.