Abstract:
9/11 refocused world attention on radical Islamist movements. One
such movement is Lebanon's Hizbullah, which was identified by
Washington as a terrorist organization. This study examines the case
of Hizbullah as an example of a successful guerrilla movement. It does
so by looking at a number of explanatory variables that help explain
Hizbullah's success as a guerrilla movement. These variables include
Hizbullah's recruitment strategy, its hierarchal structure, its historical
background, and the services and support (military and financially) it
offers its members and their families. Research for this thesis is based
on a number of sources. I have used a number of personal interviews with anonymous members of Hizbullah's security organs to reconstruct
Hizbullah's secretive recruitment strategy. The secondary literature on
guerrilla movements has also helped me situate Hizbullah in
comparative perspective. I have also looked at the available primary
and secondary literature on Hizbullah. The thesis closes with some
observations pertaining to prospects for Hizbullah's future
demobilization and re-integration into civilian life.
