To the US, Hizballah represents one of the most dangerous terrorist networks operating today. In Lebanon, it is a democratically-elected party within the Lebanese parliament, backed not just by Shi'ites, but by Christians and secular Muslims. To the wider Arab world, Hizballah is a legend: the only Arab fighting force to have defeated Israel, forcing its withdrawl from south Lebanon in May 2000. Syria and Iran, both under threat from the US presence in Iraq, continue to back it. As a terrorist organization that is responsible for the deaths of numerous American soldiers, it is second only to al-Qaeda as a priority target for the US in its "War on Terror". Hizballah represents one of the most important pieces in the jigsaw puzzle that is Middle East politics today. Judith Harik's work, the fruit of 20 years of research into Lebanon's politics, should be of value to anyone concerned with the future of the region and the future of today's world.
