Mideast Democracy: One Violent Group Finds It Works Fine

[question everything]

(interesting that this story was published three days ago)

The Wall Street Journal

Mideast Democracy: One Violent Group Finds It Works Fine
Joining Lebanese Government Helps Hezbollah to Resist U.S. Demands to Disarm
Firing Rockets Into Israel, Too
By KARBY LEGGETT
July 10, 2006; Page A1

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- When Syrian troops left Lebanon last year, the Bush administration saw a prime opportunity to de-fang a group one U.S. diplomat once called the "A-Team" of terror groups: Hezbollah, which receives major backing from Syria.

The end of Syria's nearly three-decade occupation was a watershed moment for President Bush's campaign to spread democracy in the Middle East as an antidote to violent Islamic movements. Millions of Lebanese celebrated the country's liberation. With an election approaching, Hezbollah was worried. "We felt danger," says Nawar Saheli, a political leader in the group. Today, it's stronger than ever. The group, once disdainful of domestic politics, filled the power vacuum of Syria's departure by joining Lebanon's governing coalition. That has given Hezbollah new clout, including control over two ministries.

It also has helped the group elude a big threat: international pressure, led by the U.S. and France, to disarm. Over the past year "Hezbollah built a big shield over its military wing," says Amal Saad-Ghorayeb, a professor at the Lebanese American University. How the militant group turned adversity to opportunity reveals a conundrum for the Bush administration: Rather than resisting Washington's democracy drive, some radical Islamic groups, including organizations the U.S. deems terrorist, are using it to promote their agendas.

In the Palestinian territories, the Sunni Muslim group Hamas won elections that were encouraged by the U.S. in January, taking control of the government. Like the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah, Hamas has resisted international pressure to renounce violence and disarm. In Iraq, the firebrand cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whom U.S. officials once called a terrorist and vowed to capture or kill, has become an important behind-the-scenes player in the new Iraqi government. His "Mahdi Army" flourishes with little challenge from the U.S. or Iraqi officials. Though Washington has generally supported these democratization moves, letting militant groups enter politics without giving up their weapons carries big risks.

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Amid tension over Iran's nuclear facilities, Hezbollah also draws scrutiny because it has close ties to Iran. Hezbollah has an estimated 15,000 missiles pointed at Israel from land it controls in southern Lebanon. Some U.S. and Israeli officials worry that if there ever were a military confrontation between the West and Iran, Hezbollah could become a proxy for Iran and step up attacks on Israel. In such an event, Israel would almost surely reply with overwhelming force, potentially inflaming passions in the Middle East and raising the danger of region-wide war. The risk was underscored in late May as Israel and Hezbollah had their most ferocious skirmish in years. Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel and hit a military base. Israel destroyed several dozen Hezbollah forts, killing at least one adherent.

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