By: Elias Bejjani*
Believe it or not, on May 25 each year since 2000 Lebanon has been celebrating a so-called "Liberation & Resistance Day." Sadly, this celebration commemorates a bogus event, and a phony heroism that did not actually take place.
On May 22, 2000 the Israeli Army unilaterally and for solely Israeli domestic reasons withdrew from the security zone of South Lebanon in accordance with UN Resolution 425. The withdrawal was a fatal Israeli decision that has inspired the Hamas terrorism acts and the on-going havoc in the Palestinian Gaza strip.
The unilateral Israeli withdrawal created a security vacuum in south Lebanon. The Syrians who were occupying Lebanon at that time and fully controlling its government, did not allow the Lebanese Army to deploy in the south and fill this vacuum after the Israeli withdrawal. Instead Syria helped the Hezbollah militia to militarily control the whole southern region, and even patrol the Israeli-Lebanese border.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli army's withdrawal was executed without any military battles, or even minor skirmishes with Hezbollah, or the Lebanese and Syrian armies. The Syrian regime, in a bid to justify both its on going occupation of Lebanon and the avoidance of disarming Hezbollah, came up with the "Shabaa Farms occupation big lie" and declared Hezbollah a Liberator, alleging it had forced Israel to withdrawal from South Lebanon.
Syria, in the same camouflaging and devious context, dictated to both the Lebanese parliament and government to declare May 25th a National Day under the tag of "Liberation & Reistance Day".
In reality Hezbollah did not force the Israeli withdrawal, and did not play any role in the Liberation of the southern Lebanese region. In fact both Hezbollah and Syria deliberately hindered and delayed the Israeli withdrawal for more than 14 years.
Every time the Israelis called on the Lebanese government to engage in a joint, serious effort under the United Nations umbrella to ensure a safe and mutually organized withdrawal of its army from South Lebanon, the Lebanese government refused to cooperate, did not agree to deploy its army in the south, and accused the Israelis of plotting to divide and split the Syrian-Lebanese joint track. This approach to the Israeli calls was an official Syrian decision dictated to all the Lebanese puppet governments during the Syrian occupation era.
Since then, Hezbollah has been hijacking Lebanon and its people, refusing to disarm and advocating for the annihilation of Israel. This Iranian mullahs' terrorist army stationed in Lebanon, is viciously hiding behind labels of resistance, liberation and religion. Hezbollah has recklessly jeopardized the Lebanese peoples' lives, safety, security and livelihood. It has been growing bolder and bolder in the last four years and mercilessly taking the Lebanese state and the Lebanese people hostage through terrorism, force and organized crime.
Sadly, Hezbollah is systematically devouring Lebanon day after day, and piece by piece, while at the same time marginalizing all its governmental institutions in a bid to topple the Lebanese state and erect in its place a Shiite Muslim regime, a replica of the Iranian Shiite mullahs' fundamentalist republic. Meanwhile the free world and Arabic countries are totally silent, indifferent, and idly watching from far away the horrible crime unfolding without taking any practical or tangible measures to put an end to this anti-Lebanese Syria-Iranian scheme that is executed through their spearhead, the Hezbollah armed militia.
Who is to be blamed for Hezbollah's current odd and bizarre status? Definitely the Syrians who have occupied Lebanon for more than 28 years (1976-2005). During their bloody and criminal occupation, Syria helped the Iranian Hezbollah militia build a state within Lebanon and fully control the Lebanese Shiite community.
But also the majority of the Lebanese politicians, leaders, officials and clergymen share the responsibility because they were subservient and acted in a dire Dhimmitude, selfish and cowardly manner. If these so-called Lebanese leaders had been courageous and patriotic and had not appeased Hezbollah and turned a blind eye to all its vicious and human rights atrocities, intimidation tactics, crimes and expansionism schemes, this Iranian Shiite fundamentalist militia would not have been able to erect its own mini-state in the southern suburb of Beirut, and its numerous mini-cantons in the Bekaa Valley and the South; nor would Hezbollah have been able to build its mighty military power, with 70 thousand militiamen, or stockpile more than 50 thousand missiles and force the Iranian "Wilayat Al-Faqih" religious doctrine on the Lebanese Shiite community and confiscate its decision making process and freedoms.
Since Hezbollah's emergence in 1982, these politicians have been serving their own selfish interests and not the interests of the Lebanese people and the nation. They went along with Hezbollah's schemes, deluding themselves that its militia and weaponry would remain in South Lebanon and would not turn against them.
This failure to serve the people of Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to make many Lebanese and most of the Arab-Muslim countries through its terrorism propaganda to blindly swallow its big lie of theatrical, faked resistance and Liberation.
Hezbollah would not have been able refuse to disarm in 1991, like all the other Lebanese militias in accordance to the "Taef Accord," which called for the disarmament of all militias. Hezbollah would not have become a state inside the Lebanese state, and a world-wide terrorism Iranian-Syrian tool which turned against them all after its war with Israel in year 2006 and after the UN troops were deployed on the Lebanese - Israeli borders in accordance with the UN Resolution 1701.
On May 7, 2008 Hezbollah invaded Sunni Western Beirut killing and injuring in cold blood hundreds of its civilian citizens, and attempted to take over by force Mount Lebanon.
A few days ago Hezbollah's General Secretary Sheik Hassan Nasrallah called that day (May 7, 2008) a great and glorious victory for his resistance, and threatened the Lebanese that a replicate of that day will take place if they do not succumb and obey his orders.
Hezbollah is a deadly dragon that the Lebanese politicians have been allowing him to feed on sacrifices from the southern Lebanese citizens, especially on those who were living in the "Security Zone" and who fled to Israel in May 2000 after the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. This dragon who enjoyed devouring his southern sacrifices has now turned on all the Lebanese and if they do not stand for their rights and dignity, he will keep on devouring them all one after the other.
We call on the Lebanese government, the Lebanese Parliament and on all the free and patriotic Lebanese politicians and leaders to cancel the May 25 National Day, because it is not national at all, and also to stop calling Hezbollah a resistance, put an end for its mini-state, cantons and weaponry, and secure a dignified, honorable and safe return for all the Lebanese citizens who have been taking refuge in Israel since May 2000.
*Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
Face Book LCCC group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17974722934
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Hezbollah: The World's Most Effective Terrorist Organization.
By: Elias Bejjani*
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing "- Edmund Burke - 17th century philosopher and author"
The U.S. government has labeled Hezbollah, in its State Department report for 2008, as the world's most effective terrorist organization. The report said that Iran remains the most active state sponsor of terrorism, including supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to the same report, "Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy". It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian anti-Israeli groups, Lebanon's Hezbollah as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/nea/119120.htm)
How can the US, the mightiest military and financial power in the whole world, officially recognize the serious and great dangers of Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah, while expecting the Lebanese people and their crippled government and military institutions to tame, control and disarm this terrorist organization?
Hezbollah from day one of its creation by Iran in 1982 up until now, is a serious and deadly threat to all the civilized and free world countries. As such, it is not a mere Lebanese problem, but rather a serious problem, grave threat and challenge to global peace, stability and democracy.
What is unfortunate and shameful, is that the free world and surrounding Arab countries, are not showing enough determination, transparency, seriousness or persistence in dealing with the most dangerous terrorist organization in the whole world, Hezbollah. Unbelievably, some very influential Western countries, among which is England, are actively negotiating with this terrorist organization and providing its fanatic and extremist leadership with academic, media and political platforms to justify and spread the support of their doctrines of terrorism under the false pretext of ‘free speech’!
In reality, Hezbollah is an Iranian militant organization on all levels and by every definition. Its’ Iranian mission, terrorist activities and objectives have become crystal clear, not only to the Lebanese people who are suffering on daily basis from its’ oppression, intimidation and dictatorship, but also to the majority of the Arab states, US, Canada and Australia. This intimidation, fear mongering and illicit fundraising activities extend also to many European, African and Southern American countries
The only positive element in this Pandora’s Box lies in the fact that Hezbollah can no longer fool the educated patriots and nationalists in Lebanon or in the Arab communities, that they are an indigenous resistance entity and liberation movement whose sole purpose is to defend Arab rights and Lebanese sovereignty. Its’ extremely active involvement in worldwide drug trafficking and terrorism activities have exposed Hezbollah’s hierarchy and Iranian dictated leadership, ripping off the seductive facade of ‘resistance’ that they so cleverly attempt to hide behind. Thankfully, most of Hezbollah’s devious tactics of camouflage and deceptiveness are no longer working, revealing their proxy Iranian destructive criminal agenda.
Many of Hezbollah’s own Shiite Lebanese community, which it dominates and controls by religion, money, bribery, intimidation and brute force, is losing its’ patience and quickly realizing the true color of the Hezbollah resistance cloak. Many are turning their backs on this militia whose loyalties and agendas are more Iranian and less Lebanese!
Hezbollah has nothing to do with resistance, liberation or any actual patriotic Lebanese or Arabic cause by any means. In reality, Hezbollah is an Iranian militant brigade, a division of Iran's notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guards_Corps)
According to dozens of well documented and trustworthy reports, Hezbollah continues to run a vast, well organized and extremely sophisticated global network of drug trafficking, crime, terrorism and arms trafficking, infiltrating many Arab states, Israel, Mexico, Canada, Australia, United States, Europe, South America and numerous previous Islamic states of the USSR.
It is pathetic that the Free World in general, and the Arab world in particular, continue to appease and cajole Hezbollah’s leadership, inflate their already swollen egos, hail their fabricated and cleverly titled ‘divine victories’, and keep a blind eye to their ongoing activities of arms smuggling from Syria through the Syrian-Lebanese borders.
Since 1982, Hezbollah systematically has been devouring the state of Lebanon, destroying its’ military, judicial and financial institutions, crippling its legislature and democratic government and fragmenting and terrorizing its’ delicate social fabric, all the while solidifying the terrorist infrastructure and Iranian-modeled institutions of its mini-state and scattered cantons.
The looming devastating threat that Hezbollah poses on Lebanon and the Lebanese, will be an unfortunate and lethal reality if it wins a majority government in the upcoming June 7th parliamentary Lebanese elections with its pro-Syrian mercenary allies. If this nightmare comes to bare on Lebanon, Hezbollah and Iran will have the upper hand in running the country's new government, imposing by force a replica of Gaza's terrorist Hamas government.
Prior to these elections, Hezbollah has already confiscated by force, money and intimidation, all the allocated Shiite seats in the parliament. It has also forced its’ candidates on Christians, Druze and Sunni Muslims who live inside their cantons. Almost 100 out of the 128 elected MPs are going to win their seats uncontested because of both the biased electoral law and Hezbollah's terrorism and religious decrees (Fatwa and Takalief Sharia).
The 28 seats that will decide who gets the parliamentary majority or minority will be challenged in four constituencies where the Christian voters are the majority. Accordingly the Christian voters will hold in their hands the fate of Lebanon. Either they will vote against Hezbollah's allies and keep Lebanon a democratic, free and multi-cultural society of coexistence and peace or they will vote for Michel Aoun, the Christian ex-general egomaniac who entered into a self-serving alliance with Hezbollah in order to better his chances of obtaining the Presidency. This unholy alliance has furthered the legitimacy of Hezbollah and increased their tyrannical grip over Lebanon with their "Wilayat Al-Faqih" religious Iranian religious doctrine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardianship_of_the_Islamic_Jurists)
Hezbollah's essence and spiritual, cultural and political foundation are totally derived from the Iranian Mullah's doctrine of “Wilayat Al-Faqih”. The main pillars of this doctrine are zero tolerance for all others who are of different faith and culture and who do not fully submit to their control. It is a blatant rejection of the civil, democratic and free societies; a systematic, tireless effort to export the "Wilayat Al-Faqih", and impose it on the whole world through "Jihad" (holy war), deeply rooted hatred for the western democracies and cultures, staunch enmity and hostility towards the US and Israel all with a suicidal mentality. One of its prime aims is to destroy Israel and ‘liberate’ the Holy city of Jerusalem.
General Michel Aoun, Syria and Iran's mouthpiece, is a Maronite Christian whose personal ambitions and lust for power has completely allied himself with the Syrian-Iranian-Hezbollah agenda. He has negated all his previous pro-Lebanon, pro-sovereignty and pro-independence slogans and he has viciously turned his back on and attacked the Maronite Church and its’ Patriarch. He has betrayed every historic social, religious and national conviction of the Lebanese Christians.
Christian voters must vote for those who are committed to the holy cause of Lebanon's freedom, sovereignty and culture of peace, coexistence and progress. Voting for Aoun's tickets is voting for Iran's Mullah's and their project to swallow Lebanon and turn it into a dictatorship run by their proxy Hezbollah.
Nobody at the present time knows better than the Iraqi people what terrorism is, that Hezbollah imposes on Lebanon. I will end my piece with a quotation that I took from Mr. Noori Kamal Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq in his statement at the 62nd UN General Assembly:
“Terrorism kills civilians, journalists, actors, thinkers, and professionals; it attacks universities, marketplaces, and libraries; it blows up Mosques and Churches and destroys the infrastructure of State institutions. We consider terrorism an extension of the fallen dictatorship, whether it may vary in its outside form or by the gangs that carry it out. Terrorism aims at aborting the political process, and igniting sectarian dissension as a prelude to hijack Iraq back into the era of tyranny, oppression, and backwardness.”
Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
Face Book LCCC group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17974722934
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing "- Edmund Burke - 17th century philosopher and author"
The U.S. government has labeled Hezbollah, in its State Department report for 2008, as the world's most effective terrorist organization. The report said that Iran remains the most active state sponsor of terrorism, including supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to the same report, "Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy". It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian anti-Israeli groups, Lebanon's Hezbollah as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/nea/119120.htm)
How can the US, the mightiest military and financial power in the whole world, officially recognize the serious and great dangers of Iran and its terrorist proxy Hezbollah, while expecting the Lebanese people and their crippled government and military institutions to tame, control and disarm this terrorist organization?
Hezbollah from day one of its creation by Iran in 1982 up until now, is a serious and deadly threat to all the civilized and free world countries. As such, it is not a mere Lebanese problem, but rather a serious problem, grave threat and challenge to global peace, stability and democracy.
What is unfortunate and shameful, is that the free world and surrounding Arab countries, are not showing enough determination, transparency, seriousness or persistence in dealing with the most dangerous terrorist organization in the whole world, Hezbollah. Unbelievably, some very influential Western countries, among which is England, are actively negotiating with this terrorist organization and providing its fanatic and extremist leadership with academic, media and political platforms to justify and spread the support of their doctrines of terrorism under the false pretext of ‘free speech’!
In reality, Hezbollah is an Iranian militant organization on all levels and by every definition. Its’ Iranian mission, terrorist activities and objectives have become crystal clear, not only to the Lebanese people who are suffering on daily basis from its’ oppression, intimidation and dictatorship, but also to the majority of the Arab states, US, Canada and Australia. This intimidation, fear mongering and illicit fundraising activities extend also to many European, African and Southern American countries
The only positive element in this Pandora’s Box lies in the fact that Hezbollah can no longer fool the educated patriots and nationalists in Lebanon or in the Arab communities, that they are an indigenous resistance entity and liberation movement whose sole purpose is to defend Arab rights and Lebanese sovereignty. Its’ extremely active involvement in worldwide drug trafficking and terrorism activities have exposed Hezbollah’s hierarchy and Iranian dictated leadership, ripping off the seductive facade of ‘resistance’ that they so cleverly attempt to hide behind. Thankfully, most of Hezbollah’s devious tactics of camouflage and deceptiveness are no longer working, revealing their proxy Iranian destructive criminal agenda.
Many of Hezbollah’s own Shiite Lebanese community, which it dominates and controls by religion, money, bribery, intimidation and brute force, is losing its’ patience and quickly realizing the true color of the Hezbollah resistance cloak. Many are turning their backs on this militia whose loyalties and agendas are more Iranian and less Lebanese!
Hezbollah has nothing to do with resistance, liberation or any actual patriotic Lebanese or Arabic cause by any means. In reality, Hezbollah is an Iranian militant brigade, a division of Iran's notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Revolutionary_Guards_Corps)
According to dozens of well documented and trustworthy reports, Hezbollah continues to run a vast, well organized and extremely sophisticated global network of drug trafficking, crime, terrorism and arms trafficking, infiltrating many Arab states, Israel, Mexico, Canada, Australia, United States, Europe, South America and numerous previous Islamic states of the USSR.
It is pathetic that the Free World in general, and the Arab world in particular, continue to appease and cajole Hezbollah’s leadership, inflate their already swollen egos, hail their fabricated and cleverly titled ‘divine victories’, and keep a blind eye to their ongoing activities of arms smuggling from Syria through the Syrian-Lebanese borders.
Since 1982, Hezbollah systematically has been devouring the state of Lebanon, destroying its’ military, judicial and financial institutions, crippling its legislature and democratic government and fragmenting and terrorizing its’ delicate social fabric, all the while solidifying the terrorist infrastructure and Iranian-modeled institutions of its mini-state and scattered cantons.
The looming devastating threat that Hezbollah poses on Lebanon and the Lebanese, will be an unfortunate and lethal reality if it wins a majority government in the upcoming June 7th parliamentary Lebanese elections with its pro-Syrian mercenary allies. If this nightmare comes to bare on Lebanon, Hezbollah and Iran will have the upper hand in running the country's new government, imposing by force a replica of Gaza's terrorist Hamas government.
Prior to these elections, Hezbollah has already confiscated by force, money and intimidation, all the allocated Shiite seats in the parliament. It has also forced its’ candidates on Christians, Druze and Sunni Muslims who live inside their cantons. Almost 100 out of the 128 elected MPs are going to win their seats uncontested because of both the biased electoral law and Hezbollah's terrorism and religious decrees (Fatwa and Takalief Sharia).
The 28 seats that will decide who gets the parliamentary majority or minority will be challenged in four constituencies where the Christian voters are the majority. Accordingly the Christian voters will hold in their hands the fate of Lebanon. Either they will vote against Hezbollah's allies and keep Lebanon a democratic, free and multi-cultural society of coexistence and peace or they will vote for Michel Aoun, the Christian ex-general egomaniac who entered into a self-serving alliance with Hezbollah in order to better his chances of obtaining the Presidency. This unholy alliance has furthered the legitimacy of Hezbollah and increased their tyrannical grip over Lebanon with their "Wilayat Al-Faqih" religious Iranian religious doctrine. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardianship_of_the_Islamic_Jurists)
Hezbollah's essence and spiritual, cultural and political foundation are totally derived from the Iranian Mullah's doctrine of “Wilayat Al-Faqih”. The main pillars of this doctrine are zero tolerance for all others who are of different faith and culture and who do not fully submit to their control. It is a blatant rejection of the civil, democratic and free societies; a systematic, tireless effort to export the "Wilayat Al-Faqih", and impose it on the whole world through "Jihad" (holy war), deeply rooted hatred for the western democracies and cultures, staunch enmity and hostility towards the US and Israel all with a suicidal mentality. One of its prime aims is to destroy Israel and ‘liberate’ the Holy city of Jerusalem.
General Michel Aoun, Syria and Iran's mouthpiece, is a Maronite Christian whose personal ambitions and lust for power has completely allied himself with the Syrian-Iranian-Hezbollah agenda. He has negated all his previous pro-Lebanon, pro-sovereignty and pro-independence slogans and he has viciously turned his back on and attacked the Maronite Church and its’ Patriarch. He has betrayed every historic social, religious and national conviction of the Lebanese Christians.
Christian voters must vote for those who are committed to the holy cause of Lebanon's freedom, sovereignty and culture of peace, coexistence and progress. Voting for Aoun's tickets is voting for Iran's Mullah's and their project to swallow Lebanon and turn it into a dictatorship run by their proxy Hezbollah.
Nobody at the present time knows better than the Iraqi people what terrorism is, that Hezbollah imposes on Lebanon. I will end my piece with a quotation that I took from Mr. Noori Kamal Al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq in his statement at the 62nd UN General Assembly:
“Terrorism kills civilians, journalists, actors, thinkers, and professionals; it attacks universities, marketplaces, and libraries; it blows up Mosques and Churches and destroys the infrastructure of State institutions. We consider terrorism an extension of the fallen dictatorship, whether it may vary in its outside form or by the gangs that carry it out. Terrorism aims at aborting the political process, and igniting sectarian dissension as a prelude to hijack Iraq back into the era of tyranny, oppression, and backwardness.”
Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.10452lccc.com & http://www.clhrf.com
Mailing phoenicia group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Phoenicia/
Face Book LCCC group http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=17974722934
Hezbollah: The World's Most Effective Terrorist Organization.
By: Elias Bejjani*
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing "- Edmund Burke - 17th century philosopher and author"
The U.S. government has labeled Hezbollah, in its State Department report for 2008, as the world's most effective terrorist organization. The report said that Iran remains the most active state sponsor of terrorism, including supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to the same report, "Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy". It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian anti-Israeli groups, Lebanon's Hezbollah as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/nea/119120.htm)
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing "- Edmund Burke - 17th century philosopher and author"
The U.S. government has labeled Hezbollah, in its State Department report for 2008, as the world's most effective terrorist organization. The report said that Iran remains the most active state sponsor of terrorism, including supporting terrorist groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. According to the same report, "Iran's involvement in the planning and financial support of terrorist attacks throughout the Middle East, Europe and Central Asia had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the Gulf, and undermined the growth of democracy". It singled out the Qods Force, an elite branch of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as the Islamic republic's main means to cultivate and support terrorists overseas. The Qods Force gave "weapons, training and funding" to Hamas and other Palestinian anti-Israeli groups, Lebanon's Hezbollah as well as Iraq-based militants and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. (http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2008/nea/119120.htm)
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