LEBANON: THE HIZB ALLAH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00287R001302140001-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 27, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

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Central Intelligence Agency
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
27 September 1984
LEBANON: The Hizb Allah
Summary
"Hizb Allah" (Party of God) is a generic term
that refers to the pro-Iranian radical Shia
movement in Lebanon. The movement is composed of
a number of loosely-organized groups---most are
based in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley---that use both
terrorist and subversive political methods to
accomplish their objectives.
The terrorist component, which often refers
to itself as "Islamic Jihad" (Holy War), is
determined to drive the US and Israel out of
Lebanon and to establish an Islamic state there.
This terrorist network, operating with Iranian
assistance, almost certainly carried out the
recent Embassy bombing as well as the
Multinational Force bombings last October. Shia
terrorism in Lebanon is likely to continue for the
foreseeable future.
Structure, Size, and Leadership
The Hizb Allah movement is composed of several relatively
small groups supported by Iran:
-- Islamic Amal: Husayn Musawi withdrew from the mainline
Amal movement---the moderate Shia grouping headed by
Nabih Barri---and created this extremist organization in
the Bekaa Valley in 1982. It is the most organized
This memorandum was prepared byl Ithe Levant 25X1
Branch, Arab-Israeli Division, Office of Near Eastern and South
Asian Analysis, at the request of Robert McFarlane, the Special
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Cutoff
date for information is 27 September 1984. Questions and
comments should be directed to Chief, Arab-Israeli Division, at
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radical Shia group. Its membership may number as many
as 800-1,000.
-- Husayni Suicide Forces: Another member of the Musawi
family---Abu Haydar Musawi---leads this loosely-
organized subgroup of Islamic Amal, which we believe
recruits individuals for specific operations. Its
varied membership fluctuates, but probably numbers fewer
than 100 at any time. It appears to operate in both the
Bekaa Valley and Beirut.
Muslim Students Union: Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah, a
fundamentalist cleric in southern Beirut, controls this
group, which we believe is intimately involved with the
other radical Shia groups. The group has perhaps 300
members, but Fadlallah commands the respect and loyalty
of far larger numbers of Shias. He probably sends
promising candidates to the Bekaa Valley for training
under Islamic Amal and the Iranian Revolutionary
Background and Ideology
The Hizb Allah terrorists are driven by an Islamic
fundamentalist ideology that is relentlessly hostile to the US
and Israel. They are determined to drive the US and Israel out
of Lebanon through terrorism directed against our personnel and
installations. Radical leaders almost certainly viewed the
withdrawal of the Marine contingent from Beirut last winter as
proof of the effectiveness of terrorist tactics.
The Shia extremists are also committed to the goal of
establishing an Islamic republic in Lebanon through revolutionary
means. They therefore intend to use violence to disrupt the 25X1
Lebanese Government's attempts to implement a security plan for
Beirut and the surrounding area
The Iranian revolution, the death of their spiritual leader
Imam Musa Sadr, and the Israeli invasion of predominantly-Shia
southern Lebanon galvanized the Shias and set the stage for the
emergence of radical groups prone to terrorism. Relatively few
individuals belong to these organizations---perhaps fewer than
1,000---but they can operate effectively because Iran supports
them and because they have the sympathy of a significant segment
of the Lebanese Shia population.
External Ties
Iran encourages and provides training and material support
to the radical Shia groups based in the Bekaa Valley. The 25X1
roughly 400-700 Iranian Revolutionary Guards there work closely
with the radicals and almost certainly help plan specific
terrorist operations.
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We have had some reporting that radical Palestinians provide
the Hizb Allah with technical assistance in some terrorist
operations, but we do not believe there is a major connection
between the two groups.
Syria has allowed the radical Shias to operate from camps in
Syrian-controlled eastern Lebanon, but it has begun to crack down
on their freedom of movement since the latest bombing. Damascus
currently supports efforts by the Lebanese Government to
stabilize the security situation in Beirut and no longer welcomes
disruptive Shia terrorism. We believe Syria also wants US
assistance in ending the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon
and fears that such attacks will discourage the US from adopting
The Most Recent Embassy Bombing
An overwhelming body of circumstantial evidence points to
the Hizb Allah, operating with Iranian support under the cover
name of Islamic Jihad.
during
the past year that this terrorist network was planning
further operations against the US.
-- Anonymous telephone callers in Beirut have warned
several times this year that Islamic Jihad would attack 25X1
US interests, and two callers have claimed
responsibility for this bombing in the name of the
organization.
-- Radical Shias in Baalabakk have privately confirmed
their group's responsibility for the bombing,
They said they were
followers of Muhammad Husayn Fadlallah.
the driver of the van was an
Iranian member of the Lebanese Hizb Allah.
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-- The method of attack strongly implicates the Hizb
Allah. Suicide vehicle-bombs have been their principal
trademark, and Shia fundamentalists are the only
organized terrorists in Lebanon likely to willingly
sacrifice their lives in such an attack.
NESA M'10273C
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Hizb Allah Responsibility for Earlier Incidents
radical Shia network was probably behind a number of terrorist
incidents in recent years, including the car-bombing of the US
Embassy in April 1983, the car-bombings of US and French
Multinational Force installations last October, the car-bombing
of the Israeli military headquarters in Tyre last November, and a
series of kidnappings throughout Lebanon this year. We believe
Hizb Allah presently holds three Americans, including US Embassy
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DISTRIBUTION:
External:
Orig - Robert MacFarlane (NSC)
Cy 21 - OASD/ISA/NESA (T.Wolfe-Pentagon)
Cy
1 -
DCI
Cy
2 -
DDCI
Cy
3 -
DCI/S
A/IA
Cy
4 -
Execu
tive Dire
ctor
Cy
5 -
Execu
tive Regi
stry
Cy
6 -
DDI
Cy
7 -
ADDI
Cy
8 -
NIO/N
ESA
Cy
9 -
D/MPS
Cy
10 - PDB Staff
Cys 11,12,13,14 - CPAS/IMD/CB
Cv 15 - D/NESA
Cys 16,17 - NESA/PPS
Cy 18 - NESA/AI
Cys 19,20 - NESA/AI/L
DDI/NESA/AI
28Sep84)
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TOP SECRET
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