Hezbollah
Hizballah (or "Party of God") is also known as Islamic Jihad Organization.
[The following information is from the United States Department of State, "Background Information on Foreign Terrorist Organizations," released by the Office of Counterterrorism, October 8, 1999.]
Description: Radical Shia group formed in Lebanon; dedicated to creation of Iranian-style Islamic republic in Lebanon and removal of all non-Islamic influences from the area. Strongly anti-West and anti-Israel. Closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran but may have conducted operations that were not approved by Tehran.
Activities: Known or suspected to have been involved in numerous anti-US terrorist attacks, including the suicide truck bombing of the US Embassy and US Marine barracks in Beirut in October 1983 and the US Embassy annex in Beirut in September 1984. Elements of the group were responsible for the kidnapping and detention of US and other Western hostages in Lebanon. The group also attacked the Israeli Embassy in Argentina in 1992.
Strength: Several thousand.
Location / Area of Operation: Operates in the Bekaa Valley, the southern suburbs of Beirut, and southern Lebanon. Has established cells in Europe, Africa, South America, North America, and elsewhere.
External Aid: Receives substantial amounts of financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran and Syria.
Hizballah came into existence after Israel attacked and occupied southern Lebanon (where nearly all of Shia muslims of Lebonon live). On August 25 1982, elements of US Mediterranean Amphibious Ready Group 2-82 and 32nd Marine Amphibious Unit conducted a flawless landing from the sea into the Port of Beirut, Lebanon. After occupying the Port, elements of 32nd, serving as the US portion of a multinational force, evacuated 6,436 combatants, including Syrian and PLO elements, in order to stablize the city. The Hizballah defended their territories using low intensity warfare tactics against US military and political elements. American media often associate the name 'Hizballah' with 'terrorism' in the minds of Americans and the world.
It is important to note that the Hizbullah has never been engaged in any form of struggle against Israeli citizins -- their struggle started and ended with Israeli occupying mitlitary, and for a short while, with the US "Peacekeeping Forces" whom the Hizbullah claimed had been supporting the Israelis. In fact,the scope of warfare operation of the Hizbullah has never been extended outside the borders of Lebanon.
For a long time, Israeli airforce used to bomb Shia villages in southern Lebanon massively, killing helpless villagers indiscriminately, and called it "getting rid of terrorists who hide there", but those so-called terrorists were people who lived there and were defending their lands from military occupation by the Israelis.
Since the end of the Israeli occupation in Lebanon, the Hizballah has been involved in activities like building schools, clinics, hospitals and other needed services for their society.