We love the Mute

Our recently departed-to-Beirut brother Mutimer reported some shocking news on his blog yesterday (which we are pleased to see he is updating regularly--keep it up!)

I got to admit yesterday was a little creepy. In the middle of the afternoon horns blaring multiple cars began flying down the streets. Men in 20's were hanging out their windows yelling arabic words (which I have yet to come to learn) and waving their green party flag. Knowing that politcal happenings had been occuring within the Lebanense parliament throughout the day, several of us thought it was an advancing official. But instead we quickly learned that the flag we saw was that of Hezzbollah (please mind my spelling) I have to admit I was a little nervous, it wasn't until they passed that I recaught my breath. My reaction was normal but it was not well placed. Hezbollah made popular by the bombing in 1983 of the marine base in Beirut has not taken part in active violenc since. They are now a striving political party with what some might call radical views. It's interesting to read about those who I am now in the midst with. I'll continue to keep you posted.

I have to say I was a little skeptical, but Chris is there and I am here, so hey, what do I know? But then I read this:

Hezbollah Claims Attacks on Israeli Troops

Wednesday June 29, 2005 3:31 PM

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) - Hezbollah guerrillas attacked Israeli troops in a disputed part of the south Lebanon border Wednesday, according to Lebanese security officials and Hezbollah's Al Manar TV channel.

The guerrillas attacked three Israeli positions in Chebaa Farms, an area where the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Israel meet, the TV and Lebanese officials said.

Israeli forces responded by shelling suspected guerrilla hideouts near the town of Kfar Chouba in the vicinity of Chebaa Farms, Al Manar reported.

In Jerusalem, the Israeli Defense Force declined to comment.

Chebaa Farms has become the focus of Hezbollah attacks on Israeli forces since the Jewish state withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000. Lebanon and Syria say Chebaa Farms is Lebanese territory, but U.N. cartographers who surveyed the border after the Israeli withdrawal in 2000 said it belongs to that part of Syria which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

I was more than a little confused. So I did a little more digging and came up with this quote, which is found in a Foreign Affairs piece on Hezbollah.

"[Hezbollah] may be the 'A-team' [of terrorists] while al-Qaida may be actually the 'B-team.'" - (Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage during a press conference at the American Embassy in Brussels, September 5, 2002, and as quoted before the US Congress on September 18, 2002)

Yikes! Chris, what gives?

For an in depth report on Hezbollah by the Anti-Defamation League, click here.