Most policymakers in the United States and Israel have it wrong. Hezbollah isn't a simple terrorist organization — nor is it likely to disappear soon. Following Israel's war against Hezbollah in the summer of 2006, the Shi'i group — which combines the functions of a militia, a social service and public works provider, and a political party — is more popular than ever in the Middle East while retaining its strong base of support in Lebanon. And Hezbollah didn't merely confront Israel and withstand its military onslaught. Hezbollah's postwar reconstruction efforts were judged better than the U.S. government's response to Hurricane Katrina — not by al-Jazeera, but by an American TV journalist. In Hezbollah, one of the world's leading experts on Hezbollah has written the essential guide to understanding the complexities and paradoxes of a group that remains entrenched at the heart of Middle East politics.

With unmatched clarity and authority, Augustus Richard Norton tells how Hezbollah developed, how it has evolved, and what direction it might take in the future. Far from being a one-dimensional terrorist group, Norton explains, Hezbollah is a janus-faced organization in the middle of an incomplete metamorphosis from extremism to mundane politics, an evolution whose outcome is far from certain. Beginning as a terrorist cat's-paw of Iran, Hezbollah has since transformed itself into an impressive political party with an admiring Lebanese constituency, but it has also insisted on maintaining the potent militia that forced Israel to withdraw from Lebanon in 2000 after almost two decades of occupation.

The most accessible, informed, and balanced analysis of the group yet written, Hezbollah is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the Middle East.

"In this remarkably thorough, articulate portrait of Hezbollah, Norton, a Boston University anthropology and international relations professor and former U.S. Army officer and U.N. military observer, analyzes how the organization was formed, how it evolved and its current role in Lebanese politics. More than just an Iranian-funded terrorist organization, Hezbollah is a comprehensive provider of social services to Lebanon's disenfranchised Shiite masses, and a highly respected political player, known to forswear corruption. Formed in 1982 under Iranian tutelage, and prompted by the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, Hezbollah has made a goal of fomenting Islamic revolution in Lebanon and authorizes violence to this end. In the 1990s, its policies in support of this goal began to include parliamentary participation. After the 2006 war with Israel, Hezbollah has emerged invigorated, flexing its military might and winning support through its rigorous postwar reconstruction. Norton's authoritative account is rooted in such important Middle East themes as the historical division between Sunni and Shiites and the origins of Iranian influence in Arab affairs. It is also personal, speckled with anecdotes from more than three decades of experience. Given the contentious subject, Norton's tone is remarkably even: Hezbollah is an organization he respects, but whose actions he does not condone." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Norton is the rare academic whose expertise doesn't prevent him from communicating well with a general reader." Eva Bellin, Hunter College, City University of New York

"He offers here a brisk and balanced history — which is to say, he traces an evolution over time — of Hezbollah while situating the party in the larger Lebanese and regional contexts." L. Carl Brown, Foreign Affairs

"He ends on a tentative note, voicing hope that Hezbollah will play a "constructive" role in Lebanon. One can only hope he's right."David Rosenberg, Bloomberg News

"Drawing on his vast knowledge of Lebanon, Norton has written a timely and readable primer that lucidly explains the intricacies of Hezbollah's ideology and history and demystifies its political strategy." Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future

"Norton's writing is always clear and accessible. This concise and accurate primer will be invaluable to general readers, reporters, and scholars." Lara Deeb, author of An Enchanted Modern: Gender and Public Piety in Shi'i Lebanon

Augustus Richard Norton, Professor of International Relations and Anthropology at Boston University, was a military observer for the United Nations in southern Lebanon when Hezbollah and rival Shi'i parties were taking form there in the early 1980s. A former U.S. Army officer and West Point professor, he has conducted research in Lebanon for close to three decades, and his book "Amal and the Shi'a" is widely considered to be a classic account of the political mobilization of Lebanon's Shi'i Muslims.

Prologue 1

Chapter 1: Origins and Prehistory of Hezbollah 9

The Rise of Shi'i Politics from the Mid-twentieth Century to the Lebanese Civil War 14

The Role of Musa al-Sadr 18

The Resurgence of Amal 21

Chapter 2: The Founding of Hezbollah 27

The Iraq Connection 30

The 1982 Israeli Invasion 32

Hezbollah Emerges 34

The Hezbollah Worldview 35

Implementing the Design 41

Chapter 3: Being a Shi'i Muslim in the Twenty-first Century 47

Ritual and Identity 51

The Intersection of Ritual and Politics 58

Chapter 4: Resistance, Terrorism, and Violence in Lebanon 69

Hezbollah and Terrorism 75

Occupation in Southern Lebanon 79

The "Rules of the Game" 83

The 2000 Israeli Withdrawal 88

Chapter 5: Playing Politics 95

Hezbollah's Decision to Participate 98

Municipal Elections 103

The Revolt of the Hungry 105

The Rich Texture of Shi'i Institutions 107

Chapter 6: From Celebration to War 113

The Changing Social Tapestry in Post-Civil War Lebanon 120

Lebanon's Love-Hate Relationship with Rafiq Hariri, and His Assassination 124

Setting the Stage for War 132

The Start of Hostilities, July 2006 135

Prosecuting the War 137

Conclusion 145

Hezbollah in a Fractured Postwar Lebanon 152

What Next? 157

Glossary 161

Additional Reading 163

Sources Cited 169

Index 173

Acknowledgments 185