2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

SYRIA-LEBANON
Hizballah Serves as Iran’s Proxy Along Israel’s Border
A half-decade after the end of the 2006 war between Israel and Hizballah, the terrorist group has
rebounded. With the support of Iran and Syria, Hizballah flagrantly violates U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701, which established a cease-fire and called for Hizballah’s disarmament. Instead,
Hizballah has amassed a stockpile of more than 60,000 rockets and mortars, including hundreds of
advanced guided rockets capable of hitting all of Israel. U.S. officials, including former Secretary of
Defense Robert Gates, have said that Hizballah’s military capabilities now dwarf those of many nations.
As the leading state sponsor of terrorism, Iran utilizes Hizballah to export its revolutionary ideology
and promote terrorism. Together, Iran and Hizballah have built alliances with narcotics traffickers
in Latin America and terrorist groups throughout the Middle East, including Iraqi insurgents who
regularly attacked U.S. forces when they were in Iraq.
By providing sophisticated weapons to Hizballah in the aftermath of the 2006 war, Iran has
blatantly violated numerous Security Council resolutions, including U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1747, which forbids Iran from exporting or trading weapons. The Islamic Revolutionary
Guards Corps (IRGC)—itself a designated terrorist organization—provides Hizballah with training,
weapons and millions of dollars each year.
Syria Helps Hizballah Advance Military Capabilities
Syria serves as a transit point for Iranian weapons and provides its own military and technical support
to Hizballah. In the view of American and Israeli defense officials, Syrian-Hizballah ties have advanced
during the past five years to the point that the Syrian leadership views Hizballah as an extension of its
own military. Syria has provided top-shelf weapons systems such as M600 missiles and late-generation
Scud missiles from its own arsenal to the terrorist group. Both missiles have a range of 150 to 250
miles and can target Israel’s main population centers. Top Israeli and American officials have accused
Syria of transferring approximately 100 M600s and at least 10 Scud-D missiles to the terrorist group,
according to a WikiLeaks report picked up by The New York Times in December 2010. The transfer
constitutes a destabilizing escalation by the Assad regime.
Hizballah Aids Syrian Repression of Its People
As the civil war in Syria raged throughout 2012, Hizballah was cited by Syrian rebels as playing
an increasing role in helping the regime. Syrian rebels reported Hizballah sniper teams operating in
Damascus, Hama and Homs, and often assisting the “shabiha” regime gangs that terrorize towns and
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