Hizbullah

Hizbullah (''Party of God'') is one of the Middle East''s major political forces. Sheikh Naim Qassem, its Deputy Secretary-General, provides an insider''s view of this Shi''ite resistance group turned political party, from its inception to the present day. Formed in 1982 in response to Israel''s invasion of Lebanon, Hizbullah was instrumental in forcing Israel to withdraw its troops in 2000. During the 1990s, after many years functioning as both a guerrilla movement and a social-support provider to Lebanese victims of war, Hizbullah moved into mainstream parliamentary politics. The group''s mandate is laid out here, allowing access to the mindset of this important party at a crucial stage of its development.