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Hezbollah Terrorist Group

The Hezbollah terrorist group is a political group founded and motivated by the Lebanese invasion by Israel. The majority of the terrorist activities by the group are directed towards the Israelis and its primary source of funding is Iran. Currently, the group’s growth is seen in the fact and aspect that it holds a position in Lebanese parliament and has control over television and radio stations in Lebanon. The terrorist group has a lot of support in the country and specifically, its majority support comes from the Shia. The group gets support from both Iran and Syria (Trenchard, & Army War College (U.S) , 2011).

The group’s classification and association with terrorism majorly emanates from the fact and aspect that it applies rather crude and cruel means in advancing its ideologies and manifestos. The fact that the group’s greatest aim is to get rid of and eliminate the Israel nation is one of the key factors and aspects that make it to be labeled as a terrorist group. On many occasions and the most common tactic that the group uses and applies in delegating its acts of terrorism is through suicide bombers. The strategy of suicide bombers to remove the occupation of Israelis in various parts of the country has been somehow effective since it has continually caused a lot of suffering to the Israeli occupants, especially those in Lebanon. The organization also engages itself in activities of facilitating the sale and purchase of various weapons, especially weapons of mass destruction for purposes of facilitating terrorist attacks through their basis across the globe. The terrorist group also kidnaps individuals as revenge and with the objective of gaining leverage in exchange for their captured terrorist members. The group is also labeled as a terrorist group due to its continued engagement in attacks directed to civilian populations in their targets, especially in Israel (Beifuss, & Bellini, 2013).

The Hezbollah terrorist group has been associated with various terrorist attacks across the globe, many of which it has either denied or accepted. Many of its attacks are directed towards the Israeli citizens and this is in accordance with the primary goal and objective of the group which is to wipe out the Israeli nation. Most notable among the attacks that have been propagated by the group is the Burgas Bus Bombing which took place in the year 2012.

The Bus which was involved in the bombing was transporting Israelis only, 42c of them who were tourists. The Israeli tourists were being transported to their hotels from their airport by the Bus. The bombing was delegated by a suicide bomber who together with the bus driver and five of the visiting Israeli tourists died in the attack. The association of the group to the attacks was primarily based on certain aspects of the group that makes it highly probable that the group delegated the attacks that took place (Norton, 2007). The factors that make it highly probable that it must have been the group that delegated the attack include;

The bus that was targeted was primarily carrying Israeli tourists meaning that the propagators of the attack were fully aware of the target. The greatest aim and agenda of the Hezbollah terrorist group is to get rid of the Israeli nation and this certainly would be possible through the elimination, through the killing of the Israeli population. The group’s primary goal therefore matches completely with the achieved goals and objectives of the attacks despite the fact that the attacks were on foreign soil. The fact that the primary goal and ideology of the group matches the attack’s primary objective means that the Hezbollah terrorist group must have planned and successfully executed the attack though the numbers of casualties was relatively fewer compared with and to the target that the group might have wanted to eliminate through the attack (Norton, 2007).

After investigations into the attacks were conducted and carried out through the analysis of DNA among other factors and aspects being put into consideration, it was eventually established and found out that indeed a group member played the greatest role in facilitating the attack in that the Hezbollah member facilitated the forging of the documents that were in possession by the perpetrators of the attack. This means that there was an in advance planning of the attack by the terrorist group.

Attributes and Dynamics of the Group

The group, Hezbollah, during the 2012 Burgas attack had advanced and developed in a big way. Its influence not only in Lebanon but even in neighboring countries had grown immensely. The group had already engaged itself in various major and high degree confrontations, including ones with the Israeli army. The attacks that the group had already engaged itself in had created a lot of experience in the group in similar attacks. This was not the first suicide attack that had been successfully planned and delegated by the group (Beifuss, & Bellini, 2013).

The previous planning and the resources that the terrorist group had in its disposal made it easy to easily execute the Burgas attack. The group could easily collect and acquire adequate intelligence and the intelligence would facilitate easy planning and execution of the attack. The ease in access and possession of the intelligence would make it easy for the terrorist group to carry out the attack. The target would not be easily missed due to the successful planning of the attack by the terrorist group (Norton, 2007).

There had been increasing and regular confrontations between the group and the Israeli army due to attacks that had been executed by the group and that had caused loss of many Israeli lives. Though the previous confrontations had been resolved in an amicable manner, the group had been quite successful. On some occasions, the confrontations that had taken place between the Israeli army and the group had ended in verbal agreements of ceasefire. The fact that the previous confrontations were not taken with a great deal of seriousness meant that the group could easily carry out the attack and still go free, and this is evident through the denial of the engagement in the attack by the terrorist group (Trenchard, & Army War College (U.S) , 2011).

There had been previous plots of terrorism against the Israeli tourists, even before the Burgas attack. In the same year, the group had attempted an attack on Israeli tourists in Cyprus. This can be translated to mean that the terrorist group had ample information on the whereabouts of Israeli tourists. Though the planned Cyprus attacks by Hezbollah were unsuccessful, it is a clear indication that the group has occasionally planned attacks against the Israeli tourists (Deeb, 2013).

Another factor and aspect that links the Hezbollah terrorist group to the Burgas terrorist attack is the fact that the attack was propagated by a suicide bomber. Suicide bombing is highly associated with the Hezbollah terrorist group, especially when targeting Israeli nationals. The fact that the attack was executed through suicide bombing and it is the most common and applied tactic by the Hezbollah group makes it highly probable that the group was behind the attacks. More importantly, the fact that the forging of the passports used in the bombing was facilitated by a member of the Hezbollah terrorist group means that the executer of the plan must have been receiving directions, most probably from the group (Beifuss, & Bellini, 2013).

During the attacks, and at the site where the attacks took place, two of the passports discovered and that were forged were investigated. The forging of the passports was established to not have taken place in Bulgaria but in Lebanon. The fact that Lebanon is majorly known and identified with the Hezbollah terrorist group means that the attacks must have been organized, planned and coordinated from Lebanon and the only group in Lebanon that could have engaged itself in such attacks was the Hezbollah terrorist group. Though the terrorist group and Iran, the central source of funding for the terrorist group, denied any links and claims to having delegated the attack means that the group must have been the sole mastermind behind the attack. The evidence and various aspects relating to the attack have created a direct link and connection to the terrorist group (Byers, 2003).

Context of Group and Event

The Hezbollah terrorist group had already gained political power and influence by the time the Burgas attacks were carried out. The group already had veto power in the government. The group would not now engage itself in direct attacks since it was more of the Lebanese government rather than the terrorist group it was perceived to be. This explains and gives the reason why the group denies engagement in the attacks that took place in the Burgas terrorist attack. Despite its denial, evidence of its involvement in the attack was a lot (Deeb, 2013).

The fact that the group was in government and was holding key positions of power meant that the group could easily access intelligence information on the movements of individuals from and to different locations. It was believed at some point that the head of the airport chief of Beirut was affiliated with the group. This illustrates that it would have been easy for the group to carry out the Burgas attack with ease. The power and control that it had, especially the veto power that was awarded to the group meant that the group would be capable of easily moving and controlling resources with ease and under cover without being easily detected (Trenchard, & Army War College (U.S) , 2011).

It is believed that the individuals who owned the passports that were used in the attacks were from Canada and Australia and the making of the passports had been facilitated by a key member of Hezbollah in Lebanon. This is an indication and illustration of the connections and the wide network that the terrorist has and capability in accessing various resources that are at its disposal (Deeb, 2013).

The Leadership Analytical Framework

In this type of a framework, various tasks that require delegation have a direct or indirect relationship and are related to each other either directly or indirectly. Everyone in a given scenario or situation can play a role towards the success of the intended goals and objectives of delegation of the intended task. The leadership framework has various elements which include; the practice of individual persons, working in teams or groups, working across the organization and the whole organization working together (Beifuss, & Bellini, 2013).

Individual Practice in the context of Hezbollah

The terrorist group Hezbollah can be analyzed on the basis of the leadership framework. Each and every individual in the terrorist group and organization has a defined role and stake to play. The members of the groups are given different assignments which they are required to delegate on and as individuals. In the delegation of individual tasks and roles, individuals are to make personal decisions that interplay and determine the success or failure of an individual in delegating the given task. The tasks that individuals in the group are assigned add up to the end and final success of the group in achieving the final goal and objective, on many occasions, terrorist attacks. Most notable in the illustration of the individual practice in the Hezbollah terrorist group is the individual suicide bombers. These suicide bombers make personal decisions on when and where is best and most effective to carry out an attack, and as their primary goal and objective is, with the highest number of casualties. This would be a sign of success for the suicide bomber. Another individual practice is illustrated in the Burgas attacks by the role played by the facilitator of the processing of the passports for the suicide bombers. The facilitator was assigned the role of ensuring that those who were to delegate the attack had passports that would enable them gain access and get close to the Israeli tourists and subsequently and successfully execute the attack.

Working across teams

The Hezbollah terrorist group cannot achieve success in executing various terrorist attacks without there being a team that carefully plans and designs the manner in which an attack is to be carried out. The team is seen and exemplified through the executioners of the attack. There must have been communication between the suicide bombers and key personnel inside the Hezbollah terrorist group. The processor of the passports is also part of the group that planned and successfully executed the attack.

Across the Wider Group

Though key leaders of the Hezbollah terrorist group distance themselves and the group from the attack, while evidence directly points to them for the attack, they must have been in full knowledge that there was an attack that was to be carried out. The group had knowledge that there would be attacks to be carried out. The group must have been working in unison in order to ensure that the attacks would be successful (Deeb, 2013).

The whole group

The whole group, the Hezbollah terrorist group must have been aware that the attacks were to be carried out in order to ensure that everyone played their role in an effective manner for purposes of assurance of success. The attacks were directed towards furthering and advancing the belief and ideologies of the group (Byers, 2003).

Conclusion

The Burgas attack by the Hezbollah terrorist group that caused 7 casualties, including the suicide bomber is just one of the many events and attacks that the group has carried out. The terrorist attack by the terrorist group mainly applies the tactic of suicide bombings. The Burgas attack was carried out in a coordinated manner by where individuals had their respective roles to play and the whole group at large and the integration of the roles that the two were to play clearly were to add up to successful execution of the attack by the group (Norton, 2007).