Commentary
Amal Saad-Ghorayeb
{
"authors": [
"Amal Saad-Ghorayeb"
],
"type": "other",
"centerAffiliationAll": "dc",
"centers": [
"Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center"
],
"collections": [],
"englishNewsletterAll": "menaTransitions",
"nonEnglishNewsletterAll": "",
"primaryCenter": "Carnegie Endowment for International Peace",
"programAffiliation": "MEP",
"programs": [
"Middle East"
],
"projects": [],
"regions": [
"Middle East",
"Iran",
"Israel",
"Lebanon",
"Syria"
],
"topics": [
"Political Reform",
"Security",
"Military",
"Foreign Policy"
]
}
REQUIRED IMAGE
Other
In Their Own Words: Hizbollah's Strategy in the Current Confrontation
An in-depth look into the mindset of Hizbollah’s leadership, including their priorities, justifications for continued armament, and animosity towards the U.S. Through unprecedented access to high-ranking Hizbollah officials, including Hizbollah’s Deputy Secretary General.
Published on Jan 16, 2007
Source: Carnegie Endowment
United States Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte testified before Congress last week that an emboldened Hizbollah, backed by Syria and Iran and perceiving success in its war with Israel last summer, is a growing danger to the United States. Hizbollah’s influence in Lebanon and the surrounding region continues to hold major implications for Middle East policy – yet how widely understood are Hizbollah’s political ambitions and strategies among global audiences?
In this Carnegie Policy Outlook, In Their Own Words: Hizbollah’s Strategy in the Current Confrontation, visiting scholar Amal Saad-Ghorayeb provides an in-depth look into the mindset of Hizbollah’s leadership, including their priorities, justifications for continued armament, and animosity towards the United States. Through unprecedented access to high-ranking Hizbollah officials, including Hizbollah’s Deputy Secretary General, Saad-Ghorayeb summarizes numerous interviews to provide a unique glimpse into this complex organization’s goals and tactics.
Hizbollah views the current political crisis as an extension of the July war, waged against it by the U.S. and Israel. "By challenging the Siniora government Hizbollah sees itself as confronting the U.S.-Israeli plan to disarm the Resistance and redraw the face of Lebanon and the region.Hizbollah is determined to fight this political battle with the same zeal and determination that it displayed in the military war with Israel. Put simply, Hizbollah feels that if it loses this political conflict, it loses not only its political power and the type of Lebanon that it envisages, but also its arms," writes Saad-Ghorayeb.
Perhaps the most revealing insight into Hizbollah uncovered by the interviews is that the organization, despite its belligerence, is determined to ensure that the country does not plunge into civil war. Hizbollah considers national stability key to its mission of confronting Israel, and has encouraged its followers to refrain from being dragged into an internal conflict.
This is a web-only publication.
Click on the link above for the full text of this Carnegie publication.
About the Author
Amal Saad-Ghorayeb is a visiting scholar in the Carnegie Middle East Center. A leading expert on Hizbollah, she has written extensively about Lebanon’s Shiites and Lebanese politics.
About the Author
Amal Saad-Ghorayeb
Former Visiting Scholar
- Lebanese Shiites Express Political Identity
- The Paradox of Hezbollah's ArmsCommentary
Amal Saad-Ghorayeb
Recent Work
Carnegie India does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie India
- The Impact of U.S. Sanctions and Tariffs on India’s Russian Oil ImportsCommentary
This piece examines India’s response to U.S. sanctions and tariffs, specifically assessing the immediate market consequences, such as alterations in import costs, and the broader strategic implications for India’s energy security and foreign policy orientation.
Vrinda Sahai
- Military Lessons from Operation SindoorArticle
The India-Pakistan conflict that played out between May 6 and May 10, 2025, offers several military lessons. This article presents key takeaways from Operation Sindoor and breaks down how India’s preparations shaped the outcome and what more is needed to strengthen future readiness.
Dinakar Peri
- India and the Sovereignty Principle: The Disaggregation ImperativeBook
This book offers a comprehensive analysis of India's evolving relationship with sovereignty in a complex global order. Moving beyond conventional narratives, it examines how the sovereignty principle shapes India's behavior across four critical domains—from traditional military power to contemporary data governance.
Rudra Chaudhuri, Nabarun Roy
- NISAR Soars While India-U.S. Tariff Tensions SimmerCommentary
On July 30, 2025, the United States announced 25 percent tariffs on Indian goods. While diplomatic tensions simmered on the trade front, a cosmic calm prevailed at the Sriharikota launch range. Officials from NASA and ISRO were preparing to launch an engineering marvel into space—the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR), marking a significant milestone in the India-U.S. bilateral partnership.
Tejas Bharadwaj
- Hidden Tides: IUU Fishing and Regional Security Dynamics for IndiaArticle
This article examines the scale and impact of Chinese IUU fishing operations globally and identifies the nature of the challenge posed by IUU fishing in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It also investigates why existing maritime law and international frameworks have struggled to address this growing threat.
Ajay Kumar, Charukeshi Bhatt
