Hezbollah: A Regional Armed Non-state Actor (Routledge Studies in Middle Eastern Politics)

This book examines Hezbollah's transition from a domestic into a regional armed non-state actor (ANSA). Taking its point of departure in Hezbollah's historiography on the military and political levels in Lebanon, it focuses on the participation of Hezbollah's troops in Syria's sect-coded civil war. Initially limited, Hezbollah's intervention in the Syrian conflict gradually increased into a full-scale engagement across vast swathes of Syrian territory, with Hezbollah instrumentalizing its sectarian (Shiʿa) identity to justify its engagement. Sect-centric narratives and victimhood were a mere tool for what was a geopolitical confrontation, and Hezbollah's involvement launched it to becoming a regional ANSA. The book outlines that this transition was only plausible because of the interplay between three factors: Hezbollah's sectarian mobilization and instrumentalization of its sectarian identity; the shift into a quasi-army combining classical with guerrilla tactics and formations; and its embedding as a partner in the axis which now extends from Beirut to Tehran. It was in 2018 that a set of conditions, impossible to reproduce, allowed Hezbollah to reach its culmination on both the domestic and regional theatres. This book shows that ANSAs are playing prominent roles in the regional order in the Middle East. Meticulously researched, Hezbollah is a comprehensive study ideal for upper-level undergraduates and above with an interest in Middle East studies, Middle East politics, and international relations. Hezbollah Cover -1 Endorsements 2 Half Title 4 Series Page 5 Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Contents 8 Abbreviations 10 1. Introduction 12 Questions Addressed 18 The Plausibility of Transitions 20 A Theoretical Framework: ANSAs and Sectarianism 23 Explaining the Terminologies 29 Map of the Book 31 Notes 35 2. Background, Emergence, and Religious and Political Allegiances 39 Historical Background 40 The Nexus between Hezbollah and Iran's Islamic Republic: Wilayat al-Faqih 51 Debating Hezbollah 55 Conclusion 64 Notes 65 3. Lebanon: Hezbollah's Den 70 First Parliamentary Elections: Infitah Policy 71 Post-Syria Withdrawal: Into the Government 73 Memorandum of Understanding 78 The July War: Toward a New Power Balance? 80 The "7 May" Clashes and the Doha Agreement: A Sect-Coded Confrontation 87 Aoun's Rise to Power 90 En 'Odtom 'Odna: Arsal's Barren Hills 93 The 2018 Parliamentary Elections: Hezbollah's Massive Win 96 Hezbollah's Response to the 17 October Uprising 98 Conclusion 101 Notes 102 4. The Geopolitical Contest and Hezbollah's Sect-Centricity 106 Palestine: Hezbollah's raison d'être 107 Hezbollah in Post-Saddam Iraq 113 The Battle for Syria 119 From al-Qusayr to Qalamoun: Hezbollah's Sectarian Mobilization 120 The Frenzied Hours of the War: Demystifying Hezbollah's Full-Scale Engagement 142 Hezbollah in the Saudi Backyard: Yemen 162 Conclusion 165 Notes 167 5. The Transition: A Regional Armed Non-State Actor 179 Syria's Sect-Coded Conflict: The War of Necessity 180 Hezbollah's Political Instrumentalization of Sectarian Identity 186 The Shift to a Quasi-Army 195 From Beirut to Tehran: A Partnership Demystified 200 Conclusion 203 Notes 204 6. Hezbollah's Paroxysm: What Next? 209 Notes 214 Index 215 Middle,East,studies;,Islamic,Studies;,Lebanon;,politics;,middle,eastern,politics;,international,relations; Middle East studies,Islamic Studies,Lebanon,politics,middle eastern politics,international relations "This book examines Hezbollah's transition from a domestic into a regional armed non-state actor (ANSA). Taking its point of departure in Hezbollah's historiography on the military and political levels in Lebanon, it focuses on the participation of Hezbollah's troops in Syria's sect-coded civil war. Initially limited, Hezbollah's intervention in the Syrian conflict gradually increased into a full-scale engagement across vast swathes of Syrian territory, with Hezbollah instrumentalizing its sectarian (Shiʻa) identity to justify its engagement. Sect-centric narratives and victimhood were a mere tool for what was a geopolitical confrontation, and Hezbollah's involvement launched it to becoming a regional ANSA. The book outlines that this transition was only plausible because of the interplay between three factors: Hezbollah's sectarian mobilization and instrumentalization of its sectarian identity; the shift into a quasi-army combining classical with guerrilla tactics and formations; and its embedding as a partner in the axis which now extends from Beirut to Tehran. It was in 2018 that a set of conditions, impossible to reproduce, allowed Hezbollah to reach its culmination on both the domestic and regional theatres. This book shows that ANSAs are playing prominent roles in the regional order in the Middle East. Meticulously researched, Hezbollah is a comprehensive study ideal for upper-level undergraduates and above with an interest in Middle East studies, Middle East politics and international relations"-- Provided by publisher