Thread by @ejmalrai

13 years ago, Imad Mughnieh was unlawfully assassinated in #Damascus. Both the CIA and the Mossad claimed credit. Haj Imad managed to survive for 25 years away from his killers (incl some Arab States) and transformed #Hezbollah to another level of deterrence against #Israel.+

He introduced changes within #Hezbollah structure and was known to be fair with all militants. He has created an innovation sector within Hezbollah and handsomely paid for any qualified person to materialise new ideas related to science, health and military fields.+

During the last year, around 2006-2007, Haj Imad became more visible domestically and regionally. He was the one meeting political and military leaders, including allies and his name became more known as the "assistant of the Jihadi council Leader (Sayyed Nasrallah) +

#Hezbollah has lost an important leader and a very close friend and companion to Sayyed Nasrallah. However, Hezbollah moved from domestic to regional power, operating in #Lebanon to defend the country from #Israel's intentions and imposed deterrence that Israel has lost. +

#Hezbollah moved to #Syria to the request of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad & to #Iraq when Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki asked the help of Hezbollah against #ISIS and to #Yemen to the request of Sanaa' government to stand against a very large coalition led by US and Saudi.

#Hezbollah is not a group of militants who are jobless in time of peace. It represents a third of the Lebanese population who will never ever give up on their right to defend themselves. The Shia of Jabal Amel will not be humiliated again.

The Shia in the ME earned a strong voice when Imam Khomeini came to power and #Iran managed to hold on to the "Islamic Republic". #Hezbollah initially wanted an Islamic Republic but soon, with Iran, realised the objective is not possible to achieve in multi-religious #Lebanon.

Today, with the available military power of #Hezbollah to occupy a surface larger than #Lebanon, the Shia refuse to take control because they are not a substitute to the state but will not submit to the injustice the gov of Lebanon inflicted on them from 1940 to 1982.

#Hezbollah is not only an ideology, but it is considered the defender of the existence of the Shia. This is why when the west invests and thinks of plans to weaken Hezbollah or reduce its power, the result will always be a failure.

The West is no longer trying to defeat #Hezbollah coz all attempts have failed. Now it is trying to turn the Lebanese society against Hezbollah, incl the Shia. That is not possible coz the majority of the Shia will stand by any decision taken by the group, that is the society.+

Any voice in #Lebanon criticising #Hezbollah is considered by the west irrelevant unless it comes from a Shia. This voice is inflated coz it is considered unusual. Shia who attacks Hezbollah mainly represents all those non-Shia who r against the group (50% of the Lebanese).

That was part of my Doctorate thesis.

Thank you for reading it.