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Irregular Adversaries and Hybrid Threats

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07.13.2011 at 08:59am

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Mark Pyruz

I’ve said this before but I feel it deserves repeating.

There’s a fundamental problem with the terminology which is customarily provided in these handbooks.

The notion of state and non-state is more complex in the cases of Hezbollah and Hamas.

For reasons which should be obvious, it is more accurate to classify Hezbollah as an intra-state actor, since it encompasses an element within the government and its military is seen as legitimate by the government.

And even Hamas should be considered an element of a proto-state, since it was put into power through a democratic election. And if it is not an element of a proto-state, are we conceding the prospect of a one-state solution for Israel/Palestine?

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Jimbo

Mark, I heartily concur. Hezbollah can’t even be called a shadow government since it operates in the open. It is in effect a second government within Lebanon.

I know it is a silly analogy, but I see Hezbollah and AQ as Mao and Che. Hezbollah is taking the long war approach, staying below the threshold for action while spreading its tendrils. AQ is all flash without a hope for actual victory.

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