US officials debate virulence of Hezbollah´s threat on US soil as
NYPD says Hezbollah´s infrastructure in the Big Apple substantial
WASHINGTON A recent report by the House of Representatives
Committee on Homeland Security states that there are hundreds,
perhaps even thousands, people he described as "Iranian and Hezbollah
terrorists" in the United States.
An alarming part of the officials´ assessments focuses on the
apparent surveillance missions that Iranian diplomats and possible
Hezbollah operatives have been seen conducting at sensitive targets
such as New York City´s subways and bridges, and at nuclear power
plants and tunnels elsewhere in the United States in the past 10
years.
At the same time, US officials caution that Hezbollah, a Shiite
militia based in Lebanon, has largely avoided attacking US targets
since it carried out mass-casualty bombings in the 1980s against the
US Embassy and Marine barracks in Beirut. One reason may be that it
does not want to endanger its lucrative North American fund-raising
operations.
The renewed focus on Hezbollah which US counter-terrorism officials
regard as the most potent and disciplined of Islamic militant groups,
even more so than al-Qaeda comes amid a growing confrontation over
Iran´s nuclear program.
An Israeli or US strike on Iran´s nuclear sites could prompt
Hezbollah to change strategy, moving from surveillance and fund-
raising in North America to launching retaliatory attacks on either
country, several US officials said.
Israel, while acknowledging the likelihood of retaliation by Iran or
its agents, has sometimes downplayed the risk of a broader conflict.
Iranian-inspired surveillance missions in the United States have been
scattered over a period of years. But, when combined with a handful
of recent attacks or plots around the world, they have contributed to
an assessment within the US government that considerable violence
directed against US targets at overseas installations or
businesses, or at American soil could follow any strike on Iran´s
nuclear program.
US intelligence and law enforcement officials, along with private
experts, say there is little doubt Hezbollah has an extensive network
of supporters, fund-raisers and potential operatives in the United
States.
´Thousands of sympathizers´
A law enforcement official said that the New York Police Department,
whose monitoring of Muslim communities has prompted political
controversy, believes that between 200 and 300 Hezbollah sympathizers
live in New York City. Between 10 and 20 of those are relatives of
Hezbollah leaders or fighters who were killed in action, said the
official.
The NYPD´s knowledge of Hezbollah´s infrastructure is sufficiently
detailed that it has identified three Lebanese towns, Bint Jbeil,
Yanoun and Yatar, to which suspected sympathizers of the group have
ties. At least a handful of people in New York connected with
Hezbollah have also undergone military training in Lebanon, the
official said.
A preliminary Homeland Security report said that pinpointing the
number of Hezbollah operatives inside the United States was difficult
because of the group´s operational security. The report nonetheless
cited the estimates of "some officials" that the group "likely"
has "several thousand sympathetic donors" in the United States as
well as "hundreds" of operatives.
But other officials said there was a big difference between a
Hezbollah "supporter" and someone who would be willing to engage in
violent activity. The officials said such distinctions have been
blurred in public discussions about the domestic threat the group
allegedly poses.
Over the years, US federal authorities have brought numerous criminal
cases against alleged Hezbollah operatives, most of them related to
fund-raising or other support activity rather than plotting against
US targets.
The access to potential funding sources is one reason why Hezbollah
has avoided targeting the United States or its interests, experts
say.
Because the United States is such a critical source for funds and
equipment, Hezbollah might be reluctant to embark on attacks inside
the United States even if prodded to do so by patrons in Iran.
Attacks against US targets overseas might be more likely, the report
said.
