Hezbollah: Literature Review Literature Reviews Examples

There is a very thorough and interesting literature on Hezbollah. In Bruce Hoffman’s work, Inside Terrorism, he analyzes the historical evolution of the terrorist mindset and the motivations and tactics that have emerged as important tactics in recent developments in global terrorism. According to Magnus Ranstorp’s Mapping Terrorism, is not so much a work on terrorism itself but a critique on the current state of research on terrorism and counter-terrorism. They also offer interesting ideas for the future direction of the studies. Casey Addis’ thorough work on Hezbollah: Background and Issues for Congress is a scholarly congressional report on the history of the organization, its origins, activities and implications for regional neighbors. It also highlights what efforts have been made to curb their growth. In A.R. Norton’s Hezbollah: A Short History, the author looks at the relationship between the organization and the Arab Spring and how the organization has been involved in the support of Assad’s regime in Syria.
B. Berti and J. Gleis’ work looks comparatively at Hezbollah and Hamas in Hezbollah and Hamas: A Comparative Study. It looks at each group’s military operations and their comparative histories. J.B. Love’s Hezbollah: Social Services as a Source of Power, looks at more than the organization’s military or terrorist aspects and more at its appeal as a provider of social structures. A. Franjie’s The Evolution of Hezbollah situates Hezbollah in frameworks of conflict analysis and international relations and how the group struggles for culture and identity within these frameworks. E. Ottolenghi’s Hezbollah: Party of Terror, argues that it is not a political party at all but should be considered on the EU’s list of terrorist organizations and not have any place in politics. M. Lawson’s Religion and Resistance looks at how doctrinal differences in Islam have affected Hezbollah and Hamas and seeks to understand the religiosity of the movements. In S. Schiesz’s Hezbollah: Before and After the Syrian War, they look at its involvement in the Syrian Civil War. H. Khashan’s Hezbollah’s Plans for Lebanon, discusses possible plans for Hezbollah in Lebanon and how it plans on undermining the Lebanese State by marginalizing the Sunni Muslims. L.B. Butler’s Hezbollah: The Dynamics of Recruitment examines Hezbollah’s recruitment process using political science and mathematical methodologies. T. Badran’s Foundation for Defense of Democracies looks at U.S. policies toward Lebanon and Syria and how it has dealt with non-state actors, such as Hezbollah. The U.S. State Department wrote a Briefing on the Designation of Hezbollah for supporting the Syrian Regime in 2010 and it looks at how Hezbollah has supported the Syrian regime and its implications for the global war on terror and stability in the Middle East.
Another organization that has written on Hezbollah is the National Counter Terrorism Centre. In their article, “Terrorist Groups: Hezbollah,” they provide a historical overview of the group from its origins to modern times. Jonathan Master’s “Hezbollah,” for the Council on Foreign Relations, breaks down the leadership and organizational structures and its role in Lebanese politics. There are also important interviews. In the interview of Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, he looks at how long Hezbollah will last and its relationship with Assad regime. In S. Hamid’s book The Rise of Islamists, he discusses the recent turmoil in the Middle East that led to the climate conducive for the first Islamist governments in the modern world. Unlike other alarmist reports, he tells the reader that the West should have no fear of Islamist governments. In Judith Palmer Harik’s book Hezbollah: The Changing Face of Terrorism, she makes clear the ideology of Hezbollah and looks at their relationship with regional powers. The book is based on first-hand research and shows the development of how Hezbollah went from a radical group on the fringe to one that is a mainstream part of Lebonese politics today. In a report, “Hezbollah, Recruiting non-Shiites for ISIS fight,” it argues that Hezbollah is recruiting non-Shiites to take part in the ISIS fight and looks at components such as its membership numbers and their salaries. In E. Solomon and L. Bassam’s article, they report Hezbollah saying that they will withdraw from Syria if Arab forces agree to withdraw. K. Wescott’s, “Who Are Hezbollah,” provides a historical context and gives their political motives. In “Hezbollah Faces Hard Choices between fighting Israel, Sunnis,” the Associated Press says that Hebollah intends to stretch well beyond Lebanon and wage a war against Israel and forces all across the Middle East, particularly Sunnis.