Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God Hezbollah -- Lebanon's "Party of God" -- is a multifaceted organization: it is a powerful political party in Lebanon, a Shia Islam religious and social movement, Lebanon's largest militia, a close ally of Iran, and a terrorist organization. Hezbollah and Iran both deny the existence of a Hezbollah terrorist apparatus, but intelligence services worldwide know it well. While some acts of terror, like the kidnappings in Lebanon in the 1980s and the 1992 and 1994 bombings in Buenos Aires, are generally known, Hezbollah's global presence and terrorist activities go much farther. In his latest book, "Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God," Matthew Levitt, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, draws on a wide range of sources -- including recently declassified government documents, court records, and personal interviews with intelligence and law enforcement officials around the world -- to examine the organization's beginnings, its first violent forays in Lebanon, and its terrorist activities and criminal enterprises around the world. He also describes the Hezbollah unit dedicated to supporting Palestinian militant groups and Hezbollah's involvement in training and supporting insurgents who fought U.S. troops in post-Saddam Iraq. The New America Foundation is pleased to welcome Mr. Levitt for a discussion about the findings in his book, as well as Hezbollah's integral, ongoing role in Iran's shadow war with Israel and the West. Participants Matthew Levitt Author, Hezbollah: The Global Footprint of Lebanon's Party of God Director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy's Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence @Levitt_Matt Peter Bergen Director, National Security Program newamerica.net/events/2013/hezbollah_footprint

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