Coming up ahead. Levanon the only country in the modern middle east that was long dominated by christians today muslims are in the majority its a society that has repeatedly been under threat. And just was on there have always been tensions between the different religious communities and to nominations in various ethnic groups in lebanon. I suppose and financed by iran the Shiite Hezbollah Party of god has had a huge impact on the political fabric of lebannon. As follows critics would say yes that this does the stabilized region hezbollah supporters would say that as well as ministries strength is an asset for love. Because that keeps israel away. In the civil war in syria the hezbollah militia defended the ascent regime now theyre back in levanon in stronger shape than ever. The more they are fighting to defend is the model of bashar assad which this is its a she. Bought just to what extent does has ability turman the course of politics in lebanon. Beirut the lebanese capital still bears the scars of a civil war that for more than 15 years crippled the city and the country as a whole see and saddam was among those who fall back then he was just 16 years old when he 1st held the weapon in his hands. The civil war erupted in 1975 like virtually the entire country beirut became a battlefield. The war initially saw christian militias fighting against the Palestinian Liberation Organization and p. L. O. Which was threatening to take control of beirut. In. The hostilities then escalated into a broader conflict between christians and the arab nationalists finally the israelis invaded and occupied southern lebanon in order to expel the p. L. O. From the country it was at this time that hezbollah was formed. The war crime tens of thousands of lives and left the country devastated. Bad thing for us was a person who whereby if the they know but they dont speak about it. Thats why every 1520 years something someplace will have to go. And they know how to destroy the buildings and they dont know to make a smaller house where they go they dont know or anything about their life except fighting. Here in the middle of favorite in the no mans land between muslim and christian districts ziad sahaba and his former comrades in arms a meeting up in a cafe they want to break the silence surrounding events in the civil war there are lessons to be learned they say also including the conflicts with israel the last of which again shocked the country in 2006 ziad screw pulse meetings where all participants can talk about their war time experiences. With out your last. One is. Bad enough about a friend of mine was driving his car when a shell exploded behind him and. He looked in his mirror and saw a woman collapse he drove back to help her it was then that a 2nd shell exploded and killed him she. Just doesnt get the. Idea that. A growing number of people are eager to talk of how it feels to be at the mercy of tanks and missiles. They also reflect on their own deeds. But. They were hurried to use their guns to solve our problems is the biggest mistake. And the main factor why we. Do this is us and no it was a civil war itself. And actually it was us who believe that by violent we can change the situation and what we what we did we destroy our comps are. Among the biggest losers of the civil war were Catholic Christians the maronites in 943. 00 france had relinquished its mandate power over levanon and the country became independent for years and decades afterwards the maronites held sway you never non muslims druse Orthodox Christians and all other religious minorities had to accept the political and economic supremacy of the maronite christians defeated in the civil war had far reaching consequences from various groups as middle east Analyst Daniel gamma explains even on board of. Lebanon was created in order to guarantee a christian majority is an absolute exception in the history of the middle east a state was created with the help of the west and also with the help of the league of nations in which christians were in the majority and the word thus able to determine the Political Developments in the country and before the lebanese civil war the christians had. Joyed guaranteed privileges including a majority in parliament after the war and through the agreements that were signed in its wake all this change and not today the christians no longer have those privileges is really unique now. After the civil war the cards will reshuffled the former warring parties agreed to a strict system of proportional representation that at the same time took into account the needs and interests of the Muslim Population each religious minority was granted posts and privileges that they have defended right through to the present as a result however this Multicultural Society has been gradually disintegrating into its separate parts. Over a 1000000 predominantly muslim refugees from syria a further upset in social balance politically and economically lebanon is in a deep crisis that is further dividing the country. A division of manifested in the road blocks which are found not only throughout beirut but also the entire country some of them date back to the civil war and the syrian occupation which lasted until 2005. The headquarters of the ca tired party resembles a fortress. The party of the maronite christians formerly known as the far lounge is led by sami gemayel a cylon of one of lebanons most predominant political dynasties his uncle and brother were both assassinated nevertheless gemayel believes in lebanese democracy. We have a history of 80 years of democracy the only maybe country in the region where you have expresident living in peace in their own country you have every 4 years in the election you have. Governments are being formed even if it takes time. Even if its difficult to do it every time but we are doing it and its a democracy process and this is a model. That you are willing to defend. But the political system in lebanon is now under greater threat than ever before the shiite hezbollah the party of god is growing in strength many of its supporters despise the lebanese state. And the last friday of the fasting month of ramadan has been to celebrate our could see or to do some day which goes back to the tonic the arabian leader Ayatollah Khomeini an event that centers on the dome of the rock in jerusalem. Has been the calls itself the party of resistance resistance to its own allegedly powerless state and resistance to israel. All i learned that it resistance has proved successful but by hezbollah not the state this Resistance Movement emerged the moment it became clear that the state was powerless to do anything. For your state allows us in the south of the country to be humiliated by the occupying israelis on a daily basis and the Resistance Movement consists of all of these people here. So you know how its day is an International Day not just for us but for every country and with gods help in the near future we will put an end to israels existence. Has been as grassroots space is made up of many pora shiites who constitute roughly one quarter of the population and 11 on the general secretary of hezbollah has said nostra is their idol. For decades hes been the head of the party and the armed militia its been years since now has appeared in top. Jews are the risk of assassination the list of enemies is long israel regards him as a primary terrorist target this evening his supporters only get to see him on a big screen he said to video message from a hiding place in the mountains. We have precision missiles capable of hitting all essential targets in the zionist entity. Today on this 40th anniversary of jerusalem day let me state once again and tell the whole world that we have precision missiles in lebanon on hand in sufficient numbers to change the entire region once and for all. Not carried out and it was the fear i knew was i not rollo we will follow you chant the crowd the op was and. Let me tell the world that if the americans continue with their current policy we will build a factory in lebanon for precision missiles. No Surveillance Video appearances are closely monitored by governments in many other countries because hezbollah does not make empty threats it has a track record of carrying out attacks on the us france and in particular israel hezbollah has been declared a terrorist organization by the us and israel the European Union gives that designation only to its military wing. The. Over the years hezbollah has mounted numerous attacks on northern israel near the border with lebanon abducting soldiers targeting. And killing civilians with missiles and using suicide bombers. To move. Israelis abroad have also been the victims of terrorist attacks attributed to hezbollah a bombing in bulgaria in 2012 claimed the lives of 5 israeli tourists and their bus driver. Yoram schweitzer works at the institute for National Security studies in tel aviv. Hizbullah is definitely the most Dangerous Organization but its not only organization isabella is a Political Party its a social network its a religious party and its also an army its a very well equipped Army Advanced army was sophisticated weaponry was real provided by the iranians and the syrians so were not talking only about an organization. Hezbollah was formed in the 1980 s. In the bekaa plain on the border with syria today it also controls parts of beirut and the south of the country. During the civil war the hezbollah militia force against israel after the occupied the south of the country faced with a guerrilla war of attrition the israeli army eventually pulled out of lebanon in 2000 hezbollah claimed victory. Yeah. Nicholas blanford is a british journalist at the time he was writing for lebanese detainees papers. To go back to the mines in mines whos back then israel was occupying a strip of South Lebanon and hezbollah was engaged in a daily resistance campaign. Fighting israel is background there was a general consensus within lebanon to support hezbollah to support hezbollah as resistance like that is including from those that view has followed with some distrust. And theres a long as the organization with links to iran. The resistance of credentials helps hezbollah game popularity across the country. Really town in southern lebanon about 100 kilometers from beirut every year tens of thousands of people flock to the open air museum here. Is a kind of hezbollah pilgrimage site celebrating the fight against israel it was opened in 2010 on the 10th anniversary of israels withdrawal from lebanon on it boasts an array of hezbollah war trophies including captured tanks and artillery guns. Yet hezbollah was originally founded to defend the shiites against theyve been dominant muslim rivals the sunnis iran provided help in the form of funding and expertise but then the israelis invaded and occupied the south of the country. Youssef ours has worked as a tourist guide ever since the Museum Opened he says its his wife offering resistance the museum to begin with just to cherish the memory of the martyrs that they gave their life to for this country or from the invaders. Nature used to be a refuge and base for hezbollah fighters as it was here that they dug themselves into the mountains and waged 2 guerrilla war which hezbollah turned into a success story. The media and the world are controlled by the zionist all pro zionist so we want to teach the generation what the resist phones all about. This is our war just to give these people our side of the story. Has been his version of history is that Israel Occupied southern lebanon and that hezbollah pushed up the systems into the israelis withdrew in fact hezbollah also mounted repeated attacks on its arch enemy after that time. In 2006 hezbollah fired missiles at northern israel and in a cross border right abducted 2 israeli soldiers. Israel hit back launching a Ground Invasion and a series of air rights reaching as far as by route. More than 2000 people were killed most of them lebanese. The war also cemented has been a status as being one of israels principal enemies. Israel is faced with and is challenge by an army that is using those guerrilla tactics thats why i call it an army of story. And it is very well trained very well equipped. With my intentions any jeopardize the stability of the region and it may create a war between israel and lebanon on the state of lebanon on which has basically in the last couple of years israel has declared that hezbollah is the greatest threat facing israel so were not talking about a conflict talking about syria or even iran but are nonstate organizations such as theres now are perceived as the greatest threat was from the. United nations troops had been stationed in southern lebanon since 978. 00 their mandate to guarantee peace and security in the contested region but it proved an Impossible Task for a un force that was far too small. In a pitiful state after the civil war and controlled by different religious groups the Lebanese Army existed in name only when 6 of its peacekeepers were killed in the war of 2006 the United Nations changed its policy. Since 2006 the un forces have had what is known as of robust mandate which allows the use of force if necessary since then there have been only rare armed confrontations at the border both sides are upholding the cease fire agreement to this day however a state of war still exists between israel and lebanon there are no diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. And the most serious crisis since the last war erupted at the end of 28 saying u. N. Troops had the job of securing the blue line the demarcation line between the 2 countries the israeli army discovered tunnels leading into israel evidently dark by hezbollah to render them a new. The israelis poured concrete into the tunnels watching events from the lebanese side of the blue line a number of young men with hizbollah flags the militia has continued to store weapons in the area despite a bad imposed through a un resolution. Lebanon has never recognized the state of israel there is no mutually accepted border between israel and lebanon on the blue line serves as a temporary solution. A number on resolved issue is who the sheba farms belong to. They were an expired israel but lebanon lays claim to them exits to the hezbollah tunnels were discovered nima tula inside israel. Tell of it 150 kilometers south of the border with lebanon is israels biggest city. And it now lies within the range of hezbollah missiles one of the factors behind the Israel Defense forces locating their center of operations deep underground beneath their headquarters. In israels slender size means that a short reaction time to attacks from outside is deemed vital to its survival its army closely monitors the activities of hezbollah that is analyses show that hezbollah has grown in strength partly through the experience it has gained through the war in neighboring syria. The israelis see hezbollah in a wider strategic context in their eyes the Shiite Militia is 1st and foremost a proxy for the implementation of a rainy and plans. In the opinion of numerous. Service iran is trying to establish a land bridge from its own territory to the mediterranean with the aim of projecting an extended zone of influence including hezbollah the regime into iran now has close allies reaching from iraq and syria through to lebanon. We see arabian attempts to create a lamp cord or from iran through about a 1000 kilometers more or less from iran all the way to lebanon through iraq and syria when we look at events in syria we care less about if the dictator or asked by Bashar Al Assad regains control over the country are not what we are interested in is whether the iranians will be able to make this into yet another iranian. Outpost military outpost against israel and we have said very clearly that we have no intentions to allow the iranians to do so. In recent years the israelis have launched hundreds of attacks on suspected to rein in targets in syria supplies destined for hezbollah have also been bombed in a war that has yet to be declared. Its a shura or day of remembrance in by rouge on this one of the most sacred sites on the shiite calendar the veterans of the hezbollah militia are honored. This man is said to have survived an unsuccessful attack on the israelis he says he would fight again. Even in his state he claims it has below are planning an attack on television as revenge for israel and bomb struck dumb by rage he would not hesitate to follow the call. That many of these men forged in syria. Together with the brainy and forces they have helped to keep syrian dictator Bashar Al Assad and his regime in power its estimated that in the process hezbollah lost more than 1500 combatants. As far as power center is located in south beirut the die here as the suburbs annoying has a mainly shiite population here the selfstyled party of god has established what it calls a marshall cemetery. This is the last resting place of men who lost their lives in the wars against israel or in syria they include the son of hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah many relatives pay regular visits to the cemetery which lies close to downtown beirut. Having a fallen soldier a socalled model in the family is seen as a distinction. That manda had done and yes i have family here 2 brothers and an uncle 3 martyrs he there are in every mother even if she doesnt have any marjories must give her children encouragement and educate them to this and that is why as you know because we are fighting for our land and our honor and god willing we will set ourselves free because we refuse to live without dignity it is a matter of either dignity or marja. Yet but on this. Has been a encourages the veneration of those the coals masses from an early age members of the mahdi Scouts Organization are prepared for war when they are just 8 years old they wear headbands bearing the words Actual Service oh hussein who sang the bin ali is