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Hezbollah Lebanon is a small nation north of Israel. Lebanon was once a tourist destination, but there has been great unrest among its Muslim and Christian populations for more than a generation. Lebanon's government has been unable to stop violent groups from operating within their borders. Hezbollah is a violent group that hopes to create an Islamic state in Lebanon similar to what was created by the Iranian Revolution in 1979. Hezbollah opposes Israel and all western influences. It has received arms and financial support from Iran and has close links with Syria. The United States and most western nations consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization, but some Arab nations argue that Hezbollah is a resistance organization dedicated to removing outside influences from land they consider theirs. A 1983 Hezbollah attack killed more than 200 United States Marines stationed in Lebanon. Hezbollah has also been associated with kidnappings and terrorist attacks in Argentina. Amnesty International has accused Hezbollah of war crimes against Israeli citizens. In 2006, a Hezbollah raided northern Israel and captured two Israeli soldiers. Israel responded with massive air strikes and artillery fire on Lebanon that killed many Lebanese people not associated with Hezbollah The attacks also destroyed roads and bridges in Lebanon, which Israel says were being used by Hezbollah to attack Israel. The United Stations arranged a cease fire between Israel and Hezbollah, and an uneasy true exists in Lebanon and northern Israel. |
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