This paper reevaluates the political and military significance of Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian conflict by exploring the organization’s strategies and dynamics and the outcomes of these in the post‘Arab S...This paper reevaluates the political and military significance of Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian conflict by exploring the organization’s strategies and dynamics and the outcomes of these in the post‘Arab Spring’Middle Eastern regional order.Hezbollah deployed troops in Syria.In May–June 2013,the leadership officially began to publicize the progress of its‘just war’based on a neo-muqawama scenario in which it called for an armed resistance to the dual threats of Zionists and takfiri jihadists.Hezbollah’s operations have assisted Syrian President Bashar alAssad to stay in power,albeit at a significant military and financial cost.However,it has also resulted in a serious side effect;the erosion of the organization’s identity as the‘Lebanese national resistance’and the subsequent escalation of Sunni-Shi‘a hostilities and sectarianism across the region.This,in turn,has incited further offensives by the Sunni takfiri jihadists active in the region and a vicious cycle of violence.Nevertheless,Hezbollah should not be seen only as a‘spoiler’for political stability in the Middle East.On the contrary,despite its provocative and radical revolutionary narratives,it remains in the‘conservative camp’and seeks to pursue a political status quo so as to prevent total collapse of the balance of power in the post‘Arab Spring’regional order.展开更多
文摘This paper reevaluates the political and military significance of Hezbollah’s intervention in the Syrian conflict by exploring the organization’s strategies and dynamics and the outcomes of these in the post‘Arab Spring’Middle Eastern regional order.Hezbollah deployed troops in Syria.In May–June 2013,the leadership officially began to publicize the progress of its‘just war’based on a neo-muqawama scenario in which it called for an armed resistance to the dual threats of Zionists and takfiri jihadists.Hezbollah’s operations have assisted Syrian President Bashar alAssad to stay in power,albeit at a significant military and financial cost.However,it has also resulted in a serious side effect;the erosion of the organization’s identity as the‘Lebanese national resistance’and the subsequent escalation of Sunni-Shi‘a hostilities and sectarianism across the region.This,in turn,has incited further offensives by the Sunni takfiri jihadists active in the region and a vicious cycle of violence.Nevertheless,Hezbollah should not be seen only as a‘spoiler’for political stability in the Middle East.On the contrary,despite its provocative and radical revolutionary narratives,it remains in the‘conservative camp’and seeks to pursue a political status quo so as to prevent total collapse of the balance of power in the post‘Arab Spring’regional order.
