Two commemorative destinations established in the Middle East will help shape the historical consciousness of the region's newest generation. In Lebanon children flock to a shrine dedicated to Imad Mugniyah, the dead commander of Hezbollah, who is considered a martyr to some and a terrorist responsible for numerous bombings throughout the 1980s and 90s to others.
At the exhibit
schoolchildren wait to see Mugniyah's bloodstained clothes, the shoes he died in, his cell phone, or the desk he sat at while he planned his attacks.
The Israeli government, no longer willing to wait to for an Arab television interview, is sending their message to the Arab world via YouTube. Israel's government
uploaded a video in Arabic and English condemning Lebanese militant Samir Qantar as "the most despicable of murderers." Qantar, released Wednesday in a prisoner swap, received a hero's welcome back in Lebanon.
Hezbollah Now Most Powerful Force In Lebanon Hezbollah today stands unquestioned as the single most powerful force in Lebanon. By routing government-allied militiamen in hours last week, as the army stood by, it proved it can occupy Beirut at will. Its show of strength forced the government into a humiliating retreat from decisions that targeted the group. And the group itself has ensured that the independence of its sprawling military, political and social infrastructure — deemed a state within a state by its opponents — will remain untouched for the foreseeable future.
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