NYPD terrorism expert: Hezbollah more dangerous than al Qaeda
Published: June 25, 2009
Updated 5 months ago
A counterterrorism official with the New York Police Department said in a speech that Lebanon-based Hezbollah poses a greater threat to the United States than terrorist group al Qaeda, hyped by the Bush administration as a supreme threat to America.
The only reason the Lebanese group has not attempted an attack on the United States is because they do not believe such a move would be in their interests, Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism Richard Falkenrath said.
“Hezbollah at the strategic level, with its state sponsors, more or less decided not to attack the United States interests directly in the continental United States at all,” he said in a speech to the Washington Institute for Near East Affairs. “But our assessment is, if they ever change their minds, they have the capacity to inflict terrible damage on the United States, and I worry about that a lot. We haven’t seen it yet, but I don’t like to be in a position where our defense lies in the strategic decision of a terrorist organization.”
He added: “They would have too much heat on them if they did attack the United States, and they can accomplish most of their interests without it,” according to The Jerusalem Post.
The only scenarios in which Hezbollah would seek to attack the United States, according to Falkenrath, is if the U.S. were to attack Iran, thought to be the group’s state sponsor, or if the United States took direct action against the militant political party.
The remarks echo statements by President Bush’s DHS chief, Michael Chertoff, who said the group’s military capabilities are light years ahead of al Qaeda.
“Al-Qaeda and its network are our most serious immediate threat, they may not be our most serious long-term threat,” Chertoff writes in a book to be published in September, a draft of which was obtained by AFP.
“Having operated for more than a quarter-century, (Hezbollah) has developed capabilities that Al-Qaeda can only dream of, including large quantities of missiles and highly sophisticated explosives.”
Chertoff says the group, whose Arabic name means the “Party of God,” also has “uniformly well trained operatives, an exceptionally well-disciplined force of nearly 30,000 fighters, and extraordinary political influence.”
Forged in the in early 1980s in response to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, the Shiite Islamist group has long been proscribed as a terrorist organization by the United States and Israel, although it is also a major political party in Lebanon.
Earlier this month, a pro-Western bloc inflicted a surprise defeat on Hezbollah and its allies at the ballot box in Lebanon, final results showed on Monday, as the winners faced a battle to keep the nation together.
The coalition headed by Saad Hariri, son of slain ex-premier Rafiq, landed 71 seats in the 128-member parliament against 57 for Hezbollah and its Shiite and Christian allies, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said.
“This is a big day in the history of democratic Lebanon,” a triumphant Hariri, now being tipped by some as a possible premier, told his supporters after Sunday’s vote.
US President Barack Obama welcomed the results, urging Lebanon’s new leaders to work to build a stable and independent nation while warning that they must govern by consent.
“It is our sincere hope that the next government will continue along the path towards building a sovereign, independent and stable Lebanon,” Obama said in a statement.
But he added: “You must maintain your power through consent, not coercion.”
With AFP.
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Seems the government always feels the need to convince us they are protecting us from some sinister enemy.
The list of terrorist groups and countries that could inflict substantial harm upon the United States are endless. The risk factor is minimal, in my opinion.
[A counterterrorism official with the New York Police Department said in a speech that Lebanon-based Hezbollah poses a greater threat to the United States than terrorist group al Qaeda, hyped by the Bush administration as a supreme threat to America.
The only reason the Lebanese group has not attempted an attack on the United States is because they do not believe such a move would be in their interests, Deputy Commissioner for Counterterrorism Richard Falkenrath said.]
Better watch what you are saying, Falkenrath: some folks with half a brain might ask WTF Al-Qaeda had to gain by “attacking” us.
Because the answer is: nothing, they wouldn’t have, look at what’s happened.
Only ONE country BENEFITED from from the 9/11/01 attacks. One with a proven history of using explosives in terrorist attacks. In fact , it’s now leader called the attacks of 9/11/01 “a good thing…”
And that country’s leading organization was listed as a TERRORIST ORGANIZATION by the U.N. until George H. W. ( I stink of CIA Black-Ops) Bush pushed to have it removed while President.
I am fairly certain everyone knows who that organization is, and what country they occupy. Besides ours.
Falkenrath: just TRY your false-flag attempt, JUST TRY. We’re already watching for it.
The REAL “problem” Falkenrath has with the elected Democratically-elected Hezbollah?
They smacked down the “vaunted” IDF in 2006, ejecting the invaders from Lebanon all the way back to their Occupied territories. Even with the U.S. weaponry and funds on the illegal invaders side.
Got their war criminal butts kicked, but good.
A bit of much needed perspective on Hezbollah starting at 1:24 in the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqSiPbHSfws&NR=1
since the united states is the largest terrorist nation they shouldn’t be a
problem
You are far more likely to be murdered
by the NYPD than Hezbollah
Looks like the Zionists have taken over and blown up a threat that is miniscule compared to them. They are the Neo cons of Israel. But you can call out a Neo con and not be branded racist, Try to call out a Zionist and quickly you’re an antisemite, even though you support the pro peace jews. I am sick of their BS. Please watch MONEY MASTERS http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-515319560256183936&ei=2sdESqe7G5v-rAL-j-GOBg&q=money+masters&hl=en&client=firefox-a to see how the Zionists have taken over our Media, Banking and Country.
Looking only at capabilities in determing thread looks like total spin to me. If that counterterrorism expert was serious, he would have noticed that China, Russia and Pakistan are much bigger threats to the US. Those nations have capabilities that make Hezbollah look like a kindergarten group. Which doesn’t say that they’ll strike the US in the near future. Just like Hezbollah. So, the whole line of argument is simply utter nonsense.
US officials more dangerous than al Quaida, Hezbollah, KKK and the skinheads all rolled into one.
The Pentagon is far more dangerous than either of these groups and more insidious and prevalent as well.
Considering there’s only a few thousand Al Qaeda operatives and hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops ‘fighting’ them, and killing way more civilians then their are Al Qaeda, he might be right, excluding the U.S. military.
86% of the people killed by U.S. airstrikes over a period of years were women and children, that makes members of the U.S. Military the most dangerous terrorists.
When the U.S. arrainged the car bombing (over 400lbs of dynamite), that resulted in the deaths of more than 80 people, over 200 injured in 1985 in Beirut, that was terrorism.
When the U.S. shot down that Iran Air flight killing 290 people, that was terrorism.
The vast majority of people killed by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan sinve January 17, 1991 have been civilians, thats terrorism.
I’m sure we could go on for hours with all of the atrocoties the U.S. has inflected upon innocent civilians, I wonder what the point is any more.
Hizbollah isn’t out to attack the U.S., this guy is a fucking moron. I’ll agree though, they are more dangerous, but not to us. They’re more dangerous because they actually exist. Where as Al Qaida is 99% bullshit talk.
Why are you giving this guy space. He’s an ex-Bush crony and a proud member of the neocons. Al Qaeda is significantly more dangerous to the U.S. and the world. I’m sorry that Hezbollah stood up to your buddies in Israel (and whipped them), but lets not get carried away. Is Hezbollah a nice group. Heck no but compared to the suicide bombing orchestrated by Al Qaeda in Iraq, Pakistan, the U.S, Somali, and India, Hezbollah not even in the same league.
I’m pleased to see that the people who READ this story have not been bamboozled by this bullshit. Hezbollah appears to have the support of Christian and Shi’a Lebanese. Isn’t that interesting? For a supposedly terroristic militant Muslim group? And what of Israeli state-sponsored terrorism? Or the 1 million dead Iraqi, Afghani, and Pakistani people? The 4-5 million Iraqi refugees? I suppose those don’t matter? Falkenrath is clearly looking for something else to frighten Americans with, but he needn’t worry. The way the cops have been Tasering American citizens, we have plenty to be afraid of right here.
From today’s (June 26, 2009) “Whatreallyhappened” website:
[Israeli military build up along borders with Lebanon
Tags:
* ISRAEL
* LEBANON
The Israeli army has set new military buildup along its border with Lebanon Thursday, amid intensified air force flights over Lebanese territories, the official national News agency (NNA) reported.]
Any questions about this shithead Falkenrath’s motives now?
I recently completed a development project in the Beka’a Valley working with Shiites, Sunnis and Christians. I couldn’t tell them apart because they were all normal people with the same concerns about making a living, educating their kids, and getting on in the world.
bilejones made a good point that the NYPD has killed more innocent Americans in the last few years than Hezbollah has in its entire existence.
Hezbollah may have a militia, but the only people they have attacked in the whole time of their existence is Israel, and then only on Lebanese soil when Israel invaded, just recently and several decades ago. There is absolutely no reason to believe that they would attack the US because they’re too busy putting things back together after the last Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
For some NYPD “official” who likely has never been out of the country (runs to the Caribbean and Canada don’t count) to pontificate on the danger of someone from the Middle East of which he is completely ignorant just boggles the mind. Why are these people allowed to get in any position of authority?
Yeah, Right. and the NYPD is worse than both of them put together. F#cking Pigs!