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Since the tragic events of September 2001 and because of an increasing interest in terrorism, several books on the Lebanese Hizbullah have been published (Saad-Ghorayeb, 2002; Hamzeh, 2004; and Harik, 2004). Books on tangential issues have also appeared, such as Avi Jorisch's volume on Hizbullah's al-Manar television station (Jorisch, 2004) and Sankari's recent work on the so-called spiritual leader of Hizbullah Ayatollah Mohamed Hussein Fadlallah (Sankari, 2005). A new book written by the deputy Secretary General of Hizbullah, Naim Qassem, offering insights into the inner workings of the party, also came out in fall 2005.
Judith Harik's book did not then emerge into a void. Much of the information she provides on the background of the party overlaps with information presented in the excellent book written by Amal Saad-Ghorayeb. However, Harik's thesis is different. She argues that while "Hezbollah ... has transformed itself from a radical, clandestine militia to a moderate, mainstream political party with a resistance wing" (p. 1), it is still perceived by the United States as a terrorist organization, especially after 9/11. Harik contends that "Hezbollah [has] developed two major strategies to combat these charges [of terrorism] and that the deliberate implementation of these strategies ... has allowed the party to change its terrorist face" (p. 2).
Harik begins with a reading of the historical and ideological background for the emergence of Hizbullah in...