And the DUH of the week - U.S. intelligence: Hizbullah now qualifies as homeland security threat

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. intelligence community has deemed the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah a threat to homeland security.

A U.S. intelligence report said Hizbullah has developed the capability to attack American cities. The annual intelligence assessment said Hizbullah could decide to target U.S. interests should the organization regard the United States a strategic target or threat.

"Lebanese Hizbullah continues to be a formidable terrorist adversary with an ability to attack the U.S. homeland and U.S. interests abroad," the report said. "Hizbullah is a multifaceted, disciplined organization that combines political, social, paramilitary, and terrorist elements, and we assess that any decision by the group to resort to arms or terrorist tactics is carefully calibrated."

Lebanon's Hizbullah supporters watch Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on a screen during a rally to mark the first anniversary of the assassination of Hizbullah senior commander Imad Moughniyah, in Beirut's suburbs. Moughniyah, on the United States' most wanted list for attacks on Israeli and Western targets, was killed by a bomb in Damascus on Feb. 12 2008. Reuers/Issam Kobeisy

The report, titled "Annual Threat Assessment of the Intelligence Community," (46 pages of fun right here) said Hizbullah could also attack the United States on orders from Iran.


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WHO ARE THESE GUYS?

The report said Hizbullah would prefer to use proxies for any such strike.

"At the same time, we judge armed struggle, particularly against Israel, remains central to Hizbullah's ideology and strategy," the report said. "We assess Lebanese Hizbullah, which has conducted anti-U.S. attacks overseas in the past, may consider attacking U.S. interests should it perceive a direct U.S. threat to the group's survival, leadership, or infrastructure or to Iran."

If Hezbollah does not now perceive the USA as a direct threat to their existence, SHAME ON US

The report said the Hizbullah or other Islamic insurgency threat to the United States was much less than that to Europe. But the intelligence community remained concerned by Al Qaida-inspired Americans and Europeans who could be planning to strike the American homeland.

At this point, the U.S. intelligence community believes that Hizbullah, financed, trained and equipped by Iran, was preparing for another war with Israel. The report said Hizbullah would be more capable than during the last war with Israel in 2006.

"We assess Hizbullah anticipates a future conflict with Israel and probably continues to implement lessons learned from the conflict in the summer of 2006," the report said. "In a potential future conflict, Hizbullah is likely to be better prepared and more capable than in 2006."