How large is Hezbollah?
The U.S. government estimates that its core consists of several thousand militants and activists. Who leads Hezbollah? Sheik Hassan Nasrallah is described in media accounts as a “powerful and politically savvy leader.” What is Canada’s official position on Hezbollah? In December 2002, Ottawa placed the group’s military and social wings on its list of banned terrorist entities. That means both are now listed in Canada under a UN resolution allowing countries to seize the assets of terrorist groups. When Bill Graham was foreign affairs minister, he argued that the social arm of Hezbollah was a legitimate charity and independent of the group’s military arm. But Graham changed his mind, citing media reports that quoted Nasrallah urging Palestinians to expand their suicide bombings worldwide.
