Publication

This brief suggests that Hezbollah’s political support for the Assad government in Syria has caused a significant dilemma for the organization. On one hand, Assad provides tangible benefits to the organization, but Hezbollah is also aware of public demands for new models of governance following the Arab Spring. The author argues that by closely associating with an authoritarian government, Hezbollah's international reputation is weakened. Nonetheless, Hezbollah remains a powerful group and retains the capacity to engage in protracted military operations.