According to various trending news stories day ago Nine people, including a child, were killed after handheld pagers used by members of the armed group Hezbollah to communicate exploded across Lebanon, the country's health minister says.

Today it was learned that in a bombing of Hezbollah headquarters the leader of Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah.

Going back to the handheld pager incident according to the BBC Iran's ambassador to Lebanon was among 2,800 other people who were wounded by the simultaneous blasts in Beirut and several other regions.

Hezbollah, which Iran backs, said the pagers belonged "to employees of various Hezbollah units and institutions" and confirmed the deaths of eight fighters.

The group blamed Israel for what it called "this criminal aggression" and vowed that it would get "just retribution". The Israeli military declined to comment.

Stories like this one are important to me because I am a game theory strategist and when important events occur, my phone rings off the hook. Usually, other strategists are looking to share ideas on what will happen next.

What kind of group is Hezbollah?

According to Andy Cohen Former Platoon commander in the IDF

Hezbollah is a radical Shia Muslim militant group with a large private army and also a political party with institutions, a health care system, and I often describe it as a state-inside-state.

Hezbollah is responsible for several terror attacks in the world including 1990 attacks against the Jewish community in Argentina and the 2012 Burgas 2012 attack. Many of his people were arrested over the world.

Hezbollah is a legitimate political party and parmailitary organization in Lebanon. Although even there it's controversial, and often criticized. It tries to view itself as the protector of Lebanon — from Israel. But in fact, it launched attacks against Israel which ended in havoc and destruction in Lebanon.

Hezbollah often clashes with other political parties in Lebanon. It is responsible for the assassination of Lebanon 's prime minister, Rafiq Al Hariri (2005). In 2008 Hezbollah shut down Beirut for two days because of a government ruling.

In addition, Hezbollah forces are fighting in Syria, supporting that nation's dictator, Bashir Assad.

Hezbollah is funded and armed by its patron — the Iranian government. Iranian agencies use Syria as a corridor for arming Hezbollah, and this is why Assad's win is important for them.

The European Union , the Arab League and the governments of the US, Australia, Canada, and Israel — consider Hezbollah a terrorist organization.

Hezbollah functions as an Iranian Satellite in the Middle East. Its role is to threaten Israel, resist US government plans in the region, and oppose European intervention in Lebanon, to force Lebanon to seek help from Iran (sanctioned )and China ( against the USA).

The Takeaway

A Pro-Hezbollah Lebanese Citizen I speak with occasionally said that plain and simple Hezbollah's goal is to take over the country politically and geographically.

It can be said to have succeeded because of Christian allies (some of these allies were Hezbollah's enemies during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990). Still, it will be is very hard to succeed in the second one because the majority of Lebanese people don't agree with Hezbollah's principles and doctrines.

Supporters of Hezbollah see it as an extension of Iran, through Lebanon, and this can never be isolated or secluded.

Still, with Israel's extensive spy network in place, and the opposition of many Lebanese citizens to its goals, Hezbollah will have a difficult time achieving any of its other goals. Now with the death of its leader, the game has once again changed

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Author: Lewis was part of a negotiating team between Israel, The Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S.A. in 2001, concerning the West Bank and Jerusalem

Comment by the author: Please do not assume to know my politics or my point of view concerning the Middle East. My goal here is to present you with facts and let you work out conclusions in your mind. If you are wise, you will use these facts to help you get free of your deeply ingrained cognitive biases.

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