‘Hezbollahland’ – the Dahiyeh, capital of Hezbollah’s state-within-a-state in Lebanon

For many in the West, the mention of “Hezbollah” evokes images of bearded men climbing through a rough landscape with an RPG slung across the back, somewhat like the al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan.

However, Hezbollah is a slick, highly organized state within a state, with a trained army that is better equipped than many Western states; a worldwide smuggling empire trafficking weapons, drugs, and humans; and, like every self-respecting state, a capital – the Dahiyeh.The word itself only means “outskirts, suburb” but today describes the tangled, cramped agglomeration of five residential neighborhoods between Beirut proper and Lebanon’s Rafic Hariri International Airport.

Since the start of the current war, Hezbollah repeatedly threatened that Israeli strikes in Beirut’s Dahiyeh district would lead to massive retaliation against the Israeli home front, highlighting its importance. (Read More)