Word: extremist
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...from the plane during its second Beirut stopover. There were reports that they were in the hands of the fanatical, pro-Iranian Hizballah (Party of God) organization, and had been moved from Beirut to Baalbek in the Syrian-dominated Bekaa Valley. This region has been a base for Islamic extremist groups over the past three years, and is thought to be the area where some of the seven American, one British and four French kidnap victims are currently being held...
Some believe that the current hijacking was plotted by a faction in Amal calling itself the Sadr Brigade, purportedly composed of friends and relatives of the Shi'ite detainees in Israel. There are many such informal alliances within Lebanon's Shi'ite community, most of them extremist and many of them revolving around a single electrifying personality. "We're not talking about neat organizations," says Helms. "These are people who are inclined to pick a title that suits them after they act." Indeed, the most famous such group, Islamic Jihad (Holy War), apparently exists solely as a disembodied and anonymous...
...problem in terms of fashioning a response." In the murky world of Middle Eastern terrorism, sorting out who is who and who is to blame is a difficult task. U.S. intelligence is notoriously poor in the region. The CIA has been unable to penetrate successfully the clannish and secretive extremist sects. Furthermore, if Berri does manage to deliver the American hostages, the U.S. might find it hard to turn around and kill Lebanese Shi'ites...
...moderate? That's absurd!" scoffs Joyce Starr, a Middle East expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies at Georgetown University. Agrees a U.S. Government source who has dealt with Berri: "He may be in the center but only because the center moved. He's not an extremist, but he's shown that he's quite willing to escalate his language -- and his actions -- to retain his position of authority in the Shia community." Still, there is no doubt that Berri feels deeply about the Shi'ites held by Israel and is as determined as his followers...
...close touch with the terrorists, if not managing them. The camps enjoy at least the tacit support of Syria as well, since the Bekaa Valley is controlled by Damascus. In a remarkably candid speech last week, Syrian President Hafez Assad conceded that Syria was in contact with extremist groups who are holding seven Americans, four Frenchmen and one Briton, seized over the past 18 months. Assad mildly rebuked the kidnapers for violating a "code of honor between combatants," but praised them for "steadfastness...