[Godstud]

They have to run hospitals for the people they put in front of their terrorists as shields.

[Douglas]

Why is an organization that runs hospitals and the like peaceful?

[Arthur2sheds_Jackson]

Douglas:

my bad missed the "like"

But their not like Sinn Fein as they are proscribed organizations. Their members are terrorists.

So I'll water it down to that then. They don't all have a political wing like SF because the SF are a legal political party.

Apologies.

Np apologies accepted.

My point about them being SF - like is that they are doing the same as SF did when they refused to take their seats and were trotting out excuses for the IRA. They were even banned from broadcasting their voices and had to get impersonators to lip synch with their words if you can remember.
It's almost a pity the situation never quite got this farcical:

But times have moved on, the Provos and SF are now seen as OK because they have accepted the peace process. RSF and the 32s are just what SF was in the 70s and 80s if you ask me.

Maas

wasn't there a rather peacefull protest idea behind it?

It was more like an ideological refusal to recognise the legitimacy of British rule and the Westminster Parliament. Sinn Fein still don't take their seats in parliament but they aren't averse to using the office space at Westminster OR claiming expenses.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... n-expenses

[Godstud]

In one way Hezbollah might be like the IRA, but Lebanon is not under Israeli attack or control. They cannot just say they are fighting for their freedom. Hezbollah's political wing is the ruling party of a country AND the other side of it is a terrorist organization. The Freedom Fighter label doesn't apply if you are attacking a foreign country. That Hezbollah attacks on Israel prompted an Israeli invasion is no surprise when it's technically the Lebanese army doing the rocket launching. Separating the political from the military might work in some cases but not when you are running a country.

[SouthBeirut]

Hezbollah does not seem to seek to have a wing that wants to settle things peacefully.

Actually, the entire organization would like to settle all problems peacefully. But when this doesn't work, we won't stand quietly.

besides running four hospitals, twelve clinics, twelve schools and two agricultural centres...

The numbers are greater than that. These numbers are only for Beirut.