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A Deal with Iran Would Be a Boon for Hizbullah
(Wall Street Journal) Ahmad El-Assaad - Long gone are the days when a large portion of the Lebanese population believed that Hizbullah is there to protect them and Lebanon. Most Lebanese now see Hizbullah as a militia that works for the Iranian regime and obeys Tehran's orders. The war in Syria has been a big financial burden on Hizbullah and the cash coming from Tehran is not what it used to be. Most young men join Hizbullah not because they believe in its talk about "resistance," but simply because it's the only option for the poor, unemployed and uneducated Shiites to earn a few hundred dollars a month. Now the U.S. is negotiating a nuclear deal with the Iranian regime that will see Tehran get a windfall of up to $150 billion. With so much cash on hand, Tehran would be eager to give a good boost to Hizbullah. There is no doubt that a nuclear deal with Iran would be a nightmare for my beloved Lebanon and for all the other countries in the Middle East that are controlled, or could be controlled, by Iranian proxy groups. With this deal, my Lebanon won't be able to free itself from the control of Hizbullah. The writer is chairman of the Lebanese Option Party.