Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists

Authors Tom Diaz and Barbara Newman talked about their book, Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil. In it, the authors chronicled the story of Mohammed Youssef Hammoud, a Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist who started a Hezbollah terrorist cell in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1992. The authors also wrote that the Charlotte cell was representative of some of the other Hezbollah cells in the United States that the FBI had monitored in the last fifteen years. Mr. Diaz and Ms. Newman also talked about the divisive issues in the Middle East such as ethnicity and religion that are often cited as the driving forces behind terrorist groups. The authors made the case for stricter screening policies at international airports and border crossings while maintaining a balance with the civil liberties of the individual. Following their remarks they answered questions from members of the audience. close