HizbullahCo revamping biz model, rejigs core industry

HizbullahCo CEO S. H. Nasrallah
addressing stockholders at a recent
training session on new developments.

Under pressure from the U.S. to disarm in the wake of this summer’s war with Israel, Hezbollah announced today that it would spin off its political and social service units to focus on its core business — the development and distribution of terror.

Stockholders reactions seen as
mixed to "explosive" news.

In a corporate news release, CEO Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said, “Over the years, our success has lead us into several brand extensions — like politics, health care and education. But I’m afraid these have become distractions, and we’ve allowed other terror groups to steal market share while we fiddled around with negotiations and public relations. We need to get back to our core beliefs and focus on becoming world class in our niche.”

The announcement comes as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice again called on Hezbollah to fulfill the terms of the U.N.-brokered cease fire with Israel by laying down weapons and becoming a legitimate part of the political process in Lebanon.

However, Mr. Nasrallah rejected the idea, saying “it’s ridiculous to think we should change our tactics after all these years. Our enemies are so primitive that they still settle their differences with discussions and documents. They’re diplomatic fanatics. You can’t negotiate with animals like that.”

UPDATE: From The Washington Times:

Iran and Syria are rapidly rearming Hezbollah guerrillas in southern Lebanon as an international peacekeeping force has failed to carry out a U.N. mandate to disarm the Shi'ite militia group, Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz said yesterday.

Mr. Mofaz said Israel's 34-day war with Hezbollah fighters this summer had dealt the Shi'ite militia a major setback in its southern Lebanese base. But he expressed frustration that the Lebanese army and an enhanced U.N. peacekeeping force had not disarmed Hezbollah or sealed the border to prevent Syria and Iran from rearming their "proxy."

Read more.