This is hilarious: when US government tries to cultivate Shi`ite alternatives to Hizbullah

"Our March 14 contacts -- including Saad Hariri, Marwan Hamadeh, and Walid Jumblatt -- tell us that they have made contact with Amin, and are helping to broadcast his message (such as the al-Arabiyya interview). While we would certainly want to meet with the Mufti to discuss his ideas more, we have been advised -- and ourselves agree -- that for him to meet with representatives of the USG right now would give his enemies ammunition to use against him. Our political contacts have heard that Amin is already being banned from participating in funerals in Tyre and other areas. Furthermore, two days following Amin's appearance on LBC, Hizballah's al-Manar TV reported (falsely) that the Ambassador had requested a list of Shi'a opposed to Amal and Hizballah in order to meet with them and propagate their ideas. As is clear though, Ali al-Amin does not need any help."