"Israel aimed to expel Palestinian militants operating in southern Lebanon, but the move galvanized a faction of disenfranchised Shiites to take up arms in support of an Iranian-style clerical regime." I mean that tells the whole story, does it not? Oh, and the author of the report is a seasoned Middle East expert with those credentials: "Mr. Masters has a graduate degree in social theory from The New School University where he focused on media and international relations. He also holds a B.A. in political science from Emory University."