Alliance with Iran, Hezbollah a 'Serious Mistake'

As the White House and Congress consider a shifting of U.S. alliances in the war against ISIS, a prominent Lebanese analyst warns Washington against establishing a partnership with Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah, saying it would be a "very serious mistake."

Walid Phares, PhD., who briefed members of Congress this week, said instead pressure should be placed on Hezbollah to abide by terms of U.N. resolution 1701 requiring the group to disarm.

The resolution was approved by the world body following Lebanon's 2006 war with Israel and it has yet to be honored by Hezbollah.

Phares reminds U.S. government leaders to remember the Iranian-backed acts of terror in Lebanon during the 1980s - including kidnappings, the bombing of U.S. institutions, and the killing of an American military officer.

Phares said more recently, Iranian and Hezbollah agents killed American and British personnel in Iraq, and also many civilians in Syria's civil war.

Also, he notes that in recent months, armed elements have come out of refugee camps in Lebanon to join opposing sides in the war.

Some of them are close to the Syrian regime, while others support jihadists opposing the Assad government.

Meanwhile, Christians are also arming themselves to protect their communities from a fate similar to that of fellow believers in Syria and Iraq. Some are supporting ISIS and Hezbollah.

Phares warns Christians against taking sides and believes they should unite with non-Christians in Lebanon to oppose anyone spreading jihad.

He said the U.S. government needs to be careful that funds sent to the Lebanese Army to combat ISIS do not end up in the hands of Hezbollah, an Islamic group on the U.S. State Department's list of terrorist organizations.

"The problem is that Hezbollah is omnipresent in the Lebanese government and has a lot of influence within the Lebanese Army, including the intelligence services," Phares said.

He also predicts that ISIS will make more incursions into Lebanon, especially northern Lebanon and the city of Tripoli.

He warns that Christians--once a majority in Lebanon--could become an extremely small minority within the country if American policy does not change.