David Schenker is the Taube Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and director of the Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics. He is the former Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs.
Articles & Testimony
Washington and Beirut have made significant strides toward curtailing Hezbollah’s military arsenal, but dismantling the group’s “aspiring martyr” pipeline is no less important.
It’s summer camp season, when kids across America roast marshmallows and compete in games of color war. But in Lebanon, camps run by Iran-backed Hezbollah are preparing children for holy war instead. Every summer, the terror group’s Imam al-Mahdi Scout camps indoctrinate Shiite youth—and even offer paramilitary training to older members. Scores of former Mahdi Scouts have joined Hezbollah’s ranks. And as Israel and Lebanon continue negotiations after their recent agreement to disarm Hezbollah, this key terrorist recruitment pipeline can only undermine the slim chance for peace...