An Overview of Hizballah's Activities in Canada in the Aftermath of the Soleimani Strike
An Overview of Hizballah's Activities in Canada in the Aftermath of the Soleimani Strike
Originally published by the Intrepid Podcast Blog
*This article was originally published by the Intrepid Podcast Blog
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It is widely expected that Iran will retaliate for the killing of General Soleimani by the United States, although it is not clear how just yet. Jessica Davis looks at how the activities of Iranian-backed entities (particularly by Hizballah) in Canada might figure in to such a response and the challenge that poses for Canadian national security agencies.
On Friday, 3 January 2020, Qassem Soleimani, longtime leader of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps - Qods Force (IRGC-QF) was killed in a US drone strike. The Qods Force, and (before he was killed) Soleimani directly, plays a significant role in financing terrorist groups around the world, including the Taliban, Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC). International consensus is that Iran will retaliate for the assassination, but questions remain as to when and how. One of the possibilities - terrorist attacks by Hizballah - has significant implications for Canada because Canada is home to a Hizballah facilitation network that could be used to enable Hizballah operations, including terrorist attacks.