According to Danielle Pletka, vice president for foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, the Lebanese based terrorist organization Hezbollah could be as powerful, if not more so, than Al-Qaeda.
"[Hezbollah is] the most potent terrorist organization next to Al Qaeda - and perhaps better organized and better armed than Al Qaeda," told a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee Tuesday.
Pletka pointed to the 40,000 rockets and missiles that the Lebanese Islamist group claims to have as evidence of their strength.
A State Department official who also appeared before the subcommittee noted that although Hezbollah has not launched an attack against the U.S., they could still be considered a potential threat.
"While we recognize that Hezbollah is not directly targeting the United States today, we are aware that that could change, especially if tensions increase with Iran over that country's nuclear program," Daniel Benjamin, the Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism said.
Despite these suspicions, however, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman declared that, "[U.S.] policy is for non-engagement with Hezbollah ... and I don't anticipate that policy changing."
Hezbollah 'Perhaps Better Organized & Better Armed Than Al Qaeda,' Says Expert
"[Hezbollah is] the most potent terrorist organization next to Al Qaeda - and perhaps better organized and better armed than Al Qaeda," told a Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee Tuesday.
Pletka pointed to the 40,000 rockets and missiles that the Lebanese Islamist group claims to have as evidence of their strength.
A State Department official who also appeared before the subcommittee noted that although Hezbollah has not launched an attack against the U.S., they could still be considered a potential threat.
"While we recognize that Hezbollah is not directly targeting the United States today, we are aware that that could change, especially if tensions increase with Iran over that country's nuclear program," Daniel Benjamin, the Department's Coordinator for Counterterrorism said.
Despite these suspicions, however, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman declared that, "[U.S.] policy is for non-engagement with Hezbollah ... and I don't anticipate that policy changing."