Click photo to play
Length: 2:55
WOLF BLITZER: Let's bring
in CNN's Michael Ware. He's on the ground for us from
Beirut.
Michael, it looks like the Israelis have been
somewhat surprised by the military capabilities of
Hezbollah. What do we know? And you are there on the
scene. You have studied this group for long time.
What kind of capabilities do they have? Are there any
real surprises that they might have in store?
MICHAEL WARE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's still
the possibility, Wolf, that they have an even
longer-range missile, though small in number, some
analysts predict only about a dozen, if any at all,
of the Zelzal rocket, which, theoretically, could
reach as far as Tel Aviv.
So far, we have seen no evidence of that, although
there was a question by the Israeli Defense Force
about whether they had actually blown one of these
missiles up.
The real mystery, Wolf, is, just what does Hezbollah
have? These guys have kept such a tight-knit circle
of security around their intelligence and
capabilities. Speaking to some of its members, they
talk about compartmentalization of the organization,
like never before in recent years.
So, no one really has the ultimate handle on who has
what. There could still be further surprises in store
-- Wolf.
BLITZER: Michael, you have spent a lot of time, as
all of our viewers know, in Iraq. You know the Iraqi
insurgency. Some are already making comparisons
between Hezbollah and the Iraqi insurgents.
You're in Lebanon right now. Do you see similarities,
or are these two very different groups?
WARE: Well, there is a very different look and feel,
but there are some common tactics, methodologies.
Certainly, we have even seen a transfer of technology
from Hezbollah to Shia insurgent groups in Iraq. The
deadliest roadside bomb, commonly known as an IED,
that has been penetrating U.S. Abrams tanks like a
fist through a wall originated from Lebanon.
U.S. intelligence believes that there has been an
exchange of personnel and training, potentially via
Iran, to share that expertise. Nonetheless, Hezbollah
has done something that Iraqi insurgents aspire to,
and certainly al Qaeda aspires to. That is, they have
their own territory. They have created their own
mini-state.
Plus, they are able to put semi-conventional units in
the field. So, there's a degree of development with
Hezbollah that has come from decades of hardened
battle experience that puts them some steps ahead in
certain regards.
BLITZER: Michael Ware, on the ground for us in Beirut
-- Michael, thank you very much for that.