The Standard Case For Why The Indictment Will Hurt Hezbollah

Zeina Karam and Bassem Mroue of the AFP explain why the indictment could be a “blow” to Hezbollah. In a nutshell, that its reputation (“its most important foundation”) will be sharply diminished and that Israel would immediately pounce once they become compromised.

That’s basically the argument everyone is making, but I’m still not convinced. Arguably, the Lebanese (and Arabs) most prone to believe the indictment have already changed their perception of Hezbollah. They don’t need a legal process for that, and they have already made up their minds by watching the CBC report. The others will immediately dismiss the indictment as illegitimate and won’t even bother reading the fine print or even listen to the indictment.

What is it about the indictment itself that so scares Hezbollah? I am still waiting for an answer.