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Ex-CIA officer: Israel can damage but not destroy Hezbollah

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A former CIA officer, who spearheaded U.S. efforts to crack down on Hezbollah, told CNN Sunday that he believes Israeli operations may disrupt Hezbollah's militant infrastructure, but they won't destroy the group entirely.

"I think that they can significantly degrade Hezbollah's military wing, which is in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's terrorist wing's a different animal... based out of Beirut, and it's got bodies out around the world. And it has infrastructure around the world, which it can call on when it wants to do terrorist attacks," said Gary Berntsen.

The United States has tried to diminish Hezbollah's terrorist operations over the years, after attacks on Americans, Berntsen said. "But the Israelis are not going to destroy Hezbollah with this. Hezbollah is part of the fabric of Lebanon. And it's going to be difficult." (Watch why Hezbollah's Lebanese roots make it a tough target -- 2:33)

Hezbollah "has had many years to organize" and is "very, very professional," said Berntsen. "So, even though there's been a lot of work done against them, it doesn't mean that they can't have success in conducting terrorist acts. They're dangerous."

Iran, "the primary supporter" of Hezbollah, has trained Hezbollah militants around the Persian Gulf, "given them money and actually put them together and, at times, had them function in joint operations," Berntsen said.

Saudi Hezbollah members have played major roles over the years, such as in the attack on the Khobar Towers -- which was temporary home to foreign nationals including Americans -- in Saudi Arabia in 1996, he said.

Imad Mugniyah is seen as the terrorist leader of Hezbollah, said Berntsen. U.S. officials believe Mugniyah was behind attacks on a U.S. Marine barracks and U.S. embassy in Beirut in 1983, and an Israeli embassy and Jewish community center in Argentina in 1992 and 1994.

He is on the U.S. most wanted list, but has been difficult to find. He "stays in the Hezbollah areas of Lebanon and he spends a lot of time in Iran," said Berntsen. "The Iranians are owners, of a sense, of Hezbollah and, almost, owners of the terrorist wing. It's a proxy force for Iran."

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