Analysis: What's next for Hezbollah in Syria?

Al Jazeera

According to David Daoud, a Hezbollah analyst at the Washington, DC-based United Against Nuclear Iran advocacy group, Syria is critical to Hezbollah first and foremost as its umbilical cord to Iran - both militarily and ideologically. "Hezbollah and the Iranians are the force on the ground; they're in control", Daoud told Al Jazeera. "Assad needs them, and he is never going to ask them to leave; and if he does, they are going to say, 'No, we are not, what are you going to do about it? We control your country'."