Hezbollah greatest US security threat

"Someone described Hezbollah like the A-team of terrorists in terms of capabilities, in terms of range of weapons they have, in terms of internal discipline," Chertoff told FOX News on Thursday. "To be honest, they make al-Qaeda look like a minor league team."

"They have been more disciplined, and they"ve been in some senses more restrained in the kinds of attacks they carry out ... in recent years, but that"s not something we can take for granted," he warned, speaking before the opening of a two-day terrorism forum in al-Qods.

Hezbollah represents most of the Shia community in Lebanon and its related factions hold a combined 37 seats in parliament, more than a quarter of the legislative body.

Some western military analysts estimate that Hezbollah"s armed strength is about 1,000 full-time highly trained members, with as many as 10,000 volunteers who openly patrol the streets of Beirut and other Lebanese towns.

In addition to Chertoff, the two-day security forum, hosted by Israeli minister of internal security Avraham Dichter, includes representatives of Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Poland, Italy, Britain and the Palestinian Authority.

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