Hezbolgreen

"BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 19 (UPI) Hezbollah has put half of a beach in southern Lebanon under its protection to safeguard endangered nesting turtles, it was reported Sunday.

The turtles, among other dangers, are caught in the crossfire of competing Shiite political movements -- Hezbollah and and the rival Amal party, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

The mile-long strip of beach on which the turtles nest is split between two municipalities, one controlled by Hezbollah, the other Amal, which has refused to provide protection for the turtles, said Mona Khalil, a conservationist who champions the hatch of the baby turtles each summer.

"It's not that I'm a fan of Hezbollah, but they have been good to the turtles," Khalil said, noting only one in every 1,000 baby turtles will survive and return to reproduce 25 years later." (thanks Kirsten)