Information, while always a critical element of warfare, is quickly becoming decisive in present day conflicts. While the use of this information can take many forms, one area where the discussion of information's impact on conflict has been delinquent is in the art of deception. Hizballah and Israel serve as the perfect backdrop to examine the effects of deception in current conflicts. While Israel has always maintained a hard power advantage through its military might and prowess, Hizballah looked for other ways to level the playing field. The use of information in supporting deception, which has been a key enabler for the weaker side, became one of the answers to redressing the military balance. This paper will demonstrate that Hizballah, fighting an asymmetric conflict with Israel, used deception very effectively in their defense of southern Lebanon during the 2006 Summer War; this use of deception significantly offset many of Israel's hard power advantages. It will also show that Hizballah's use of information technologies greatly enhanced their ability to wield deception. Finally, this paper will address the interrelation of various information activities and the need to maintain consolidation of these activities for planning and execution on the modern battlefield. CHAPTER I - INTRODUCTION * CHAPTER II - DECEPTION DEFINED * A. INTRODUCTION * B. DECEPTION EXPLORED * C. GENERAL FRAMEWORK * D. THE MECHANICS OF DECEPTION * E. RELATED ACTIVITIES * F. METHODOLOGY * G. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER III - HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION OF HIZBALLAH * A. INTRODUCTION * B. LEBANON: MODERN HISTORY * C. THE CREATION AND RISE OF HIZBALLAH * 1. The Early Years * 2. The "Lebanonization Process" * 3. Hizballah Today * D. HIZBALLAH'S ORGANIZATION * 1. Overview * 2. Chain of Command * 3. Support Organizations * a. Combat Organ * b. Enforcement, Recruitment and Propaganda Organ * c. Holy Reconstruction Organ * d. Security Organ * E. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER IV - DECEPTION IN THE 2006 SUMMER CONFLICT * A. INTRODUCTION * B. BACKGROUND * C. HIZBALLAH'S DENIAL OPERATIONS * D. THE BUNKERS * E. ELECTRONIC WARFARE BLUFF * F. MEDIA & THE BATTLE OF THE STORY * G. HIJACKING THE INTERNET * H. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER V - CONCLUSION * A. RE-EXAMINING DECEPTION IN THE INFORMATION AGE * B. LINKAGES BETWEEN INFORMATION OPERATION CAPABILITIES * C. AREAS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH * 1. Application of These Deception Criteria to Other information Age Conflicts * 2. Examination of the Relationship Between Psychological Operations and Deception * 3. Deception in Computer Network Operations * 4. The Role of Non-Combatants in Information Age Conflicts * D. CONCLUSION