By The Daily Star
Monday, October 11, 2010
BEIRUT: The Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will meet the Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in an unknown place during his visit to Lebanon this week, reported pan-Arab newspaper Ash-Sharq al-Awsat.
In its Saturday issue, the paper noted that Ahmadinejad would abandon Lebanese official guards tasked with accompanying him during his two-day trip to be transported by Hizbullah members to an unknown place where he would hold talks with the party’s secretary general.
These security measures are regarded as necessary as visiting Nasrallah publicly was not possible in light of Israeli threats to assassinate the Hizbullah leader at any opportunity.
According to Ash-Sharq al-Awsat, Ahmadinejad expressed “special admiration” for Nasrallah in the rare encounters between them. During one of the meetings, Ahmadinejad violated protocol and greeted Nasrallah when the latter was stepping out from the car that transported him to the Iranian presidential headquarters in Tehran, reported Ash-Sharq al-Awsat.
The Iranian president is expected to kick off his visit on Wednesday. Iran is the major backer of Hizbullah.
In a speech delivered on Saturday, Nasrallah unveiled part of the schedule Hizbullah was preparing for Ahmadinejad.
He said that Hizbullah had called on supporters to organize a public welcome for the Iranian guest along the Rafik Hariri International Airport highway.
“Amal, Hizbullah and all national factions want to appreciate and thank [Iran] and reflect Lebanese morals,” he said, as he paid tribute to Iran for its financial support to families displaced by the Israeli 2006 war against Lebanon, along with its contribution to the post-war reconstruction.
Nasrallah said that his party would organize a rally in honor of Ahmadinejad in cooperation with Amal at Al-Raya stadium in the southern Beirut suburbs on Thursday.
Media reports said that Nasrallah would appear and give a speech during the rally. It is still unknown whether the Hizbullah leader would show up personally or via video link as he has been doing since Israel’s war in 2006, with very few exceptions.
Nasrallah also said Ahmadinejad would visit the southern town of Bint Jbeil and the village of Qana where he would lay a wreath on the mass graves of those massacred by Israeli forces who twice shelled the village – in 1996 and 2006.
The Hizbullah leader ruled out that Ahmadinejad would hurl stones on the Israeli side when touring the border.
Ahmadinejad’s visit to Lebanon, and especially to the south, was criticized by some Lebanese factions.
Some March 14 figures slammed the visit, saying it enhanced Iranian influence in Lebanon. Head of the Lebanese Forces, Samir Geagea, voiced hope on Saturday that Ahmadinejad’s trip would reflect a state visit, urging the Iranian president not to pursue political action in Lebanon.
Nasrallah said Ahmadinejad was Lebanon’s official guest, and would not visit the country on the invitation of any specific sect or faction. “The invitation was forwarded to him from official Lebanon and we have all to respect this invitation and to behave in line with Lebanese morals and good accommodation,” he said.
– The Daily Star
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