"... The techniques of Hezbollah, Nasrallah said, were not private ..."

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Hersh (fils), in the NYorker/here

".... At precisely 3:30 P.M., Nasrallah’s image, beamed from his secret hiding place, appeared on a large screen over the stage. Muffled “oohs” rippled through the audience. Nasrallah, dressed in a black turban and brown robes, smiled and spoke a few words of greeting. Then he removed his signature oversized, metal-framed glasses and began to read the manifesto. Over the next hour and a half he paused exactly once, to sip from a glass of water, using both hands to lift it to his lips.

The latest model of Hezbollah is nothing if not politically savvy, and its new manifesto was almost designed to avoid making headlines. There was no reference to an Islamic revolution. Nasrallah spoke in conciliatory terms about his Lebanese political opponents, and called for the end of sectarian divisions in the country. He criticized the conflation of “terrorism” with “resistance”; only the latter, he said, had “legitimacy.” Speaking of Israel, he said, “Our problem with them is not because they are Jewish. Our problem is because they have taken over Palestine.” These lines were not in the original text, and Nasrallah looked straight into the camera while speaking them.

Nasrallah was also clear in his military intentions. “The history of the Arab-Israeli conflict proves that armed struggle and military resistance is the best way of ending the occupation,” he said at one point. “We categorically reject any compromise with Israel or recognizing its legitimacy.” He reserved some particularly harsh rhetoric for the United States, blaming it for complicity in all of Israel’s actions. “American terror is the root of all terror in the world,” he said.

When Nasrallah finished, he replaced his glasses, sat back, and took a dozen questions from journalists, including some from anti-Hezbollah media outlets. He seemed relaxed and in good spirits. Finally, Nasrallah was asked about the tactics of Islamic rebels in Yemen, who seemed to be emulating Hezbollah. Two hours had passed since he began speaking, and most of the television reporters had already packed up. The techniques of Hezbollah, Nasrallah said, were not private. “They could be benefiting from it in Yemen, they could be benefiting from it in America, even the Israelis could be benefiting from it if they want.” He laughed. “The resistance in Lebanon is a school, for anyone to learn from.”

Posted by G, Z, or B at 4:55 PM