Sayyed Nasrallah: Hezbollah Against STL Funding, Syria Overcomes Danger

Marwa Haidar

As his eminence assured Hezbollah’s absolute and final refusal to fund the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the party‘s Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah voiced confidence that Syria has overcome the danger, stressing that Syria has been targeted because of its resisting identity. In a special interview with al-Manar Channel, Sayyed Nasrallah praised the prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel as a big victory, ruling out the occurrence of an Israeli offensive against Lebanon. On the Arab spring, Sayyed Nasrallah said that all the revolutions have been evolved from the people desire, and they were not an American project. His eminence congratulated the Libyan people for being liberated from Muammar Gaddafi’s rule, and talked about unjust treatment of the revolution in Bahrain. As he stressed that the relation with President Michel Suleiman was good, Sayyed Nasrallah said the relation with the party allies was excellent, noting that Hezbollah was keen to preserve a good relation with Head of the Struggle front MP Walid Jumblatt. His eminence talked about the dangers that have been threatening the region, starting from the Israeli existence, passing by the American one and ending by the presence of extremist groups and movements who authorize killing. SYRIA OVERCOMES MOST OF DANGER On the Syrian conflict, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the regime in Damascus has been targeted because of its resisting identity, saying that Syria has overcome the danger. “Because of the serious efforts made by the Syrian leadership, Syria successfully crossed most of the dangerous period. We say it clearly, we don’t want the ouster of the Syrian regime, for the sake of some of the Syrian people, and another regime will not be safe for them”,Sayyed Nasrallah said during “Baina Qawsain” program. “What’s happening in Syria is not a call for reform and change; it’s a bid to oust the regime, the regime who has been fighting US and Israel”. His eminence ruled out any military interference in Syria, noting that Syria’s events have repercussions on Lebanon, and adding that most of the Syrian people were backing the resisting regime. “The West would not wage any military war against Syria, because it is neighboring Israel, and they fear this would affect the security of Israel. External interference will not achieve any goal in Syria now because of the majority's support to the regime”. “What happens in Syria has repercussions on Lebanon. Syria is not an enemy state unlike Israel, and the Syrian people backed the regime that supported the resistance... and are supporting it and its reforms now”. Sayyed Nasrallah also denied as lies the reports that had said Hezbollah has sent fighters to Syria, noting that President Bashar Assad wasn’t week. “Most of the media reports about Syria are false, all the claims that we have sent fighters to Syria to support the regime are lies. We haven't sent even one fighter to Syria because we don’t interfere in such a way, and the leadership in Syria is not weak so that it asks Hezbollah for fighters “. STL FUNDING Hezbollah S.G. said that the party was against STL funding, saying the issue would be discussed by the government. “Hezbollah is against STL; against funding it, yet this issue is discussed by Cabinet”. His eminence voices appreciation for Prime Minister Najib Miqatis’ government and its achievement. However he stressed that “Miqati is head of executive power, not US property”. Sayyed Nasrallah was referring to Miqati’s stance at the United Nations when the PM said that Lebanon was committed for STL funding. Although the S.G was reserved about Miqati’s stances, he said: “PM Miqati did not commit to us unwillingness to fund STL, but we did not discuss his resignation”. “Big efforts have been exerted to highlight the STL probe attitude and emptied the indictment of any content”. RELATION WITH ALLIES, SULEIMAN, JUMBLATT Asked about Hezbollah relation with political figures, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the relation with President Suleiman was good, ruling out any disagreement with the party’s allies. “Relationship with president is good and communication is ongoing” the S.G. said adding: “Talk about tension with our political allies baseless”. On the relation with MP Jumblatt Sayyed Nasrallah said: “We agree with MP Walid Jumblatt on certain things and we disagree on others, but this does not mean that we fully disagree with him”. GOVERNMENT ACHIEVMENTS On the cabinet issue, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that the government was a national one representing parliamentary and popular majority. His eminence described the cabinet decisions as rare achievements. “What we have is a national government that represents a parliamentary and popular majority, and alla allegations that Lebanon's government is a Hezbollah government did not last because they were not true”. “Of the best accomplishments of the government is preserving stability at the security level. In less than 100 days the government took 1100 decisions, and this is rare in Lebanon's history”. HEZBOLLA VISIT TO RUSSIA Sayyed Nasrallah also condemned the attack on Patriarch Bechara Ra’I, and talked about the visit paid by Hezbollah delegation to Russia. “Attack on Patriarch Al-Ra'i after his positions on Syria, Hezbollah, is unfair”. “We had received the invitation by the Duma a year ago, it was postponed until the right time, which was now”, Sayyed Nasrallah said on the Russain visit, adding that the “most important point discussed in Russia was Lebanon and Syria's stability; Russia can play major role in this regard” On the electoral law, his eminence said that Hezbollah “has no problem with any electoral law in Lebanon”, and it “is always open to dialogue”. In a nice gesture to the tourism in Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah urged the Lebanese to vote in favor of Jeita Grotto in order to be one of the seven wonders in the world. “I call on all the Lebanese to vote for the Jeita Grotto because it is really one of the wonders of the world”. NO ISRAELI WAR Hezbollah S.G. ruled out an Israeli war on Lebanon, stressing on the importance of people-army-resistance formula in order to defend Lebanon against Israeli aggression. “I cannot say that Israel won't wage war but given preparations in Lebanon by people, army, and resistance, I can rule out war on Lebanon”. “Arms, culture, and presence of resistance plus people-army-resistance formula are our power factor”. EXTREMISTS MAJOR THREAT IN REGION Meanwhile, Sayyed Nasrallah talked about the dangers that have been threatening the region. “The first threat in the region is the existence of Israel especially that Israel wants to be a pure racist Jewish state. The second threat is the presence of the United States in the region”. “The third threat is the presence of extremist groups and movements who authorize killing”. His eminence elaborated in talking about this third threat, saying these extremists have targeted all sects in many countries, and stressing that this issue needed unity and agreement. “Such movements have killed Shiites and Sunnis, bombed mosques, public places, and “Hussainiahs”. Religious men of all sects in Iraq have been targeted by suicide bombs”. “These movements are not targeting the Western and the NATO’s presence in Afghanistan, but the Sunni religious figures there, and so is the case in Pakistan and Somalia”. “In conclusion, we don't need a minorities' and majorities' agreement to solve these problems, we need a Christian, Muslim, and national agreement to solve them, and we all hold the responsibility of that”. “If we speak about this, they will turn it into a sectarian issue, therefore the Sunni figures are the ones who should talk against such matters”, Sayyed Nasrallah added. US CLAIMS BECAUSE OF IRANIAN REFUSAL TO HOLD TALKS On the US claims that the Islamic Republic of Iran attempted to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in America, Sayyed Nasrallah said it was because of Iranian refusal to talk with the American. “The Americans aim at pressuring Iran, and forcing it to negotiate with them, while the Iranians have never accepted holding bilateral talks with the Americans, and so the US made up this issue to push for more sanctions against Iran”. “This is not a preface for a war against Iran, because the Americans don't have the ability to engage in any war now”, Sayyed Nasrallah concluded. US PULLOUT OF IRAQ Sayyed Nasrallah also tackled the American withdrawal from Iraq. His eminence considered the withdrawal at the end of this year a great victory, and stressed that the US has paid expensive losses since the 2003 US-led invasion. “The US withdrawal from Iraq is a great victory to the Iraqi people and a defeat to the Americans. : I congratulate the Iraqi people for this historic victory”. "The US is leaving Iraq after it has become unbearable for them to stay there. If Iraq was safe for them, neither Obama nor anyone else would have announced any withdrawal”. US INTERFERENCE IN ARAB REVOLUTIONS On the Arab Spring, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that all revolutions in the region evolved from the Public's desire”, and “not an American project”, noting that the US “started interfering in the revolutions to minimize their losses and preserve a role for them”. “We confront this US plan with public awareness”, his eminence added. TUNISIA Starting from Tunisia which has witnessed its first-ever free elections since the uprising toppled Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali last January, Sayyed Nasrallah urged Tunisians to “impose their desires politically”. They “should know that the US is not their friend, it has supported cruel regimes and it still does”. LIBYA TRIUMPHED On the Libyan case, his eminence voiced happiness that the Libyans have gotten rid from Gaddafi’s rule, calling them to unite against any foreign interference. “On the Libyan situation, we are glad that the people have triumphed in Libya. The Libyans should preserve their unity and make sure that there is not external interference in the Libyan affairs, they should be politically aware.” Concerning the fate of Imam Sayyed Mousa As-Sadr, Sayyed Nasrallah said: “Serious work should be done to search for Sayyed As-Sadr now”. BAHRAIN UPRISING UNJUSTLY TREATED Moving to the Bahraini uprising, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the regime has been treating the revolution unjustly, noting that this revolt wasn’t paid enough attention. “The revolution in Bahrain is being treated unjustly. When the Arab revolutions are mentioned, the Bahraini one is not among them, as if they live in a democratic state”. “The Bahraini protestors are facing a media blockade as no satellite allows them to go on air. They have great faith, power, and determination, and they will keep on protesting for years to fulfill their demands”. SWAP DEAL VICTORY On the other hand, Hezbollah S.G. considered the prisoners swap deal clinched between the Zionist entity and Hamas, a great victory. “Capturing Shalit alive, keeping him away from Israelis for 5 years, the steadfastness of the Palestinians constitutes remarkable victory”. “The most important thing is that this victory strengthened the resistance choice”, Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the “timing of the swap deal has no political background”. His eminence also stressed that “Israel is getting weaker day after day, and the Palestinians are getting closer to regaining their land and rights”.

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