Sayyed Nasrallah’s Full Speech on the Anniversary of Lebanon’s Second Liberation

Translated by Staff

Speech of the Secretary General of Hezbollah His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the fourth anniversary of the second liberation on August 27, 2021

I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Satan. In the name of Allah the Most Gracious the Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Master and Prophet, the Seal of Prophets, Abi al-Qassem Muhammad Bin Abdullah and his good and pure household and his good and chosen companions and all the prophets and messengers.

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you all.

Tonight, at this gathering, our first and main topic is this precious occasion, and then I will go into some other topics, God willing.

By the way, we called it the second liberation and regard it as a holiday because it is a day of victory. The first liberation is the liberation of the south on May 25, 2000, and the second liberation is on August 28, 2017. Today, is the fourth anniversary of this second liberation. On August 28, which is tomorrow, our mountains, barrens, and hills, as well as our valleys in the eastern chain of the Bekaa and in Baalbek-Hermel got rid of all armed terrorist groups. Security, safety, and peace have returned to our territory and throughout our villages and towns in that dear area of Lebanon, the Bekaa region.

We insist on marking such occasions for the sake of learning. Lively nations, people, and forces do that. They do not take the events of their past lightly. On the contrary, they learn from the near and distant past because with the passage of time some aspects and facts that were not paid attention to are revealed. We must learn from this dangerous and painful experience and take advantage of it for the future. 

We mark it to remember the mistakes and threats that existed so that we know how to face similar dangers and threats in the future; to remind us of the great sacrifices that led to this liberation, this victory, and this achievement; to salute these great sacrifices made by families, men, and women because this victory and achievement did not come for free or by saying words. Rather it was the result of blood, tears, sacrifices, fighting, patience, staying up late, fatigue, and enduring the heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter. Today, I also want to remember this experience, remember of some of its results so that we can benefit from them, while we are still, in one way or another, at the heart of this battle.

What happened, brothers and sisters, in the Bekaa barrens a few years ago was part of the global war on Syria. It was also part of a big project for the region. Now, some people may downplay the issue and say that this is just a reaction to what happened in Syria or to you going to Syria. These people are ignoring many facts. Daesh’s project was to control the entire region. Therefore, when it rose, it was able to control almost half of the area of Syria, the entire region east of the Euphrates, the entire Badia region, all the way to Palmyra, close to the eastern Lebanese border. Daesh also reached  eastern Homs, eastern Aleppo, and southern Aleppo. In Iraq, too, it was able to take over many provinces within days – almost half of Iraq. Lebanon was also part of its project. If you remember the map that Daesh announced for its Islamic state – Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon were part of this state that they were planning to seize.

Daesh was thinking in this manner. Yes, they had a problem in Lebanon. It’s true that they reached Palmyra, and some of them even reached the barrens of Qalamoun – our barrens, hills, and mountains – but the fierce fighting waged by the Syrian army and the resistance men in that area prevented [the terrorists] from connecting the Palmyra area with Qalamoun, which is a wide area. Otherwise, if they connected Palmyra with Qalamoun and the Bekaa barrens, the battle to liberate these barrens would have been more intense, and the threat would have been greater and more dangerous. I must also mention that Daesh and the Nusra Front [Jabhat al-Nusra] are of the same origin, one group, one ideology, and one organization. The division that occurred between Daesh and Nusra is organizational. It is a disagreement over leadership. It was not a disagreement over thought, ideology, political orientations, methodology of field behavior, or goals and aspirations. 

Daesh enjoyed international and regional support with extensive facilities, and fighters were brought in from all over the world. In Syria, it enjoyed extensive international and regional support from those who were running the battle in Syria with their own admission. In Iraq, too, in the early days, we remember how much of the Gulf media spoke of them as revolutionaries (the revolution in Iraq), as well as some followers of the US embassy in Lebanon who formed delegations and visited the outskirts of Arsal and spoke of them as revolutionaries. Trump himself, who was then the president of the United States of America, not only during the election campaigns but also throughout the four years of his presidency, always repeated to the world that Daesh was the creation of Obama and Hillary Clinton. And this is the President of the United States of America who is saying this and not the president of an Arab or Islamic country or party, to say that he has an interest in directing this accusation against America. He is not accusing Obama as a person but as the president of the United States of America. The confessions of senior generals are online and can be simply accessed. When I talk about Afghanistan in a bit, I will mention Daesh in that context. 

So, these groups came to our barens as part of an extended and large project, and the battle that took place with these groups and inflicted defeat upon them was not a purely Lebanese battle. It was a battle in the whole neighborhood, a Lebanese-Syrian battle, in which the Syrians, the Syrian popular forces, Hezbollah, and the Lebanese participated in it over the years. In the last decisive stage of the Fajr Al-Joroud, the Lebanese army participated in it. Hence, it is a Lebanese-Syrian battle. The liberation of all these areas would not have been achieved if the battle was not fought on two fronts. Yes, we are talking here about the second liberation of the Lebanese territory. We are separating this battle from the part that complements it inside the Syrian territory. That is why I will focus on the Lebanese part. Regarding the Lebanese part, when these people took control of those mountains and hills, we witnessed for years – as this matter was not limited to two or three months – the following:

- The occupation of mountains, barrens, and valleys
- Hegemony over the town of Arsal (I will not say that it was completely occupied, at the very least we are talking about hegemony.)
- A permanent threat to the neighboring towns along the outskirts, regardless of the religious affiliation of the people of this town – whether they were Muslims or Christians!
- Rocket and artillery bombardments that reached deep into the Bekaa Valley
- Car bombs and suicide bombers in the Bekaa Valley, Beirut, and the suburbs [Dahyeh]
- Repeated attacks on the Lebanese army and security forces
- Killing and capturing officers and soldiers, as well as humiliation and confiscation of vehicles and weapons – all of which have been documented in the media
- Threatening to take control of the Bekaa Valley all the way to Beirut (this was included in their speeches, slogans, and statements that were and still are recorded.)

In the face of this difficult and dangerous reality, the state, on the other hand, was unable to take the initiative. The state did not take the initiative neither to regain its territory when it spoke of sovereignty, nor to confront the terrorists when it spoke of combating terrorism, nor to recover its captured soldiers and officers, nor to defend the towns and villages by launching a radical and firm action to confront these groups.

We all know – just as a reminder – that the US embassy in Beirut backed by the US administration and the US Department of Defense are the ones that are preventing the Lebanese state and the Lebanese government from taking such a decision by threatening  it and stopping aid to the Lebanese army. I said this before, and I challenged then to deny this on more than one occasion. I am talking about decisive matters, up to the last stage. To be fair, His Excellency President Michel Aoun did not succumb to these pressures, and during his presidency, the government made the decision and the Lebanese army entered the last stage of the Fajr Al-Joroud battle.  

In return, there was media, political, and material support, facilities and the delivery of capabilities. In other words, they provided them with weapons and money from inside Lebanon under the guise of humanitarian aid. I assure you that weapons, ammunition, money, and explosives have reached the armed groups in the outskirts. Media and political support, public visits, public support – media and political support, public visits, public support, and calling them revolutionaries. It is very important to review the positions and the parties that took those positions so that we do not forget, knowing that it has been four years since this victory was achieved and several years since these events took place.

However, in Lebanon there are major events that will be forgotten after a few weeks or a few months. in any case, a review of these positions will once again expose the falseness of the allegations about sovereignty, protection, concern for the people, pity for the Lebanese people, and the security of the Lebanese people.

On the other hand, the honorable people of the region, Muslims and Christians, took up arms in the face of these people and did not wait for their leaders or their parties. There are fighters in those towns belonging to parties who have violated the decision of their leaders – we will not go into names – because their leaders live in their ivory towers and were facing danger from meters away. They did not wait for anyone. When Hezbollah intervened – specifically in this battle – it was response – at the humanitarian, moral, patriotic, religious, jihadist – to the will of the people, the will of our people in those areas and towns, Muslims and Christians, because they needed everyone to help them, stand by them, and defend them in the absence of an official Lebanese decision. Here, the resistance and Hezbollah intervened after a definitive certainty that the Lebanese state has abandoned the responsibilities of liberating the land and defending of its people and its villages. Rather, it left its officers and soldiers in the hands of the terrorists.

In these mountains, hills, and valleys, very great sacrifices were made because there has been continuous jihad for several years and during difficult climatic conditions. We all remember the youth sitting in the snow. Battles and confrontations took place at every hill, mountain, mountain top, as well as in every valley and orchard. Many young people volunteered in this battle. They were volunteers who did not even receive a salary to support their families. They left their families behind. Many of them were high school and university students who left their universities; many of them were doctors who left their clinics; there were also engineers who left their offices and went to that front; and many of them were martyred, especially in recent and decisive battles.

Many of these people were injured. The mountains were cleared gradually and carefully because they were difficult and costly battles, and we were looking to achieve the goal with the lowest possible human cost. It ended with the final stage when it was decided to resolve this presence after they almost dominated the eastern chain and half of the barrens of Arsal. The last part remained and the official decision was taken. The Lebanese army entered with force, and we fought together shoulder to shoulder. Imagine, the Lebanese army was fighting alongside the Lebanese youth who are from that region. But it was forbidden for the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army to say that they were fighting alongside their people – your understanding is enough – although the whole world knows this fact, and media lens captured these battles. There was nothing to hide, but it was forbidden to publicize it.

This liberation took place – here we respect, appreciate, and bow before sacrifices – as a result of sacrifices over the years, on the part of Syria – the Syrian army, the volunteering Syrian popular forces, and the resistance. On that land, these people offered a large number of martyrs and wounded. On the part of Lebanon, the Lebanese army, the resistance, and the people of the region, the people of Baalbek-Hermel took up arms, fought, sent their children, participated in the confrontations, supported, embraced, respected, and glorified these fighters because the people of this honorable region are known to be grateful.

These are among the core values that they insist on adhering to. Here, too, we must mention that our fight, whether in the Lebanese part or in the Syrian part – as we fought on both sides – that our youth, our fighters, our weapons, our capabilities, and our real logistical support is thanks to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Once again, Iran supports and protects. On the other hand, America creates Daesh and sends it to the region and prevents the Lebanese and the Lebanese state from resolving the battle with Daesh in the Bekaa valleys and the mountains of Lebanon on the eastern borders. This is the truth, and whoever has anything else, please go ahead and say it! This, after all, was a very important experience to protect Lebanon and liberate the land, for liberation, protection, to confront aggression. It is a new experience recorded for the equation of the army, the people, and the resistance. As we talked on May 25 about the liberation of the south in 2000 and on August 14 about winning the confrontation in the July war, today, too, we talk logically with all those who have another point of view. Let them tell us who liberated our eastern borders, removed the danger once and for all from the towns of Baalbek-Hermel, the Bekaa Valley, and Lebanon, and brought down this project. 

We will tell you who. We return to the same symphony – they say the UN Security Council, the international community, America, the European Union, NATO, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Arab League. Who made this achievement, this victory, and this liberation? You can go up to the area and see that people along the eastern chain and the barrens are safe and secure. They go to their mountains, barrens, orchards, and fields and are not afraid of being killed, captured, kidnapped, or bombed. Who achieved this?

On the fourth anniversary of the second liberation, this is the achievement of this equation. This is the achievement of this equation, first and foremost, because it is this equation that has been fighting for years, including the resistance’s weapon that some are working day and night to target.

In any case, I’ll stop here about this anniversary by underscoring this equation and on the continuous presence to bear responsibilities if others abandoned theirs. As we tell the “Israelis” on every occasion, if you come back, we come back, we also tell this to all the terrorists and takfiris – if you return, we will return.

The victory on August 28, 2017 was part of the victory in Syria, Iraq and the region over Daesh. Thus, the American project that was being prepared for this region is now collapsing.

I will touch on Afghanistan with a couple of words. This project, which is now collapsing, shows us that all the headlines that were put forward following the famous September 11 events – the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq – have been clear for years, and today, it is certain that they are just deceptive and false headlines that have no humanitarian and moral reality. On the contrary, the real purpose of the occupation was to control and plunder the country's wealth and confiscate its political independence. Yes, when these occupying and invading forces in Iraq were confronted by the honorable Iraqi resistance and all its factions, they were forced to withdraw before returning under the pretext of Daesh. And now, when faced by many groups in Afghanistan, too, they were forced to leave and withdraw. Today, in the face of what is happening in Afghanistan, we are no longer the only ones who say that. The Americans themselves say that what we are witnessing today in Afghanistan is a complete American defeat, a complete American failure, and the complete fall for America. Now, it is natural for the Republicans to attack the Democrats, but it is clear that the American administration, which is Democrat, is confused, floundering, and helpless. It is dealing with its affairs with difficulty.

I previously mentioned, and now I want to repeat and say yes, this is what is happening in Afghanistan. We must carefully look at what happened and what is going on. We must read and study its strategic, historical, cultural, and moral significance. The Americans did not even give the [Afghan] people [working for them] a chance to gather days ahead – the scene at Kabul Airport. Tens of thousands of men, women, and children who wanted to leave Kabul gathered. They were afraid of Taliban reprisals because they cooperated with the American and NATO forces – some were translators, some were logisticians, some were fighters, and some were informants. God knows what they did for the Americans.

That is why they want to leave. We saw the confusion and failure to organize this departure, and we also witnessed a moral decay – the sight of the American plane in Kabul Airport and hundreds of people surrounding it while it moved. It was said later that after it landed in some Gulf country, human remains were found on the wheels of the plane. People were killed, in addition to the two people who threw themselves and jumped from the plane.

There was also a western country that instead of evacuating the Afghan collaborators with it, most of those who left were seated in the cargo plane with no human value. They were evacuated in cargo planes and not passenger planes. You can see the pictures.

This country filled the plane with boxes of wine, whiskey, and liquor and left collaborators on the airport floor. Even worse, the media quoted the UK Defence Minister as saying that he would allow – I will read the text – a British man who owns an animal shelter in Afghanistan to transport some 200 cats and dogs on a flight from Kabul because he fears for them from the Taliban. At the request of the animal shelter owner, who is of course British, the animals will be transported in a plane that has 250 seats, of which they will occupy 200 seats. Meanwhile, Afghans with entry visas to Britain will fill in the vacant seats. The shelter owner's move was supported by some celebrities and a number of British newspapers because they are sympathetic to dogs and cats, and the issue has sparked controversy at a time when thousands of Afghans are seeking to reserve seats to get out of the airport.

This is moral decay – it is when the dog, the cat, and the bottle of wine become more important to people who claim humanity and say they care about human rights and values. [These animals] are more important to them than the person who cooperated with them – here, we are not talking about an enemy but with people that cooperated with them and were at their service for 20 years. [The animals] are more important than the men and women pafully , sadly, ad miserably gathered at the gates of Kabul Airport. that transported some of its leaders and cadres from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan, this exists, and there are films. This enabled Daesh suicide bombers yesterday to commit this horrific massacre. The latest number of casualties hours ago, and I was following the news, was 170 victims. Shouldn't this be a lesson? America created Daesh. I assure you that it was the American planes and helicopters that transported some of its leaders and cadres from Syria and Iraq to Afghanistan. This exists, and there are films.

There are films on Iraq that exist – you can see them on social media – when Daesh were besieged in some areas and it was certain that these areas would fall into the hands of the Iraqi forces, the Popular Mobilization Units, and the resistance factions, the American helicopters would head to those places and transport a number of senior Daesh leaders and cadres to safe places. It was the American administration that transferred Daesh cadres and leaders to Afghanistan, perhaps to fight the Taliban at that time years ago, but certainly to use Daesh to confuse all the neighboring countries the US has problem with like China because Afghanistan shares borders with China. The US also has problems with other countries in Asia that border Russia and has a problem with Iran.

The function of Daesh relatively ended in Iraq and Syria, so it was transferred to Afghanistan. It was also transferred to North Africa because Daesh – we must always keep this in mind – is an American tool. Yes, sometimes it gets out of control, sometimes it gets out of control.

In any case, what is happening should also be a lesson for all peoples and all governments. The Europeans are now proclaiming that they have learned their lesson. The British Prime Minister, many European officials, the German Chancellor, and others have spoken frankly. But it is enough to convey to you what the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs said about European concerns. He continues, ‘I feel very sorry for the way things went, but no one asked the Europeans about their opinion.’ To those Lebanese who put themselves in the service of the American embassy, think whether America will ask you, consult you, and take you into consideration during difficult days.
The Europeans – the European power, the European civilization, and Europe – are an essential part of NATO and have forces in Afghanistan. There are French, German, British, Canadian, Australian – European and non-European – forces.

What did he say? He is the EU's high representative for foreign policy – no one asked the Europeans about their opinion. The Americans make the decisions and implement them. They make deals, and the Europeans are just informed. They may even be informed via the media. He pointed out that some countries will raise questions about the American ally, who, as Joe Biden said, no longer wants to fight others’ wars. So, what are you going to do to us Europeans? He added, ‘There is no alternative for Europeans. We must organize ourselves to face the world as it is, and not as we dream of it.’

That is why he called for the formation of a European military force to rely on to protect European interests in Europe and in the world because the United States of America is no longer a reliable ally. Today, America's allies and enemies know this, and this should be a lesson for everyone who is still betting on the American administration and policies.

I now delve into some of our internal files. I will then conclude the dear and precious occasion with a few words regarding the abduction of Imam Sayyid Musa Al-Sadr and his two dear brothers. 

Before emphasizing on some points regarding our internal issues including the economic and livelihood situation, I was drawn to some of the debates in the country and some of the people’s questions. Some asked a question and someone is required to answer. I will answer it. It is good to be answered. They say that there is no siege on the country and that you are claiming that there is a blockade. But there isn’t. 

Of course, when I heard this during the atmosphere of the second liberation, I remembered those who said that basically Daesh and the Nusra Front pose no threat to Lebanon. They do not pose a danger or a threat to Lebanon. They have no ambitions in Lebanon and do not want anything from Lebanon.

If you go back to those years, you will see the same people and the same parties. They always put themselves is this position – always denying the facts that people see and sense because they live somewhere else. If they lived in Baalbek-Hermel and in villages inhabited by Muslims and Christians along the frontline, they would conclude that Daesh the Nusra Front pose a threat and danger. But these people seem like they are living in another place.

Today, because they do not feel people’s hunger, thirst, or pain – i.e., they’re doing fine – they tell you that they do not feel the presence of a siege. Of course, no one is talking about an enforced and complete siege, i.e., the sea, the airspace, and the land are closed and bringing in a grain of wheat or a tank of gasoline to the country is forbidden. No, this means a full siege. A siege should either be like this or there shouldn’t be one at all. 

One of the clearest things is that this country, at the very least in the past two years, has been subjected to a very large siege, preventing countries – as we mentioned earlier – from placing deposits in the central bank, I am talking about the Americans. They forced countries to withdraw their deposits from the central bank. Countries are forbidden from providing aid and donations to Lebanon. They are forbidden from giving loans to Lebanon. They are forbidden from making investments in Lebanon. Going against all this is subject to US sanctions. Even if there is a country ready to invest, Lebanese officials are threatened that if you accept Chinese, Russian, or any investment from the East, we will put you on the sanctions list. What do you call this?

Is this not called a siege? When the Americans passed the Caesar Act regarding Syria, the Caesar Act was not only confined to Syria but a siege on Lebanon as well. Let us clarify this topic a little because there are people who did not pay attention to it. This is because sometimes they have animosity towards Syria, so they no longer see other things correctly. When the war started nearing its end in Syria and the doors opened for reconstruction and investment projects as well as commercial, agricultural, industrial, and economic work, many Lebanese people, companies, factories, and merchants were hoping to invest in Syria. It was a historic and golden opportunity, and it could inject life again into the Lebanese economy. I know the names of companies and merchants. I know some Lebanese people who belong to different political currents – if a day comes and names are presented, you will be surprised by the names of the parties to which they belong. The Syrian brothers did not mind. They had opened the door for everyone who wanted to invest in Syria and contribute to the reconstruction of Syria. The Caesar Act closed the door on all the Lebanese, their companies, their factories, their production, their merchants, and everyone who could invest in Syria.

This is first. This dealt a major blow to the Lebanese economy. Where are we? There is Syria. It is the only country that surrounds us, unless the Americans want to “give” us to the Zionists and to the enemy entity, to invest there and trade with there. Syria is the only country.

Secondly, any facilities that can provide and revive the Lebanese economy and can address Lebanon's other problems, such as the issue of electricity, are prohibited. I would like to go back to this for a bit. When the US ambassador says: ‘now we allow you to bring Egyptian gas through Jordan and Syria to Lebanon, and to bring electricity from Jordan through Syria.’ 

I repeat and say: This is a tacit admission that now you have allowed, this is if they really allowed. According to my information, so far this issue has not yet been finalized because of the administration and the Congress. The ambassador is saying this. Whether this is true or not. God willing, it is true, we won’t be upset. But you say that you gave permission, meaning that three years ago you did not authorize. You blocked and prevented. During these three years when the road to improve the electricity situation in Lebanon was cut off, how much did this burden the Lebanese treasury? How many billions of dollars? How much did the Lebanese people suffer as a result of the electricity crisis during these years? How much has the Lebanese economy suffered during these years? Who is responsible for this? Isn't it America? Otherwise, this matter could have been achieved several years ago had it not been for the American ban and veto. The Lebanese did not bother to take a stand and pressure the US administration to ask for an exception. Why did the exception come today?

Because there is another kind of danger. There were those who said: We want to bring diesel and gasoline from Iran, and this of course threatens the American project in the country. This proves that if the Lebanese had raised their voices loudly years ago on the issue of electricity, which is our largest misfortune in the country – debts, loans, disruptions, generators, diesel, hospitals, factories, and everything – if they raised their voice loudly in the face of the American embassy and the Americans, they could have gotten an exception. The evidence is that they got an exception if it is true. Why is there no possibility to get an exception?

I will give you an example. Two or three days ago, we read in the media and I read an official statement issued by the Iranian Ministry of Energy in the news bar that it resumed exporting gasoline and gas oil to Afghanistan at the request of the Taliban. What does ‘it resumed’ mean?

It means that during the past years, the Americans, who had control over the Afghan government, have been the ones with influence. Afghanistan was under American occupation, but still the Afghan government bought Iranian gasoline and Iranian gas oil. First, for those who do not know that there is gasoline in Iran, I’m letting them know that Iran sells gasoline to all neighboring countries, not only to Afghanistan. Another indicator is, this is an American-made government, a government made by America, and an exception was made for it.

If Lebanon means something to the Americans amid the severe suffering now – the issue today is not only about humiliation due to the gas and diesel queues, but it is also a threat to hospitals and cancer patients as well as people’s daily bread and everything else. Winter season is also closing in – and if the Lebanese people mean anything to you, O Americans and American embassy and are more precious than your dogs and cats – do not blame me for this harsh expression – go ahead and make an exception. Exclude Lebanon from the Caesar Act. This will open Lebanon to Syria and revive it again. But why do you want to pressure the Lebanese people in this way?

Make an exception for Iranian gasoline, diesel, and gas oil, as you have been making for many years for the Afghan government that was loyal to you. Why don't you do that? Why? The Lebanese government, Lebanese officials, Lebanese parliamentarians, and political forces are friends of America. I said in my last address, do not bring us your money, aid, or anything. Just lift the harm you are causing us. We do not want anything from you. Instead of making an exception, you threaten the Lebanese officials with sanctions. If Lebanon imports oil derivatives from Iran, it becomes a rogue state. Is this what the Lebanese people mean to the American embassy and the Americans? Anyway, we must pay close attention to this matter. 

Regarding the economic situation, of course, what we are trying to do is alleviate suffering. In any case, time will refute the rumors and lies spread by some Arab media, which consider themselves one of the best media in the Arab world. This is because the rope of lies is short. The facts regarding the ships transporting oil derivatives from Iran will be revealed to the Lebanese people in the coming days.

I would like to add that we and the brothers in Iran also agreed to start loading a third ship in these couple of days because we are approaching September and October, there is great pressure, and winter season is coming. Whatever the quantity is in the first and second ships, we need a third or more ships, so that we can help people during September and October. Then, we will see where the situation goes.

I will not add anything new regarding this file, not until the first ship reaches the waters of the Mediterranean, at the very least.

As we previously spoke about this subject, I will repeat and say that we must continue working on everything that helps alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese. Regarding the cash card that we’ve always called for, I was informed that the Lebanese government will announce within days or will set up a platform for families to contact and register their names. The important thing is that we insist that this issue be taken seriously because there is no doubt that even though the cash card is not a cure, it alleviates the suffering of the Lebanese. Monitoring and following up on oil, gas, medicine, and food companies must continue. Confronting monopolies of all kinds and intensity and confronting the black market must all continue.

But the most important thing is the formation of a government. Forming a government is the natural approach, at the very least, to manage the crisis and to start implementing solutions to confront these crises. Unfortunately, neither the blood of the oppressed that was shed in Tleil, nor the cries of the humiliated Lebanese at the petrol and diesel stations, nor the woes of cancer patients whom we listened to yesterday that cause heart ache, nor all these pains were able to make officials complete the formation of the government that everyone is waiting for. Still, we insist on its formation. Do not listen to the nonsense telling you that we are waiting for Vienna, the nuclear program, Iran, and America. This is all nonsense, ridiculous, and baseless. Everyone knows that the discussion is all about this portfolio or that name. Isn't it time for this discussion to end?

The second file in relation to our internal affairs – Beirut Port. Regarding the port of Beirut incident, we had previously warned, and some people might have had their own point of view – Sayyed, why do you want to talk about this issue and take it to heart? I spoke because I know we'll get to this exact moment. All facts confirm that the manner in which the port file was managed by the judicial investigator was based on discretion, targeting, and politicization. The subpoena issued against His Excellency the Prime Minister and the caretaker Prime Minister, Dr. Hassan Diab, confirms all the concerns and fears that we talked about previously.

I said earlier that this investigator will resort to undermining the caretaker prime minister because he considered that he was not embraced by certain segments and had no political party or political front backing him. So, let's start from here. What he did was weakening the prime minister, which is an insult to the prime minister. This is unacceptable, and no one must accept it under any title or pretext. It is also in violation of the provisions of the Constitution, Article 70 and Article 71, which determine where to investigate and prosecute heads of government and ministers. If we are in a state of law and institutions, we are supposed to submit to the law, institutions, and the constitution. Do you want to summon them to court? Then, amend the constitution. Suggestions to amend the constitution were put forward in the past. Those who disagreed and those who approved them ae known. We do not want to go into these discussions right now. 

On behalf of Hezbollah, I want to say tonight that this measure by the judicial investigator against the caretaker prime minister is totally unacceptable. We call upon the judiciary in Lebanon to intervene and act according to the Lebanese constitution and law and not allow any position to be undermined or inflict injustice on it under any title.

The last point: On August 31 falls the anniversary of the abduction and detention of His Eminence the Leader, Sayyed Musa al-Sadr, and his two brothers and companions, His Eminence Sheikh Muhammad Yaqoub and journalist Sayed Abbas Badr al-Din. This occasion is always a painful and sad memory for us because it represents an aggression against Lebanon and the people of Lebanon on the one hand. It also represents a great injustice to a great imam – who is the imam of the resistance, the imam of the homeland, the imam of the oppressed, and the symbol of conscience and moral and human values in this country and this region – His Eminence Sayyed Musa al-Sadr.

His targeting – because of his discourse – absence, and detention were clear. Muammar Gaddafi and whoever was behind Muammar Gaddafi were targeting this resistance, this culture, and this passion when they kidnapped Imam Musa al-Sadr. The resistance, culture of resistance, and resistance ideology of Imam Sadr was looking towards to Al-Quds and not only to the borders between Lebanon and occupied Palestine.

He was honest, determined, serious, and faithful. This resistance that Imam al-Sadr was calling for is a resistance on earth, but it is deeply connected to the revelation of heaven, the will of heaven, and the love of God Almighty and His encounter. Imam al-Sadr was a barrier and the one who sought to prevent any strife in the country. He was the one who put everything aside in order to stop the civil war. his main concern was to preserve the blood of the Lebanese, all the Lebanese in all the Lebanese areas, because the project of others was strife and civil war in Lebanon and to sabotage Lebanon. So, they had to remove this obstacle and this barrier from their path.
Hence, the targeting of Imam Musa al-Sadr was a targeting of the resistance and the project to liberate Al-Quds and Palestine. It was a targeting of civil peace, a targeting of life experience based on human strength and values that can be established in Lebanon contrary to a culture of hatred, grudges, fighting, being agents, and subordination. Therefore, we feel a great injustice because of the absence of this Imam for all these years from our resistance, our arena, our people, and our region – not only Lebanon. Imam al-Sadr cannot be confined to Lebanon. Lebanon was too small for Imam al-Sadr. He was present at the level of the whole region. His dreams and hopes were for this whole nation. In any case, today in memory of this enforced disappearance and abduction, we affirm that we are all his sons and students. We believe in his approach and we will continue his path, carry his hopes, and achieve his goals. His name will remain, and we are always waiting for his return. His name will remain strongly present in our minds, hearts, conscience, slogans, actions, and practice because this is how we show loyalty to the Imam who guided and held our hands to this path and opened before us all these hopes and all these horizons. 

He got us out of the belts of misery and change our way of thinking – from just being solely concerned about everyday life in our neighborhoods to include the homeland and the nation. I ask God Almighty to comfort him, his two brothers and dear mujahideen companions, his honorable family. The family of Imam Sayyed Musa al-Sadr as well as all his sons in the Amal movement and in Hezbollah in Lebanon suffered a painful separation during all these long years. His sons are not only Shiites. They are Muslims and Christians. They lived with this imam and listened to his speech in mosques, churches, and on every pulpit.

On the anniversary of the second liberation and this great victory that took place, I ask God Almighty to keep us, our people, and our country in a position that moves from one victory to another, to allow us to be able to confront this brutal economic war that wants to harm the will of our people, our resistance, and our country, and enable us to triumph in this war.

In the end of the address, I must thank the families of the martyrs – parents, wives, sons, daughters, sisters, and brothers of martyrs –these honorable who gave their best sons, young men, and their dear children in this battle, especially in the recent battles in which tens of martyrs fell within a short period of time. I turn to them and bow before them and before all the wounded resistance fighters in honor and veneration. Here, when I am talking about the martyrs and all the wounded in the resistance, the Lebanese army, the security forces, the Syrian army, and the popular forces in Syria, all the people that sacrificed as well as our people in the Bekaa who have always been part of this confrontation, achievement, and victory. 

May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.