Sayyed Nasrallah Says dialogue remains the Lebanese only option on 15-04-2006
Daily Star, 15-4-2006
BEIRUT: Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday the ongoing national dialogue and the need to establish a national defense strategy is the only option before the Lebanese to end their worst political crisis since the end of the Civil War. "The national dialogue, the discussions and continued communication among Lebanese leaders are our only option to end this political crisis," said Nasrallah during a ceremony commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad Friday.
"I will keep on participating in the dialogue no matter how hard it becomes for me to get to the Parliament ... this is the lesson we should learn from the Lebanese Civil War," he said, speaking a day after the 31st anniversary of the start of the war.
Earlier this week Lebanese authorities arrested nine Sunni Muslims suspected of planning to assassinate Nasrallah.
Nasrallah said he will not accuse any party of planning to murder him until the results of the official investigation are out.
He also criticized officials and party leaders who talked of exaggerated assassination plot, saying: "They should have at least said we will not comment before the investigation is over."
The national dialogue will resume on April 28 and will decide the fate of President Emile Lahoud, who is under severe pressure from Lebanon`s parliamentary majority led by Future Movement leader, MP Saad Hariri, to resign.
The next topic to be discussed in the dialogue is establishing a defense strategy against any possible "Israeli" aggression.
Nasrallah said if the leaders fail to agree to ask the president to resign, the parliamentary majority as well as the Cabinet should normalize their relations with him until the end of his term, which ends in September 2007.
"If the president is to serve until the end of his term, the parliamentary majority and the Cabinet should cooperate with him for the best interest of the country," said Nasrallah.
When the dialogue starts discussing Lebanon`s defense strategy, Nasrallah said all Lebanese can volunteer and bear the responsibility of protecting their land.
"When we discuss the defense strategy, we will look for one by which all parties, religions and sects participate in defending and protecting the country," said Nasrallah whose party is under international and local pressure to disarm.
"A defense strategy means an armed power. Lebanon cannot be protected through the 1994 cease-fire truce or any international guarantees," he said.
The international guarantees, Nasrallah said, are granted by the U.S., which is the main defender and supporter of "Israel".
"[US President George W.] Bush cannot be entrusted even with a cat in Lebanon, let alone the entire country," he added.
Hizbullah was criticized by some Lebanese leaders for monopolizing the resistance.
But Nasrallah lashed out at these accusations. "Who is stopping them from resisting? No one is. Go ahead resist and I will step aside for you."
"It`s is a shame to accuse us of monopolizing the resistance after all the sacrifices we made and the martyrs who died protecting the country," he said.
BEIRUT: Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Friday the ongoing national dialogue and the need to establish a national defense strategy is the only option before the Lebanese to end their worst political crisis since the end of the Civil War. "The national dialogue, the discussions and continued communication among Lebanese leaders are our only option to end this political crisis," said Nasrallah during a ceremony commemorating the birthday of the Prophet Mohammad Friday.
"I will keep on participating in the dialogue no matter how hard it becomes for me to get to the Parliament ... this is the lesson we should learn from the Lebanese Civil War," he said, speaking a day after the 31st anniversary of the start of the war.
Earlier this week Lebanese authorities arrested nine Sunni Muslims suspected of planning to assassinate Nasrallah.
Nasrallah said he will not accuse any party of planning to murder him until the results of the official investigation are out.
He also criticized officials and party leaders who talked of exaggerated assassination plot, saying: "They should have at least said we will not comment before the investigation is over."
The national dialogue will resume on April 28 and will decide the fate of President Emile Lahoud, who is under severe pressure from Lebanon`s parliamentary majority led by Future Movement leader, MP Saad Hariri, to resign.
The next topic to be discussed in the dialogue is establishing a defense strategy against any possible "Israeli" aggression.
Nasrallah said if the leaders fail to agree to ask the president to resign, the parliamentary majority as well as the Cabinet should normalize their relations with him until the end of his term, which ends in September 2007.
"If the president is to serve until the end of his term, the parliamentary majority and the Cabinet should cooperate with him for the best interest of the country," said Nasrallah.
When the dialogue starts discussing Lebanon`s defense strategy, Nasrallah said all Lebanese can volunteer and bear the responsibility of protecting their land.
"When we discuss the defense strategy, we will look for one by which all parties, religions and sects participate in defending and protecting the country," said Nasrallah whose party is under international and local pressure to disarm.
"A defense strategy means an armed power. Lebanon cannot be protected through the 1994 cease-fire truce or any international guarantees," he said.
The international guarantees, Nasrallah said, are granted by the U.S., which is the main defender and supporter of "Israel".
"[US President George W.] Bush cannot be entrusted even with a cat in Lebanon, let alone the entire country," he added.
Hizbullah was criticized by some Lebanese leaders for monopolizing the resistance.
But Nasrallah lashed out at these accusations. "Who is stopping them from resisting? No one is. Go ahead resist and I will step aside for you."
"It`s is a shame to accuse us of monopolizing the resistance after all the sacrifices we made and the martyrs who died protecting the country," he said.
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