Support Hezbollah

Hezbollah 2, Israel 0 - by Joanna Frances

2006-08-13T18:45:00.000-07:00

Make no mistake about it - the Israelis are getting their tails kicked in Lebanon! Just like they did in May 2000, when Hezbollah sent them scurrying back across the border with their tails between their legs. The Israelis never forgot that stinging defeat and have now demanded a rematch with Hezbollah. And much to their surprise, Israel has already managed to lose the rematch too. Considering the disparity in numbers and weaponry between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel should have achieved a decisive victory by now. But they haven’t. And it doesn’t help their case any that they have had to resort to bombing the entire country, killing women and children, to try to save face. It only makes them look more pathetic. They will never be able to swagger quite so arrogantly again, or instill fear in the groveling leaders of their neighboring countries in quite the same way. The Israelis have been outfoxed at every turn by an irregular army using prehistoric weaponry, with little to no support from neighboring countries (the leaders, that is), but who have proven themselves to be unwavering in their determination. Hezbollah are fighting against the best weaponry American money can buy. And they are winning.

Jimmy Carter's Take on the Issue

2006-08-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

"It is inarguable that Israel has a right to defend itself against attacks on its citizens, but it is inhumane and counterproductive to punish civilian populations in the illogical hope that somehow they will blame Hamas and Hezbollah for provoking the devastating response.

..... The result instead has been that broad Arab and worldwide support has been rallied for these groups, while condemnation of both Israel and the United States has intensified.

The urgent need in Lebanon is that Israeli attacks stop, the nation’s regular military forces control the southern region, Hezbollah cease as a separate fighting force and future attacks against Israel be prevented. Israel should withdraw from all Lebanese territory, including Shebaa Farms, and release the Lebanese prisoners"

- Jimmy Carter

George Galloway on Sky News

2006-08-11T21:12:00.000-07:00

Watch this video. Although Galloway could have been more gentle with this incompetent interviewer, his anger is justified given the 'preposterous' questions and the accusatory style in which they are being asked.

Nasrallah's Speech: 9 August 2006

2006-08-11T21:04:00.000-07:00

The leader of Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, broadcast an extended address on Wednesday 9 August. This link includes excerpts from his television address.

- BBC

Anti-Israeli Protests in Panama City

2006-08-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

A child protests against the war in Lebanon in front of the Israeli embassy in Panama City August 3, 2006. (PANAMA)

03 Aug 2006 REUTERS/Alberto Lowe

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You'll never find the picture of hassan nasrallah in this caricature. It's clear who's evil and who's not.

Nizar Qabbani's Poem on the Resistance

2006-08-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

سَمَّيتُكَ الجنوب
يا لابساً عباءةَ الحسين
وشمسَ كربلاء
يا شجرَ الوردِ الذي يحترفُ الفداء
يا ثورةَ الأرضِ التقت بثورةِ السماء
يا جسداً يطلعُ من ترابهِ
قمحٌ وأنبياء

سميّتُك الجنوب
يا قمر الحُزن الذي يطلعُ ليلاً من عيونِ فاطمة
يا سفنَ الصيدِ التي تحترفُ المقاومة
يا كتب الشعر التي تحترف المقاومة
يا ضفدع النهر الذي
يقرأ طولَ الليلِ سورةَ المقاومة

سميتك الجنوب
سميتك الشمعَ الذي يضاءُ في الكنائس
سميتك الحناء في أصابع العرائس
سميتك الشعرَ البطوليَ الذي
يحفظه الأطفالُ في المدارس
سميتك الأقلامَ والدفاترَ الوردية
سميتك الرصاصَ في أزقةِ النبطية
سميتك النشور والقيامة
سميتك الصيفَ الذي تحملهُ
في ريشها الحمامة

سميتك الجنوب
سميتك النوارس البيضاء، والزوارق
سميتك الأطفالَ يلعبونَ بالزنابق
سميتك الرجالَ يسهرونَ حولَ النارِ والبنادق
سميتك القصيدةَ الزرقاء
سميتك البرقَ الذي بنارهِ تشتعلُ الأشياء
سميتك المسدسَ المخبوءَ في ضفائرِ النساء
سميتك الموتى الذينَ بعد أن يشيَّعوا
يأتون للعشاء
ويستريحون إلى فراشهم
ويطمئنون على أطفالهم
وحين يأتي الفجرُ، يرجعون للسماء

سيذكرُ التاريخُ يوماً قريةً صغيرةً
بين قرى الجنوب
تدعى معركة
قد دافعت بصدرها
عن شرفِ الأرض، وعن كرامة العروبة
وحولها قبائلٌ جبانةٌ
وأمةٌ مفككه

سميتك الجنوب
سميتكَ الأجراسَ والأعياد
وضحكةَ الشمس على مرايلِ الأولاد
يا أيها القديسُ، والشاعرُ والشهيد
يا ايها المسكونُ بالجديد
يا طلقةَ الرصاص في جبينِ أهلِ الكهف
ويا نبيَّ العنف
ويا الذي أطلقنا من أسرنا
ويا الذي حررنا من خوف

لم يبقَ إلا أنت
تسيرُ فوق الشوكِ والزجاج
والإخوة الكرام
نائمون فوقَ البيضِ كالدجاج
وفي زمانِ الحربِ، يهربون كالدجاج
يا سيدي الجنوب
في مدنِ الملحِ التي يسكنها الطاعونُ والغبار
في مدنِ الموتِ التي تخافُ أن تزورها الأمطار
لم يبق إلا أنت
تزرع في حياتنا النخيلَ، والأعنابَ والأقمار
لم يبقَ إلا أنت.. إلا أنت.. إلا أنت
فافتح لنا بوابةَ النهار

Rallying behind Hizbollah

2006-08-05T06:04:00.000-07:00

Support for Hizbollah among the Lebanese is at an all time high, reports Lucy Fielder from Beirut - Al-Ahram Weekly

Chomsky on Hizbollah

2006-08-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

On May 13, 2006, Professor Chomsky was quoted by Al-Manar as saying, "Hizbullah's insistence on keeping its arms is justified... I think Nasrallah has a reasoned argument and [a] persuasive argument that they [the arms] should be in the hands of Hizbullah as a deterrent to potential aggression, and there is plenty of background reasons for that. So until, I think his position [is] reporting it correctly and it seems to me [a] reasonable position, is that until there is a general political settlement in the region, [and] the threat of aggression and violence is reduced or eliminated, there has to be a deterrent, and the Lebanese army can't be a deterrent."

- MEMRI

Venezuela pulls out Israel ambassador

2006-08-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan president, said he had recalled his country's ambassador to Israel to show his "indignation" over the military offensive in Lebanon.

- Aljazeera

10 Reasons Why Hassan Nasrallah is Great

2006-08-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

1. Nasrallah is great because under his leadership, Hezbollah became what it is today. Under his leadership Hezbollah became the strong political, social, and military power it is. Under his leadership, Israel was defeated and under his leadership Israel will be defeated again. This man has a goal, a vision, and a strategy. He has the ability to communicate, to mobilize, to motivate, to manage, to execute, and to deliver. This man is a great leader in every sense of the word.

2. Nasrallah is great because he has commanded the respect of everyone, even his most avid enemies. Let’s take the Arab leaders, for example. You only need to watch a press conference or a television interview with an Arab leader or foreign minister to notice how careful they are not to mention his name. They do so out of respect. They do so to avoid saying anything stupid or inappropriate against someone so honorable, so honest, and so brave… someone which the mere mention of his name evokes powerful feelings in the heart of every Arab and Muslim. Even Lebanese politicians who fundamentally disagree with his approach cannot but mention him with praise and admiration. Such is the greatness of Nasrallah.

3. Nasrallah is great because he is a man of sacrifice. This man gave his son to the resistance and lost him when Israeli forces killed him in South Lebanon. This man is more than ready to give his soul for his country. In fact, he is well aware that he could be dead any moment. So, when Hassan Nasrallah talks about resistance, about victory, about freeing Lebanon… it’s not just heroic slogans and empty talk... he means every single word he says and have acted, acts, and will continue to act upon what he says until the last breath in his life.

4. Nasrallah is great because he mastered the art of speech and reinvented eloquence. You only need to watch the expression in the faces of Arabs and Muslims who listen to or watch Nasrallah’s speeches to realize the poignancy of his words and the affect they have on their hearts and minds. People eagerly wait to hear from him and they rejoice when they hear the news of a soon-to-be aired speech by him. People smile, cry, hold their breath, applaud, ponder, and dream when they listen to his speeches. You should see the expression on the faces of Aljazeera anchors who comment on his speeches right after the broadcast. Their countenance of affection and admiration cannot be concealed. What is particularly great is that most of what Nasrallah says is improvised. He speaks his mind but the words come deep from the heart. This is one powerful statement he has said: “You are fighting the children of Muhammad, of Ali, of al-Hasan, of al-Husayn, of the Prophet’s family, the Prophet’s Companions. You are fighting a people who have faith such as no one else on the face of the earth possesses. And you have chosen open warfare with a people who take pride in their history, their civilization, and their culture, and who also possess material power, ability, expertise, knowledge, calm, imagination, determination, steadfastness, and courage”. Golden words from a great man.

5. Nasrallah is great because he has a keen sense of humor and maintains it even in the toughest of times. Nasrallah’s speeches are never void of witty or sarcastic remarks, which is quite amazing given the severity of the war and his own personal circumstances. In his second TV appearance since the war started, for example, he smiled when commenting about trimming his beard to improve his appearance and dispel any notion of him being weak and undermined. His humor, needless to say, is not indifference to what’s happening (as Israel might want to publicize) but a beautiful reflection of his lively spirit and unshakeable faith.

6. Nasrallahs is great because despite the tactless comments some Arab leaders, politicians, journalists, and even religious figures have directly or indirectly said against Hezbollah; he, as the figurehead of the organization, never lost his candor nor his diplomacy in addressing their reaction and defeatist attitude. Although some of their words must have been offending and painful to hear, Nasrallah never countered them with equal offense, instead, he simply warned the people to not take heed in what they say. He kept saying that Hezbollah does not need or want any support from the Arab leaders (or anyone else); it only wants them to, at the very least, be unbiased about the issue rather than collude with Israel! (Yes, Israel said and Qatar’s foreign minister verified that there are some Arab leaders who contact Israel and offer them their support!)

7. Nasrallah is great because he is charismatic without being dogmatic: Nasrallah’s charm and charisma is partly why the entire Arab and Muslim worlds are glued into the TV whenever he gives a speech or an interview. It is partly why Arabs and Muslims, regardless of their sect, religion, and political affiliation carry his pictures and chant his name in street demonstrations. Nasrallah is perhaps the most charismatic political leader in the 21st century. No current leader has had his pictures carried in so many different cities across the world from Caracas to Cairo to Jakarata. And, in the Muslim world, no religious leader has been able to bridge the sectarian divide as effectively as he did. Despite all this popularity and the power he has as a political figure in Lebanon and despite the legendary status he has achieved across the Arab World, Nasrallah has never shown any sign of a domineering or a confrontational attitude. He has always emphasized his desire to peacefully and cooperatively deal and communicate with other politicians and to reach a consensus that will first and foremost benefit the Lebanese people and the Lebanese State.

8. Nasrallah is great because he has an outstanding ability to understand the psychology of all the people listening to and are affected by his speeches, everyone from the Lebanese people, the Lebanese politicians, the Lebanese opposition, the Israeli people, the Israeli leaders, the Israeli soldiers, the Arab people, the Arab leaders, and even the wives of Arab leaders! The following quote is one only one statement that reflects Nasrallah's profound understanding of what underlies behind ongoing events and inside people’s hearts and minds. He says: “I know that if you examine the hearts of all people in the Arab and Muslim nations, they are with us…. and if they have the chance to show genuine emotions, they would do so. I have no doubt about this. I am even certain that some sons, daughters, and wives of some Arab rulers are with us”. In another speech he analyzes the psychology of Uhud Olmert saying that what the Lebanese, Palestinians, and Israelis are suffering is a direct result of the inferiority complex inflicting him. Olmert wants to establish himself as a great leader of Israel but is failing to do so by all standards, Nasrallah says.

9. Nasrallah is great because he is magnanimous. The positions some Arab leaders and decision-makers have taken against Hezbollah in such critical circumstances are nearly unforgivable. But Hassan Nasrallah’s magnanimity leaves the option of forgiveness and reconciliation open. He said in one of his speeches: “As for those who sinned against us, those who made mistakes, those who let us down, and those who conspired against us - as there are various types [of people who are against us] - this will be left for a day to settle accounts. We might be tolerant with them and we might not (we might forgive and we might not)". To say such a statement in the midst of a barbaric war waged against Lebanon and backed by some of these Arab governments proves that Nasrallah is deeply committed to the cause of intra-Arab peace, strength, and unity, so much so that he has retained the capacity to give second chances and readily deal with those who sinned, betrayed, and conspired but have later changed their position.

10. Nasrallah is great because despite being strong, solid, and steadfast he is still very sympathetic and sensitive to the suffering of his own people and other innocent people affected by the war (including Israelis). He is unlike other callous (and yes cold-blooded) leaders and decision-makers who don't give a damn about what afflicts the people affected by their own decisions, actions, and inactions! Most of these leaders repeat insincere words of regrets and shed crocodile tears only for the media to capture, instead of taking the necessary steps to resolve the conflict. In his latest speech, Nasrallah said that Israel achieved a military accomplishment by killing the innocent women and children in Qana. Although none of Hezbollah's arsenal or fighters were targeted, this was an accomplishment on a military level because it cannot pass by without deeply affecting the Hezbollah members who weep the suffering of their own people and feel their pain in every step of the confrontation with Israel. Nasrallah's desire to not target Israeli civilians is clear in his speeches and his regret for the civilians dead is expressed. Nasrallah repeatedly said that Hezbollah wants the war to be man to man, force to force… instead of an open war waged on everyone. But, unfortunately, Israel chose an open war and open war it was, is, and will continue until Israel comes to its senses.

Nasrallah's Aljazeera Interview (July 22, 2006)

2006-08-03T03:04:00.000-07:00

For the complete transcript of the interview click here

Demonstrations in Support of Hezbollah

2006-08-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hezbollah leader Nasrallah reaching `legendary' status

2006-08-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

"In Bahrain, they sing songs about him. In Egypt, he's compared with their greatest modern hero. In distant Tunis, where an estimated 7,000 people marched peacefully to protest Israel's action, some of them held up his photograph. In Muslim countries as different as Syria and Malaysia, they wave his picture like the national flag. So far, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, is the only person to emerge from the wreckage of Lebanon not only unbroken, but seemingly strengthened. As his Shiite Muslim militant group battles Israel's powerful military into an improbable fourth week, his stature in the Muslim world has never been greater".

- Shashank Bengali, McClatchy Newspapers

Nasrallah's Speech: 25th July 2006

2006-08-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of confliction and barbarian Zionist attack against the steadfastness of this proud nation and this courageous resistance, which is nearing the level of miracle, I wish to address you because there are some issues that require comments as well as the embracement of certain stances so that we will understand how to continue our forthcoming days.

Regarding the political aspect, we must understand and accept the truth of war and the background of the aggression. After two weeks, the issues have become much clearer with the abundance of the information and public stances and statements of each the US administration officials and the Zionist enemy as well as those who take their side. In addition, there are numerous analyses and facts that can only lead to one crystal clear conclusion. If we understand the war we are fighting at present we will be able to comprehend the method required to continue our way.

After listening to the speech of the US Secretary of State on a New Middle East, which means a new US-Israeli Middle East, can anyone imagine that this gigantic project was born in one or two days after the resistance captured the two Israeli soldiers?

All the information confirms that the launching pad for this project has been under preparation since one year minimum. According to the US reckoning, there are obstacles ahead of a new Middle East. This means the region which the US administration controls and solely administers its affairs, sources and fortunes with its first partner "Israel". In the new Middle East, there is no place for any resisting movement. What is required is to work on eliminating the obstacles, which are the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine as well as Syria and Iran.

The issue began in Palestine. The elimination of the resisting movements in Palestine was a demand. Then elections took place and the resistance movement won, placing them [the schemers] in a situation of embarrassment. Hence, they struck the Palestinian nation, starved it, prevented aid from it, and they have been driving the situation in Palestine towards an internal conflict. The menace that threatened the Palestinian nation was the internal conflict. Later, the capturing of the Israeli soldier took place in Gaza. The significance of this operation was that it pushed the gravity of the internal conflict away from the Palestinians and brought them back to the main and real battle.

In Lebanon, over the entire past year, there have been US direct and indirect efforts exerted. The Americans, clearly, widely and dedicatedly, observed the developments of the internal conditions in Lebanon. They had their bets that failed on the internal level. They could not find someone who can eliminate the resistance current and its existence in Lebanon. The public embracement of the resistance shocked them. Therefore, they pursued another option. Within one year, they studied the situation of the Lebanese army, and we know that there were several military delegations that arrived and asked numerous questions. They were surprised because the Lebanese army was unable to risk this kind of battle because it was a national army, patriotic with its leaders, officers, seniors and soldiers. The dogma of the army prevents it from being involved in this kind of conspiracy. The army commandment played a wise and delicate role during the difficult stage that stormed Lebanon pertaining to its internal conditions.

They bet on inserting Hizbullah in the government to render it become busy in positions and plans, which may encourage it to recede from its combative responsibilities; this did not happen.

All the internal information proved that this issue was unsuitable for gambling. Hence, they waited the results of the dialogue. They observed its details and reached an outcome that this goal was out of reach. The Americans reached a point where they saw that there was no internal way they could bet on to finish the resistance with its current and existence.

On the regional level, they gambled on our friends in Syria and Iran and discovered, despite all their falsities and vanities, that neither Iran nor Syria were willing to finish the resistance in Lebanon or Palestine. They reached the inescapable conclusion according to their perception that there was only one side on which they can depend to strike the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine, and later work on isolating and intimidating Syria and Iran.

The Israeli War

Based on this perception, the Americans decided on the Israeli war on Lebanon. The information that we obtained explained that all the maneuvers which the enemy forces had conducted over the past few months, especially in the northern part of Occupied Palestine and in the southern part of Occupied Palestine, were probably preparations for the assault on Lebanon. This aggression was already planned or it was the basis of action either late September or early October. They also needed some data or intelligence information in order to continue their war plan.

The plan stipulates that the enemy should in one blow, with or without a reason, knowing that it gains the international worldwide support and cover, carry out a very powerful land assault that will make it control the entire area to the Litany River in order to stop the Katusha rockets launch. At the same time, the Israeli air force would strike all the houses of the leaders and officials as well as compounds and organizations of Hizbullah with the country infrastructure which would lead to complete paralysis in the movements of the resistance and the country, which would also incite the Lebanese street against the resistance, renders the resistance lose its ability in restoring the initiative, and inflicting upon it a fatal blow that will make its rebirth impossible. Had we not executed the capturing operation, this scenario would have been executed. I am being very transparent and clear. We constantly wondered, when we carried out this mission we anticipated this retaliation or this magnitude of such retaliation. When the capturing operation took place, the resistance, without knowing, frustrated the more serious plan and the worst scenario of the war on Lebanon and the resistance in Lebanon as well as on the people in Lebanon. This is the truth to which we have reached.

After the capturing mission, the Zionist enemy found itself facing a state of humiliation and could not tolerate this strike. Therefore, it rushed into the war which it had already planned. First of all, the significance of this hastiness is that the enemy lost the element of surprise, which should have taken place while we are unaware or sleeping. In a short period, the south of Litany was going to be occupied at minimum with the bombardment of our homes, centers and organizations. We would loose administration, control, communication and the possibility of movement; hence, it would completely finish the resistance with the least possible losses. The first scenario was frustrated and the element of surprise was dropped. This scenario depended on this element of surprise which was the gravest issue. In addition, the enemy was forced to carry out this mission before its time and before the completion of the facts and information with the necessary preparations that would imperfect this mission, which could have also helped in its success more than ever.

To my dear Lebanese nation and the nations of the world, the hearts of which are aching for us, I say that now we began conclusively and evidently seeing the backgrounds and objectives of this war, hence, this entire argument. The enemy was, anyhow, going into this war. What the resistance achieved was overwhelmed by a divine kindness. Today, the basis upon which the war was launched and planned was to return Lebanon to the circle of the US-Israeli control and hegemony. This is worse than the 1982 invasion and the 17-May agreement. They want to extract Lebanon entirely out of its history, commitment, culture and real identity to become a Zionist and American country with American facades that would only obey and implement without any power. Our destiny lies with the noble patriots, we must face this ominous project and we must frustrate the goals of this war. We must fight the battle of freeing the remaining part of our soil and the rest of our prisoners. We must fight the real battle of sovereignty and true independence. We stressed on this issue over the past few days.

Today, the diplomatic and political movements began. They gave the enemy the necessary chance and they will give it an additional chance. Before Rice, delegations arrived. All of those who came until now bore US-Zionist dictations. They did not present any settlements and solutions for the present crises and conflict.For now, I will not discuss the proposals and terms because we prefer to spare this issue for the employed mechanisms and private sessions, especially that this dossier with its particularities and entirety is being pursued by the people whom we trust and on whom we bet. But I would like to say a short comment to be clear to you and to the entire world.

I can be certain that we can neither accept any terms that may humiliate our country, our people and resistance nor any other formula at the expense of our national interests, sovereignty and national independence, especially after all these sacrifices. This is unacceptable regardless of how long the confrontation may take or how dear the sacrifices may be. Our true and main slogan is, above all, dignity. The houses have been destroyed and they will be rebuilt God willing, likewise the infrastructure. On the other hand, we cannot allow anyone to waste the dignity. We cannot accept any humiliating terms. We are open to the political solution and discussion and we are dealing with responsibility and flexibility. But there is a red line.

Miss Rice came to Lebanon and departed to occupied Palestine and gave the enemy another chance. Surely, we are facing another week or ten days as the Israelis themselves are stating. We are facing decisive and fateful days that require further steadfastness and internal cohesion and endurance. They are waging their bets. The entire war is about he who will first give up.

We will continue our challenge. At this point, I wish to move to the issue of the battlefield. After all this time and after this entire extremism of the Israeli enemy, we realized that we have entered the stage of Haifa. But now I would like to declare that we entered the after-Haifa stage. Consequently, there is a new phase of challenge and conflict which the enemy imposes on us as an inescapable choice for the new stage. Yes, the boundaries of Haifa will not be the boundaries of our bombardment regardless of the reactions of the enemy forces. We will move on to the after-Haifa stage. After that, we will decide on the time when to move to the after-after-Haifa stage, depending on the developments. This is first.

Second, regarding the situation on the battlefield, until now, the resistance combatants have accomplished great achievements and inflicted upon the enemy great losses including officers, soldiers, warplanes and tanks. Today, we are fighting in Bint Jbail and we will fight in Bint Jbail like we fought in Maroun el-Rass and like we will fight in each town, village, outpost and position. I said a few days earlier that we were not a classical army and that we do not form a classical defensive line. We are fighting using the way of the guerillas. Everyone knows the way of the fight. What is important regarding the battlefield is the losses the will be inflicted upon the enemy.

At this point, I can tell you, pertaining to the land incursion which the enemy may achieve, knowing that it possesses huge forces on this field, still, the objective of this incursion will not be achieved. This is the prevention of striking the settlements in the northern part of occupied Palestine. This bombardment will continue regardless of the land incursion and the new occupation. The occupation of one span of our Lebanese soil will create a new drive and an additional motive for the continuation and escalation of the resistance. The Zionist army coming to our land will give us a greater chance to nail it and nail its soldiers, officers and tanks. It will give us a greater and wider chance for a direct clash and it will bleed the enemy forces instead of hiding behind their forts at the international border, satisfied with the powerful air force that pounds the towns and villages and kills the innocent civilians of the women and children.

In the battle, we will have the upper hand. The criterion in the battlefield resides in the bleeding of the enemy, not in the land that we will preserve or loose. This is because we do not use a regular fight. Any land which the enemy occupies will be resorted after inflicting upon this enemy all possible losses.

Therefore, we are prepared and ready for the battlefield and we will continue. We gamble and depend on God The Exalted and on those strong hands and hearts that are full of faith, minds that are full of knowledge, and spirits that thirst after the meeting of God The Exalted. Such men undervalue this life and the atrocities of this life; hence, they maintain their firmness and keep their feet fixed on the battlefield.

Regarding the confrontations on the field, I wish to draw your attention to the nature of the psychological war which the enemy employs and to which we, as resisting militants and people, must give attention. I can assure you that we will be transparent and honest with you. We do not hide our martyrs. If anyone of our leaders or cadres gets killed we will declare it with pride. If the number of our martyrs inclines we will be proud of it. If the enemy captures any wounded or people we will not deny it. If there will be injuries or prisoners we will not deny it. This is our way. Even when the fight took place in Maroun el-Rass, we said that there was fighting. And when we departed we said that Maroun el-Rass was over. You must listen to us, not to the psychological war which the Israeli enemy employs. Since two days, the enemy has been saying that it was now controlling Bint Jbail, with the aid and propaganda, unfortunately, of many Lebanese and Arab media means. They did not control the city of Bint Jbail. The entire city of Bint Jbail is still under the control of the Mujahideen until the recording of this message. They are fighting, facing and maintaining their steadfastness.

The enemy is talking about hundreds of martyrs of Hizbullah. Where are those hundreds? They are talking about 20 captives. Where are those 20 captives? A few days earlier, the enemy talked about two captives in Maroun el-Rass. After that, it released them because they were two civilians who did not have any ties to the resistance.

The enemy keeps talking about the occupation of cities and villages as well as the killing of large numbers of people in order to hurt the morale of the Mujahideen and people. I say to you, do not believe these lies, and listen to us. When some of our men die we will declare our martyrs. When we depart a village after fighting like heroes we will declare that we departed. We do not lie to our people, but it is the enemy that lies to its people, and it is the one that practice censorship. The enemy does not tell the facts to its people or the world. This is a sign of its weakness. On the other hand, our transparency and clarity is the proof of our strength and willpower.

Anyhow, when we chose this way we knew that we were choosing the hard way, the way of the martyrdom that makes victory. We are determined to stand out and maintain our steadfastness, dignity, sovereignty, freedom and the freedom of our homeland. What is required is that we maintain our endurance and steadfastness as well as continue. In the end, the situation will not remain the same. We, God willing, have been promised with victory, and we will emerge triumphant in this battle like we did in the past. Our steadfastness will render the reality change around us. It will change the regional and international reality.

The long time will not be available for this enemy irrespective of the cover which the US administration provides to this enemy. In the end, this pure blood, bleeding from the victimized civilians of the women and children as well as the victimized martyrs and resisting Mujahideen of the resistance or the Lebanese national army or any other people in any position of sacrifice, this blood must emerge triumphant and beat and sword. This is the way of God.

May peace and the blessing of God be upon all of you...

Nasrallah's Speech: 14 July, 2006

2006-08-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

Peace be upon you and the mercy of God and His blessings!

To begin with, in this first address that I make to you since Operation True Promise [in which Hizballah captured two Zionist soldiers] and the events that followed it, I would like, to begin with, to offer my appreciation and condolences to the families of the martyrs, those who gave the dearest of their loved ones during these hard and difficult days, and for all they have given in the noblest confrontation and battle that the modern age has known or rather that all history has known.

I want to salute the wounded, and beseech God — be He glorified and exalted — to sustain them, heal them and bring them health. I also wish to salute our steadfast people in all the cities, towns and villages who are standing firm and immoveable, rooted in their land as they are rooted in their faith. I also salute my brothers the Mujahideen, the steadfast resistance fighters, enduring hardship at their posts and in all our ranks, ever ready for sacrifice in the path of what they believe. They always have and always will regard their own safety lightly and hold their heads high with pride.

In this first address that I give in these days following Operation True Promise, I would like to say a few words — a word to the Lebanese people, a word to the resistance fighters, a word to the Zionists, and a word to the Arab rulers. I will not offer words to the international community because I have never for one day believed that there is any such thing as an international community, just as many in our nation feel.

First, I say to the Lebanese people: dear people — who embraced the resistance, by whom the resistance was victorious, and for whom the resistance won its victory on 25 May 2000 — this people who were the makers of the first victory in the history of the Arab struggle with the Israeli enemy, despite the basic inequality in forces, and in spite of the fact that the majority of our Arab brothers and the majority of our Muslim brothers abandoned us and despite the silence of the whole world, this Lebanese people made the miracle of the victory that stunned the world and humiliated the Zionists. Those Zionists look upon this people in a special, unique way because they accomplished in the history of the struggle with them a special and unique accomplishment.

The battle today is no longer a battle over prisoners or the exchange of prisoners. It might be said that the Zionist enemy is responding any time there is any operation where men are captured anywhere in any part of the world, by any army or any state that has borders and regulations. What is taking place today is not a response to a capture of their soldiers; it is a squaring of accounts with the people, resistance, state, army, political forces, regions, villages, and families that inflicted that historic defeat on that aggressive usurper entity that has never accepted its defeat.

Today, therefore, this is a total war that Zionism is waging to clear its whole account with Lebanon, the Lebanese people, the Lebanese state, the Lebanese army, and the Lebanese resistance, in revenge and reprisal for the victory they won on 25 May 2000.

Dear steadfast, mujahid, and noble people, I know that the overwhelming majority of this people, in their minds, hearts, wills, culture, thoughts, love, passion, and sacrifice are a people of nobility, dignity, honor, distinction, and pride, not a people of servility, subservience, submissiveness, and surrender. I say to you that in this battle we are faced with two choices — not we, as in Hizballah, or as in the resistance, the Hizballah resistance — but Lebanon as a state, a people, an army, a resistance, and a political power — we are faced with two choices: either to submit today to the conditions that the Zionist enemy wants to dictate to us all, using the pressure, support, and backing it has from America, from around the world, and, I’m sorry to say, from Arabs.

Either we submit completely to its conditions, which means taking Lebanon into an Israeli age under Israeli domination — in total frankness this is the extent of the matter — or we stand steadfast. That is the other choice: that we persevere, that we persevere and confront. I, relying on God the Exalted, and on my faith in Him and the mujahideen and in you, knowing this people and this enemy, just as I always used to promise you victory, now I promise you victory once again.

During the Grapes of Wrath in 1996, or Operation Settling of Accounts in 1993, in the beginning they had the upper hand and our situation was much worse. But today, the situation is different. Believe me, and I mean this, the situation now is different. All that we need is to persevere, stand steadfast, and confront them united, and I know and I will bet that the majority of our people are a people of steadfastness, a mujahid [struggling] people who can sacrifice, who have no need for pep talks. What I’m saying now is only by way of completing the idea, and affirming the choice, and clarifying what this means.

Now, as for my words for the resistance fighters, for my dear and beloved brothers: upon them rest the hopes of every Lebanese, every Palestinian, every Arab, every Muslim, every free and decent person in this world, every oppressed, tortured victim of injustice, every lover of steadfastness, courage, dignity, values, and nobility — the characteristics they embody by their presence on the field of battle and in their fight with this enemy, the fight of valiant heroes. I say to them: today, after God the Highest, you are the hope of our Nation. You are the symbol of our nobility. Our honor is in your hands.

This honor is yours and by means of you, our honor is preserved. After God the Exalted, it was you who were responsible for the victory of 2000. Today it is you, before all others, who are responsible for preserving the victory, for achieving liberation, standing steadfast, and with honor. This places demands on you that you, in practice, have proved until now and during these days that you are entirely worthy of, as you are worthy of our esteem. Those who put their trust in you, after God, their charge is great, the reward will be grand, and the mighty victory — a clear triumph — is near.

To the Zionists, to the people of the Zionist entity at this hour I say to them: you will soon discover how foolish and stupid are your new rulers, your new leaders. They do not know how to assess reality. They have no experience in this area. You Zionists say in opinion polls that you believe me more than you believe your officials. So now I call on you to listen well and believe me. Today we have persevered despite the attack that took place last night in the southern suburbs. However the attacks multiply in every village, neighborhood, street, and home in Lebanon, there is no difference between the south Beirut suburbs, the City of Beirut, or any home in south Lebanon, in the Beqaa, or the north, or Mount Lebanon, or any corner of Lebanon.

The equation has now changed. I will not say today that if you strike Beirut, we will strike Haifa. I will not tell you that if you hit the south Beirut suburbs, we will hit Haifa. You wanted to get rid of that equation, so now we and you have got rid of it in actuality. You wanted open warfare, and we are going into open warfare. We are ready for it, a war on every level. To Haifa, and, believe me, to beyond Haifa, and to beyond beyond Haifa. Not only we will be paying a price. Not only our houses will be destroyed. Not only our children will be killed. Not only our people will be displaced. Those days are past. That was how it was before 1982, and before the year 2000.

Those times have come to an end. I promise you those times have passed. Therefore you must also bear the responsibility for what your government has done, for what that government has undertaken. From now on, you wanted open warfare, so it will be open warfare. You wanted it. Your government wanted to change the rules of the game, so let the rules then be changed. You don’t know today whom you’re fighting.

You are fighting the children of Muhammad, of Ali, of al-Hasan, of al-Husayn, of the Prophet’s family, the Prophet’s Companions. You are fighting a people who have faith such as no one else on the face of the earth possesses. And you have chosen open warfare with a people who take pride in their history, their civilization, and their culture, and who also possess material power, ability, expertise, knowledge, calm, imagination, determination, steadfastness, and courage. In the coming days it will be between us and you, God willing.

As to the Arab rulers, I don’t want to ask you about your history. I just want to say a few words. We are adventurers. We in Hizballah are adventurers, yes. But we have been adventurers since 1982. And we have brought to our country only victory, freedom, liberation, dignity, honor, and pride. This is our history. This is our experience. This is our adventure.

In the year 1982 you said and the world said that we were crazy. But we proved that we were the rational ones, so who then was crazy? This is something else and I don’t want to get into an argument with anyone. So I tell them simply: go bet on your reason and we will bet on our adventure, with God as our Supporter and Benefactor. We have never for one day counted on you. We have trusted in God, our people, our hearts, our hands, and our children. Today we do the same, and God willing, victory will follow.

The surprises that I promised you will begin starting now. Now, out at sea off the coast of Beirut an Israeli military vessel that attacked our infrastructure, that struck the homes of our people, our civilians; you can see it burning. It will sink and with it dozens of Zionist Israeli troops. This is the beginning. There will be a lot more said before the end.

Peace be upon you, and the mercy of God!

Voice from the Conflict II

2006-08-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

"I don't want to cry in front of you but what's happening really is a disaster.

We live in southern Beirut, so I've brought my wife to my parents' in Ashrafiyeh, a Christian part of town to be safe.

I was Christian but became Shia when I married my wife.

This is making us like Hezbollah even more.

My wife's sister is a widow. Her husband was a militant in Hezbollah and was killed 10 years ago in the south. Hezbollah looks after her and her four children; their schools, medicine, and clothes are all paid for until they graduate and get married.

If Hezbollah get money from Iran, they really do give it to the people, not like other politicians.

At least Hezbollah give us dignity, which is very important.

Here in Beirut fruit and vegetables are very expensive because they come from Bekaa and the south and it's hard to transport from there because the roads are damaged.

They have cut the electricity. We only get about four to six hours a day.

But the price of petrol is now back to normal. At first it went up. We can buy as much as we want. I drive to our apartment every two or three days".

I need to check it's still there.

- George Bitar (source: BBC)

Voices from the Conflict

2006-08-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

"I'm with my family on the fifteenth floor of Tyre's tallest building. They could target us at any time, but what will happen, will happen.

My father owns the building, so he wants to stay.

He rents apartments to people, including one of the four UN workers who was killed by Israel this week, Jarno from Finland. He lived on the second floor of this block.

It's like a ghost town here.

We have a shelter in the building, but we gave it to people who escaped from villages in the south. We are more comfortable than many.

Yesterday I was sitting on the balcony when they bombed a building about a hundred metres away. I was listening to Jon Bon Jovi on my Walkman when the blast threw me off my chair.
It was a residential building. We don't know why they hit it.

My mother is freaked out all the time. When it starts she goes and sits on the stairs on the first floor.

The doorman buys our bread for us. We have enough food for two months; it fills four fridges. We have two, and the other fridges are in apartments on other floors. The tenants gave my father permission when they left.

I support Hezbollah now. Before, I didn't know much about them except that they made Israel withdraw in 2000 and that I was glad about it.

Hezbollah are just defending their land. Israel is the terrorist, it's killing children".

- Nadeen Audi (Source: BBC)

The Majority of Lebanese Christians and Druze Support Hezbollah

2006-08-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

"Throughout most of the Arab and Muslim worlds, Hezbollah is highly regarded as a legitimate resistance movement. According to a poll released by the "Beirut Center for Research and Information" on 26 July during 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, 87 percent of Lebanese support Hezbollah's fight with Israel, a rise of 29 percent on a similar poll conducted in February. More striking, however, is the level of support for Hezbollah's resistance from non-Shiite communities. Eighty percent of Christians polled supported Hezbollah along with 80 percent of Druze and 89 percent of Sunnis".

- wikipedia

شبهات الإعلام العربي والصهيوني حول حزب الله

2006-08-01T02:10:00.000-07:00

المقولة الخامسة، هي أن الحزب شيعي وأن نصره نصرٌ للشيعة، وهذه المقولة هابطةٌ؛ لأنها تدخل في إطار المؤامرة الأمريكية الصهيونية التي وجدت آذانًا صاغيةً في العراق، وتروِّج لها للأسف بعض الحكومات العربية التي سيطر عليها هاجس الصراع الإيراني الأمريكي وحرصها على نصرة أمريكا ضد إيران وفاء لمخططها لتمزيق المنطقة العربية

بقلم: السفير د. عبد الله الأشعل - المصدر: الاخوان اونلاين

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The Neo David and Goliath: 10 Reasons Why Hezbollah is Great

2006-07-30T09:35:00.000-07:00

1. Hezbollah is great because it is valiantly fighting an unfair, disproportionate war that Israel has launched: Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers with the intention of exchanging them for Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. It was not expecting a war of such magnitude; nonetheless, it was prepared for the worse: “You want an open war, we will go to an open war” Hassan Nasrallah has repeatedly said. What is disappointing is that despite the obvious Israeli aggression, some people are saying that Hezbollah is culpable because it should not have crossed the “blue line” in the first place triggering such a notorious untamed bull. Well, before Hezbollah crosses the blue line, Israel and after its withdrawal from South Lebanon, has continually been crossing Lebanon’s air, sea, and land borders. What Hezbollah did was in response to Israel’s cumulative and continuous aggression against Lebanon since its withdrawal in 2000: crossing Lebanese borders, occupying Lebanese land (Shebaa), and holding hundreds of Lebanese prisoners in Israeli jails. What is even more important to mention here is that the current war has been planned a while ago, at least a year before the soldiers were captured by Hezbollah. Hassan Nasrollah mentioned that in his latest speach and Matthew Kalman of the San Franciso Chronicle verifies it. He says: "More than a year ago, a senior Israeli army officer began giving PowerPoint presentations, on an off-the-record basis, to U.S. and other diplomats, journalists and think tanks, setting out the plan for the current operation in revealing detail. In his talks, the officer described a three-week campaign: The first week concentrated on destroying Hezbollah's heavier long-range missiles, bombing its command-and-control centers, and disrupting transportation and communication arteries. In the second week, the focus shifted to attacks on individual sites of rocket launchers or weapons stores. In the third week, ground forces in large numbers would be introduced, but only in order to knock out targets discovered during reconnaissance missions as the campaign unfolded." So, basically, the main point here is that the two captured soldiers are definitely not the reason behind this war; the soldiers are an excuse and a rather bad excuse. Israel was going to attack Lebanon sooner or later in retaliation for their defeat and eventual withdrawal from South Lebanon. This is, clear and simple, a war to settle the scores.

2. Hezbollah is great because it is stronger despite being smaller: Hezbollah is a resistance group with limited militarily capabilities. Israel, on the other hand, has the strongest military in the Middle East and one of the strongest air forces in the world, and yet Israel is failing militarily in Lebanon. This proves that Hezbollah, which was blamed by some Arab regimes to be adventurous (i.e. impetuous and taking uncalculated risks), is rather prudent and has the military capability to confront Israel. But, of course, Hezbollah’s military capability is solidified by what is more important: Hezbollah’s military genius and calculated war tactics (i.e. using smart brains not smart bombs).

3. Hezbollah is great because it is winning the war using brains, not bombs: The strength of a military is not measured by the amount of civilians you can kill and the amount of infrastructure you can destroy and yet that’s all what Israel has achieved since the beginning of the war. Qana massacre is the latest example of, I won’t say Israel’s utter wickedness because that is already obvious, but of Israel’s military FAILURE which is made up for by killing women and children to satisfy the sadistic desires of Zion. As of yet, Israel failed to achieve any military accomplishment in Lebanon and it has yet to provide any evidence for the Hezbollah targets it claims to have attacked. This proves the weakness of the Israeli military and the absence of a solid Israeli strategy. On the other hand, Hezbollah, despite being smaller than Israel’s military force and in possession of far less sophisticated weaponry, has proved to be superior in the battleground. Hezbollah has avoided targeting civilians and focused on attacking well-defined and strategic targets. As a result, it achieved success on all military fronts. In the sea, it attacked an Israeli military ship. In the air, it attacked an Israeli warplane. In the land, it attacked Israeli tanks. It attacked all these targets without having a naval or air force! Israel on the other hand attacked none of Hezbollah’s arsenal. In addition to revealing Israel’s military weakness, this points to the failure of Israeli intelligence, the cowardice of Israeli soldiers, and most of all the stupidity of Israeli generals. Israelis should penalize their government for having generals and military officials lacking in brains cells.

4. Hezbollah is great because it has moral authority: Hezbollah goes out of its way to avoid targeting Israeli civilians. It, for example, avoided targeting the petrochemical plants in Haifa to avoid any disastrous consequences. Israel, on the other hand, targets civilians and civilian infrastructure with no remorse. Qana massacre speaks for itself. So far, hundreds of civilian deaths have been recorded in Lebanon, in comparison to only tens of mostly accidental civilian deaths in Israel. Hezbollah does not have the intention to target Israeli civilians but Israel’s aggression will leave no choice for Hezbollah. Hezbollah’s moral authority is well known even before this war. Hezbollah, for example, is well known for treating prisoners humanely. Even the Israeli businessman/secret police agent who was held a prisoner by Hezbollah said to the media upon his release in the year 2000 prisoners exchange that he was “treated very well by the Hezbollah”. Many western people brainwashed by their media, unfortunately confuse Hezbollah with groups like Al Qaeda and confuse Nasrallah with people like Bin Laden and his ilk. Hezbollah, however, has never been charged with any counts of terrorism and is rather a true resistance movement standing for real tangible causes.

5. Hezbollah is great because it operates with integrity: Israel uses psychological warfare by (1) killing civilians to put pressures on Hezbollah (2) impudently claiming to have controlled areas in South Lebanon, to have killed or captured Hezbollah soldiers and personnel, and/or to have attacked Hezbollah’s arsenal when none of what it claims is true (3) denying and impugning every claim that Hezbollah makes with regards to attacking Israeli targets only to admit them afterwards. Hezbollah, on the other hand, only announces the reality, whether the reality is in its favor or not. When any Hezbollah resistant fighters die, Hezbollah immediately announces the news of their martyrdom. “We are proud of our martyrs and we will never conceal the news of their martyrdom” Nasrallah continually asserts. Similarly, when Israel enters to Lebanese territory, Hezbollah are the first to announce it. In a nutshell, Hezbollah deals with facts, Isreal deals with lies.

6. Hezbollah is great because it has an impenetrable intelligence: This war proved that Hezbollah does not only have a strong military power but also a very strong and impenetrable intelligence. Hezbollah has attacked military bases in Israel while Israel failed to target any Hezbollah bases in Lebanon. Less significantly, Over 20 people have been arrested by the Lebanese security forces for spying for Israel and pinpointing targets for its warplanes in Lebanon. This proves that Israel lacks the ability to even hire smart enough spies who, unable to identify Hezbollah targets, should have at least been able to disguise themselves. Of course, the major Israeli failure and the major Hezbollah success in terms of intelligence is the safety of Hassan Nasrallah who continues to broadcast his speeches and mobilize the Lebanese people and the Arab Street through his poignant, genius, carefully-selected words. Nasrallah’s safety and his ability to address speeches in such difficult circumstances prove Hezbollah’s superior security measures and impenetrable intelligence.

7. Hezbollah is great because it has a resilient media that, despite being attacked repeatedly, rises like a phoenix and continues its broadcast: Hezbollah’s TV Channel Al Manar proved to be as resilient as the resistance. Since the beginning of the war, Al Manar has been targeted by Israel at least five times. Despite the repeated attacks, which have caused fire in the station’s complex, Al Manar is till on air and have had its signal disappear only for a brief time. In addition to being physically attacked, Al Manar has been and continues to be challenged in equally odious means but to no avail. Israeli authorities are pathetically denying almost every other statement made by Al Manar in hope of disguising or at least underestimating Israeli losses caused by Hezbollah and thus preventing the increasing support for Hezbollah on one hand and the decreasing support for the war from the Israelis on the other. Al Manar, however, proved to be the primary source of valid information (with regards to this war) across the world. Everything Israeli authorities deny is soon uncovered and the facts end up correlating with Al Manar’s truthful reporting.

8. Hezbollah is great because it has an unshaken morale: The majority of the hypocrite world regimes are against Hezbollah and its very existence. Many corrupt Arab regimes are also against it. Moreover, Hezbollah’s loyalty to the Lebanese cause is being questioned and accusations for fighting a Syrian and Iranian war are being repeated. Tons of false information intended to tinge the reputation of Hezbollah is being disseminated in the media. Despite all that, Hezbollah’s morale is not being affected. In fact, Hezbollah, via its speeches and performance in the battlefield, has invalidated all the false information and vindicated itself from all the unfounded accusations.

9. Hezbollah is great because it walks the talk: Hezbollah is the only force in the Arab and Muslim Worlds which can claim victory over Israel. It liberated Southern Lebanon from Israel’s two-decade occupation without committing to any strategic or diplomatic concessions. The 2000 prisoner exchange was another major victory. Israel released 400 Palestinian prisoners, 35 Arab fighters, and the remains of 60 militants in exchange for an Israeli businessman and the remains of three Israeli soldiers. The current war, although still ongoing, is perhaps the biggest accomplishment. Israel’s mainland is being attacked for the first time. Hezbollah’s rockets have reached Haifa, Israel’s 3rd largest city, and beyond Haifa, and Hezbollah has promised to strike what is beyond, beyond Haifa if Israeli aggression continues. Hezbollah’s attacks have thus far killed over 30 soldiers and wounded over 100. It also displaced tens of thousands of Israelis. So, basically, those who blame Hezbollah for fighting a losing battle are mistaken. Hezbollah has shown in the past its ability to defeat Israel and, as Hassan Nasrallah has said, even though the battle might be imbalanced in the favor of Israel in terms of military power, it is imbalanced in the favor of Hezbollah in terms of faith, resilience, and perseverance.

10. Hezbollah is great because it is re-galvanizing the disenfranchised Arab Street and creating an unprecedented and a much-needed unity in the Arab and Muslim worlds: Hezbollah is imbuing the Arab people with hope, it is rekindling the spirit of resistance within them, it is sending a clear and credible message: WE CAN KEEP OUR DIGNITY INTACT WITHOUT HAVING ANY SUPERPOWER OR ITS INTERLOPERS MEDDLING IN OUR OWN AFFAIRS. This is especially significant because Hezbollah is a Shia movement and Shias are a minority in the Arab and Muslim Worlds, and yet the majority of the Sunni Muslims are supporting it wholeheartedly. Flags of Hezbollah and pictures of Hassan Nasrallah are being carried in demonstrations across the Arab and Muslim worlds, in fact, across the entire world. This is a refreshing thing to see because it is suffocating the grating voice of the Wahhabi and Salafi fundamentalists who are issuing fatwas against the support of Hezbollah. This, in turn, will marginalize these dangerous extremists who failed to accomplish anything meaningful to Arabs and Muslims.

Hezbollah's Position

2006-07-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hassan Nasrallah:

"Some people may wonder and say: "Is there no end to this hostility?" Yes, there is an an end. If the Zionists leave our lands and holy places and give them back to their owners, this conflict will come to an end. If America stops interfering in our countries' and nation's affairs, stops its aggression, stops its occupation, stops its plundering of our resources and treasures, we will have no problem with it. We don't want to go to Washington to fight America. We are defending our countries and our existence.

Any rift, civil strife, disintegration, or dispersion in any Arab or Islamic country, or in the entire nation, serves our Zionist enemy and its plan of hegemony, and serves the Great Satan – the American administration, whose main concern is to control our oil, our treasures, our resources, and our markets. [They want us] to become millions of slaves who eat and drink but are living dead, devoid of honor, respect, and existence".

- MEMRI

Demonstrations

2006-07-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Demonstrations in London (Photo credit: Reuters via Aljazeera)

المخطط الإسرائيلي تجاه الدول العربية

2006-07-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

حوار رائع مع المفكر المحترم عزمي بشارة في برنامج بلا حدود - قناة الجزيرة

أحمد منصور: جئتَ للتو من القدس ولبنان يحترق، لحمُنا يحترق كما يقول غسان شِرْب، هل كل ذلك من أجل الأسيرين الإسرائيليين؟

عزمي بشارة: بالطبع لا، لا تصلح هذه حتى كذريعة، ليس فقط أنه تم أَسْر جنود في السابق وتم التنازل بشأنهم وليس فقط لأنه حاول حزب الله في الأشهر الثمانية الأخيرة عدة مرات أن يأسِروا وفشلوا وهذه المرة نجحت وليس فقط لأنه حزب الله عمليا إسرائيل تعرف وهنالك بلاغ إسرائيلي مُعلَن بالجنود بشكل يكاد يكون روتيني في السنة الأخيرة أنه حزب الله مقبل على خطف جنود لأنه إسرائيل تعرف أنها نكثت عهدها بشأن التبادل، ليس هذا فقط بل إسرائيل تعلن أنه ليس من أجل الجنديين، إسرائيل نفسها تقول ما هي أهداف المعركة

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تعاظم شعبية حزب الله في أنحاء الشرق الأوسط

2006-07-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

ورغم جذوره كتنظيم شيعي في منطقة غالبيتها من المسلمين السنة, فإن حزب الله يتمتع بالفعل بمكانة في العالم العربي باعتباره القوة العربية الوحيدة إلى الآن التي استعادت أرضا محتلة دون تفاوض

الجزيرة

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نصر الله

2006-07-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

قدم السيد حسن نصر الله من خلال اللقاء الذي اجرته معه قناة الجزيرة الفضائية دروسا في الصمود ورباطة الجأش، والتحليل العلمي للوقائع علي الارض دون مبالغات دعائية وبصوت خفيض وعفوية صادقة، وهي صفات يفتقد اليها معظم الزعماء العرب

الرجل كان في قمة الادب والتهذيب في تناوله لمواقف الزعماء العرب الذين تخلوا عن المقاومة ووقفوا في خندق الجلاد

ضد الضحية، العربية، الاسلامية، في سابقة هي الأخطر من نوعها. فلم يسم اي دولة، او اي زعيم، ولكنه قال انه سيحاسب من هددوا بمحاسبته، مثلما سيحاسب من تواطأ مع العدوان ضد ابناء جلدته، وقد يسامح ويغفر، وقد لا يسامح ولا يغفر

عبد الباري عطوان - القدس العربي

ماذا سيحصل لو فكرت قياداتنا كما فكر نصر الله؟

2006-07-23T06:25:00.000-07:00

لنتخيل معا ان كل رئيس دولة في العالم العربي له نفس رؤية وطريقة واستعداد ذلك الرجل المتواضع في شخصه والكبير في ايمانه بقضية امته ورسوخ وثبات عقيدته في دينه واخلاصه في واجبه الجهادي تجاه امته وشعبه. كيف ستكون حال الخارطة العربية وباي حال ستكون عليه امتنا العربية من عز واباء وشرف ورفعه

عبد الناصر البدراني- الدانمارك – القدس العربي

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في نقاش المنتقدين لحزب الله... فلندرك ولنعد الاعتبار للحقائق

2006-07-23T03:56:00.000-07:00

من الخطيئة إلقاء تبعات العدوان الصهيوني الممارس ضد الفلسطينيين أو اللبنانيين علي عمليتي أسر الجنود الإسرائيليين

د. فايز رشيدہ - كاتب فلسطيني يقيم في الأردن – القدس العربي

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Regarding Hezbollah's unintentional attack on Nazareth

2006-07-23T01:57:00.000-07:00

Hezbollah may have been behind the attack, but few people in this city - not the mayor, nor the grieving father, nor taxi drivers - were willing to criticize the militants for the boys' deaths. Instead, many pointed their fingers at Israel and accused their leaders of being warmongers … The dead boys' aunt, Wafiqa, who has three sons who were nearly killed by the rocket, said Hezbollah "did not mean to hit us." "I would sacrifice my life for (Hezbollah leader) Hassan Nasrallah. I hope victory will come to the Arab nations," she said.

- By Dion Nissenbaum, McClatchy Newspapers

For those who agree that Israel is the enemy but who insist that Hezbollah should disarm

2006-07-23T01:49:00.001-07:00

Hezbollah has proved the single most effective adversary Israel has ever faced. Its fighters and leaders have demonstrated exceptional dedication and an ability to learn from mistakes and innovate quickly.

- Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs

On Hezbollah being Syria & Iran's puppet

2006-07-23T01:48:00.000-07:00

Hezbollah, from my experience, is no mere cat's paw of Syria and Iran, but a fiercely independent-minded movement that is Lebanon's dominant political and military force. Though backed by Tehran and Damascus, Hezbollah pursues its own local interests, sometimes in opposition to its allies.

– Eric Margolis, Toronto Sun

The myth that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation

2006-07-23T01:42:00.000-07:00

Source: ARAB MEDIA WATCH

Hezbollah is regularly referred to in the West as a terrorist organisation although it is not listed by the UN as a terrorist organization.

Definitions of terrorism

Terrorism has been notoriously difficult to define. However, a consensus has emerged over various definitions of terrorism which would apply to states, international organisations and non-state actors who are all capable of engaging in acts of terrorism. Essentially, the common characteristic of a terrorist attack is its indiscriminate character and the fact that civilians are targeted for political reasons. According to the UN, terrorism is any act “intended to cause death or serious bodily injury to a civilian or to any other person not taking an active part in the hostilities in a situation of armed conflict, when the purpose of such act, by its nature of context, is to intimidate a population, or to compel a Government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act.”

Another definition of terrorism: “The deliberate killing and injuring of randomly selected non-combatants for political ends. It seeks to promote a political outcome by spreading terror and demoralization throughout a population. It is immoral and ultimately self-defeating. We condemn it and urge that the parties coordinate their security efforts to eliminate it.”

Hezbollah: aims, strategy and tactics

Hezbollah was founded in the early 1980s to fight the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon. Israel invaded Lebanon in 1973, 1978 and 1982. In 1982, it occupied southern Lebanon all the way up to the capital Beirut, killings tens of thousands. Under the watch of the Israeli military, 800-3,500 civilians were murdered by Israel’s Lebanese allies the Phalangists in West Beirut’s Sabra and Chatila neighbourhood. Palestinians and Lebanese were killed in that operation.

It was against the background of the brutal Israeli invasion and the arrival of foreign forces which were seen by the Arab and Islamic worlds as pro-Israeli, that Hezbollah came to the fore. Its strategy was simple: to eject the foreign invaders from Lebanese soil.

Hezbollah acquired a fearsome reputation for its hit-and-run tactics against Israeli military targets in southern Lebanon. It is also particularly adept at kidnapping Israeli military personnel. Although it has been accused of carrying out attacks on civilian targets abroad, no evidence has ever linked them to any of these acts.

It is legitimate in war to attack soldiers. This is not terrorism. Resisting occupation is not terrorism because the occupiers are normally armed combatants. This therefore does not fit the definitions of terrorism referred to above, which only apply to “non-combatants” or to those “not taking an active role part in hostilities.” It is therefore not illegal to use force in resisting an occupier, providing that civilians are not made the specific object of attack.

Hezbollah is represented in the Lebanese parliament. Its civilian arm runs hospitals, news services and educational facilities. It social services programme is very popular with Lebanon’s Shia community which makes up almost 40% of Lebanon’s three million people. Some of its propaganda activities may be regarded as anti-Israeli or even anti-Semitic, but this does not mean it is a terrorist organisation.