'Hezbollah Runs Lebanon' And 'Hamas Ready To Cut A Deal'

 

According to an interview not publicized in the MSM, the Hezbollah leader Sheikh Nasrallah, is under the impression that he runs the Lebanese Government.

Having listened to the Lebanese PM Fuad Saniora several times, including his interview on Larry King the other day, I suspect he may be right. He speaks of the Hezbollah terrorists as respected members of the Government; he refers to them as freedom fighters: "The government considers the resistance a natural and honest expression of the Lebanese people’s national rights to liberate their land and defend their honor against Israeli aggression and threats”; giving the excuse that for years now the Israelis have been refusing to release three Lebanese prisoners, not thousands as the propaganda machine would have you believe.

As Larry King did not see fit to tell the PM, I should like to stress, that Israel will most certainly never release Samir Qantar, the murdering thug, who butchered in cold blood three Israelis in Nahariya, including a policeman and a four-year-old girl. That's the sort of criminal who has been elevated to hero status by the Hezbollah, and now also evidently by the Lebanese PM as cries foul on International television, expressing his outrage that such Lebanese prisoners should still be imprisoned; that they should be released, meaning of course, that Hezbollah's demand for prisioner exchange should be met as a result of the initial killing and kidnapping of IDF soldiers. Yeah right....!

Not in a single interview did I hear PM Saniora condemn Hezbollah, only repeating that they are a necessity created solely as a result of Israeli 'aggression'. No mention of their genocidal goal, the destruction of Israel, which they share of course with their masters in Iran and fellow terrorist thugs, Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas. Perhaps even ignorant of the fact that as of today, Hamas is keen to distance itself from the liability of Hezbollah, and with the help of Egypt broker a deal involving the release of Cpl. Shalit and a mutual ceasefire, providing of course they get the doubtful approval of their  Damascus leader, Khaled Meshal.

Fatah sources said that Hamas' Gaza leadership does not want its name mixed up with the fighting in Lebanon, especially in view of the sharp international criticism of Hezbollah.

Sorry, but the goal of the Lebanese Prime Minister and the goal of Hezbollah do not seem to differ all that much. Don't give me the lame excuse that he needs to appease 'extreme Hezbollah' elements in his country. The man hasn't uttered a single word condemning Hezbollah. He patently agrees with what they are doing, irrespective of the gentle words directed at him by Secretary Rice. He squarely blames Israel for all Lebanese civilian lives lost, not Iran, not Syria and clearly not their proxy thugs, Hezbollah.

So when everyone is shocked that the Hezbollah leader Sheikh Nasrallah announces that he runs Lebanon, don't be. Why should he think otherwise when PM Saniora clearly condones his actions, and what is more, when he sympathize with his cause, making the Government a held hostage to the whims of the Hezbollah terrorists. Nasrallah made a promise to Hezbollah when he did not deliver Qantar in the last prisoner exchange in 2004, mediated by Germany, that he will make it his life mission to deliver him back to Lebanon. The MSM meanwhile keeps pumping his tune...

It is made abundantly clear that the top seat is being kept warm for him. This is very bad news all round, and what is more, it is clear that Israel and inherently the U.S. are fully aware of this, which is why the extinction of Hezbollah is their prime objective, and a simple ceasefire is not. The fact that Hezbollah 'sleeper' terror cells set up outside Lebanon with Iranian assistance, have been put on standby, is an added concern not to be underestimated.

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s interview with Al-Jazeera late Thursday night must have reassured his constituents that his leadership continues to function. At lease that was the impression of several ministers and politicians who saw the interview. These observers said Nasrallah appeared confident that Hizbullah will be triumphant in its fight against Israel. It was seen as perfectly normal for Nasrallah to try and boost the morale of his supporters. Nasrallah claimed Israel’s failure to realize its “overt and covert” goals as a Hizbullah victory.

The government and those parties that disagree with Nasrallah had warned the international community of this possibility, arguing that military operations by Israel would likely strengthen Hizbullah more than weaken it.

It was this reality that explains Nasrallah’s firm resolve while discussing the ongoing clashes with Israel.[...]

Ed Morrissey dissects the stipulations for us:

First, Nasrallah insisted on an exchange of prisoners, beginning with the longest-held Lebanese detainee, Samir Qantar. However, according to contacts with Israel, the Jewish state would never agree to release Qantar because he killed Israeli civilians.

Second, Nasrallah said he did not care about Arab criticism of Hizbullah. Commenting on the issue, Nasrallah said, "We forgot them as if they [Arab states] do not exist," and advised the Arabs to "leave us alone." Some observers said the latter comment had a "harsh and negative" tone.

Third, by agreeing to conduct negotiations through the government (specifically Speaker Nabih Berri), ,b>Nasrallah consolidated an agreement made between Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, Berri and Hizbullah last week. Nasrallah also said the government was relaying proposals from the international community and that the resistance was commenting on them. ...

Fourth, Nasrallah said his party would "hold some accountable and forgive others," in response to MP Saad Hariri's accusations that "adventurers who banked on the situation in Lebanon will be held accountable." The ministerial sources saw in this statement an "open threat without clear consequences."

Fifth, Nasrallah's most remarkable stand, in addition to ruling out the possibility of civil war, was his keenness on preserving his alliance with Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun.

Rick Moran who cleverly discovered the burried interview wonders"if it will be possible after the war to contain Hizbullah unless they are almost totally destroyed by Israel. But that would take a long time and would probably require a full scale invasion of Lebanon – something the Israelis appear reluctant to do. And with so much of the post-war shape of politics in Lebanon up in the air at the moment, one must also wonder if anything at all of Lebanese democracy can be salvaged from the wreckage that Hizbullah has wrought."

Comments

[Patrick]

jess1dering,

Usually it is with those who use volume and ad hominems to defend their positions instead of well thought out logic.

I started a round-about description of behaviors, but I became too worked up to keep it "professional". I think we are probably thinking of the same groups.

I became "passionate" about the media also since I have seen the effects of reporter to editor, etc... Print never looks like the reality, or the interview.

[jess1dering]

Crusader,
I have the feeling that before this is all said and done there will be very few of us fortunate enough to be able to resist the temptation to HATE.
Sadly ,I share your lack of sympathy. I share your sense of disbelief and a sort of grief that I am capable of such detatchment from the plight of other human beings. It is not something I am in control of, though.
Does anyone else forsee sleeper cells being called into action here in the US.?

[jess1dering]

Patrick you said,
Segments of that "superior society" feel themselves superior to their fellow citizens and refuse to even hear our "alarmist" argument. These days I say, "If the muslim extremist say they hate everything about me. They want to kill me. They kill themselves..................
I couldn't agree with you more. Who do you think are the biggest offenders ? I have my opinion....
Oh , by the way, I have been told that most news articles that are submitted to the MSP are edited by multiple editors and are usually unrecognizable as the original submission. Anybody know anything about that ?

[Crusader.NoRegrets.]

Patrick, very well-put.

I am at the point now where I have in fact lost my sympathy for Arab suffering. I am concerned, because I'd like to get it back, I mean being "enlightened" and all. Please help, all, for now when I see dead Arab children in the ME, I say to myself "whew, that's one Jihadi we won't have to kill in a firefight 10 years from now". Help me get my sympathy back.

Hamas, Hizb'allah: listen to me, and listen good. This is what happens when you militarise your kids, give them weapons training, send them to "terrorist cadet" camps, and boast about how each new generation of your children is just waiting to go out and blow themselves up for your cause. When Israeli bombs blow up your kids, I NO LONGER SEE THEM AS CHILDREN! They are the next generation of Jihadis, as you so consistently claim.

[Patrick]

jess1dering,

"The biggest mistake we make in the west might be the juvenile tendency to view the whole world as being comprised of people who share our sensibilities. It's an egocentric mistake."

We have explored this before on Alexandra's site and I am in agreement with you. I have a slightly different take. It is not a juvenile tendancy. I am of the opinion, that those who refuse to take these islamo-fascists at their word are truly racists. They tell those of us who see danger that those militants don't really mean what they say. It is that timeless problem that repeats itself. A society feels themselves superior and looks at the rest of the world as if they did not matter. These islamo-fascists are just little children who need more education. They are not adult enough to make their own decisions. Those "superior" cultures say that these islamo-fascists really don't feel hate for us, but are just using hyperbole. Those of us who listen to what the islamo-fascists say and believe them are the "real" monsters and racists. These islamo-fascist spout the same thing day after day, year after year, decade after decade. They are always 100% on message!

Segments of that "superior society" feel themselves superior to their fellow citizens and refuse to even hear our "alarmist" argument. These days I say, "If the muslim extremist say they hate everything about me. They want to kill me. They kill themselves over and over trying to kill me and others like me. I need to respect their beliefs. They really do mean what they say." They walk the walk and not just talk the talk. It would racist of me NOT to take them at their word, and patronizingly say, "Aww, it's OK. You have a right to be angry. I'll give you another lollipop and you won't try killing me anymore, OK?"

We have the "not on message" problem. They are "men" of their word. I respect them for that. That doesn't mean I would not obliterate them in battle as it will no doubt happen one day soon. There is always the possibility that they could wake up and start making decisions to live in our world. I would not hold my breath, they seem to love their world as much as we love ours.

Our society looks for common ground. Theirs will only accept their own dominance. Right now it looks like they brought guns to a war, and we brought our debate team for an exhibition match. I wonder what will happen?

[jess1dering]

ahem...
that'd be cowardly...not cwardly

[jess1dering]

I read that Osama called us, "....the most cwardly of all God's creatures."

[Crusader.NoRegrets.]

jess1dering

I agree with your assessment of current popular Western thought, however as we "age" in the West, we are demographically more tilted toward the 30+ agegroup, a group that probably still has some of the Cold War fight left in us.

Many of us (me included) have undergone military conscription in the Cold War setting. There may be veterans of Goose Green and Grenada, for example, who still have many years of combat left in them. Those of us who survived the Cold War military experience have not forgotten why we were there.

At present, we have grown complacent on the backs of our Cold War victory, and being reluctant warriors, we are slow to mobilise. But mobilise we will, and when we do, the world will understand why we won the Second World War.

One may well ask of the Arabs: "if we in the West are the mindless butchers you keep claiming we are, why do you keep on provoking us?".

[jess1dering]

CNR,
I am SO with you !! They are revealing themselves for who they are , and who they are ain't pretty ! The biggest mistake we make in the west might be the juvenile tendency to view the whole world as being comprised of people who share our sensibilities. It's an egocentric mistake . To correct it requires enough courage to look beyond "self" and to realize that this is indeed a dangerous world. It's a world that we share with dangerous people. That shakes the foundational sense of security for many westerners who have enjoyed a "soft" life thanks to the blood and courage of the visionary men who came before them.
There is one thing that I hope with all my heart and soul and that is that there is NO exchange of "prisoners" This may sound like bravado, but if I were an Israeli being held I'd be glad to die to deprive those (unmentionable) creeps of any power over my Israel.
Just as, to hearken back to another post, I would gladly die as collateral damage in a cause so glorious as one that would eliminate or even substantially reduce the organizations of "Terror"

[Alexandra]

Jess,

Just have fun please...

I have some technical issues today, so I am delighted everyone is just amusing themselves, it takes the pressure off...

[jess1dering]

Alexandra,
You're on fire these days.! Burn brightly, precious soul. I am one very grateful receipient of the enormous light you shed on this complicated and crucial juncture in World History. I can't say it often enough, THANK YOU for all that you do: for sharing your gifts, your time, your SELF with us.
I hope you don't mind my inserting direct quotes re: WWIII as I come across them. I know it is ,and has been ,apparent to most who blog here, and the quotes are so broad in nature that
I have felt sure they wouldn't , as Ken says, "highjack" any of your posts. I am just excited about the fledgling "unmaskings" and wanted to share them.
As we used to say in the sixties, write on, sister, write on !!

[Crusader.NoRegrets.]

Maker

Israeli soldiers "killded"! Tanks "demloished"! Oy vey!

Man you Hizb'allah morons make me laugh so hard, I almost fell off my chair!

Of course there are no fighters in Lebanon are there, they are all "civilans" (as you spell it) while the Israelis are bombing all your "hospitals", "mosques", and "apartments" as your V2 rocket sites are being called. But as soon as there's a firefight, and no-one gets hurt on either side, you're all brave Hizb'allah fighters staring down the Israeli aggression. If you suffer massive casualties, suddenly you're all "civilans" again.

I propose that every building that gets hit in Haifa is a synagogue, and of course since most Israeli soldiers are conscripts, the Israeli army is full of "civilans" too. Shame on Hizb'allah for attacking and murdering Jewish "civilans".

Nah, I just have to tell you Hizb'allah morons the following: you have no friends any more. No one in the world cares about your crap any more. The West has seen what you really are, and right now we'll stand by and watch as the Israelis rip you a new @**-hole. If you carry on your antics, one day we in the West are gonna get really tired of you, and then not even your buddies in the media are going to be able to save you. Listen, we pay lip service to the Geneva Conventions for now. But if we think it's us or you, read any decent history on WWII to see what our bombing campaign alone is going to look like. We are going to deliberately target ALL of you.

Much more likely is that the Syrians and Iranians are gonna cut you loose as soon as it looks like you're bringing too much heat on them. You're busted.

[jess1dering]

Hmm, the acknowledgements keep rolling in..
Perhaps our nation is waking up..
.....................
..... A Speech by Rick Santorum ....

Like most Americans ....................
In those wars we fought against European tyrants and their allies, from the Kaiser to Hitler to Lenin, Stalin, and their heirs. We fought them because we knew that our survival was at stake. ...........................

We are in the same kind of conflict today. We are not fighting a War on Terror anymore than we fought a war on blitzkrieg in World War II. Terror like blitzkrieg is a tactic used by our enemy, not the enemy itself. We are fighting against Islamic fascists. They attacked us on September 11th because we are the greatest obstacle to their openly declared mission of subjecting the entire world to their fanatical rule. I believe that the threat of Islamic fascism is just as menacing as the threat from German Nazism and Soviet Communism. Now, as then, we face fanatics who will stop at nothing to dominate us. Now, as then, there is no way out; we will either win or lose.

By my watch, the current war, has been going on for at least 27 years, for at least 22 of those years, we were losing. IMHO, we sold our childrens future when we failed to demonstrate to the Iranians in 1979 that actions have consequences. The Islamo-fascists didn't study "sharing and caring" in Kindegarten.

[Ghost Dansing]

This is a good read on the WAPO article from 2003 by By Smadar Haran Kaiser Sunday, May 18, 2003; Page B02...Thanks Freedom Fighter...the bad guy in question was working for Abu Abbas at the time.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A2740-2003May17&notFound=true

Muhammad Zaidan (December 10, 1948 – March 8, 2004) also known as Abū ‘Abbās (Arabic: ابو عباس‎ ​) or Muhammad ‘Abbās was the founder and leader of paramilitary group the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF).

Zaidan joined the radical, pro-Syrian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command (PFLP-GC) under Ahmed Jibril in 1968. In 1977, major disagreements arose between the PFLP-GC, the PLO, and other Palestinian factions based in Lebanon. Zaidan, who opposed Syrian involvement in the Lebanese war, left the PFLP and created the PLF, which eventually split into three separate factions (and then later re-merged). Zaidan's faction of the PLF, which was the largest of the three, moved its headquarters to Tunisia.

Since its inception in 1977, the Abbas-led PLF was a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization and received support from both the PLO and Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. Unlike the PFLP-GC, the PLF has supported peace negotiations between Palestine and Israel. Zaidan was elected to the Executive Committee of the PLO in 1984 and represented the Palestinian National Council (PNC, the Palestinian parliament in exile) in 1989 during peace negotiations with Israel. Although Zaidan was wanted by Israel for his involvement in guerrilla attacks against Israel (including terrorist attacks on civilians) throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Israel allowed him to travel freely in the Gaza Strip throughout the 1990s because he supported the peace negotiations.

[Maker]

Great & Amazing news.
Israeil's 30,000 IDF soldiers fighting with 500, 600 Hezbollah fighters.

Results
25 Israeil Soldiers killded
3 Tanks, demloished
1 Navy Ship demloished
2 Helicopter demloished
11 Civilans Killed

At Hezbollah side,
1 Hezbollah fighter
300 Civilian
Massive civilan homes, infrastructure destroyed.

Great!... Israelis you are doing great:)

[thinker]

Wow, a lot of hard-to-find sources here! Thank you! http://whatisgwbushdoing.blogpsot.com/

[Freedom Fighter]

Hello, Alexandra..how are you?

Two things - first of all the Lebanese government or at least major elements of it were obviously complicit from the start.

As an example of `Arab Democracy' it's an open question whether it's worth saving.

In another little noticed article I saw on the UAE based Khaleej Times, Lebanese foreign minister Fawzi Salloukh gave a press conference today stating that "The Israeli soldiers are in good health and in a safe place" and “Let them cease fire and then there will be a prisoner exchange...”

Sallkouh obviously knows where the soldiers are being held.

That makes him and the Lebanese government complicit, no matter how you try and spin it.

There's also the little matter of an Lebanese Army radar station the Israelis took out acouple of days ago...the one that was used to help Hezbollah launch a missile strike against an Israeli ship that cost the lives of four Israeli sailors.

Also of interest is the prisoner the Lebanese want Israel to trade for its kidnapped hostages, Samir Quntar. He's also a hero to the Palestinians by the way, an Abbas' Fatah made him an honarary Palestinian citizen.

Here's a first hand account of why the Israelis have him behind bars..if you can stomache it:J O S H U A P U N D I T: Palestinians give honorary citizenship to child murderers

Of course, civilized people would want someone like this locked up and the key thrown away. But then, we're not dealing with civilized people, are we?

[Ghost Dansing]

You know, sometimes I think we are just all over the map with our various perspectives and ideas...Kenny's problem with hypostasis is one I'm still studying.

I have, however, found one perspective that hasn't been represented. I think it is humor...one of those "...if I wasn't laughing I'd be crying..." types of gestalts...

Maybe Alexandra will get some new ideas for motifs...but then, maybe not.

Humor is good, I think...it looks kinda like a unified-field theory of something generally in the vein of that which we have been discussing...

Go look at rogmios.com

http://mysite.verizon.net/rogmios/index.html

Unfortunately there isn't a comment section, but you can send email to rogmios...I don't know if it answers.

[epaminondas]

This situation REQUIRES Sherman.
The March must be from Qiryat Shemona thru the Bekaa, and Baalbeck to the Syrian Border which will have to be sealed. The area should resemble what lay between Atlanta and Savannah.

Failure to do something like this will only increase the total casualties in this war. It will kill more Lebanese, kill more Israelis. DO it now, and leave. Hizbollah and all their supporters have chosen war. They must be given what they have requested. When they 'fear a dread' the IDF, and have been 'chased to their innermost recesses' only then will they understand the result. Hebollah DOES repressent an existential threat to Israel. They hope by longterm raining down of missiles to make life for jewish people impossible in Israel.

Failure to destroy Hizballah's miltiary forces will be highly consequential for Israel AND for the USA, for if Nasrallah can lay any believable claim to victory we in the USA will end up weaker than on July 12th, and PERCEIVED to be so by those who think us the Great Satan.

If Israel does not act decisively expect the rain of missiles to go on for months.

[Barry Meislin]

'Hezbollah has always put the Lebanese interests first,' [Nasrallah] said.

An interesting point of view, to be sure....

Hezbollah enjoys backing from Syria and Lebanon, but Nasrallah denied during the interview that either country played a role in the current conflict.

Certainly, there are those who may wish to believe him. However....

[Michael van der Galien]

Siniora indeed confirms what Nasrallah already said. Siniora / the official Lebanese government has made itself irrelevant.
This is exactly why Israel must do it herself.

[Ghost Dansing]

Still a little bit confused about the gratuitous swipes at the MSM.

First, Al Jazeera is part of the Arab MSM, broadcast portions of Nasrallah's interview, and the interview was widely reported in the Western MSM, essentially suggesting the same thing that you and the others you site are suggesting; specifically that Nasrallah feels Hisbolla has, in Dubya's language, the "political capital" to wage war against Israel, they fight on behalf of Lebanon and enjoy the support of the Lebanese government...perhaps not all the Lebanese government, but enough for the Lebanese President to say that if Israel invades Lebanon, he hopes to engage the Lebanese Armed Forces in guerilla warfare against them...fighting alongside Hisbolla. So maybe Nasrallah's right.

I didn't have to read BLOGS to get that. The interview with Nasrallah was "exclusive" by the way, and Al Jazeera has only recently discussed airing the entire thing...still, there was enough there to make your point.

CNN

"After the soldiers' abduction, Hezbollah demanded Israel open negotiations on a prisoner exchange. Israel rejected the demand, saying it would encourage more kidnappings.

Hezbollah enjoys backing from Syria and Lebanon, but Nasrallah denied during the interview that either country played a role in the current conflict.

"Hezbollah is not fighting for Syria. Hezbollah is not fighting for Iran. Hezbollah is fighting for Lebanon," he said.

"Hezbollah has always put the Lebanese interests first," he said. "We are a resistance on Lebanese land. We have prisoners in Israeli jails. We have the right to have them back."

Nasrallah said several times that Israel is a formidable opponent, especially considering that it possesses "the most powerful air force in the Middle East and one of the most powerful in the world, and they own the skies."

He further said it was "logical" that Lebanon has incurred more casualties than Israel because Israel has better military technology and, unlike Lebanon, its civilians have bomb shelters.

Israel's response to Hezbollah rocket attacks has been excessive because its goal is not to free the soldiers but "to eradicate Hezbollah and every other resistance in Lebanon," he added.

Israel, he said, would have found a pretext to launch the current offensive even if the soldiers had not been kidnapped.

"Israel was told by America to go ahead and finish this issue," he alleged. "This is what Israel is doing. This is what America needs to recreate the region anew."

As for a lack of support from some Arab nations, Nasrallah said he wasn't surprised because the international community has never supported Hezbollah. In their hearts, though, Arabs support the movement, he said.

Nasrallah concurred with Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League, who said Saturday that the Middle East process was "dead.""

And, by the way, Nasrallah's position is not new.

On 30 November 2005 at a ceremony held on the occasion of Israel’s handover of bodies of Hezbollah operatives was accompanied by a belligerent yet apologetic speech given by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Nasrallah repeatedly referred to his organization as Lebanon’s defender, while stressing his intent to continue the confrontation with Israel and his “right” to abduct IDF soldiers to trade them for Lebanese prisoners (i.e., terrorists serving their sentences in Israel)

The main ceremony of returning the three bodies was held in the southern (Shiite) suburb of Beirut , attended by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and other senior Hezbollah figures. The ceremony was also attended by Hezbollah seniors serving in Lebanese official capacities: Lebanon 's Energy and Water Minister, Muhammad Fneish, and Chairman of the Hezbollah faction in the parliament, Muhammad Raad. Also present in the ceremony were Lebanese army commander Michel Suleiman and the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon.

The problem with the rest of the Arab Nations and Nasrallah is much like the Democrats and Republicans engaged in one-upsmanship during the Cold War with respect to their "toughness on Communism". The Sunni Arab Governments (e.g. Wahabist Saudi Arabia) are not so hot on Shia...and in particular Shia-with-Persian-influence getting press for "standing up" to Israel.

Interesingly, with HAMAS and Hisbolla we see both the Sunni-Shia divide, and the fact that they can unite in opposition to Israel.

Attacking the Liberal media (Liberal being the American MSM where Fox News stands alongside CNN and about a dozen other formal, professional Corporate News outlets) is an agenda of modern Republicanism intended to shape the Corporate MSM to broadcast only what is "on message" for the Republican Party. Simply put, the Republicans would prefer all the broadcast news and print to look more like the infotainment and partisan political spin supplied by Fox...all bias, all the time and always "on message".