Hezbollah Secretary general Hassan Nasrallah made another TV appearance via video link this Friday during which he accused Israel of assassinating Hezbollah commander Hassan al-Laqees , who was killed in Beirut earlier this month.
“The assassination is a sign of a phase we have been passing through for several years, which is that we are paying the price for our past victories against Israel.” Nasrallah said in reference to the so called” divine victory” that he declared following the end of the 2006 war with Israel and describing Laqeess as a brother and a friend and one of the brilliant brains of the resistance who worked day and night for the resistance.”
All the information we have confirms that Israel was behind Hajj Laqees’ assassination. He said
“Israel’s media dealt with the news in a way that almost adopts the assassination.” He added
“The party that claimed responsibility for the assassination is a cover up, a camouflage. We know who killed Hajj Laqees and we know who our enemy is.” Nasrallah stressed Nasrallah and vowed to exact revenge.
He said the killers will be hunted down and “they will be killed sooner or later.”
Laqees ( or Laqis ) was gunned down around midnight of December 3 – 4, 2013 near the Saint Therese area in Beirut’s Hadath, a suburb of the Lebanese capital Beirut when reportedly a number of gunmen shot him in the head from close range as he arrived at his home.
Laqees had served most of his life in Hezbollah’s military service since its first days of inception in the 1980s until his murder. At the time of his killing he was reportedly Hezbollah’s chief military procurement officer and served in several battles inside Syria and very close to Nasrallah. He had also reportedly lost a son during the 2006 Lebanese War.
Nasrallah accused the media of spreading rumors against Hezbollah.
Some Lebanese and Arab media outlets lie constantly about the number of Hezbollah fighters dying in Syria. He said
“They are intentionally spreading lies about Hezbollah. For example, they said that 500 Hezbollah fighters died in the battle in Al-Ghouta al-Sharquiyya and will soon become 1000.” He said
“Paying these prices is part of the battle and we always have this in mind that during these battles, there will be martyrs.”
“We have not tried to encourage or call on people to enroll in Hezbollah’s resistance and become fighters. We have not reached this point yet and it does not seem that we will anytime soon.” He said in reference to the alleged complaints of the families of the fighters killed in Syria.
As in the past Hezbollah used the occasion to attack March 14 alliance and accused it of declaring war in its recent declaration in Tripoli.
“We have noticed in the last few weeks and months that the tone of political speech has risen.” He said and added
“A recent March 14 speech made in Tripoli attacked Hezbollah and described us as Takfiris, eliminators, and killers.”
“This implies that you do not want to sit with us at the same dialogue table. This speech can imply a declaration of war; if it is, we must be notified.”
“We do not want to go to war with you. We are fully occupied and do not have time for you and our battle is against Israel but do not tamper with us”.
As in the past Hezbollah used the occasion to attack March 14 alliance and accused it of declaring war in its recent declaration in Tripoli.
“We have noticed in the last few weeks and months that the tone of political speech has risen.” He said and added
“A recent March 14 speech made in Tripoli attacked Hezbollah and described us as Takfiris, eliminators, and killers.”
“This implies that you do not want to sit with us at the same dialogue table. This speech can imply a declaration of war; if it is, we must be notified.”
“We do not want to go to war with you. We are fully occupied and do not have time for you and our battle is against Israel but do not tamper with us”.
Addressing the recent attacks agains the Lebanese army he said:
“All will be lost if the army’s credibility is destroyed. There will be nothing left in Lebanon without the army.” and added
“Given the local and regional situation, I suggest that the army be protected regardless of any reservations”.
“It is the last remaining state institution that enjoys the consensus of the rival powers.” He stressed
Addressing the issue of government formation and recent reports indicating that President Michel Suleiman and PM designate Tammam Salam may are planning to form a de facto neutral cabinet he said:
“There is no such thing as a neutral cabinet” and added” No room has been left for neutral members as none of them remain” and warned against forming a de facto cabinet
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.