Safieddine: Our Stance in Syria a Strength for Resistance, We'll Emerge Victorious

Head of Hizbullah's Executive Council Sheikh Hashem Safieddine on Sunday announced that his party's military involvement in the Syrian conflict is a “strength for the resistance,” stressing that it is not of a sectarian nature.

“We believe that our stance in Syria is a strength for the resistance and that the confrontation taking place in Syria is targeted against the resistance and its weapons,” Safieddine said during a memorial service commemorating one week since the death of Hizbullah member Mohammed Jawad al-Zein, who was killed in Syria.

“It is the same battle, the same cause and the same objective, and like we triumphed there (in southern Lebanon), we will emerge victorious from all these confrontations,” the top Hizbullah official vowed.

Safieddine stressed that his party's stance on Syria has never been sectarian “like some ignorant people are claiming, but rather patriotic and nationalistic, and aimed at preserving Palestine, the Ummah's strategic cause, and the unity, immunity and strength of the Ummah.”

“The resistance defended its country, people and cause through its weapons and today it is defending its cause as well as its people and country,” the Hizbullah official added.

He warned that “the American scheme in Syria is not different than the scheme of targeting Lebanon,” adding that “the U.S. role has always been to stir sedition in our country.”

“It is very normal that our stance is to confront this American-Western scheme and it is very normal for the resistance … to preserve its achievements like it preserved its weapons, freedom and decision in July 2006 through blood, martyrs, patience and sacrifices,” Safieddine added.

He stressed that Hizbullah is “fully prepared to preserve this resistance in this new confrontation and it is also prepared in the face of the enemies who are amassing and threatening us everyday.”

Turning to the issue of the drone shot down by Israel over Haifa, Safieddine said: “Days ago, the Israeli enemy launched threats under the excuse of a drone that flied (in its airspace), although it totally knows that its threats are empty and meaningless.”

“If it thinks or imagines that Hizbullah is now preoccupied with the Syrian affair, it must totally realize that what's happening in Syria has never took our attention from our resistance against Israel and from our readiness and preparedness,” Safieddine added.

“We are totally prepared to confront and defeat the Israeli enemy should it think of committing any foolishness,” he said.

“Today, we are at the highest levels of preparedness on our frontier in the South, because we believe that what's happening in Syria is targeted against the resistance, which must always be strong.”