Qaouq: Saudi Jeopardizing Stability, National Unity, March 14 Most Harmed by Its Policy
A senior Hizbullah official warned Sunday that Saudi Arabia is “jeopardizing Lebanese stability and national unity,” noting that the rival March 14 forces are suffering the “most harm” from Riyadh's policies in Lebanon.
“The mask has fallen off the Saudi regime's real face in Lebanon, after this regime was caught red-handed inciting strife among the Lebanese,” said Sheikh Nabil Qaouq, the deputy head of Hizbullah's Executive Council.
“Some March 14 leaders have always praised Saudi Arabia as the 'kingdom of goodness' and claimed that it only wants what's good for Lebanon, but Saudi Arabia is today accused of jeopardizing Lebanese stability and national unity,” Qaouq added.
He also accused Riyadh of “arming Syria's takfiri gangs that threaten Lebanon and seeking to humiliate the Lebanese and blackmail their State's official stance.”
“It has become evident that it is the one funding all the campaigns of incitement, insults and defamation against the resistance in Lebanon,” Qaouq added.
“It's about time we announced that the Saudi regime encouraged Israel to prolong the July 2006 war and to destroy the town of Bint Jbeil and Beirut's southern suburbs,” he charged.
“Nowadays, the Saudi regime does not want welfare for the Lebanese, including the March 14 forces, who are the ones most harmed by the rabid Saudi policy, after they bowed and humiliated themselves in the face of the Saudi dictates and political and financial pressures,” Qaouq went on to say.
“These dictates and pressures are crumbling at the gates of Dahieh,” he added.
Qaouq's remarks come amid sharp tensions between Hizbullah, Saudi Arabia and its allies in Lebanon and a day after Hizbullah supporters took to the streets across Lebanon to protest a TV show that mocked party leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the Saudi-owned MBC channel.
“Saudi Arabia has entangled itself in an uncalculated adventure and it will only reap disappointment and failure, seeing as we are reassured in the face of the local, regional and international pressures,” Qaouq said.
“We are not worried and they are the worried and frightened ones,” he added.
On Friday, Saudi Arabia extended sanctions on Hizbullah, freezing the assets of three Lebanese nationals and four companies over alleged ties to the party.
Riyadh has taken a series of measures against Lebanon in recent days in response to verbal attacks from Hizbullah over the wars in Syria and Yemen as well as recent diplomatic stances by Lebanon's foreign ministry.
The measures started on February 19 when the Saudi foreign ministry announced that the kingdom was halting around $4 billion in military aid to the Lebanese army and security forces.
The kingdom later advised its citizens against travel to Lebanon and urged those already in the country to leave it, citing “safety” concerns. Around 90 Lebanese citizens have also been fired from their jobs in Saudi Arabia, according to media reports.
Announcing the Saudi aid halt earlier in the month, an official said the kingdom had noticed "hostile Lebanese positions resulting from the stranglehold of Hizbullah on the state," while also accusing the party of "terrorist acts against Arab and Muslim nations."
Y.R.
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