Hizbullah Denies Qassem Said Party Has 'an Army'
As Safir newspaper has quoted Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem as saying that the party now has a trained "army", in remarks that were denied later by Hizbullah's media department.
In a statement issued Wednesday afternoon, the department said Qassem did not tell As Safir that Hizbullah “has an army now” or that the latest military parade was “a message to everyone.”
"We now have a trained army and the Resistance (Hizbullah) does not need to rely on guerilla tactics," As Safir quoted Qassem as saying.
Hizbullah's media department disputed that quote, insisting Qassem had actually said: "We have become more than a guerilla movement but less than an army."
"We are heavily armed and well-trained and have acquired well-developed expertise in order to protect Lebanon and the interest of Lebanon,” As Safir quoted Qassem as saying.
Referring to the unprecedented military parade that the party held in the Syrian border region of Qusayr, Qassem was quoted as saying that the move "does not need any explanation."
Pictures distributed on social networking websites showed hundreds of Hizbullah fighters taking part in a military parade alongside dozens of tanks, armored vehicles, howitzers and heavy-caliber machineguns in Qusayr.
Pro-Hizbullah media outlets said the parade was held on November 11 to mark “Hizbullah's Martyr Day”.
On newly elected President Michel Aoun, Qassem stressed: “President Michel Aoun is a strategic ally and he protects our national and public choices. We trust him and agree with him on several positions.”
On Hizbullah's presence in Syria, he said: “We are located in Syria, we do not need to explain or justify. We support the Syrian army and the Syrian state. Without our intervention in Syria the terrorists would have entered all Lebanese regions. The subject of our intervention in Syria is not currently the subject of debate among the Lebanese communities.
“Our coordination is high with the Syrian leadership and the military parade is part of the field practices,” he went on to say.
Qassem emphasized: “The Resistance does not want to invest its military power in the Lebanese internal conflict, and despite its power, we are engaged in the political and electoral work like the rest of the parties so we either win or lose.”
“There is no contradiction between our role as a Resistance and in Syria with our work for Lebanon. We have contributed to prevent the obstruction of the current government and helped the parliament convene. What we want today is to stipulate a just election law based on proportional representation because it is the only way to reform the Lebanese system and combat corruption,” added Qassem.
Commenting on the process of lining-up the new government, Qassem said: “We have announced that we authorized Speaker Nabih Berri to negotiate the formation and the details of participation. We are still in the discussion stage on the distribution of portfolios and hope that the negotiations end quickly and the government is formed soon.”
“We are part of the composition of the Lebanese state and are interested in everything that is suitable for it, but we alone cannot change the equation. We adhere to the Taef Accord and its full implementation. Currently we don't ask to change or modify it.”
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/220413 |