Nasrallah: Corruption Battle Sacred Like Resistance and We're Not Seeking Revenge
Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced Friday that the anti-corruption fight is “as sacred as” his group's military resistance against Israel's occupation of southern Lebanon.
“Today more than ever, there is national consensus on fighting corruption,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech marking the anniversary of the establishment of the Hizbullah-affiliated Islamic Resistance Support Association.
“The remarks voiced by the Finance Ministry's director general should be looked into by the judiciary,” Nasrallah pointed out, referring to Alain Bifani's press conference about the issue of the state's financial accounts between the years 1993 and 2017.
“Hizbullah would be a hypocrite party if it ignores the financial accounts file and anyone who seeks to sideline this file would be a hypocrite,” Nasrallah said.
Noting that tackling this file is the “correct beginning” seeing as it is “the most important” in the anti-corruption battle, Hizbullah's leader said a “suspicious financial situation persisted between the years 1993 and 2017.”
“You can expect everything from Hizbullah in this battle because it is necessary and is related to the survival of the state and the country,” he pledged.
“Do not bet that we will be scared and do not try to intimidate us with threats of a sectarian strife,” he added.
“Anyone who has evidence against us can resort to the judiciary,” Nasrallah went on to say in response to accusations that Hizbullah is involved in corruption.
He added: “Do not bet that we will despair. We know that the battle is difficult and we do not expect results within months. We do not care about insults and accusations and we're used to them.”
“This is one of our central battles. We tell everyone not to bet on our exhaustion. We have never grown tired,” Nasrallah boasted.
Apparently referring to the controversy involving ex-PM Fouad Saniora and MP Hassan Fadlallah's remarks about the financial corruption file, Nasrallah denied claims that his party is “seeking political vengeance against certain politicians and parties.”
“This is untrue,” he underscored.
“The corrupts and the thieves will be punished and the counter-attack is normal,” Nasrallah noted, adding that “the corrupts in Lebanon and the thieves will stand in the face of this battle and will try to defend themselves.”
He stressed: “We don't want to be alone in this battle but we are not afraid to stay alone.”
“Anyone who has evidence and documents related to financial corruption will be supported by us. We support anyone who makes a move in this battle,” Nasrallah added, noting that Hizbullah is not “competing against anyone in this battle.”
He clarified: “We are only keen on the ultimate goal and we are not seeking political gains. We want to recover the state's funds.”
“We are in a necessary, important and national battle against corruption that is not less sacred than the resistance's battle against occupation,” Nasrallah added.
Clarifying the timing of his party's endeavor against corruption, Nasrallah said: “Lebanon is precious to us and we are among the Lebanese who have offered hefty sacrifices and blood for the sake of the country, so we cannot stand idly by in order not to irritate some parties.”
Warning that any financial collapse in Lebanon represents an “existential threat” to everyone, Hizbullah's leader emphasized that claims that his party “wants to take the state's money” are baseless.
As for the issue of the U.S. sanctions on Hizbullah and the latest British measure against the party's political wing, Nasrallah said: “The resistance axis has triumphed in all countries and they are imposing sanctions on us because we have defeated their scheme.”
“More countries will put Hizbullah on their terror lists and we are aggrieved but strong,” he underlined.
“The resistance axis is standing in the face of (U.S. President Donald) Trump and his son-in-law (Jared) Kushner's 'deal of the century' plans,” Nasrallah added, referring to a reported U.S. plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The resistance axis is triumphing across the region,” Nasrallah boasted.
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