Ahmadinejad, Nasrallah May Appear Together at Dahiyeh Rally
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah may appear together next week at a rally organized by the Shiite group for the Iranian leader's visit to Lebanon, a Hizbullah official said on Thursday.
"We are organizing a rally in honor of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad next Wednesday at the Al-Raya stadium and we expect Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah to make an appearance," the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse.
It was unclear, however, whether Nasrallah would appear in person or via video link as is usually the case for security reasons.
The leader of Hizbullah lives in hiding and last appeared in public in July 2008.
Nasrallah has been Israel's public enemy number one since his Iranian- and Syrian-backed armed group fought a deadly month-long war against the Jewish state in the summer of 2006.
Ahmadinejad's official visit to Lebanon from October 13-14 is eagerly anticipated by Hizbullah, which is planning to give him a warm welcome as well as a tour of the southern border region with Israel.
However, the trip has sparked controversy in Lebanon with some members of the pro-Western parliamentary majority calling it a provocation and Washington also expressing concern.
The stadium where the Iranian and Hizbullah leaders are set to appear is located in Hizbullah's stronghold in southern Beirut. The facility and the immediate surrounding area can hold some 40,000 people, according to Hizbullah.(AFP)
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