Nasrallah Says Hizbullah May Conquer N. Israel in Future War
Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday called on his fighters to stand ready to occupy the Galilee area in northern Israel should another war "be imposed on Lebanon."
"I call on the mujahedin of the Islamic Resistance to stand ready to take over the Galilee should a war be imposed on Lebanon," Nasrallah addressed via video link a rally organized by Hizbullah in Beirut's southern suburb to commemorate the group's Martyrs' Day.
Nasrallah was hitting back at Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak who threatened Tuesday to reinvade Lebanon in the event of a new conflict with Hizbullah.
Barak made his remarks during a joint tour with Israel's new army chief Benny Gantz along the border with Lebanon.
Hizbullah number one also threatened to target Israeli officials and military leaders to avenge the death of Imad Mughniyeh, a top party operative assassinated in Damascus on February 12, 2008.
Abbas al-Moussawi, the group's secretary general, was killed by an Israeli airstrike on February 16, 1992.
Both attacks prompted vows of revenge from Hizbullah.
On Tuesday Israel temporarily closed four of its diplomatic missions over potential threats.
"Unusual occurrences have been identified recently around a few Israeli missions abroad. Our assessment, at this point, is that these sites are under threat, and this is being taken care of," Israel's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Israel's anti-terrorism bureau on Friday warned against travel to Egypt and eight other countries for fear of reprisals on the anniversary of the assassination of Mughniyeh and Moussawi.
"I tell the Zionist leaders and generals to be careful wherever they are in the world because Imad Mughniyeh's blood will not go in vain," Nasrallah said.
"I do not want to go into details. Suffice to say that our decision remains the same and will be executed, God willing, at the right time," he said to thunderous applause from hundreds of his supporters.
Addressing the domestic issues, Nasrallah denied remarks that Lebanon's new cabinet will be "Hizbullah's government."
"The country cannot remain without a Cabinet, if the other camp does not want to take part in the government, let a government that tackles the people's concerns be established," Nasrallah said.
He noted that the group's arsenal of weapons remains a "controversial" topic in Lebanon.
"The March 14 camp is determined to bring up the issue of the party's arms and it has never really abandoned it," said Nasrallah.
"The weapons are a detail and the main dispute lies in explaining the Resistance's role," he noted.
"Engaging in a dispute over Hizbullah's arms is a losing battle and do whatever you want," Nasrallah said, addressing the rival camp.
Nasrallah accused the rival coalition of "compliance with the American project in the region and ties to Hosni Mubarak's (toppled) regime."
"The American scheme that they have been working for is falling apart and I call on them to reconsider their decisions and not waste time in pinpointing errors," he added.
Nasrallah stressed that the current parliamentary majority is "the real one."
Turning to Egypt's uprising, Nasrallah said that "regardless of what will happen in Egypt, it will certainly represent an important development that differs from what used to take place under Hosni Mubarak's regime."
On January 12, Hizbullah and its allies toppled Saad Hariri's cabinet in a long-running feud over the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which the party believes will accuse several of its members of being involved in the 2005 murder of former premier Rafik Hariri.
Hizbullah-backed Najib Miqati was then appointed to form a new government, which Hariri's alliance has refused to join and has labeled "Hizbullah's government".
Hariri has refused to join Miqati's government unless he guarantees his cabinet will see the tribunal through.
Hizbullah meanwhile is demanding Lebanon end all cooperation with the court, which it says is a U.S.-Israeli conspiracy.
While Hariri and his allies won Lebanon's last parliamentary election in 2009, shifting alliances today have positioned the Hizbullah-led camp as the majority after Druze leader Walid Jumblat moved closer to the Shiite party.
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