Nassrallah Praises Iran's Role In Region

Beirut, Dec 4, IRNA, -- Secretary General of Lebanese Hizbollah Hassan Nassrallah said Irans ideological position on Israel will not change, and its position on the Resistance in the Palestinian file will not change either. In an interview with Lebanese OTV, Nassrallah expressed beliefs that there is no horizon for the settling of the Palestinian-Israeli issue because negotiations have not reached yet the minimal rights of Palestinians. Iran is a major regional state. It is the most influential in the region today. It consults with us and sometimes it may adopt our right in full. This is not only related to Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah unfolded, adding that If March 14 bloc relation with Saudi Arabia was like our relation with Iran, Lebanon would be problem-free. Iran does not interfere in our domestic affairs. It does not order us to participate in the cabinet. What Iran wants in Lebanon is that people understand each other and Lebanon wouldnt be dragged into war. I wish the other party has a Valiye Faqih, he said. Hezbollah in Syria Reviewing Hezbollah participation in the Syria, Hezbollah Secretary General stated that Hezbollah's position has been gradually evolved. When the Syrian events erupted, we kept silent for three weeks awaiting a clear view in order to know the nature of incidents. On the other side, when we were employing our good relations to avoid what happened, all Syrian opposition members, some Muslim Brotherhood leaders and some extremist parties threatened us even before we adopted our political position. Despite all that, we called for a political solution to avoid the military option, he said. His eminence revealed the main cause behind the patys intervention in southern Syrian town of al-Qussayr on the border with Lebanon, stating that Hezbollah hadnt any direct call with opposition figures, but with states that had connection with them. President Assad was ready for dialogue and reforms while many in the region said that the matter would end within two or three months and that there would be no need for dialogue. There were countries in the region working on toppling the Syrian regime militarily without being ready for dialogue. Events in Syria had developed but we didnt intervene militarily. We didn't intervene in towns resided by Lebanese in al-Qussayr when the Syrian army was still deployed there, he added. However, when the army was forced to leave the area, residents called for Hezbollah help to defend their towns because the Lebanese government didnt care for the Lebanese citizens there and kept the borders open for smuggling weapons to al-Qussayr from North and West Lebanon. We went to al-Qussayr in a pre-emptive operation. If we didnt take the initiative, armed groups would storm the Lebanese border towns, he stated. Sayyed Nasrallah stated that demolishing the holy shrine of Sayyed Zeinab (as) by the militants would ignite sedition in the region, adding that Hezbollah had sent only 40 to 50 fighters to the area to help in defending the shrine, stressing that our increase in Syria was logical and realistic. His eminence pointed out that Hezbollah didn't deploy fighters in other areas, but the situation had evolved gradually, noting that tens of Lebanese had been killed in fighting for the militants in Syria. We (Hezbollah) declare our martyrs. We were in need for announcing our intervention because we dont feel shame of martyrs, but we are proud of them, Sayyed Nasrallah said. He also made clear that his photo with Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei was two years before Al-Qussayr combat, stressing that Hezbollah didn't intervene in Syria according to an Iranian decision, but according to a self decision. What has been said about an Iranian demand for us to intervene is untrue. His eminence pointed out that if we abandoned our duty in al-Qussayr and Qalamoun, tens and hundreds of booby trapped cars would enter into Lebanon, and we had gone to Syria in order to avoid this thing, indicating that the car which exploded in Lebanon had come from Yabrood through Arsal, wondering what the future of Lebanon will be if Syria falls by armed groups? Sayyed Nasrallah also noted that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri and MP Okaq Sakr are involved in sending fighters and weapons into Syria, stating: Ask the other party what guarantees they will provide if the opposition wins, adding that the level of support in the Lebanese people to our intervention in Syria higher than the rate of support for resistance movements from 1982 to 1990. The day will come when we will be thanked for our intervention in Syria, Sayyed Nasrallah said./end