Where the World's Views of America Come into Focus
|
|
Where the World's Views of America Come into Focus
|
By Adnan El-Ghoul and Mayssam Zaaroura
March 17, 2005
BEIRUT: U.S. President George W. Bush slammed the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah, calling it "a terrorist organization with American blood on its hands," and insisted U.S. policy toward the party had not changed. Bush's attack follows what has been widely viewed as a softening of attitude within the White House, after the president hinted earlier in the week that if Hezbollah disarmed, the U.S. would recognize it as a political party.
Wednesday he said: "Hezbollah is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations for a reason. It is a party that has killed Americans in the past and it will remain on the list."
But despite the strong attack, Bush again appeared to leave open the possibility that Hezbollah could become a recognized political party if it disarmed and disavowed violence.
He said: "I like the idea of someone running for office. Maybe some will run for office and say: 'Vote for me, I look forward to blowing up America.' I don't think so. I think people who generally run for office say: 'Vote for me, I'm looking forward to fixing your potholes or making sure you get bread on the table.'"
But Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's Secretary General, angrily rejected Bush's call to disarm, insisting Hezbollah "will never lay down its arms."
Speaking during a live interview on Hezbollah-backed Al-Manar television station, Nasrallah said: "I'm holding on to the weapons of resistance because I think the resistance is the best formula to protect Lebanon and to deter any Israeli aggression."
He added: "As long as Lebanon is threatened, even if we remain threatened for a million years, our will to our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren is that their national, human, moral and religious holy duty is to protect their people."
Nasrallah said: "If the Americans were able to disarm Hezbollah by using military means, Bush would have sent his troops in straight away. They haven't already done so because the U.S. is stuck in Iraq and would rather broker a deal with Iran, Syria or even the Lebanese themselves to disarm us and create internal conflict."
Nasrallah said the Syrian government had rejected a U.S. offer to disarm Hezbollah in return for staying in Lebanon and consolidating its influence over Lebanon's political system.
He said: "I bet if Syrian President Bashar Assad calls Bush now, the withdrawal of the Syrian troops would be reversed."
He said: "We are being asked to disarm so Lebanon remains defenseless as it was from 1949 until 1970, when Israel repeatedly attacked Lebanon, taking advantage of a weak government that did not have a strategy to defend the country's sovereignty."
Nasrallah also rejected claims that the Lebanese consensus on supporting the resistance has changed following the liberation of the South in 2000.
He said: "The minority of Lebanese political groups has never supported the resistance from start. I have to be frank and say without any compliments that these groups are still the same."
As to whether the new conditions in Lebanon had prompted France and the U.S. to disarm Hezbollah, he said: "The core of the problem is that the United States and Israel want to disarm Hezbollah."
He said: "The Lebanese people must know for sure that freedom, sovereignty and independence mean nothing to the U.S. administration."