Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah stated on Friday that Lebanon is facing an existential threat by ISIL and the countries backing it, yet stressed that this threat can be confronted and defeated with deed.
In a televised speech on the anniversary of the July 2006 war, Sayyed Nasrallah explained that "the 2006 war was not a small battle or a passing incident, but it was a serious war that had political, moral, and historic goals that go beyond Lebanon and Palestinian to reach the entire region or even a global equation," recalling US Secretary of State back then Condoleezza Rice's famous statement about "the birth of the new Middle East".
Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, his eminence pointed out that the goal was to continue until overthrowing the regime in Syria because of its support to the resistance, and replacing it with a regime friendly to the United States and "Israel".
He added that "the Americans wanted the head of the resistance in Lebanon and the head of the resistance in Palestine, but the field developments forced the Israeli to scream in July war..."
"Their goal was America's full control over all the sources of oil and gas in the region and the end of the Palestinian cause by imposing a settlement on the Arabs and Palestinians which would satisfy "Israel"... this goal was frustrated by the resistance in Lebanon and the legendary firmness and victory in the July war."
However, Sayyed Nasrallah clarified that the US goals in the region had different methods of approach, adding that "this war failed, but we are in front of other threats that we are capable of confronting and frustrating with deed."
His eminence indicated that "the new path is more dangerous than the old one because it is not based on toppling regimes and replacing them with new ones, it is rather a path of destruction of the region, armies, people, and entities. An evidence on that is what is happening today, and the attempt to draw a new map for the region which is based on remains of people and countries and fearful hearts."
Hezbollah Secretary general pointed out that this path seeks to turn the enemy into a savior in our eyes, stressing that "we must be aware that an existential and serious threat is facing us and who ever denies that is detached from reality."
"This path can be defeated based on experience and the regional developments in the past tough decades, that is Israel and the Zionist project... At the beginning of the 20th century, when the Zionists started going to Palestine, they were a small minority, so no one believed claims that they wanted to establish a state there, so they were not aware of this threat."
"Jewish Families came and spread settlements with security and political tasks. Some people knew what was happening, but the majority was not aware of that, even in 1948 they did not recognize the danger. In 1967 some Arabs were even giving excuses to Israel and claiming that what it did was a pre-emptive war because it had information that a decisive war against it was being prepared by some Arabs."
Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that "this result was due to the unawareness of the size of danger... the right thing that should've been done back then was mobilizing all the Arab armies against Israel, this woul've been the only solution."
Based on that, his eminence referred to the threat facing us today: "ISIL is an organization that has become a state occupying wide geographic areas in Syria and Iraq, and it is even larger than some countries in the region, as it also has large amounts of weapons and foreign fighters, and it sells oil the countries under the sight of the UN... This organization commits massacres against its own people who disagree with it as well as its opponents."
His eminence pointed out that ISIL's enemies are also the Sunnis, and everyone who disagrees with it, adding that "they are waging a psychological war as they kill and slaughter under the camera then broadcast it on Youtube and TV," and reassured that "this method does not have anything to do with Islam or prophet Mohammad or the Holy Koran."
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that "Anyone who denies the existence of such a reality is actually living in another world and is not even fit to hold the responsibility of his own family," indicating that "regional countries have sponsored this organization and are still aiding and supporting it."
As he emphasized that what was going on today was not a sectarian war of any kind, but rather an ISIL, Takfiri war that seeks to eliminate all the history of the region, his eminence stressed that "we must be aware of the size of the threat and know how to confront it".
"Should we refer to the International Community? When ISIL invaded Mosul and other Iraqi cities and committed massacres there, why didn't the International Community interfere? Why didn't they interfere when massacres against the Christians took place?"
Addressing the Lebanese Christians, he added: "If among the Christians in Lebanon are some who are still wagering on the US and the West, they are totally mistaken, they will deal with their issue the same way they did in Iraq."
However, Sayyed Nasrallah stated: "When ISIL reached Erbil which contains US and western businesses the US instantly interfered considering that "you can slaughter the Sunnis and Shiites and commit genocides, but you cannot come near Erbil because of its significance"."
Consequently, his eminence asked: "Some are demanding the withdrawal of Hezbollah from Syria, knowing that now we are mostly present in the border regions like Qalamoun and Qusair, do you really believe that Lebanon would no longer be under threat if Hezbollah withdrew from Syria? Do you really believe that Lebanese officials will go to Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, head of ISIL, and ask him to remove the 10,452 km2 from his map?"
"Today, we must set aside the aimless arguments, recognize the serious threat we are facing, and hold our national responsibility which urges us to rise and protect our country and people," Sayyed Nasrallah stressed.
His eminence criticized calls for the UNIFIL to safeguard the borders with Syria, and assured that what was protecting south of Lebanon was not the UNIFIL or the international resolutions, but the Army, People and Resistance equation.
As for those who claimed that disassociation would protect Lebanon, his eminence asked them: "Let's consider that ISIL controlled Syria and reached our borders, wouldn't there be any threat then? Would disassociation then work? Is this a serious approach?" Adding: "We have reached a phase where the Lebanese Army is being slaughtered and captured and some are still calling for disassociation and excluding talks with Syria."
He further proposed a sequence of points which he called on the Lebanese to act upon in the face of this "existential threat".
"First we must agree that the responsibility falls on the Lebanese Army and Security forces, and based on that, we must supply the Army with the appropriate equipment, as well as morale and financial support... We must hold on to the current government until electing a president and holding parliamentary elections... All kinds of incitements must be punished over ... There must be cooperation with Syria in order to solve the Syrian immigrants file..."
Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that these points must be discussed seriously, assuring that "we are ready to sacrifice, as we are presenting martyrs and injured in this battle, so we will not refrain from protecting our people and sanctities. This is a battle of honor and existence, and we are ready for sacrifice."
In conclusion, his eminence reassured that "ISIL can be defeated. It is not stronger than Israel. This only requires deed, but if we just sit and watch it will expand widely... We have the capability to preserve the dignity of our country no matter who was standing behind ISIL. All the Lebanese must hold this responsibility... We will not immigrate. We will stay here and change the path of the region... This small Lebanon will change the path of the region!"
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