Hezbollah stands ready for new war with Israel: Nasrallah
Released on - Monday,18 May , 2009 -22:39 46
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah on Monday vowed his Lebanese militant party stands ready to fight a new war with Israel, as the Jewish state readies large-scale military exercises later this month.
"There is a possibility, albeit small, that Israel may be preparing to launch a new surprise war and is readying its people for such an eventuality," Nasrallah said in a televised address.
"If Israel plans on pulling anything during the manoeuvres (May 31 to June 4), we're sending it a message that we stand ready and they will fail," he added. "We will not bury our heads in the sand.
"We must take preventive measures for the duration of the manoeuvres."
The Hezbollah chief said the military exercises, which Israel has described as one of its largest ever, may be a "psychological message" aimed at restoring the Israeli people's faith in their state and defence forces in the wake of the 2006 war between the Jewish state and his Shiite militant party.
"The manoeuvres could also be a scare tactic aimed at sending a strong message to the region," he said.
Apart from the manoeuvres lined up for the end of the month that were announced in March, an Israeli military spokesman said the country's air force on Monday started a large-scale four-day exercise.
Nasrallah's speech came ahead of the crucial June 7 legislative election in Lebanon, in which his alliance could wrest the parliamentary majority from a Western-backed Sunni-led coalition.
The speech also comes amid a crackdown in Lebanon on Israeli espionage networks that has led to the arrest of more than a dozen people, including a retired security official.
Nasrallah said he would address the issue of the elections and spy rings in another televised speech on Friday, when Beirut marks the ninth anniversary of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon after a 22-year presence.
"There is a possibility, albeit small, that Israel may be preparing to launch a new surprise war and is readying its people for such an eventuality," Nasrallah said in a televised address.
"If Israel plans on pulling anything during the manoeuvres (May 31 to June 4), we're sending it a message that we stand ready and they will fail," he added. "We will not bury our heads in the sand.
"We must take preventive measures for the duration of the manoeuvres."
The Hezbollah chief said the military exercises, which Israel has described as one of its largest ever, may be a "psychological message" aimed at restoring the Israeli people's faith in their state and defence forces in the wake of the 2006 war between the Jewish state and his Shiite militant party.
"The manoeuvres could also be a scare tactic aimed at sending a strong message to the region," he said.
Apart from the manoeuvres lined up for the end of the month that were announced in March, an Israeli military spokesman said the country's air force on Monday started a large-scale four-day exercise.
Nasrallah's speech came ahead of the crucial June 7 legislative election in Lebanon, in which his alliance could wrest the parliamentary majority from a Western-backed Sunni-led coalition.
The speech also comes amid a crackdown in Lebanon on Israeli espionage networks that has led to the arrest of more than a dozen people, including a retired security official.
Nasrallah said he would address the issue of the elections and spy rings in another televised speech on Friday, when Beirut marks the ninth anniversary of the withdrawal of Israeli troops from south Lebanon after a 22-year presence.