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War on Terror

Nasrallah: Hizb'allah standing firm

Refuses to unconditionally release IDF soldiers


By Ryan Jones
July 21, 2006

After more than a week of punishing Israeli aerial and artillery strikes, Hizb'allah chief Hassan Nasrallah says his group is easily absorbing all that Israel has thrown at it, and continues to successfully control the direction of the current fighting.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Nasrallah firmly denied Israeli reports that some 50 percent of Hizb'allah's fighting capabilities have been eliminated by the IDF, and said his group remains as strong as ever and is ready to unleash more "surprises."

"All of the reports of the Israelis, that they struck 50 percent of our capabilities, are not true. They didn't succeed up to now in hitting anything in this range. Hizb'allah up to now has stood firm, it is succeeding in absorbing the attacks, in returning its own attacks, and it will return more in the future."

He also said Israel had failed miserably in its effort to decapitate the Hizb'allah leadership when it dropped some 20 tons of bombs on a Beirut bunker Wednesday night.

"The Hizbullah leadership wasn't hit at all - not in yesterday evening's attack. There was a huge number of planes and they hoped they would hit us but it was wrong."

With its leadership and fighting capabilities intact, Nasrallah suggested it is Hizb'allah that is controlling the direction of this war.

"We are following the events with precision and we are responding in the time and place of our choosing."

On Tuesday, Lebanese sources told the "Palestinian" Ma'an News Agency that Nasrallah is directing this conflict in a very deliberate way, and intends to initiate a major escalation just as Israel is prepared to declare victory.

"Hassan Nasrallah will address the people of Tel Aviv and warn them to evacuate the city within one hour. As soon as the delay ends, hundreds of heavy missiles will start landing in the city... An estimated 500 missiles are expected to land in Tel Aviv in a short period of time."

Regarding Israel's abducted soldiers, Nasrallah told Al Jazeera that no amount of force in the world will convince Hizb'allah to unconditionally release them.

"Even if the whole world comes ? we won't release the two soldiers, unless it is through indirect negotiations and a prisoners exchange."

He insisted the battle Hizb'allah is waging against Israel is on behalf of the entire Arab world, and said the outcome will have lasting consequences for all his Muslim brethren.

"The result of the battle in which Hizb'allah is involved, whether it is positive or negative, will be the result of the whole Arab nation. If Hizb'allah wins ? it will be a victory for the whole Arab nation. And if it loses ? it is a loss for the whole Arab nation."

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