Hizbullah not ruling out another confrontation with Israel
High-ranking Hizbullah leader says US 'waging covert war' that may push group towards new conflicts, in interview with Guardian
Hizbullah has not ruled out another confrontation with Israel this summer and is rearming, according to a report by the Guardian, Wednesday. "We are prepared for the possibility of another adventure or the demand of American policy that might push the IDF in that direction," the British paper quoted Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qasim as saying.
According to the Guardian, the Hizbullah leader believes Washington is waging a covert war against Hizbullah. In the article, the organization accused the US administration of arming anti-Hizbullah militias and seeking to undermine the Lebanese army.
"(US Vice President) Dick Cheney has given orders for a covert war against Hizbullah...there is now an American program that is using Lebanon to further its goals in the region," Qasim told the Guardian.
The accusation follows reports in the US and British media that the CIA has been authorized to take covert action against Hizbullah as part of wider strategy by the Bush administration to prevent the spread of Iranian influence in the region.
Qasam, however, put an emphasis on American interests in Israel. He told that Guardian that "America is forcing the government forces to prolong (the internal Lebanese) crisis, because they want a price for it... They want to tie Lebanon into negotiations that benefit Israel and their plan for a new Middle East."
Hizbullah also accused the Lebanese government of arming groups across the country. "This happens with the knowledge of the prime minister and is facilitated by the security forces under his command," Sheikh Qasim told the paper.
Sheikh Qasim said there was a growing anti-Hizbullah bias in the security services. "The internal security forces have not succeeded in playing a balanced role... The sectarian issue is very delicate when it comes to the security services."
Lebanese standoff
The political standoff in Beirut had revolved around an opposition demand for veto power over key cabinet decisions, including an international tribunal to try suspects for the assassination of the former prime minister Rafik Hariri.
Earlier this year, in his state of the union address, President George Bush accused Hizbullah of "seeking to undermine Lebanon's legitimately elected government," a charge that Qasim refuted.
But in a speech last weekend, Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said he had given up hope of reaching a compromise with the government. He said the only way out of the crisis was through a referendum or early elections.
