Hizbullah 'prepared to avenge Mugniyah's death'
Source affiliated with Lebanese group tells Kuwaiti newspaper 'there is no escape' from taking vengeance against Israel over assassination of senior organization commander. 'This is a fact which will arrive sooner or later,' he adds
"Hizbullah is ready and prepared to take initiative and avenge the assassination of senior organization member Imad Mugniyah," a military source affiliated with the Lebanese group told a Kuwaiti newspaper.
The source added that "the timing must be right for the forces and the countries which are Hizbullah's allies, and out of the assumption that any response by Israel may affect everyone. This compels Hizbullah and its allies to be on the alert for an open war."
He went on to say that the Shiite militia has completed its preparations for war based on "its experience with Israel."
The source stressed that in regards to Mugniyah, "there is no escape from revenge. This is a fact which will arrive sooner or later. As for Hizbullah, it cannot evade this or be hesitant in terms of responding to the assassination.
"In addition, keeping quiet will open the enemy's appetite to continue assassinating other senior officials. Israel's threats to destroy Lebanon and its infrastructure will not change Hizbullah's determination."
'Next war will be destructive'
He warned against the expected ramifications of the next war. "The organization has studied the insights and lessons on the new Israeli mentality," he explained.
"The next war will be destructive for both sides, with the enemy's home front being hit with intensive missile barrages and the Air Force operating against a significant threat, as will the enemy's navy and ground forces."
The source added that "any Israeli decision to launch a war will be like suicide."
He went on to say that "in regards to the home front, Hizbullah has developed its missile lineup in terms of effectiveness, destruction skills and the ability to accurately hit targets, and today it can launch hundreds of missiles in one wave to several targets inside Israel without the enemy possessing the ability to deter or restrict it."
Addressing Israel's aerial superiority and the claims that Hizbullah possesses antiaircraft systems which may target Israel Air Force planes, the source said that the Lebanese group would "limit the burden of the Air Force's activity in Lebanon's skies."
The source also referred to Hizbullah's rearmament attempts, saying that the organization "has spent more than $800 million on the establishment of military infrastructure in southern Lebanon and the Lebanon Valley in preparation for the expected open war. These preparations were carried out in a continuous manner in accordance with the expected threats."
