Nasrallah demands death sentence for 'spies'
In speech in honor of ninth anniversary of IDF's withdrawal from Lebanon, Hizbullah chief calls for execution of 'agents' who allegedly worked for Israel in country. He also urges 'spies' who have yet to be captured to turn themselves in
"Conspiring with the enemy and treason are a sin which has no justification whatsoever. I ask, on your behalf, on the behalf of the families of the fallen, of those who were killed and those whose homes were damaged, I demand a death sentence for all agents who delivered information which caused all this," he said.
"I turn to the rest of the agents on Lebanon's soil, before their arrests, and say to them: You are completely exposed. The hands will reach you soon. You must hurry and turn yourselves in to the security organizations before they reach you. You must no that you have no value in the eyes of the Zionists. Therefore, you should understand this and hurry and help your country before the time passes."
He went on to speak about his organization's ties with the Lebanese government. "We in Hizbullah cooperate constantly with the security organizations, but I say that we will exert all efforts with all the official security organizations as part of an overall national effort, in order to realize this move – to purify the country of spies and traitors," he said.
As for his demand for a death sentence, Nasrallah said, "It's a joke giving a punishment of a month or two. Those who cooperated took part in the bloodshed of the Lebanese. Don’t try playing the clannish game – I say, start executing the agents who are members of the Shiite denomination."
61 years of threat
The Hizbullah chief did not miss the opportunity to slam Israel. "Ever since the establishment of the robbing entity in 1948, southern Lebanon has always been in a state of threat, due to Israel's aspiration to expand. From the very beginning, the residents of southern Lebanon chose the institutions of the Lebanese state. Your 'crime' is that you resisted the occupation and succeeded in defeating it," he told the crowd in a speech broadcast on a video screen.
"This is something all the cowards avoided doing. And during the Second Lebanon War as well you stood firm and won with patience. This is another 'crime' you committed," he said.
Nasrallah also mentioned the upcoming elections in Lebanon, saying that "we do not offer resistance as an alternative to the country. We want to build a serious country which can defend itself and its honor, with you, and with your help, and with your vote in the upcoming elections.
"Together we will build a strong country, inshallah (God willing). This country will have to win the trust of the people, and not through slogans," he concluded.
Earlier Friday, Hizbullah sources said that a large-scale drill which is expected to be held in Israel about two weeks constitutes preparation for the implications that would stem from the assassination of group head Hassan Nasrallah, al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported.
If such assassination would materialize it would "cause an all-out explosion," senior Hizbullah member Nawaf al-Musawi told the newspaper.
The exercise, code-named "Turning Point 3," will be held on the morning of June 2nd. The drill will include an air-raid siren that will be activated across the country.
"The resistance is addressing this military maneuver responsibly and seriously," the Hizbullah man said, adding that the group is on high alert "because a decision was taken in Israel to assassinate Nasrallah, and many states have conspired with Israel on this front."
Earlier this week, Nasrallah himself said Hizbullah will go on high alert ahead of the drill planned by the "Zionist enemy."
