Posted by Jim Lindgren:
Long Interview with the head of Hezbollah.--
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_07_23-2006_07_29.shtml#1153805869
At [1]Kos is a translation of a very long Al Jazeera interview with
the head of Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah.
PersianCat comments:
My observation is that this guy clearly underestimated Israel's
response and he is now having to justify himself to the Lebanese
people. The other major point is that he claims to have mentioned
(on several occasions) to Lebanese government officials including
the PM his intention to capture IDF soldiers in exchange for
Lebanese soldiers.
Excerpts from the Interview:
Bin-Jiddu] You told them [Lebanese government officials] that you
would kidnap Israeli soldiers?
[Nasrallah] I used to tell them that the prisoners' issue, which we
must solve, can only be solved through the kidnapping of Israeli
soldiers.
[Bin-Jiddu]Clearly?
[Nasrallah] Clearly. Nobody told me: no, you are not allowed to
kidnap Israeli soldiers. I was not waiting for such a thing. Even
if they told me no you are not allowed [nothing would change]. I am
not being defensive. I said that we would kidnap Israeli soldiers
in meetings with some of the key political leaders in the country.
I do not want to mention names. When the time comes for
accountability I will mention names. They asked whether this would
resolve the prisoners issue if this happens. My answer was that it
was logical for such an act to solve the prisoners' issue. I assure
you that our assessment was not wrong. I am not being stubborn. In
the entire world, tell me about any state, any army, or any war
that was waged because some people kidnapped two soldiers, or even
took hostages, not military soldiers. Tell me about a war that was
waged against a state because of two soldiers. This has never
happened in history. Nor has Israel done it anytime before.
However, what is happening today is not a reaction to the
kidnapping of two soldiers. I repeat that this is an international
decision and an Arab cover. It is a decision that has to do
with...[changes thought]. I stress to you that had we not captured
two soldiers in July, which could have happened in August,
September, or some other time, the Israelis would come to this
battle and would create for it any pretext and any excuse. The
issue of disarming and finishing the resistance could not be
achieved domestically, regionally, nor at the negotiating table.
The Americans were well aware that this issue cannot be addressed
domestically. Therefore, the Lebanese were told to step back and to
let Israel terminate and disarm Hezbollah. But a cover was needed.
So they provided an international and an Arab cover. This is what
the issue is about. Finally, I will tell you how any resistance in
the world operates. If I want to kidnap or capture two Israeli
soldiers, the political leadership would make the decision and hand
it to me, but even my brothers [in the leadership] should not know
that this would happen at such a time and such a place. If 60 to 70
people know such details, would a capt uring operation be
successful? No, no such operation would be successful, let alone
when informing a government of 24 ministers, three key leaders,
political forces, and political blocs. On the table of dialogue, we
hold discussions, and only one hour later the minutes of the
sessions become available to [foreign] embassies. So do you expect
me to tell the world I am going to capture [soldiers]?
References
1. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/25/02424/8890
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