Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared on the occasion of the second liberation anniversary, beginning his speech by offering condolences to the Lebanese over the passing of "one of the great pillars of Lebanese and Arab journalism, Mr. Talal Salman." He described him as "truly a great and dear resistance figure in thought, expression, and writing, who supported the resistance in all its stages in Lebanon, Palestine, and the region until the last breath of his life."
In his speech, he summarized the "ISIS" threat, the relationship with UNIFIL, the Free Patriotic Movement, and the party's stance on presidential elections. He discussed the "ISIS" threat, clarifying: "These armed groups have entered wide areas of Lebanese territory and used it as a base to attack the population and security forces." He explained, "Lebanon was part of the map of the ISIS Caliphate, and the presence of ISIS in Baalbek was a launch pad for wide expansion."
He stated, "We are talking about a large number of battles fought over several years until the achievement of victory was realized. I bear witness that some villages, especially Christian ones, made the decision to confront, contrary to the decision and directions of most of their parties. We must not forget those who represent political forces that went to the militants in the outskirts of Arsal, held press conferences with them, expressed their support, and provided them with various forms of assistance. These individuals bet on the survival of the armed groups and their victory, and on the defeat of the people of Baalbek, the army, and the resistance against these groups."
He added, "The government did not authorize the Lebanese army to launch an offensive against the militants in the outskirts due to American pressure." He continued, "I do not forget the villages and towns that, despite their suffering and conditions, gathered what they had in their homes to deliver to the fighters. The turnout was very high to defend Lebanon and its land, so the number of fighters was very large and disproportionate to the size of the task."
He stated, "The first liberation, the victory of July, the second liberation, and the third liberation which started a few days ago concerning exploration in Block 9, all of that is the result of the equation of the army, the people, and the resistance. This equation achieved victories."
Regarding recent Israeli threats, he said: "They are repeating the same deadly mistakes. Any assassination on Lebanese soil targeting a Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, Iranian, or others will definitely have strong repercussions, and we will not allow Lebanon to be opened as a field for assassinations, and we will not accept at all changing the existing rules of engagement. The enemy must recognize that it is in a historic, existential, and strategic predicament and will not find a way out of it."
On Syria, he pointed out that "what is happening today is a continuation of what began in 2011, which is an American project that America enlisted several regional countries to support with money, media, and weapons." He warned: "The Syrian state and its allies are capable of liberating the east of the Euphrates simply as they did in the desert, but the east of the Euphrates is occupied by American forces, so the conflict there is regional and can escalate into an international conflict."
Regarding "UNIFIL," he said: "They want the UNIFIL forces to work as Israeli spies, and where the surveillance cameras cannot reach, UNIFIL's cameras should do the job."
On the presidential file, he remarked: "It was stated yesterday by a key party that they refuse dialogue; should we bring them to dialogue by force? We are not weak; rather, we are decision-makers, so we are not afraid of dialogue and are ready for it, but we do not beg anyone for dialogue."
He addressed the Lebanese government, saying: "Thank you to the Lebanese government for its efforts to correct the mistake from last year that gave UNIFIL complete freedom to operate without coordination and permission." He continued: "We support the Lebanese government and hope it succeeds in making this amendment. The rationale behind the procedure relates to dignity; otherwise, this will remain ink on paper, and the people in the south will not allow a decision to be implemented despite the government's rejection."
He added: "We want a president who builds a state that confronts Hezbollah." He emphasized that they do not want to build a state to solve people's problems, which shows that they are serving any project! They serve the declared goal of "Israel," which does not want this country to be independent, and the Americans and Israelis are demanding the disarmament of Hezbollah. Their statements reflect a mentality that cannot lead Lebanon out of the difficulties it faces, but rather a mentality that drives Lebanon toward a civil war."
He said: "I do not engage in psychological warfare against the Lebanese nor do I exaggerate the situation, but I tell them the truths that some are working on."
Regarding the relationship with the Free Patriotic Movement, he stated: "The dialogue between Hezbollah and the Free Patriotic Movement is on behalf of Hezbollah, not on behalf of our allies. We present the outcomes of the dialogue to our allies, discuss, and make decisions together. We are also engaged in serious and deep discussions with the Free Patriotic Movement that need some time." He indicated that "the issue of administrative and financial decentralization was proposed to us, and if we agree on a draft, we will need to discuss it with the parties. The truth is that we are facing a draft law that includes a large number of articles and requires a majority for its approval in the Parliament."
