Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Tuesday vowed at a massive Shiite rally to defeat what he said were US-Israeli plots to provoke civil war in Lebanon, warning that the nation would be the "cemetery of invaders."
Nasrallah, addressing a huge crowd gathered for the sacred Shiite day of Ashura, accused US President George W. Bush and Israel of "trying to defeat resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq by starting civil wars."
"Lebanon will not be defeated. We will not allow it to be invaded... we have proved that we are capable of defeating (invaders)," he said, according to AFP.
"Lebanon is a land that cannot be defeated or humiliated. Lebanon has always been the cemetery of invaders, and it will be the cemetery of any new invaders," he said.
"The future of Israel is death and the future of this umma (Islamic nation) is life. Death to Israel," said Nasrallah
Nasrallah called for the formation of a multi-faction "national resistance" movement to liberate the Israeli-occupied Shabaa Farms. In his address, Nasrallah told the crowd: "I call for the creation of a national resistance to liberate the Shabaa farms. …whoever was prevented by us from liberating Shabaa Farms should step forward to liberate and we'll be with him."
Nasrallah stressed that there should be a "sole national resistance (movement) to liberate our national land … the state is responsible for protecting the borders."
He admitted that Hizbullah fighters are not along the southern confrontation line with Israel, saying "this is not a secret."
"They are the ones plotting a new conspiracy for a civil war in Lebanon," stated Nasrallah. "The Islamic Resistance declares that it will not be dragged into internal strife and fighting."
"We refuse to resort to arms... the solution can only be political, and we back any initiative in order to resolve the matter," Nasrallah said, referring to Iranian and Saudi mediation efforts.
"They (the United States) accuse Hizbullah of spreading chaos in Lebanon... when it is George Bush and (US Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice who are the ones spreading chaos by ordering (Israeli) wars on Lebanon," said Nasrallah.
"George Bush wants to punish you (Hizbullah supporters) because you are resisting in an American era where it is banned for you to be victors and where life is only allowed for the subservents and humiliated," he said.
