Speech delivered by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on the tenth night of Muharam

Sayyed Ashuhada Compound
Beirut Southern Suburb,
Lebanon
15 December 2010

I take refuge in Allah from the stoned devil. In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the world. Peace be on the Seal of prophets, our Master and Prophet Abi Al Qassem Mohammad and on his chaste and pure Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers.

Peace be on our master and Prophet Mohammad Bin Abdullah and on his chaste and pure Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers.

Peace be on you my master and Lord Abu Abdullah – O son of the Prophet of Allah - and on all the souls gathering around your holy site. Peace be on you as long as I remain alive and as long as night follows day. May Allah make it not my last visit to you.

Peace be on Hussein, Ali the son of Hussein, the children of Hussein and the companions of Hussein.

Peace be on you scholars, brothers and sisters. Peace be on you all and Allah’s mercy and blessing.

As I promised in the previous nights, this night I will tackle the political issue and developments though this night is important pertaining to marking the wrap up of the ceremony of Ashura which I will tackle by the end of my speech Inshallah.

However, I would like to seek blessing by mentioning a word for Al Hussein (peace be upon him). Al Hussein (pbuh) says: "Can’t you see that righteousness is not being worked upon and injustice is not being abstained from. So let the believer hope he would meet his Lord righteous. I do not see death but happiness and living with the oppressed but weary."

I would like today to tackle two topics. The second topic has the first topic as its reference – namely the Israeli topic. The second topic is the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the indictment and the repercussions of this issue on the level of the country. I will wrap up Inshallah with what fits these consolation councils.

Why will we base the speech on the Israeli topic?

In fact, our region, the cause of the ongoing struggle – the Arab-Israeli struggle – all the events and developments taking place, all the policies schemed and all the American and western projects set for the region on the level of the region are centered around the Palestinian cause, the existence of Israel and the repercussions of this ominous existence on the governments and peoples of our nation.

Not to spend much time in historic presentation, I will say that I believe that several concepts are gone by now according to Israel. In several past occasions pertaining to the victories of the resistance and our martyrs we tackled this issue in details. I will tackle it now only to recall the idea.

Today there is nothing anymore called Greater Israel. This project came to an end with steadfastness, resistance, sacrifices and martyrs. It did not come to an end because the Israelis have become well-mannered or have abandoned their expectations of establishing Greater Israel. It has come to an end because the nation remained steadfast and resisted, and the Zionists’ incapability to realize this project was manifested.

In previous speeches, I have said that the basic reason that put an end to the project of Greater Israel is the Palestinian resistance movement which was launched in the seventies and carried on until 1973 war and the steadfastness of both Arab Armies – the Syrian and the Egyptian – until the launch of the Islamic and national resistance in Lebanon which led to the victory of 2000 and the withdrawal of Israel from Lebanon – the weakest Arab country. Israel pulled out from Lebanon with humiliation and defeat and without gaining any advantages or benefits.

On May 25th, 2000 the last nails were pinned in the coffin of Greater Israel. We are through with that.

Second we are through with the project of Great Israel. Following 2000, strategic theorizing in Israel went to the effect that they do not need Greater Israel geographic extension. It is enough that Israel be within the historic borders of Palestine so that Israel be a strong nation which controls and imposes its conditions of the governments and peoples of the region. Israelis may name and topple governments, impose agreements, treaties and conditions on all nations, governments and peoples of the region. This would stand for Great Israel.

Great Israel, which is feared by all and which makes all tremble when hearing its name, also came to an end.

What delivered the deathblow to Great Israel is your victory – the victory of Lebanon and the Resistance in Lebanon in July War 2006 and the victory of Gaza and the resistance in Gaza against the aggression on Gaza afterward.

Today the image of Israel which used to frighten the Arabs and Muslims and the peoples of the region does not frighten even children. Israel is not anymore the able state which might threaten and bully; that is not to mention it imposing its conditions or even fully choosing to make a war. We are through with this as well.

These are two great achievements made by the resistance, those who supported it and the opposition countries which backed it as well. Those who were in the other camp are accomplices in the frustration and defeat. During July War, the faces of some people were blackened as the faces of Olmert Halotz and Levy among others were blackened. I am not talking about these now. I am talking about the resistance movements in the nation and about the honorable people in the nation who believe in the resistance, opposition and steadfastness and made two victories. They delivered the deathblow on two projects: Greater Israel and Great Israel despite the international support and some regional backing which the Israeli enemy used to enjoy.

That does not mean at all – brothers and sisters – that Israel has become feeble and weak (so let’s go and exterminate Israel from existence).

No, we are realistic. We look at true things and make our evaluations accordingly. Israel is still a state that owns several points of strength. It has not become a weak or feeble state. However, it is not anymore that Great or Greater Israel which plots and acts as it wishes.

At the present time, Israel is seeking to rebuild its strength, army and security apparatuses to re-address its internal front. It had so far conducted four maneuvers: Turning Point 1, 2, 3 and 4. However, the results were manifested in the fires in the north and in the internal Israeli disability.

However, what is more serious is that Israel - and as a result of the regional and international situations and developments – has followed a rapid pace towards judaizing Palestine and not only judaizing Al Qods. That means decisively announcing Israel a Jewish state through the procedures it introduced to the nationality measures, the threats facing the Palestinians or the Arabs living in the territories occupied since 1948, and the demolition of houses, schools and mosques in Negeb Desert, Jordan Valley and recently in the Palestinian city of Led. So targeting the Arabs living in the territories occupied since 1948 will carry on. Working at judaizing Al Qods and surrounding it with settlements and demolishing the houses of Palestinians will carry on incessantly. That is in addition to disjointing the West Bank will also carry on. Yes, it is through with Gaza but it will carry on with the siege it imposes on it. Consequently, historic Palestine with the exception of Gaza is the true project on which the enemy government is working on to prove its hegemony, existence, power, capability and Jewish identity as they say. So now the Israelis are working forcefully to this effect. Indeed on the military level, the Israelis are working on all levels to restore their power. As I said: maneuvers, intensified exercises, joint maneuvers and exercises with the Israelis, the new military equipments whether on the technological level or on the level of air force. That is in addition to addressing some gaps which appeared following July War and Gaza War besides working on the information domain to wrap their information concerning the brethrens in Palestine, concerning Syria, Lebanon, Iran and about all the sides which they call the axis of evil when in fact it is the axis of resistance and opposition. Even in Lebanon, they want to wrap up their information. That is not limited to spies and reconnaissance airplanes. We have started discovering in the recent period sets of equipments and radars which are implanted in earth furnished with cameras that transmit images which they snapshoot from remote places. These cameras transmit images day and night and not only during the day. An achievement was made today through the dismantling of this kind of developed spying equipment whether in Sanin Hills and in Barouq Hills with the cooperation and coordination between the two poles of the golden equation in Lebanon – meaning the Resistance and the Army. Indeed here I must express my regards also to the brethrens in the Lebanese Army who have been working since the morning in Barouq Mountains under snow and harsh natural conditions so as to reach and dismantle the equipment. This stresses that the Israelis are carrying on working on every level. However should we take a more comprehensive strategic look and usher into Israel’s current strategic environment, we may say that Israel is in a strategic crisis. We must try to be realistic without exceeding the proper limits and thus say the truth: It is not true to say that Israel has come to an end, and it is not true to say that Israel is still that Israel of the old times. The story is different now. The status quo and the changes that took place in the past ten or thirty years (starting with Iran and the toppling of the Shah regime, to the region, to the resistance in the regime to the frustration of the Israeli project in Lebanon after 1982 to the Intifada in Palestine, to the American drowning in the region and the frustration of the American project and its retreat in the recent years to the change in Turkey….) had led to the existence of a new strategic environment for Israel and the region. Israel today is in a new environment. It has three choices and no more:

The first choice is heading towards a settlement and activating negotiations with Palestinians and later on with Damascus and Beirut. This option is not backed with the government of Netanyahu-Liebermann or with the Israelis. So the whole story of negotiations is but a waste of time and an attempt to gain time to settle their affairs continually: settlements building, hegemony and making the Palestinian people desperate of gaining even the minimum of their natural and legitimate rights.

Thus we see that negotiations haven’t led to any results for 18 years but only to disappointments. The latest attempt did not yield any results as well. Imagine that the Israelis were offered enormous security, military and fiscal temptations to halt settlement construction for three months. Still they did not accept because time is very important to them. Even three months to the Israeli settlement project is much time. (It is not as time in our considerations – it passes quickly). So the Israelis do not want the settlement to reach anywhere, because the true Israel project is not anymore establishing an independent Palestinian state. This is over according to the Israelis. The true Israeli project is taking grip of Palestine with the exception of Gaza. The West Bank is an autonomous district. That’s it. All the rest is Israel – the Jewish state.

As for the refugees, let them resolve their problem in Jordan and Lebanon and in any other place. Even those who want to seek refuge later, it is their problem and not Israel’s. Israel is not concerned with resolving their problem. Thus we see them not serious in the track of a settlement; there are rather impediments and wastefulness. They rather complicate the mechanism of reaching a settlement. For example they say that restoring Golan to Syria or the withdrawal from definite places in Occupied Palestine need the vote of two thirds of the Israeli Knesset or need a popular referendum. Thus they are complicating the issue because they do not want to reach any result.

A settlement is not a true choice to the Israelis because Israel is not ready to offer any concessions at all to the Palestinians or to the Syrians or to any others.

This choice is not practicable. Israelis might have saved some time through some meetings. However at the end they insisted on settlement construction. The US administration expressed its disappointment. Now they want to seek help from the Arabs to pressure on the Palestinian authority or to gain an Arab cover to the return to indirect negotiations meaning to further time saving.

The second choice is that of war – meaning that Israel goes into war to step out of the strategic crisis it is suffering from now. So it is either a war with Lebanon and the resistance or a war with Syria or with Iran or with Gaza or both or all of them.

This choice in the current situation and current data is irrational.

Israel which is talking about the option of war knows very well – they say so and it is not I who is analyzing – that stepping to war on any front if it does not have guaranteed results (And how might results be guaranteed? They want a rapid decisive war that ends with a clear victory) is a great adventure according to Israel. Well Israel can not bear further defeats of this kind. So all the threats and bullying you hear go in the framework pf psychological war. We will comment on that on the tenth day of Muharam Inshallah.

So the choice of war is not an easy and simple choice. I do not say it is impossible but it is a difficult and serious choice according to the Israelis if they undertake it.

The third choice is remaining on the status quo without heading towards a settlement. That means neither settlements nor negotiations. Or it might mean that carrying on with the negotiations but without reaching any results and without heading towards a war. This is what they call status quo i.e. carrying on in the current situation while awaiting regional and international changes that might help Israel to head towards the choice of a settlement or the choice of a war.

Israel actually prefers the third choice. It is neither working to achieve a settlement nor to make a war. It rather prefers the third option which is continuing in the status quo while awaiting changes. Indeed it is making use of time to achieve what I mentioned first – all the field steps necessary to judaize Palestine and al Qods and to restore its elements of strength.

However there is a problem in the third choice. This is articulated by the Israelis day and night. This gives more time to the true enemies of Israel also to gain more strength, firmness and presence and to get ready for the confrontation which will once take place. This is a true problem because it is Israel and not Gaza which will fall because of hunger and the siege as Gaza is working day and night to restore its strength, morals and integrity despite all the measures imposed by the siege. Recall the great marvelous scene which we saw a couple of days ago. Tens of thousands have rallied. The great stances which we heard whether from dear brethren Palestinian PM Ismail Haniyeh or dear brethren Mohammad Hindi in the name of the Palestinian factions stress that Gaza is moving in this direction. As for Lebanon, the Israelis are talking about the mushrooming of Hezbollah’s power and Hezbollah making use of the element of time… Barak went to Washington and all what he did there may be concluded in demanding further US and western pressure to prevent or halt the armament of Hezbollah. Syria also is proceeding and growing stronger. Iran is proceeding and growing stronger. This is the problem to the Israelis. So on the other hand, there are not any people who are sitting still or asleep or silent. There are rather people who consider the struggle with the Zionist entity serious. They are concerned about their homelands, sovereignty, dignity and the future of their peoples and their nation. Consequently they too are working day and night to grow stronger.

This is on one side. The other problem faced through the choice or notion of carrying on the status quo is that in the future, Israel’s circumstances are not known. Would they be better or not? As an example, the power and forceful presence of the USA and the NATO are retreating in our region. In Iraq their despair is clear, and in the region their despair is clear. The same is true concerning Afghanistan and Pakistan. While Israel leans on the USA, the latter is withdrawing and gradually pulling out off the region. It is not clear whether their future would be better. They are suffering from losing more regional allies. Thirty years ago they lost the regime of the Shah. Now they are losing Turkey which has been a strategic ally to Israel since its very first history. The preoccupation of the international forces in their own affairs and financial and fiscal crises as is taking place in the USA, Europe and the so called Euro Zone or would preoccupy the world such as the events of North and South Korea or the like would leave Israel to face its fate alone.

There is an accelerating increase of hatred to Israel in the Arab and Islamic worlds following great efforts and attempts in the past decades to reshape the image.

All the current and future data make Israel worried. So what is demanded now?

It is demanded that Israel moves towards confronting these forces, movements and states which are working day and night to be strong and to be fit to assume responsibility. Here Israeli action is clear. For what are the Israelis shuttling the world? It is so that the world impose harsh economic sanctions on Iran because that preoccupies and weakens Iran. Israelis are moving all around the world to pressure Syria. Israelis are moving around the world seeking the issuance of Resolution 1559 to besiege the Resistance in Lebanon and disarm it. However what is even more dangerous from all what the Israeli enemy is doing is what I said before. Still I will reiterate it as it is the only card remaining in its hands. This is its work now and not its betting. It is the industrious US-Israeli work through governments, regimes, money, research centers, media, intellectual, and cultural institutions, personalities and elites and through intelligence bodies on a project of sedition in the Arab and Islamic world. That means internal ordeals. This is the only hope so that Israel steps out or is picked out from the strategic crisis it is living in. This is the sole and only hope. As for the other choices such as sanctions on Iran, that will not weaken Iran as Iran is growing stronger. Sanctions on Syria will not break the determination and will of the leadership, army and people in Syria. Resolution 1559 will be fruitless in face of the Resistance in Lebanon… The serious choice on which they work day and night is the choice of sedition. Egypt and despite the hard circumstances it is passing through, is not spared. Israelis are working at evoking Islamic-Christian ordeals in it. In Iraq, the Israelis and the Americans were and are still are busy working on a Shiite-Sunnite sedition and on hitting the Christians in Iraq and on evoking an ordeal between the Arabs and Kurds; or else what is the interpretation for the explosions that attack Husseini processions? People are moving to offer their consolations. What do you want from them? Suicide bombers are detonating themselves. Search for these suicide bombers. Where do they originate from? Where do they spring from? Where do they live? This has become clear by now. Israel’s project is an ordeal between the Arabs and Iran - between the Arab states and Iran. Israel’s project is seditions within Arab states and between these states; and ordeals are among the components of every Arab state. The most dangerous title that unites all these titles is the issue of Shiites and Sunnites. I will give an example and then move to Lebanon and the STL.

The last example which is cute and nice is that Israelis do not hide these words. They still assume that Arabs do not read. Perhaps many Arabs do not read yet. In fact some Israeli generals say that they wrote books on all their previous wars before staging these wars. We executed the scenarios we wrote; still the Arabs were not ready to read. Now the distinguishing characteristic of the resistance movements in Lebanon and Palestine in the new experience is that they are very well read. In fact the bases of these movements are intellectual and cultural as well. Israelis talk about that in their conferences, sessions, research centers and books. What are the options available to them?

I am not creating things or analyzing. Shaul Mofaz – who is entitled to head Kadima Party and presented himself as a future Premier and who was a former defense minister and chief of staff – is an important personality in the Israeli entity. He gave a lengthy lecture; then a couple of days ago he spoke again. What did he say? In brief he said that O Arab world! O Muslims! There is something dangerous which is the Shiite danger. A couple of days ago he called it the Shiite epidemic. The Shiite danger is threatening the existence of Sunnites in the region as well as Israel. So let’s join in alliance. He impudently called for an alliance between Israel and whom he called moderate Sunnites to confront the Shiite danger. Can you see? They are shameless insolent people. You are talking about an upcoming unseen Shiite danger. You are analyzing and discussing intentions. You are calling on Sunnites to unite with you in face of the Shiite danger. What have you yourself done with Sunnites? Even before 1948 until today what have you been doing with Sunnites? Were all those massacred in Occupied Palestine, all those displaced from their lands and all those whose properties and fields were confiscated in Occupied Palestine Shiites or Sunnites? Allow me to talk about Sunnites and Shiites. They are Sunnites. Those whom you expelled from the map are Sunnites. Those who have been suffering for over sixty years from the woes and sufferings of Israeli occupation are Sunnites. Those whom you fought against in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and also a part of Lebanon are Sunnites. What has Israel done with Sunnites that make an insolent impudent man like Mofaz forget their sufferings and invite them to an alliance between them and Israel? Those besieged now in Gaza are Sunnites. Still he is insolent enough to make a call on Sunnites to make an alliance between Israel and moderate Sunnites. Indeed there are reasons that make Mofaz dare to make this call. There are some in the Arab and Islamic world who make Mofaz dare to make a speech of this kind. Anyway, we do not need evidence. Even those whom you killed in the Freedom Fleet were Sunnite Turks. Still see how cooperative Turkey was! It said it is ready to address ties with Israel – so it is not talking about boycotting Israel or anything of this sort – if only the latter apologizes and pays compensations for the families of the martyrs. However so far Israel is not ready even to apologize and pay compensations for the families of the Turk martyrs who are Sunnites. I need not give evidences. The Arab and Islamic world and you honorable audience and all who are hearing me know history. However we need to recall it continuously to pay attention to the insolence and malice of what is being prepared by the Zionists and the Americans to our nation and countries.

Hereof, we say that the responsibility of the nation, the scholars, the elites, political leaderships, political movements and political parties is to be aware of this conspiracy. The righteous word to be said by any Muslim whether Shiite or Sunnite is to stand in face of this US-Israeli conspiracy. Whoever helps this project in a word or in any action is serving the Israeli project whether he knew that or not and whether the doer is a Sunnite or a Shiite. Among the most important obligations today on Sunnites and Shiites is confronting this danger and challenge. This needs awareness, wisdom, patience, precision in following events and understanding the backgrounds of what is taking place in the region and the world. This is also the responsibility of Eastern Muslims and Christians who are attacked in their existence in the region. Israel is not concerned with Christian presence. This issue is over. If once they were deceiving anyone in Lebanon, this is over and has become outside the interest of the Israelis. The United States is not interested from a religious perspective, human morals perspective or by any other means or norms in the Christian presence in the East. It is only interested in its interests which it started preserving or gaining through other factors or elements.

Thus the Christian presence is targeted. This holds the Christians responsible. I address some Christians in Lebanon and outside Lebanon saying: Whoever believes or supposes that a Sunnite-Shiite struggle in Lebanon might make them the firmest factor in the Lebanese equation is mistaken. We all know the results of the struggle in Iraq on the Christians of Iraq. Inshallah a Sunnite-Shiite struggle in Lebanon will not take place. This ordeal and conflict will not take place. Still some bet on it and pins great expectations on it. These are miscalculations. Those who make ordeals and stand behind every sedition in our Arab and Islamic region want to end the Christian presence and to weaken the Islamic presence because it can not be put to an end. They want to weaken, demolish and break it so as to restore the projects which have gone: Greater Israel, Great Israel, US hegemony… all of that have become part of the past and restoring that has become dreams as well.

From this perspective, we interpret the STL and the indictment which is prepared to accuse Hezbollah members or leaders of the assassination of PM martyr Rafiq Hariri. We interpret this issue in the framework of the above mentioned issue. It is demanded that we confront the conspiracy and work day and night to grow stronger and benefit from time. I assure you this is what we are doing in the meantime even if you find us at times engaged in some political causes. Some people might say: dedicate yourself to the resistance. Do not worry about the resistance. The resistance is working day and night, exercising day and night, plotting day and night, improving its competences day and night and vigilant day and night. Inshallah as you bet on this resistance in past times, Inshallah you may bet on it in all days in the future. So do not be worried.

It has been mentioned in newspapers since 2006 that the investigation is moving in the direction of accusing Hezbollah. In 2007 also there were similar information. In 2008, I was told that. I never mentioned this before. In 2008 the words I was told – if I was obliged to go into details I will go into details – were not about undisciplined members but rather an infiltrated group in Hezbollah which works for the so and so intelligence. Following 2008 and in 2009, Dir Spiegel wrote what it wrote and we were through with 2009.

What I want to say is that we knew, we were told, we read and we heard of that. It was not a secret. It is circulated by political leaderships, personalities, parties and forces in Lebanon and in other places around the world for years. However we did not take any action because truly we are concerned about our country and its security, peace, stability and calmness. Even when I called a year ago for a calm peaceful one-year-truce in which we would serve the people, I used to know that efforts are exerted day and night to fabricate an indictment of this kind.

Here I say that this is an evidence that we never and not even once acted on the basis of searching for a reason to evoke a conflict in Lebanon. We never searched for an excuse to change the political status quo, the political composition or to take grip of the authority or to topple the Taif Accord and all such baseless words which were said and are still said. If we wanted to search for a reason or a pretext, there are thousands of reasons and pretexts. If we wanted this pretext in particular – the indictment which is being set – was in our hands back in 2008 and 2009 and since early 2010. Still we did not resort to it. Yes, in the past months, we found that the issue is to take place and they came to me and told me and now the world is waiting for what will take place in December. Will efforts pull off or annul the indictment? This is another field of research. All speeches say that it is between December 15th and 20th. Today all are waiting for what will take place between December 15th and 20th. The leaders in March 14 Bloc are also expecting that and expressing it and they say that they know nothing about the investigation, the indictment… The Court is closed and they know nothing but still they predict.

When we noticed that the issue has become serious and they are building goals on it and a conspiracy that is targeting the resistance, Hezbollah and Lebanon, is it still logical that we remain silent and wait? "Men, let’s wait and see if the indictment will be issued. Let’s see; the indictment might not accuse you. Let’s see the evidences of the indictment." They are deceiving the people. Later the evidences and the documents that will confirm what I am telling you will be revealed. Inshallah the day will come when the STL will meet a fate more difficult than Wikileaks. All those who are conspiring and colluding will one day be scandalized even more the scandal of Wikileaks. I hope that will take place. From the very first day they know what is taking place with the report. They are partners in the report. They know details. They have to do with the false witnesses, with all the details and with everything. They know everything. They know everything in details and not as they say that it is an independent tribunal. It is we who have nothing to do with the whole affair and don’t know anything. They alone are seeking the truth and justice. They know what is taking place in the investigation and are waiting to see what will the indictment come up with.

All evidences prove what I am saying. The day will come when the white thread will be differentiated from the black thread.

Is it natural that we remain silent? It is natural that we raise and confront. Months ago, we evoked the issue because the due date has become close. If we want to talk, we must talk now. When shall we say after the indictment and the conspiracy is set and its goals are achieved? Or is it that we must rise now and confront? We rose up but how did we confront? We talked logic. We talked science and evidences. We presented our reading, discussed and had dialogue. We talked but we did not go to the negative. We did not stage demonstrations or open sit-ins. We did not cripple the country. We did not resign from the government. We did not topple the government. We did not execute a civil disobedience or an armed disobedience. We know that there is an indictment that will be issued within days. It might not be issued in the sense that it will be announced. They found a way out that will offer some time. Bellemare will give a sealed envelop - By God many in Lebanon know what is written in this sealed envelop – to Daniel Fransen – the pre-trial judge. Fransen has six to ten weeks to examine the draft. If he finds that the mentioned evidences are satisfactory to issue an indictment, the indictment will be issued. If he finds them insufficient he will return them to Bellemare and tell him go and carry on with the investigation.

We know that things are moving in that direction. Still did we head to the negative? We talked, interpreted, clarified and shouted out: Look this is a novelty which is not preceded in history: Because Hezbollah is defending itself, this is evidence that it is accused and involved. How is that so? How is it that if someone defends himself saying: Have patience. I did not do that. That is not true. The evidences you are resorting to are not true. Even more, the tribunal which is accusing me is politicized, untrue, fake, American and Israeli. The result is that the great effort that Hezbollah is exerting is an evidence that it is involved. There are leaderships in Lebanon belonging to March 14 Bloc who said that they are totally convinced now that Hezbollah is involved in the assassination of Hariri because Hezbollah is defending itself. Was there such a novelty in history? Anyway, you are never at even with those who are conspiring against you. If you remained silent, their question would be why is he silent? They are thus involved. That is why they are silent. If you talked they would say why he is defending himself. If he was not involved, he would not have defended himself. We are not concerned with all of that. We are interested in assuming our obligation. We have defined our obligation in the recent months: O brethrens let’s talk with our allies frankly and tell them things are moving in this direction.

When I met some of the primary leaderships in the Opposition and told them what I had been told in 2009 and 2008, they told me: All of that took place with you and still you did not tell us. I used to tell them that I do not want tension in the country and I do not want to preoccupy the country.

Yes time has become limited and we must make an effort. It’s our obligation to defend not ourselves but the resistance which is the trust of the martyrs and which is the hope of the future in face of the Israeli challenge and also to defend Lebanon because what is targeted is not Hezbollah alone or the resistance alone. The target is destroying the country. If there is someone who is working to avoid the destruction of the country it is the resistance and the opposition on the first hand. Thus we rose and took action. We evoked logic. We started first with question posing: will this investigation lead to justice? I want to offer conclusions because you have heard much. Is this investigation professional, technical and sound? We offered evidences and said no, it is not technical or professional or sound. It is politicized and the evidences are such and such.

First whoever wants to carry on an investigation must work on all suppositions. This investigation worked on one supposition which is Syria and the four generals and reached a dead end. Then again it worked on one supposition which is Hezbollah. Well, where are the other suppositions? Where is the Israeli supposition? They said they want evidences. We furnished them with evidences and indications which open the door before the possibility of Israel being involved in the assassination. The indications were neglected and no one approached them. On the contrary some sides ridiculed them despite the fact that in any technical, professional discussion a supposition or an assumption is enough to start an investigation – not an accusation but rather an investigation. That was not taken into consideration. This is enough proof that the investigation is not serious, professional, technical or sound.

Second there is leakage. Go and ask all the judges and investigators around the world. Any investigation that is subject to such a degree of leakage will not be a sound and true investigation anymore. From its very first days, there was leakage in this investigation. This is not Bellemare’s problem. In fact, since the very first day, everything has been in saloons, newspapers, embassies… and there is a part which is with us.

Today, I will tell you something and I will leave its details to another time if we needed them in the second part of the press conference. When Mehlis was the head of the International Investigation Committee in Lebanon, the vice president of the International Investigation Committee in Lebanon was Gerhard Lehmann. He is German and he is known. General Sayyed used always to mention him. Mehlis used to rely on Lehmann in the investigation. He is a German information officer and he is entrusted with the investigation. He is the most senior official who is responsible for leaking information and documents. He is a corrupt man and I have the proof and if I needed one day to reveal that proof I will do. The vice president of the international Investigation Committee sold – not leaked but sold – information and documents in return for money here in Lebanon. There are persons who bought these documents in return for money and gave them to me then. Who is this man? He is the vice president of the International Investigation Committee. Bellemare wages an endless war to protect the false witnesses and he refuses to furnish General Sayyed with testimonies, while the vice president of the Investigation Committee sells testimonies to senior political leaderships. He sells them. He is not only corrupt; he is cheap too. Do you know for how much he sold these documents? With 50 or 60 thousand dollars! I am sorry we do not have a gate to that. Perhaps we were mistaken or dubious. I do not know. I myself through mediators was made an offer – that this man (Gerhard Lehmann) is ready to give us everything in the international investigation in exchange for a million dollars. We refrained from granting him the million dollars.

You might say I was mistaken or not. I am telling you facts. This is the corrupt international investigation committee which is based on leaking the investigation. Is this a professional, technical investigation? I do not know what will take place in the future. Perhaps the conscience of people will be awakened one day. Perhaps later for political reasons some people will leak recordings, documents and indications. Allah knows best. We do not know what Allah Al Mighty might reveal for us in the future.

This is as far as leakage and suppositions are concerned. So where is seriousness? We went to a legal constitutional debate and also to a technical debate which has evidence on telecommunications. This is what we did. What did we do?

As for the false witnesses, we said we demand their trial. Why do you want to protect the false witnesses? Well, mustn’t we refer everything to the institutions? They told us this issue is related to the international tribunal. Let the international tribunal then try the false witnesses. Its answer was that is not among its competences. They said go to Lebanese institutions. Well let the government refer the false witnesses to the Council of ministers. It said this is not among the competences of the Council of Ministers. What is this?

Now much has been said in the country. I will give two examples. One day an operation took place which was condemned by all of us. Two men were killed in this operation which is known as the "Operation of the two Ziads". Due to fear and because those accused of killing them were Shiite men while they belong to other sects and for fear the crime might lead to an ordeal in the country, the government referred this case to the judicial court. Is that true or not? Let anyone in Lebanon dare say no? Or else why a crime of this kind might be referred to the judicial court while many similar crimes were not referred to the judicial court. That was because there was fear sedition will take place.

The other cause is that of Antonios Brothers. They had a store. They were robbed and killed. Also in this case because the accused and the killer was not from their sect the case was referred to the judicial court for fear sedition would take place which would be reflected on civil peace. We gave as examples two cases which are not ancient.

As for the false witnesses, the problem is not between one sect and another. It is rather between sects and between Lebanon and Syria. There wasn’t fear it would lead to an ordeal. In fact it led to an ordeal and for shaking the country for 4 or 5 years and is still. Still they refuse to refer the case of the false witnesses to the judicial court, and a while ago a breaking news was transmitted to the effect that the cabinet did not reach a solution.

Do they want the truth and justice? This is the point for discussion. I hope all the other sides which argue with us would answer me. Does he who wants the truth and justice accept this investigation? Since the very first day he knows what is taking place in the investigation? Does he accept corrupt investigators? Does he accept neglecting the other suppositions? Does he accept false witnesses on whose testimonies years of deception were based and you know they are liars? You know that you fabricated these false witnesses and based on their testimonies a definite political, popular, cultural, economic status and a definite parliament, government and international relations were evoked. Thus yes today I will say the truth: the international tribunal is protecting the false witnesses. Since Mehlis and Lehmann are partners in the fabrication of the false witnesses, since the investigators in the international tribunal are partners in the fabrication of the false witness and since political and security leaderships in Lebanon fabricated the false witnesses, the court is protecting them. The Lebanese government is protecting them. Tonight the Lebanese government is protecting the false witnesses who dragged the country into an ordeal for four years. They are not protecting Zuheir Essedeeq and so and so. They are rather protecting those who fabricated them; or else if we offered guarantees and said that we have nothing to do with those who fabricated the false witnesses but rather we are concerned with them only, we will find that no one would ask about them because there might be sides which own condemning documents to this effect.

This is what we did, and in an advanced stance we said that we are not concerned with the STL and the indictment and if you issued an indictment against any of us we will not hand in anyone and we will not give in. Perhaps some around the world believed that this might be resolved with us as things are resolved with others and as similar stories around the world were resolved. I do not want to mention names. They thought that we would hand in two or three men and the story would be over. It is not we who would accept oppression even against one of our men or to any man. It is not we who hand in our men or give in and betray dignity and what we are entrusted with regardless of what might take place and what they might do. We said we will not hand in or give in. Then a door for redressing the issue was opened. They made initiatives, contacts, meetings and the S-S efforts. We said we have no problem in that; we are ready. If we wanted to invest this issue politically to change the regime or to topple the Taif and turn the tables and all what they say everyday, we would not have accepted the S-S efforts or any other effort. We would have said that we will bring double retaliation on whoever attacks us. They said there is a possibility for addressing the issue. We said we are ready. We care for the country but we do not want anyone to attack the resistance or to ruin the country.

When we moved towards addressing the issue, some in Lebanon started foretelling of a solution and others started saying there is no solution. They dream and pin great expectations and projects on what the general prosecutor and the STL would offer.

In this framework, there are still two points concerning the STL which I want to mention before I wrap up the issue.

The first point is that all what we have done so far and since the very first day in which we opened this cause until this very moment is that we have set a vision and we are working accordingly along with all our brethrens in the Opposition and every friend of ours anywhere who cares for us and is aware of the conspiracy on the resistance. There are efforts which serve definite aims within the vision. To assure you I say: In principle, let no one expect that we want to annul the UN Security Council Resolution. We did not evoke this in our courtesies since the issue was evoked and for several months by now. Yes one of our brethrens said in a speech that we want to annul the court but we said that is not the official inclination of the party. That is because when the UN Security Council takes a resolution, it takes it to carry on with it. It takes a resolution which is based on great strategies and projects. It is not we or others who annul a UN resolution. Yes, developments and events might freeze UN resolutions. See how many resolutions have to do with the Arab-Israeli struggle? Have you seen any UN resolution which is influential? There is nothing of this sort. All resolutions are suspended but are not annulled.

We wanted to be realistic. We said that those who moved things towards Syria from the very beginning had aims. Practically following 3 or 4 years of the steadfastness of the Opposition in Lebanon, the steadfastness of Syria, the changes that took place in the region, the vanity and triviality of the investigation led things to a dead end. So they have set a group of aims and consequently most of these targets were frustrated. Today when they finger point at the resistance and at persons from Hezbollah, they have set aims also. At least let’s work to suspend these aims. I may tell you that through the past months Hezbollah and its allies, scholars from all sects, political leaderships, media outlets, authors, men of intellect, elites and parties in Lebanon and abroad – thanks to them all – some of the anticipated aims of the indictment has been frustrated to a great degree - if I am not to say totally frustrated not to exaggerate. I will cite some examples:

First distorting the image of the resistance: Imagine if we remained silent, and we knew nothing about the whole issue and suddenly the indictment was issued. The whole world would be talking about Hezbollah’s accusation in killing Hariri. As such the whole country would have been ruined. Imagine that a giant media machine was invested to this accusation: the CNN, all satellites channels, newspapers, radios and platforms. What would have we and our brethrens done to defend ourselves? We have taken our time and defended ourselves and offered a logical speech. We preserved logically and to a great degree our image before the general opinion because we have offered indications, information, discussions, evidences and facts. Thus polls in Lebanon and the Arab and Islamic world show that this goal has been achieved to a great degree. So even if the indictment was issued later, if this is its goal – no doubt one of its aims is distorting the image of the Resistance in Lebanon – that will not make any difference to those who believe in the resistance and back, love and trust it. That would rather make them feel that the resistance is more targeted and oppressed and aggressed against. This is one of the achievements made in the past two or three months. The others want us to remain silent. No I rather want to defend myself. I want to explain, interpret and clarify. They want to tell us that is not allowed or else you are accused.

Second, among the aims – and I am not analyzing, I have information to this effect – is that if we could put the group to sleep and the indictment would be issued to the world suddenly, the first to be drooped will be Hezbollah’s allies and especially Hezbollah’s Sunnite allies. That will cause a gap between Hezbollah and its Sunnite allies, brethrens and friends. That will cause a sharp division among the Shiites. That would embarrass some of the Christian and Druze allies. That is on the Lebanese level. On the foreign level, all the Arab parties and Islamic movements accept you being a resistance but they do not accept that you be a criminal. Thus Hezbollah would be isolated as a prelude to weakening and hitting it in the future. This aim was also totally frustrated and it is over. We are through with betting on isolating or weakening Hezbollah through issuing such an accusation against it. We have taken our time in explaining to our allies and friends. All people have heard our indications, views and evidences and have partaken in our discussions and in clarifying the image. There are some among our allies and friends – whom I thank tonight – whose voice was louder than ours because they are not accused. This goal was also achieved.

Third, we have in fact offered a service which they are free to acknowledge or not. The resistance liberated Lebanon in 2000. They did not consider that a national service. They still say that we have liberated Lebanon in 2000 for the interest of the Iranian-Turkish or Syrian or Greek cause! We have offered a service for those who truly and faithfully seek the truth and justice: this mechanism, the court and the investigation which we are waiting to lead you to the truth are in fact misleading you. So if you expect that it to lead you to justice it is rather a mechanism for oppression. We all want the truth and justice. Tonight I am telling you let’s go again to the Lebanese cabinet. Let’s carry on a revision. Do you agree? Now I have a suggestion. We all want the truth and justice. What is the mechanism? What is the law? What is the system or means that help us reach the truth and justice?

After evaluating the investigation committee and the STL all through the past five years and found nothing but corruption, misleading, leakage, lying, accusation, politicizing and standing on the doors of embassies, you are welcome and we are ready. We are not telling you close this file. In fact no one is able anymore to close this file. This file does not anymore belong to a person or a family. It has to do with a homeland and a nation as a whole. Let’s make a revision after all these gaps and flops in the work of the investigation committee and the court. On the contrary, we also did not open the door to make clarifications but rather to move forcefully towards revealing the truth through stressing and asserting on the file of the false witnesses to know who fabricated them and thus to know who misled the investigation for four or five years and to know also who will mislead the investigation in the upcoming stage. Also among what was achieved during the past few months is that we founded a sense of national responsibility. We have shown that there is a great problem and a great conspiracy and there is a great national, Arab and Islamic responsibility. Today Syria is concerned. Saudi Arabia is concerned. They are exerting efforts. Iran supported these efforts. Yes they say that Iran did not discuss the STL with anyone. That is true. They have consulted us and we told them do not get engaged in details. It is also we who suggested on them supporting the Syrian-Saudi efforts and they accepted our suggestion. The Turks offered their help and so did the Qatari. So we founded a sense of national, Arab and Islamic responsibility. Thus the country was not left for Bellemare, Fransen and Cassisi and those behind them to corrupt the country. There is rather a sense of national, Arab, Islamic and international responsibility also. As a conclusion for the first topic we say that through what have been made, there is a group of aims which were frustrated. Indeed there are aims which still exist and a threat that still exists and the danger from the conspiracy still exists. There are positive aspects that serve protecting the country and the resistance and are to the interest of suspending any aims which were achieved.

The last point is the reflection on the internal situation. I have a suggestion. Since the other party is saying that they know nothing about the investigation and the STL and it is not concerned with it, well I want to believe them. You are saying that you know nothing and that the issue is not in the hands of the Lebanese people and the Lebanese government anymore and that it has become in the hands of the STL. Well let the conflict be between us and the STL. I am saying that the STL is aggressing against us. Why are you broadening your shoulders and defending the STL and the investigation and its procedures and the false witnesses day and night. You are setting yourself a side in the conflict. It is not we who are putting you a side. We have transcended all the past.

Once I said and today I reiterate and say – this is my personal viewpoint: We do not want to try whoever is revealed to have fabricated the false witnesses. We only want to know the truth. We do not want to try anyone. We are in a country in which no one tries anyone because the weak is always the victim. Even pursuant to what Wikileaks and other sites have revealed we did not blame anyone or discuss things with anyone because we know more than what was written in Wikileaks. The issue has a sequel. We stepped out of July War and said forget what took place during the war. Let’s stand shoulder to shoulder and hand in hand to reconstruct the country together. Isn’t this what we did? We said that even before the bodies of martyrs were buried and while our blood was still flowing in streets and our homes were destroyed. We do not seek to try anyone. So why are you putting yourself a side in the conflict. Why don’t we agree tonight that the conflict is between us and the STL. Why don’t you stay neutral? Why do you protect the false witnesses? Why are you defending the STL? Why are you defending the investigation? What proofs do you have that the investigation is neutral, technical, professional and sound and that it will lead to the truth and to justice?

All of that is causing internal tension and it is not the fact that there is an international court which is conspiring against us and we are defending ourselves that is causing tension. Does that lead to internal tension and to people feeling tension? No matter how loud our voice was, the oppressed talk in a loud tone. You cannot call on all the brethrens in Hezbollah which is not a comprehensive ironic party to remain silent. This is baseless. We are like any other human being. The leaderships, scholars and brethrens have feelings and emotions, ideas and convictions and at times might talk aloud. It is their right to talk with a loud voice because they have an evaluation of the magnitude of the risks. I might be calm while others might not necessarily be calm.

In this last point I say: Make us a favor and let the conflict be between us and the STL. We will confront to find a way out for official, political and popular Lebanon from this issue. To bring Lebanon out of this issue, we say enough. Leave the issue between us and the STL. We are able to confront. We have the ability to defend ourselves. We can protect the country. We can all join efforts to protect the country.

Indeed the Saudi-Syrian effort which now enjoys Iranian, Turkish and Qatari support and which is broadly backed is still continuing. We still pin hopes on it. There are reasons indeed such as the illness of the king, remoteness and the difficulty of communication which influence the efforts to an extent but after all the effort is continuing. I say again we must all work to aid this effort to reach a solution before the issuance of the indictment or after the issuance of the indictment. I am not talking about anything and I do not believe that anyone of us is entitled to say anything and no one can talk about anything. After the issuance of the indictment, I and others might say everything. On that day we will sit to evaluate the indictment, its repercussions, risks and how will the others act. We will discuss the issue with our allies. On the light of that we will say whether or not this indictment is an aggression on the resistance and Lebanon and how we will act. The conflict then will not be that of a sect against a sect or a faction against a faction or a side against a side on the Lebanese level. There is a great decision which is taken and which targets the resistance and the country. No doubt the stances of the others, their conduct, their performance and their evaluation will influence our stance, evaluation, performance and conduct as our conduct will influence the conduct of others. Thus we say yes we are concerned in confronting the decision to protect the country. Here I am telling you: Many are trying to say that Hezbollah is worried or afraid.

No! Hezbollah is neither worried nor afraid. There is no need to reiterate this issue. We are not worried on the resistance or on Hezbollah. We are worried on the country because those who are setting the project of an indictment are setting a sequel, and we will see how to confront this sequel and the bases on which this sequel is set.

Brothers and sisters! This is the last night. Many thanks to all the brothers and sisters. May Allah award abundantly those who have partook in all these councils in all the regions especially that in some nights and days there were a snowy storm and much cold. May Allah award abundantly the neighbors who have tolerated all the noise and the microphones.

Inshallah we will meet tomorrow to announce, renew, conclude and set our stance so as to be heard by the whole world. On this night also we renew our oath and covenant with the righteous people, the righteous stance and the righteous Imam Abi Abdullah Al Hussein (pbuh). On this night of Ashura, we renew our oath. Tomorrow we will hit the street to renew the oath together.

There is a small detail which I need to say: Usually in the rally of Dahiyeh and because usually there are great masses, the brothers arrive before the sisters what leads to some confusion at the end of the rally. This year and after the consolation council in the compound ends the brothers will follow one track and the sisters will follow another in a way that they reach Raya Field at the same time Inshallah.

I want to demand something from you on this night in which you will remain awake for a long time and wake up early to go to the councils and at times walk a distance of 2000 meters to reach Raya Field. The overwhelming majority continue walk until reaching Raya Field while some brothers and sisters feel tired and go left and right. There are some who have responsibilities at home.. But let us act tomorrow as if it is another exceptional day. A distinguished presence is demanded from you in Dahiyeh, Bekaa, the South and in all cities and processions and public marking of the day under whatever title whether it be Hezbollah, Amal Movement, a joint procession or a procession for scholars…

However, concerning the rally in Dahiyeh I tell you: Tomorrow the world is waiting for you to see your faces, eyes and grips and determination. We are in a new challenging stage. Our participation tomorrow will be an expression of our commitment to righteousness, our commitment to the resistance, our commitment to our firm stances, our commitment to national protection and our commitment to Palestine. Let’s meet our brothers who have rallied in tens of thousands in Gaza. Tomorrow we will meet to tell the world that all the Israeli bullying of war can not touch on our determination and that all the conspiracies that we faced and will face will be destroyed before our grips when we shout "At your disposal O Hussein". Tomorrow we will tell the world through our vast presence, men and women, young and old that we are the people of the patient oppressed resistance that trusts in Allah and that will ultimately gain victory at the end.

Peace be on you my master and Lord Abu Abdullah – O son of the Prophet of Allah - and on all the souls gathering around your holy site. Peace be on you as long as I remain alive and as long as night follows day. May Allah make it not my last visit to you.

Peace be on Hussein, Ali the son of Hussein, the children of Hussein and the companions of Hussein. Peace be on you all and Allah’s mercy and blessing and may Allah reward you abundantly.