Nasrallah praises Israel's 'admission of defeat'

In an unprecedented praise of developments in Israel, Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Wednesday he "respects" his enemy's verdict of failure in last summer's war with his guerrillas in Lebanon.

"I will not gloat," the Shiite Muslim cleric told an audience at the opening of a book fair in a south Beirut

neighborhood complex rebuilt that had been leveled by Israeli warplanes during the summer fighting.

"It is worthy of respect that an investigative commission appointed by (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert condemns him," Nasrallah said.

Nasrallah's comments were unprecedented in that he credited his enemies.

But the militant Hizbullah leader also said the Israeli commission reviewing the Lebanon war had vindicated his claim that Israel had been defeated.

"The first important outcome of this commission is that it has finally and officially decided the issue of victory and defeat ... This commission spoke about a very big defeat," Nasrallah said.

The harsh report blasting Olmert's performance during last year's conflict has shaken Israel and led to calls for the prime minister to resign.

Nasrallah ridiculed Defense Minister Amir Peretz who boasted in the early days of the war that Hizbullah's leader shall never forget the name "Amir Peretz."

"I stand here today not in order to attack Peretz … Peretz said that 'Nasrallah' will never forget the name Amir Peretz.' I tell him: You are right, I will never forget that name," Nasrallah said.

The Winograd Commission censured Olmert for making decisions "hastily" and criticized Peretz' failure to seek military advice to compensate for his lack of military experience.