Hassan Nasrallah
Photo: AFP
Nasrallah: US pressured Israel to go to war
In prerecorded speech Hizbullah leader tells supporters American administration was behind Israel's decision to keep war going last summer; says 'We in Lebanon proved a fine example of heroic acts in the name of Islam'
The Second Lebanon War was initiated by the US, Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Saturday, in what appeared to have been a prerecorded speech that was broadcast in a Bint Jbeil square in front of tens of thousands of supporters.
"There was a clear American decision to go to this war, and moreover, there was American pressure on Israel to continue fighting in a bid to obtain the desired results," he stated.
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According to Nasrallah, "Israel has been in constant war with Lebanon since its inception. They are the ones who decided to go to war with the Arab world.
"The Second Lebanon War was a global war in which the Lebanese were faced with a clear challenge against the will of the international community … We in Lebanon proved a fine example of heroic acts in the name of Islam.”
Earlier this week, Nasrallah said in an interview to Qatari-based TV channel al-Jazeera, "We crushed the plan to establish Greater Israel. We still have work to do, but we destroyed most of this plan."
Nasrallah said his organization had weapons capable of reaching every corner of Israel and stated that the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers last summer was planned well in advance.
