Interview with Hussein Al-Khalil, Political advisor to Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah

The following is the summary of the remarks made by Hussein Al-Khalil, Political advisor to Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in a press conference in Beirut on May 12 as transcribed by Press TV:


We remember what happened between us and the ruling majority we had thought they had good intentions, Nasrallah said if their intentions were not good the opposition would go on with the peaceful strike until the government backed down from its two decisions and the concerned parties entered dialogue, instead of practicing illegitimate acts and conspiracy against the resistance.

Of course, it was very clear that we are acting according to the law, but the ruling majority not only made these two illegitimate decisions but thier militia also tried to prevent any peaceful protest.

Actually this militia was planed to be deployed in Beirut. There were many flags in Beirut They threatened to open fire and threw grenades on those who wanted to take part in the protest.

Some wanted to protest but the armed men were on the top roofs.

Even the armed men were deployed on the outskirts of Beirut to confront people, and that was what people actually heard from the foreigners; foreign fighters who came to the outskirts, who were paid to assault the people of Beirut.

So the situation changed and the peaceful strike turned into something else.

It is the right of the Lebanese to have alternatives, to confront this ruling majority which is getting help from outside.

We have right to stand up to this, the majority made miscalculations and the reports of the embassies in general, did not helped them.

So the opposition began with a civil peaceful movement, with a limited civil disobedience in Beirut, but the authorities who did not listen to the opposition, thought they could finish this in one night.

They believed that the US and Israelis might help them. They miscalculated once again when they thought if they open fire at the protesters the opposition would leave the streets.

So we said very clearly that they planned to throw grenades at people and the resistance.

Why did the majority confront Hezbollah? I told you who opened fire first? who displayed bodies?

After the Thursday press conference by Hassan Nasrallah a new phase has started, we confront anyone who attacks us; we defend ourselves.

Q.You said Hezbollah had opened fire to defend itself but some say the move was a coup.

A. They faced two conspiracies from inside and form outside; form America.

It was not only Hezbollah, it was all the opposition, all the opposition defends Hezbollah.

You asked me about confronting, conspiracy from the ruling majority against the resistance. From many years ago leader of Lebanese Forces Samir Gaegea did not believe in our weapons. Geagea is part of the system, I hope Gaegea would not begin confrontation in Christian areas, I advise him not to do so. We have to wait to see what his steps would be.

I hope that these confrontations that were started by the majority militia would not reach the Christian suburbs.

Previously when we confronted such acts from the ruling majority, we used to go back to our houses but this time the people were forced to confront each other. Who wanted to deteriorate security? they wanted the people to confront each other.

It was a limited military operation which ended. In July 2006, after we said if Beirut was bombed Tel Aviv would be bombed, we take our heads high. Beirut stands at the center of Arab pride, always refused and still dose refuse any act against the resistance.

What happened in Beirut? The ruling majority has shown pictures of kidnapping and executions, displaying dead bodies in alleys. We did not display these pictures so that the country would not be destabilized.

Displaying these pictures was not enough for them, they deployed in villages.

Militia of the Socialist Progressive Party attacked security forces in Mahmoud village.

They attacked them and this led to the martyrdom of 4 people, it happened before they executed three other people.

We confronted them strongly because on Thursday Nasrallah announced we would not be silent about any assault on us. We do not want violence but we defend ourselves.

About the situation in north Lebanon you heard about Halba, the bloodbath; shops and houses burned, nobody confronted them.

This is what they wanted to do in Beirut if we had let them do so. This is what they did in Alieh.

Those who committed these crimes in Halba did not take an individual decision. These crimes go back to militias; Lebanese not only don't want this but also don't accept this.

The ruling majority is responsible for this. The resistance has always warned the danger of taking up arms; we always wanted divisions being solved through political solutions. But they left no choice, we have to defend ourselves.

Fouad Siniora said very clearly that he did not want Hezbollah to continue with its weapons.

We agree Siniora that the weapons are the fundamental problem between him and us.

He believed that by banning the telecommunication network, he could gradually strip us of weapons; something that the US and Israel have wished: they wanted Lebanon to be left without resistance.

Then Israel would be stronger and wage wars.


They made the decision to attack us, to start the attacks, this is clear.

That is what has been going on ever since the government made those decisions. Why do they hide behind these false scenarios?

The Lebanese army is the only concerned side with the security of the Lebanese and the opposition has made the decision to stop all armed people form going to the streets of Beirut.

The capital will remain under the control of the army and the opposition has said this peaceful civil disobedience would continue in reaction to the illegitimate decisions, so the whole world would see Beirut back to calm without weapons.

We stress the following:

-We continue our peaceful civil disobedience with the rest of the opposition parties in order to reach the goals that were announced.

First of all we want the illegitimate government to back down from its unjust decisions and enter dialogue.

The second goal is to take into consideration all our brothers in Lebanon, from all religions and sects, because they are our people.

We underscore that their problem and our problem is a certain political group which is putting Lebanon under the control of America.

The aim of the majority by these last decisions was to push Lebanon into a civil war and destruction.

The third aim is to say that we welcome all Arab efforts in Lebanon in order to overcome the current crisis. We call on all Arab states not to take sides. They must be neutral.

The goal of the ruling majority was to create division among the Lebanese.

Some Arab countries have said they want to send troops to Lebanon, I wish they had sent their troops in the July 2006 war against Israel and against the daily assaults in Gaza.

Jumblatt all of a sudden hold a press conference and began his attacks on the telecommunication network. The very next day they listened to Jumblatt. Then Siniora held a meeting to ban the network, the biggest conspiracy against the resistance.

We consider Jumblatt to be behind all these problems. We have no personal problem with Jumblatt, we are against his conspiracies against Lebanon. We hope that someday he would wake up and understand what sins he has committed against his country.

The resistance continues its protests until the government makes right decisions, no matter if it takes a long time.