Hezbollah Warns US Not to Set Up Base

(AP) - Hezbollah's deputy leader warned the U.S. on Sunday against setting up a military base in Lebanon, saying the guerrilla group would consider such a move "a hostile act."

Sheik Naim Kassem's warning came days after a senior Pentagon official said the U.S. military would like to see a "strategic partnership" with Lebanon's army to strengthen the country's forces so that Hezbollah would have no excuse to bear arms.

Eric Edelman, undersecretary of defense for policy, spoke on Lebanese television Thursday after holding talks on military cooperation with Prime Minister Fuad Saniora. He did not say the U.S. government wants to build a military base in Lebanon.

But Hezbollah and Lebanon's opposition seized on Edelman's comments as subtle confirmation of a pro-opposition newspaper's claim that Washington was offering a treaty that provides for bases and training in the country.

"We consider any American military base in Lebanon a hostile act," Kassem told a group of supporters.

Since last year's war between Hezbollah and Israel, the U.S. has increased its military assistance to Lebanon to $270 million _ more than five times the amount provided a year ago _ in a show of support to Saniora's Western-backed government.

Hezbollah has argued that Washington's attempts to boost military ties with Lebanon are a ploy for domination and could turn the country into another Iraq. Some in Lebanon have expressed fears that a foreign military presence in the country could attract al-Qaida and other militants.

Lebanon's top Shiite Muslim cleric accused the Bush administration of trying to force the Lebanese to choose between turning their country into an American military base or face new strife.

"The Lebanese, who have seen the American failure in Iraq ... must be aware that what the administration of President Bush is aiming at is something else other than supporting the Lebanese army," Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press.

In the mid 1980s, bombings linked to Hezbollah by Western intelligence agencies killed some 270 American military personnel and diplomats in Beirut. The attacks helped drive the U.S. military out of Lebanon, ending its peacekeeping efforts during the 1975-90 civil war.

Hezbollah denied involvement in the attacks.

Hezbollah: If Israel attacks, we'll show them surprises

"Hezbollah is as strong as it needs to be to withstand any Israeli aggression," Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary General Sheikh Naim Kassem told al-Manar Channel Wednesday, in a political talkshow "Maza ba'ad".
"The latest aggression only made us stronger. We acquired forces, we're still highly prepared," he said, referring to the Second Lebanon War.
Sheikh Kassem said that Hezbollah does not intend to attack, but that if Israel attacks, "we'll show them some surprises…Israel is weaker today than it was in the last war, whereas the party (Hezbollah) is strong…We won't leave behind our prisoners," he added.
His eminence accused 'Israel' of functioning as an arm of the United States. "Everyone has always said that Israel pulls America's strings, but now it turns out that America rules Israel. Israel has turned into America's arm."
"We didn't initiate the war with Israel," he stated. "Who started the war? Israel. It turned out that Israel does not respond proportionally, but rather executes preplanned American decisions. The aggression was planned in advance."
"We did not give Israel an excuse," Sheikh Kassem affirmed. "Taking the soldiers captive was aberrant and we did not consult with anyone when doing this…We carried out an operation to release our detainees," he said.
"The problem is Israel's decision and not the incident itself," he said.
Sheikh Kassem continued to speak of the heavy price 'Israel' paid for last summer's war. "The entire Israeli military establishment suffered a heavy blow. But (Prime Minister Ehud) Olmert also paid a price – support for him dropped to 2 percent. If Olmert falls, it will have implications for the Zionist entity that may not serve America well," he said.
"America sends money and does everything in order to stabilize Olmert, because Olmert proved that he is in its favor and is weaker than ever. We will discover in the future that the outcomes of our victory reach much further. That's why I don't think that a collapse of the Israeli government is the only sign. The entire Zionist entity is on the verge of a breakdown," he added.
When asked about the damage sustained by Lebanon, Sheikh Kassem responded, "we got into this war in order to defend ourselves. What about the damage caused to Israel? The material, spiritual and strategic damage? This is also important.
"Yedioth Aharonoth said that the enemy suffered billions of dollars of damage. In Lebanon, the damages didn't cost more than two billion dollars. Yes, there was damage, but we protected Lebanon from occupation."
Hezbollah's Deputy Secretary General added that the resistance fighters have defeated the Israeli army, "We caused them to withdraw from combat and we caused them the greatest defeat since 1948. Was this simple to do? Of course not."