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Hizbollah says war will have regional fall-out

Atul Aneja

No force can disarm the militant group, says senior leader

DUBAI: After thwarting Israeli attempts to dominate the battlefield for over three weeks, Hizbollah has begun to elaborate on some of its preconditions for ensuring a durable ceasefire.

Speaking to The Hindu , the senior Hizbollah official Ghalib Abu Zainab declared that his group would reject the deployment of an international "stabilisation force," as suggested by the United States and Israel inside Lebanese territory.

Mr. Zainab said the positioning of any force meant for disarming Hizbollah would be unacceptable.

"Let me make it very clear. We would not accept any force that was deployed under the provisions of Chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter." The U.N. resolutions falling under Chapter 7 permit the deployment of heavily armed foreign forces abroad to fulfil a political mandate determined by the Security Council.

Unconditional ceasefire

Asked whether Hizbollah would accept an expanded United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) that was currently deployed, he stressed that such a force could be considered so long as it was not governed by Chapter 7 provisions. "No force can come and disarm Hizbollah," he said. Mr. Zainab said Hizbollah would insist on an "unconditional ceasefire and the right of the refugees displaced by the war to return to their villages."

Asked whether Hizbollah was winning the war, Mr. Zainab said it would "depend on what was understood by victory." "For us, having steadfastness and the strength to fight back with our rockets would be vital. Besides, our capacity to write off the main demands of the United States and Israel would also be essential. Together, it would be victory."

Mr. Zainab said the war in Lebanon "would change the face of the Middle East [West Asia]." He explained that since 1982 after the Israeli invasion, Hizbollah was fighting for "the liberation of Lebanon from occupation." But now, its struggle was reaching the "second level," where the Arab people would challenge "the U.S. and Israeli hegemony in the region."

Asked whether Hizbollah had pan-Arab objectives, he said the weakening of Israel would give spin-off benefits to Arabs, including Palestinians.

"This invincible army of Israel is now finding itself vulnerable and its deterrence has been challenged. Our anti-tank missiles have countered the feared [Israeli] Merkava tanks. Simultaneously, if Israel is unable to impose its [political] will and conditions on us, it would mean that the state of Israel has weakened and it would benefit others, including the Palestinians."

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