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Demonstrators watching Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah speaking via video link to a mass anti-government protest in Beirut on Thursday. (Reuters) Last update - 22:54 07/12/2006 Hezbollah leader accuses Siniora of working with Israel during war By The Associated Press BEIRUT - Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah accused Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora of conniving with Israel during the July-August war, alleging that he ordered the Lebanese army to confiscate Hezbollah's supplies of weapons. "Didn't the prime minister of Lebanon work to cut off the supply lines?" Nasrallah said in his sharpest attack on Siniora since a United Nations brokered cease-fire halted the fighting in August. In a rousing speech delivered on huge screens in two central Beirut squares, Nasrallah called for a committee of Lebanese or Arab judges to investigate the government's actions during the war. Advertisement The Hezbollah leader vowed that the opposition's protests would continue until it achieved a bigger share of the Lebanese cabinet, but he also said he was prepared to negotiate, and that violence was not an option. The Western-backed Siniora, who is supported by the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, has repeatedly refused to resign and has rejected the demand by Hezbollah and its pro-Syrian allies for a veto-wielding share of the Cabinet. Nasrallah told his thousands of supporters that they would eventually achieve their goal of bringing down Siniora's government. "We are a people that will not be defeated in the battle of wills," he said. "Negotiate with us and we will talk to you," Nasrallah said, addressing what he called the "illegitimate government." "But in the name of all those gathered here, we will not leave the streets before achieving the goal that saves Lebanon," he said, to roars of approval from the crowd. It was only the second time since the August cease-fire that Nasrallah had spoken live to a mass rally. The first time - in September - he appeared at the rally in southern Beirut. On Thursday night, he did not appear for security reasons, but spoke via video link to huge screens set up in Riad Solh Square and Martyrs' Square. Hezbollah and its opposition allies have staged daily protests for the past week in a bid to force the government's resignation. Siniora has been holed up in the main government office complex, which is ringed by troops, riot police and barbed wire. Nasrallah referred to warnings from politicians from all sides, as well as the commander of the national army, that the mass protests could turn increasingly violent and drag the country back to the sectarian civil war of 1975-90. One young Shiite Muslim was shot dead in a riot in a predominantly Sunni Muslim area Sunday night. "We will not lift our weapons in the face of anyone. We don't need weapons to defeat you," Nasrallah said, adding that Hezbollah would use its arms only against Israel. "We will defeat you with our voices," he said. The speech seemed to be an attempt to prime the opposition for the massive demonstration that it plans to convene in central Beirut on Sunday. In a statement published Thursday, the opposition called on its supporters to take part in "a historic and decisive" demonstration that aimed to replace "one-color government with a national unity government" - Hezbollah parlance for a cabinet in which it and its allies have a third of the seats. Earlier Thursday, Siniora said he would stand firm and the Cabinet was "constitutional and legitimate." Siniora's allies, meanwhile, have accused Hezbollah of being influenced by Iran and Syria, which they claim want to destabilize Lebanon by supporting the militant group's plans to oust the government. Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon last year under heavy international pressure after the assassination of former prime minister Rafik Hariri. Syria's Lebanese opponents blamed it for the killing, a charge Damascus has denied Bookmark to del.icio.us   Painful lessons The IDF has already learnt lessons of the Second Lebanon War. Brothers in guilt 'We are all guilty; is an effective summary of the final Winograd report.   1.   Nasrullah is nuts an Iranian meglo-maniac 23:10  |  Steve 07/12/06   2.   WOW! 23:17  |  northern neighbor 07/12/06   3.   About Nasrallah speech tonight 23:24  |  Ali 07/12/06   4.   Who said that Lebanon is the Switzerland of Middle East??????? 23:35  |  Tamir Gaza 07/12/06   5.   This was inevitable... 23:59  |  Polybios 07/12/06   6.   Siniora`s pact with the Devil... 00:09  |  Guess who 08/12/06   7.   What a manipulative person he is 00:22  |  Rana 08/12/06   8.   Nasrallah will ultimately destroy lebannon 00:26  |  OC 08/12/06   9.   Hezbollah negotiations 00:26  |  Chow 08/12/06   10.   Nasrallah wants to turn Lebanon into a launch base 00:45  |  Hastaroth 08/12/06   11.   Siniora is a moron 00:45  |  Sherman 08/12/06   12.   I agree! 01:01  |  Maureen Ann 08/12/06   13.   to Tamir 01:13  |  John 08/12/06   14.   Nasrallah 01:28  |  Lebanese Sunnit 08/12/06   15.   To Ali in Beiruth 01:28  |  Otto Rand 08/12/06   16.   nasrallah = satan 01:32  |  abdullah 08/12/06   17.   SALAH ALDEEN NASRALLAH 02:18  |  dave 08/12/06   18.   SALAH ALDEEN NASRALLAH 02:27  |  dave 08/12/06   19.   Well said John from chicago ! 02:48  |  Mardukh 08/12/06   20.   The only real friend the Lebanese people have in 02:52  |  Nechama 08/12/06   21.   One bullet solution to Nasrallah problem 02:55  |  Nechama 08/12/06   22.   Where is Nasrallah 03:24  |  GK 08/12/06   23.   HE IS DOING ALL THIS TO STOP THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL OF HARIRI 03:34  |  Lebanese Druze 08/12/06   24.   Nasrallah`s lies 03:49  |  Dave 08/12/06   25.   Tamir Gaza 03:53  |  Lebanese Patriot 08/12/06   26.   sin iora`s enemy 03:56  |  bounce 08/12/06   27.   Misleaders by Misinformation 04:33  |  BP 08/12/06   28.   to 5 04:34  |  abby 08/12/06   29.   Desperate Nass is overinvested in this protest 04:38  |  dave 08/12/06   30.   Hezbollah must suffer "Targeted Assassination" by US or Israel. 05:07  |  Devin Leonard 08/12/06   31.   Sequel To The Great Dictator. 05:07  |  Tony Anthony 08/12/06   32.   Shoot the messenger 05:12  |  Ali Bubba 08/12/06   33.   Lebanon deserves better 05:22  |  France 08/12/06   34.   It is true that Siniora was a disgrace during the war 05:36  |  Natallie Durson 08/12/06   35.   #13 Cancer in lebanon 06:01  |  ballistic 08/12/06   36.   Natalie I like your joke 06:33  |  France 08/12/06   37.   #7nobody expected that 07:03  |  cool 08/12/06   38.   who said july`s war was a total loss? 07:55  |  Ibraheem 08/12/06   39.   When will our neighbors in the north, the Lebanese people, are 08:32  |  Nadav 08/12/06   40.   Leader of free muslims 08:50  |  Omer 08/12/06   41.   Siniora Helps Israel 08:56  |  Dobbs 08/12/06   42.   Nasrallah, a danger for the democracy 10:04  |  Paolo 08/12/06   43.   To Ali Bubba from islamabad 10:14  |  Omer 08/12/06   44.   Re: #40. 19:33  |  kooskoos 08/12/06   45.   10, Hastaroth 20:13  |  Harry 08/12/06   46.   Will Bush rescue Siniora from deafeat??? 23:10  |  Segal 08/12/06   47.   To Tamir Gaza 01:07  |  Juan Eduj 09/12/06   48.   Nasrallah 22:46  |  Steve 31/01/08

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