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Relatives of a man killed during confrontations between government and opposition supporters carrying his coffin next to a poster of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut on January 26. (AP)
Last update - 07:09 04/02/2007
Report: Nasrallah admits Iran supplies Hezbollah with arms
By Jack Khoury, Haaretz Correspondent

Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah has said it is no secret that Iran is aiding Hezbollah by sending money and weapons via Syria.

In remarks published in an interview in the weekend issue of the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai Al-Aam, Nasrallah also is willing to receive aid not only from Iran but also from Muslim countries that have diplomatic ties with Israel, such as Egypt, and states that are considered moderate, such as Saudi Arabia.

The interviewer, Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim, said he met Nasrallah several days ago in Lebanon. Ibrahim, a vocal critic of the Egyptian regime, is the chair of Cairo's Ibn Khaldun Center for Development Studies.
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Nasrallah told Ibrahim that his organization kidnapped Israeli soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser in order to effect the release of Lebanese prisoners being held in Israel, but admitted that he had made mistakes.

"Perhaps we erred, only God does not make mistakes, and we have apologized to the Lebanese people for this and have paid a heavy price in blood. We do not hesitate to sacrifice our children in the name of our righteous struggle," Nasrallah said.

According to Ibrahim, Nasrallah denied any ambition to be a pan-Arab or pan-Islamic leader, or even to lead Lebanon.

"My agenda is based on one principle, ridding the oppression and injustice from which the Shi'ite sect in Lebanon suffers and turning the Shi'ites into genuine partners in leading and creating the state, and removing the Israeli threat," Nasrallah said.

Ibrahim said Nasrallah rejected claims that he is aiming to become a leader of the Arab or Islamic worlds, or even of Lebanon.

"My agenda is based on one principle: removing the discrimination suffered by Shi'ites in Lebanon and to turn the Shi'ites into real partners in the work and leadership of the state. As well, removing the Israeli threat," he said.

According to Ibrahim, Nasrallah also rejected comparisons between him and former Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser - who in 1952 led a military officers' coup against the existing government - and of this summer's war against Israel to the Suez Crisis of 1956, in which Egypt suffered heavy losses by Israel, Britain and France but obtained control of the Suez Canal.

"There is no room for comparison between Nasser and any other Arab leader in our time - Nasser led a historic revolution and became the leader of the largest Arab country. In the Suez War he achieved results on a global scale, but my aspirations do not extend beyond the Lebanese arena," he said
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  1.   "WE do not hesitate to sacrifice 05:09  |  Lynn 04/02/07
  2.   So what if Iran supplied weapons? 05:55  |  Marilyn 04/02/07
  3.   Nasrallah uses Lebanese civilians to shield his weapons 06:26  |  Gina 04/02/07
  4.   No news 06:27  |  Lebanese in Canada 04/02/07
  5.   Marilyn - chicken or the egg #2 06:41  |  William 04/02/07
  6.   To lebanese in Canada #4 06:43  |  William 04/02/07
  7.   To those who still insist Hizbollah won the war 06:56  |  Dave 04/02/07
  8.   So even the pompous Nasrallah admits what everyone in Lebanon has 07:03  |  Marwan مروان خوري 04/02/07
  9.   Nasrallah wants Shi`ite control of Lebanon 07:03  |  Dave 04/02/07
  10.   Why shouldn`t Iran arm Hizbollah? 07:10  |  Dave 04/02/07
  11.   Response to Marilyn #2 07:15  |  Eli 04/02/07
  12.   Marilyn 07:18  |  David ben Avraham 04/02/07
  13.   Olmert doesn`t hesitate to sacrifice israeli lives too... 07:18  |  kooskoos 04/02/07
  14.   ANYAplogists stll denying Hisbula attacked Israel?again? 07:21  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  15.   Re: Williams logic about Egypt stockpiling weapons is flawed. 07:22  |  kooSkooS 04/02/07
  16.   Different story every time 07:25  |  Lebanese patriot 04/02/07
  17.   Phoenician 07:31  |  Hiram 04/02/07
  18.   You just don`t like the truth David 07:49  |  Marilyn 04/02/07
  19.   To quote Tanya Reinhart 08:05  |  Marilyn 04/02/07
  20.   So why all the admissions...now??? 08:07  |  Shantel Veloro 04/02/07
  21.   KooSkooS - Egypt`s weapons #15 08:20  |  William 04/02/07
  22.   re: Dave #9 08:21  |  Paulo 04/02/07
  23.   re: Lynn #1 08:23  |  Paulo 04/02/07
  24.   Marilyn 08:27  |  Bob 04/02/07
  25.   Marilyn, do you serve any purpose but to spew hate 08:46  |  David G 04/02/07
  26.   #14, PETER SM, i`ll say it again for you 08:54  |  VIPER 04/02/07
  27.   TO Bob #24 09:02  |  Persian Kitty 04/02/07
  28.   Really Bob, what tripe 09:15  |  Marilyn 04/02/07
  29.   To Dave, Lynn, Gina, et al 09:16  |  Hannah 04/02/07
  30.   Dave, so what? 09:20  |  Marilyn 04/02/07
  31.   Marilyn 09:31  |  Evangelina 04/02/07
  32.   Lebanese Patriot"The guy is an amazing liar"& a hero of the left 09:33  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  33.   To Lynn, #1 09:39  |  Jade 04/02/07
  34.   Already Known 09:46  |  Jade 04/02/07
  35.   Ignorance 09:56  |  Jade 04/02/07
  36.   Olmert admits US supplied Israel with arms 10:00  |  John 04/02/07
  37.   CHILD SACRIFICES 10:04  |  Carol 04/02/07
  38.   hannah are you capable 10:07  |  bev 04/02/07
  39.   jade 10:12  |  bev 04/02/07
  40.   Good news 10:33  |  Clickfool 04/02/07
  41.   weak interview 10:37  |  Lebanon 04/02/07
  42.   Way to go Bob #5 10:43  |  Frank 04/02/07
  43.   Haaretz how do tour censors 10:46  |  bev 04/02/07
  44.   re: Peter SM #14 10:49  |  Paulo 04/02/07
  45.   #38, Bev 10:51  |  Hannah 04/02/07
  46.   re: Lebanese Patriot #16 10:53  |  Paulo 04/02/07
  47.   VIPER Re"you are a fair dinkum jerk and i am sick of this crap 11:00  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  48.   #40, Clickfool 11:02  |  Hannah 04/02/07
  49.   PAULO Nobody forces anybody to live on the West Bank 11:09  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  50.   PAULO Nobody forces anybody to live on the West Bank 11:09  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  51.   PAULO Nobody forces anybody to live on the West Bank 11:09  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  52.   #46, Paulo 11:20  |  Hannah 04/02/07
  53.   For bev, another pious prater # 38 11:27  |  Clickfool 04/02/07
  54.   PAULO What fighting was going on before the kidnap/bombing? 11:34  |  PETER SM 04/02/07
  55.   hannah 11:39  |  bev 04/02/07
  56.   Shias in Lebanon 11:46  |  Sherlock Holmes 04/02/07
  57.   clickfool 11:48  |  bev 04/02/07
  58.   Reply to #7 Dave in Canada 11:51  |  Joe 04/02/07
  59.   Woe Evil! Nuke `em! 11:57  |  Anon Finn 04/02/07
  60.   FOOL Good news??They need to send more mercenaries 11:58  |  PETERSM 04/02/07
  61.   nasrallah 11:59  |  michail 04/02/07
  62.   nasrallah 12:09  |  michail 04/02/07
  63.   Hannah, Clickfool 12:19  |  the truth 04/02/07
  64.   #28 MARYLIN PUTS HER FINGER ON THE BATTERY HEN ARABS 12:21  |  paul harris 04/02/07
  65.   to Lebanese Patriot. you are no patriot. 12:22  |  gus 04/02/07
  66.   From the horse`s mouth 12:43  |  Najdt 04/02/07
  67.   hannah and mossad 13:26  |  flashman 04/02/07
  68.   Marilyn 13:28  |  Sarah 04/02/07
  69.   nasrallah apologises for the war 13:38  |  sassoon 04/02/07
  70.   #63 The Truth- needs fine tuning 13:41  |  Najdt 04/02/07
  71.   For bev - I`m waiting # 57 13:48  |  Clickfool 04/02/07
  72.   Paulo, the same person who has written that he 13:56  |  Anat 04/02/07
  73.