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Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah speaking in Beirut on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Last update - 12:57 07/02/2008
Nasrallah praises Winograd report; Siniora: No mention of destruction in Lebanon
By Haaretz Service and News Agencies

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday praised the Winograd report for its description of Israel's failures during the Second Lebanon War, but the Lebanese government criticized the findings, saying the report did not address the massive destruction caused by Israel to his country.

"I will not gloat," Nasrallah told an audience at the opening of a book fair in a south Beirut neighborhood complex, rebuilt after being leveled by Israel Air Force warplanes during the summer fighting.

"It is worthy of respect that an investigative commission appointed by [Prime Minister Ehud] Olmert condemns him," Nasrallah said. "When the enemy entity acts honestly and sincerely, you cannot but respect it."
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"Even though they're our enemies, it is worthy of respect that the political forces and the Israeli public act quickly to save their state, entity, army and their existence in the crisis," he added.

"Today the climate in the whole of the Zionist entity is that this war was a failure," he said.

The guerilla leader also said the committee of inquiry had vindicated his claim that Israel had been defeated.

"The first important outcome of this commission is that it has finally and officially decided the issue of victory and defeat... This commission spoke about a very big defeat," Nasrallah said.

The report said Olmert bore ultimate responsibility for the failures of the 34-day war, accusing him of poor judgment, hasty decision-making and lack of vision, fueling calls from within his own Kadima party for him to resign.

Nasrallah also lamented the divisions within the Arab world and Lebanon, where Hezbollah is in a power struggle with the U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora.

Siniora, meanwhile, called on the deeply divided Lebanon to unite. He warned that Israel could be planning future attacks to restore its credibility.

"I call on my Lebanese brothers to unite in the face of what Israel might be seeking to launch against Lebanon," Siniora said.

He criticized the Winograd report for failing to address the destruction, estimated at more than $5 billion caused by the IDF air and naval bombardment as well as the ground incursion during the war.

"The report on the unjust war... did not make a single mention of the massive material, human losses and destruction Israel inflicted on Lebanon," Siniora said.

Hezbollah has come under criticism from some Arab governments early on in the fighting for triggering the war by kidnapping two Israel Defense Forces soldiers in a July 12 cross-border raid.

"It is regrettable that we, the Arab world, and Lebanon are waiting for an Israeli commission to settle for us this dispute and to tell us, 'seriously, you have won and we [Israelis] were defeated,'" Nasrallah said
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  1.   Thanks, man. Now go back to your toiletless rubble mud hut 20:30  |  SLAVO 02/05/07
  2.   Nasrallah is dreaming when he says Hezbollah won 20:44  |  Shepherd 02/05/07
  3.   such a chialdish debate 20:55  |  Joe 02/05/07
  4.   Yeah what about the Lebanon carnage? 20:59  |  Marilyn 02/05/07
  5.   Israel`s getting back on track! 21:02  |  Jon 02/05/07
  6.   Hezbollah`s victory; Lebanon and Israel`s defeat 21:12  |  Amir 02/05/07
  7.   What about the Lebanon carnage? 21:15  |  Jon 02/05/07
  8.   to No. 5 21:20  |  KOB 02/05/07
  9.   #3 (Joe) 21:21  |  Wissam 02/05/07
  10.   Slavo- Thank you! 21:25  |  Anthony from LEBANON 02/05/07
  11.   Nasrallah Knows Better 21:29  |  Ron 02/05/07
  12.   Of course Lebanon won 21:34  |  Anthony 02/05/07
  13.   #2 Hey Shepherd; seems like Winograd doesn`t 21:35  |  ballistic 02/05/07
  14.   #5 Hey Jon; gee, sounds like you are a mighty 21:41  |  ballistic 02/05/07
  15.   to Marylin #4 21:49  |  SLAVO 02/05/07
  16.   34 day war only left losers and victims 22:04  |  John 02/05/07
  17.   Shame, Shame, Shame! 22:18  |  An Arab Neighbor 02/05/07
  18.   #2 Shepherd - lose 20 miles of land, gain a Nation 22:21  |  Pablo B 02/05/07
  19.   To #1 SLAVO 22:21  |  An Arab Neighbor 02/05/07
  20.   the coward 22:25  |  rl 02/05/07
  21.   #4 Marilyn - bombed back to stoneage, rebuilt to 21st century 22:29  |  Pablo B 02/05/07
  22.   Winograd Report also settled who STARTED the 2006 war 22:29  |  Jake 02/05/07
  23.   SLAVO 22:39  |  northern neighbor 02/05/07
  24.   #5 Jon - Seyyed Abbas al-Musawi is dead, Hezb became stronger 22:42  |  Pablo B 02/05/07
  25.   Hey Nasrallah it`s called democracy, you should try it! 22:43  |  Cynic 02/05/07
  26.   Anthony in Jouniye, "our hospitality"?? 22:44  |  Jake 02/05/07
  27.   Talk about impudence 22:48  |  Niall 02/05/07
  28.   Carnage as menetekel 22:49  |  Fritz 02/05/07
  29.   Anthony, indeed Nasrallah doesn`t live the way Slavo states 22:54  |  Jake 02/05/07
  30.   Failed Lebanon 22:54  |  PB 02/05/07
  31.   Anthony 22:57  |  Niall 02/05/07
  32.   Marilyn 23:05  |  Niall 02/05/07
  33.   Nasrallah, if you beat us why is Lebanon complaining about damage 23:06  |  Michelle 02/05/07
  34.   Victory and defeat 23:12  |  F. Nastour 02/05/07
  35.   Jake Jake Jake - who started the war? 23:58  |  Omran 02/05/07
  36.   Hard lesson learned by Israel 00:02  |  Avrum 03/05/07
  37.   #17 00:13  |  Moshe 03/05/07
  38.   F. Nastour - Victory an Defeat 00:16  |  Omran 03/05/07
  39.   To Shepherd 00:16  |  Daniel 03/05/07
  40.   marilyn,just because your stupid enough to believe 00:20  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  41.   To arab neighbor 00:25  |  alex 03/05/07
  42.   pablo b #21 / Best POST ever read on here 00:33  |  Nina 03/05/07
  43.   #9 00:39  |  Moshe 03/05/07
  44.   here we go again,ballestic is back slinging her usual bull 00:40  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  45.   arab neighbor,do you really think anyone in here believes 00:43  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  46.   ballestic,nobody plays the propaganda game better than muslims 00:45  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  47.   Ron You have NO IDEA what s going on ! 00:45  |  Nina 03/05/07
  48.   Siniora is right 01:19  |  christa 03/05/07
  49.   To # 7 01:23  |  christa 03/05/07
  50.   To Michelle from Jerusalem 01:28  |  christa 03/05/07
  51.   amir...the hezbollahs are clever,aren`t they? 01:36  |  maria 03/05/07
  52.   jake....the hezbollahs did. 01:49  |  maria 03/05/07
  53.   I agree with Nasrallah, Lebanon must unite. 02:19  |  Maureen Ann 03/05/07
  54.   #ballistic. Missed your posts. 02:22  |  Maureen Ann 03/05/07
  55.   #12 02:28  |  Moshe 03/05/07
  56.   To Omran: Lebanon has bigger problems 02:32  |  Horizon 03/05/07
  57.   #38 Hey Daniel, you support thugs! 02:43  |  ballistic 03/05/07
  58.   nazrallah claims the victory. 02:43  |  maria 03/05/07
  59.   ballestic # 57 yes,if he supports hesbullah,he supports thugs,but 04:31  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  60.   to anthony in lebanon # "so again,how did israel win and 04:51  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  61.   to slavo #23 "how about the 400 lebanese children killed by 04:59  |  terrornator 03/05/07
  62.   #45 terrornator...what a name. 07:04  |  maria 03/05/07
  63.   christa...why did lebanon allow the 07:17  |  maria 03/05/07
  64.   A GOOD MOVE NASRALLAH 07:55  |  indrajaya 03/05/07
  65.   Listen to Anthony 08:31  |  ziad 03/05/07
  66.   kindnapping of soldiers 08:33  |  ziad 03/05/07
  67.   what about Nasrallah`s Failure? 08:35  |  KoolG 03/05/07
  68.   #44 Hey Terrornator; you asked the question 10:58  |  ballistic 03/05/07
  69.   #46 Hey Terrornator; say, the Muslims 11:02  |  ballistic 03/05/07
  70.   #54 Hey there Maureen!!! 11:06  |  ballistic 03/05/07
  71.   Please, it`s not a football game 15:24  |  Mark B. 03/05/07
  72.