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Hezbollah chief Nasrallah addressing supporters on a video screen Tuesday, during a Beirut rally marking the end of the Second Lebanon War. (Reuters)
Last update - 07:31 15/08/2007
Nasrallah: Hezbollah doesn't want another war with Israel
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies
Tags: Second Lebanon War, Shiite 

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Tuesday that his organization is not interested in another war in the region, and expressed hope that such a scenario would be avoided.

Addressing a rally that marked the end of the Second Lebanon War, Nasrallah said Hezbollah was nonetheless continuing to prepare for the possibility of a war, and added his organization would not "rest on its laurels."

"If you the Zionists are thinking of attacking Lebanon ... I promise great surprises that could alter the fate of the war and the region, G-d willing," he said.
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Nasrallah said he is interested in achieving a balance of power with Israel, and therefore decided to declare that Hezbollah has the capability to strike anywhere in Israel.

"I said that in order to prevent a war," he said, adding that Israel must "understand that any war on Lebanon will have a very high price."

The Hezbollah chief also claimed that Israel and the U.S. made false accusations about Hezbollah and tried to divide the Lebanese people to justify last summer's war.

Nasrallah said the United States and Israel tried to split the Lebanese along sectarian lines and to describe the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah as a terrorist group in order to weaken it during the 34-day war.

"They [America and Israel] wanted to tear us apart. They wanted to use war to isolate us one country after the other, one people after the other, one sect after the other and one party after the other, Nasrallah told a mass rally in Beirut's southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold that was heavily bombed by Israeli forces during last year's war.

"When we are divided, they will win and we will be defeated," he said. The rally was organized by the Shiite Muslim group to mark the first anniversary of the war's end, which Hezbollah says it won and calls a divine victory.

The cease-fire that brought the 33-day conflict to an end took effect exactly one year ago, on August 14, 2007.

Nasrallah did not personally attend the rally. His speech was relayed to the crowd on giant screens set up in a stadium and on top of buildings in the southern suburbs.

"They told [the Lebanese] that Hezbollah is an Iranian and Syrian tool," Nasrallah said.

"The most serious accusation was the sectarian issue. They told the Christians that the fighting was with a Muslim group and that it has nothing to do with you. They told Sunni Muslims that the fighting was with a Shiite group and was targeting the Shiite project [in the region]," Nasrallah said.

Tens of thousands of people attended the rally, carrying pictures of Nasrallah and placards that read "August 14 - the day of victory over the Zionist regime."

"For us he [Nasrallah] is the hero and with his wisdom and military tactics he made this victory," a man carrying Hezbollah's yellow flag said
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  1.   Tuesday is divine victory celebration day 22:52  |  Jed 14/08/07
  2.   Nasrallah, the `hero` that hides... 22:53  |  Akiva Patysh 14/08/07
  3.   Big Mouth Narsallah - Again! 22:54  |  Mike 14/08/07
  4.   Great Victory for Nasrallah?? 22:58  |  Nathan 14/08/07
  5.   DIVINE VICTORY 23:00  |  Brant 14/08/07
  6.   Who Cares What He Says? 23:04  |  dyinglikeflies 14/08/07
  7.   Nasrallah promise is always true 23:09  |  adnan 14/08/07
  8.   Nasrullah running scared 23:17  |  Jasmine Murphy 14/08/07
  9.   Siniora Gov`t is knowingly hosting terror , 23:20  |  Joseph E . 14/08/07
  10.   Yes, division is an illusion 23:23  |  The Barber 14/08/07
  11.   Lebanon`s Victory Day...... 23:26  |  Dagma 14/08/07
  12.   Looser 23:30  |  Rolan 14/08/07
  13.   Selling Victory 23:30  |  Ron 14/08/07
  14.   This guy likes unity only when he`s in charge 23:30  |  McQueen 14/08/07
  15.   It won`t be a suprise when Lebanon is completely destroyed 23:31  |  McQueen 14/08/07
  16.   Nasrallah . . . again YAWN .... 23:33  |  GZLives 14/08/07
  17.   Lebanon needs a nuke 23:34  |  Scientist 14/08/07
  18.   Neither Divine Nor A Victory 23:42  |  Musa 14/08/07
  19.   Interesting that Nasrallah did not bring..... 23:44  |  Sherman 14/08/07
  20.   Some respect 23:45  |  indrajaya 14/08/07
  21.   Hezbollah Must Be Defeated and Crushed, Nassrallah Is Buying Time 23:46  |  Tal 14/08/07
  22.   Iran is next 23:47  |  Wendy 14/08/07
  23.   past are the days of SLA 23:50  |  mehmet 14/08/07
  24.   The war served Hizbollah well, another wouldn`t 23:50  |  Mark Lincoln 14/08/07
  25.   Lebanon cannot afford another 23:52  |  divine victory 14/08/07
  26.   Hezbollah is always a winner. 23:59  |  Rolan 14/08/07
  27.   Hero of the Arab Street 00:00  |  JDRoss 15/08/07
  28.   #2 Akiva Patysh 00:00  |  Boycott 15/08/07
  29.   ironically, he is right. guess who empowered him? 00:00  |  bashar 15/08/07
  30.   Read between the lines! 00:04  |  Ken 15/08/07
  31.   to Mehmet 00:06  |  Fernando 15/08/07
  32.   #19 Sherman 00:06  |  Boycott 15/08/07
  33.   to scientist # 17 you need to be dragged out of your midwestern 00:07  |  terrornator 15/08/07
  34.   His promises always come true. 00:07  |  MOSES 15/08/07
  35.   Nasrallah putting the "spin" on the truth 00:10  |  Avrum 15/08/07
  36.   His supporters are pro-Syria and Iran 00:10  |  and 15/08/07
  37.   Wendy # 22 00:22  |  JJ 15/08/07
  38.   Dreams of Lawrence of Arabia 00:25  |  up in smoke 15/08/07
  39.   #24 I am not so sure 00:28  |  Abou Ali 15/08/07
  40.   hizbullah cant handle another war 00:29  |  dale 15/08/07
  41.   Hezbollah Won the War....and then Nasrallah woke up 00:33  |  Armen Goozgoozian 15/08/07
  42.   i hope u guys will understand 00:33  |  frederic 15/08/07
  43.   Holding the hostages is an Act of War 00:35  |  Schtarker Yid 15/08/07
  44.   wonder why 00:37  |  rl 15/08/07
  45.   Question for Wendy (#22) 00:44  |  Lenny 15/08/07
  46.   Nasrallah, son of Spartacus 00:48  |  Olmert the Simple 15/08/07
  47.   am i nuts? 00:53  |  alan 15/08/07
  48.   arrogant Israelis 01:05  |  Max 15/08/07
  49.   WHY HASENT OUR GOVERNMENT BOMBED THE BEAST INTO HELL? 01:21  |  Yariv 15/08/07
  50.   israel pays for its mistakes 01:23  |  george 15/08/07
  51.   COCKLE DOODLE DOO 01:55  |  THE ISRAELI CHICKEN 15/08/07
  52.   Sininora is a joke 01:58  |  Chick 15/08/07
  53.   #7 I certainly hope christians understand the jesus spirit 02:01  |  topanga 15/08/07
  54.   Why not another war, Nasrallah? 02:03  |  Gina 15/08/07
  55.   Divine or not it was a victory for Nasrallah,and our heroes 02:05  |  lakshmi 15/08/07
  56.   Anti-tank guns won the war for the Hezbos 02:05  |  Wendy 15/08/07
  57.   Terror Terror Terror 02:22  |  Mike 15/08/07
  58.   # 14 Mahmet 02:30  |  Abu Yusuf 15/08/07
  59.   The Puppet Boy Nadrallah 02:30  |  Chaim Gorenstein 15/08/07
  60.   Nasrallah 02:37  |  Hammer 15/08/07
  61.   THEY DONT WANT ANOTHER WAR BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHATZ GOOD FOR THEM! 02:38  |  ELIAS 15/08/07
  62.   HEZBOLLAH VICTORY!? YEAH RIGHT!!!!!!! 02:38  |  ELIAS 15/08/07
  63.   # 42 02:44  |  Patish 15/08/07
  64.   # 28 lenny, You don`t understand 02:48  |  Wendy 15/08/07
  65.   Hezbollah didn`t win 02:48  |  THE WARRIOR 15/08/07
  66.   Am Nasrullah chai! Am Hez`b Allah chai! 02:55  |  Hannah 15/08/07
  67.   You guys don`t get it 02:59  |  Chris Linthwaite 15/08/07
  68.   #53, Wendy 03:00  |  Hannah 15/08/07
  69.   #54, Mike 03:03  |  Hannah 15/08/07
  70.   # 67 fake hannah 03:21  |  Wendy 15/08/07
  71.   Armen 03:23  |  Ali Hassoun 15/08/07
  72.   ISREAL IS WONDERFUL- HEZBOLLAH EVIL!!