Nasrallah accuses Israel of assassinating Hariri
You had to see this coming down the pike. Just two days after the international tribunal investigating the assassination of Lebanese President Rafik al-Hariri released the four Syrian-affiliated generals who were held as suspects for the last four years, Hezbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah - who is supported by Syria and Iran - has accused Israel of being behind the assassination. Nasrallah made the charge in a televised speech on Friday, just two days after an international tribunal investigating the 2005 assassination released four Lebanese former security chiefs due to insufficient evidence to press charges against them.Well, hopefully. But the fact that the official remains anonymous doesn't exactly add to our confidence.
"Is it possible for Israel to execute such an operation? Of course," Nasrallah said less than five weeks before the Lebanese parliamentary elections.
"Does Israel have an interest in executing this operation? Of course, for Israel wanted a civil war in Lebanon to which the 'resistance' would be a party. Whoever says that Israel does not have an interest in assassinating Hariri is killing the president a second time. I haven't heard any of the leaders of March 14 (the US-backed ruling coalition) say that Israel has an interest in assassinating Hariri," he said, according to excerpts of his speech quoted in the NOW Lebanon news site.
Israel wanted to avenge "its humiliating withdrawal" from Southern Lebanon in 2000, Nasrallah said.
A senior Israeli government official rejected the claim outright on Saturday night.
"Everyone knows that to be total and complete rubbish and that Nasrallah saying it just makes him look like a fool to the people of Lebanon," the official told The Jerusalem Post on the condition of anonymity.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:46 PM
1 Comments:
I wouldn't expect Nasrallah to point the finger at his Syrian patrons. And the anti-Israel card has good mileage in Lebanese politics.
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