Hezbollah vows to keep its weapons

The leader of Hezbollah, under international pressure to disarm, vowed today to fight anyone who tries to take away its weapons – which include more than 12,000 rockets capable of hitting northern Israel.

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah stressed that the weapons in the guerrillas’ possession are needed for the defence of Lebanon. Hezbollah is willing to discuss the status of its weapons, Nasrallah added.

“There is talk about disarming the resistance. I say any thinking of disarming the resistance is madness,” he told tens of thousands of supporters in his southern Lebanese stronghold near the Israeli border.

“We are among the biggest proponents of peace, stability and national unity. We don’t seek to attack anyone and we will not allow anyone to attack Lebanon. But, listen to me, if anyone thinks – anyone – of disarming the resistance, we would fight them until martyrdom.”

Hezbollah, a Shiite Muslim militant group backed by Iran and Syria, has been labelled a terrorist group by the United States, which has called for disarming the group.

September’s United Nations resolution that forced Syrian forces to leave Lebanon also demands militias in Lebanon give up their weapons.

Hezbollah has refused to disarm, and Lebanese authorities have resisted pressuring the group, calling it a resistance movement, not a militia. The Lebanese army has not deployed in southern Lebanon after Israel’s withdrawal in 2000, allowing Hezbollah to retain control.

Nasrallah’s speech came on Liberation and Resistance Day, a Lebanese holiday that commemorates the fifth anniversary of end of the Israeli occupation.

Nasrallah, whose guerrillas take credit for forcing the Israelis out, said the militia is open to dialogue about its weapons, but any attempt to forcibly disarm it will be met with force. The group says its weapons are needed to protect Lebanon from any future Israeli attack.

“Any such act is considered an Israeli act,” he said. ”We will consider any hand that tries to get to our weapons an Israeli hand and we will chop it off.”

The crowd cheered and shouted “Death to Israel.”

Nasrallah’s statement that Hezbollah harbours more than 12,000 rockets was the first time he quantified the guerrillas’ arsenal. The revelation came as the country was headed into parliamentary elections in which Hezbollah is fielding candidates.

Hezbollah has been seeking a greater political role after its ally Syria withdrew its troops from Lebanon last month, weakening Damascus’ role in the country.

Hezbollah occasionally fires rockets against Israeli forces in a disputed area near the border in southern Lebanon since Israeli forces pulled out of southern Lebanon in 2000.

During Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah fired frequent rocket barrages into Israel to retaliate for Israeli attacks against Lebanese civilian targets. However, Hezbollah has refrained from rocket attacks on Israel since 2000.

Israeli officials have accused the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah of acquiring longer-range rockets that could strike deep into Israel.

Hezbollah has refused to confirm or deny the missile claims, but it is known to possess thousands of 127mm Katyusha rockets with a range of up to 17 miles. These are inaccurate unguided munitions. Israel has responded to the usually ineffective rocket strikes with airstrikes.

“They (the Israelis) want to take this power away from Lebanon,” Nasrallah told the rally, where supporters waved the yellow Hezbollah flag and cheered their leader. “All of the north of occupied Palestine, its settlements, airports, seaports, fields, factories and farms is under the feet and hands of the Islamic resistance.”