ROME - Hezbollah has created a "state within a state" in Lebanon and must be disarmed, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said in an interview published Thursday in an Italian daily.
Siniora told Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera that the Shi'ite militia has been doing the bidding of Syria and Iran, and that it can only be disarmed with the help of the international community and once a cease-fire has been achieved in the current Middle East fighting.
"It's not a mystery that Hezbollah answers to the political agendas of Tehran and Damascus," Siniora was quoted as saying by Corriere. "The entire world must help us disarm Hezbollah. But first we need to reach a cease-fire."
[http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/740875.html](http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/740875.html)
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U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Hezbollah's actions in launching rockets into Israel and abducting Israeli soldiers "hold an entire nation hostage" and set back prospects for Middle East peace.
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** Updated:**
** Saniora's office said the prime minister had been misquoted, **adding that his words had been translated from English into Italian and that Corriere's journalist had chosen sentences that were not connected and did not report the literal meaning of what he had said.
According to the statement, the premier had said that international help was needed to persuade Israel to withdraw from the Chebaa Farms, a disputed territory that Lebanon claims and Hezbollah uses as a pretext for attacking Israeli forces.
'**'What the prime minister said was that the international community has not given the Lebanese government the chance to deal with the problem of Hezbollah weapons, since the continued presence of Israeli occupation of Lebanese lands in the Chebaa Farms region is what contributes to the presence of Hezbollah weapons,''** the statement said. ''The international community must help us in (getting) an Israeli withdrawal from Chebaa Farms so we can solve the problem of Hezbollah's arms.''
woW…so annan does speak when he is not su***ng on bush’s .amazing to see such strong words coming from a man who was shg in his pantz when USA decided to bomb the hell out of iraQ. such credible person heading such a credible organization…i’m touched..boohooo. ..:halo:
abt the fate of hezbollah? well only in ur dream american-candy…only in ur dream…
sadly its not Lebanon that can shut of hezbollah but Iran. I dot see them doing that. Although, with the current situation I foresee international forces in lebanon to curb Hezbollahs role.. which may then become some sort of urban guerilla warfare for sometime. Sealing off their supply channels would then start taking them out of the picture.
Re: Lebanese PM calls for Hezbollah to disarm (Updated: PM Misquoted)
You cannot destroy an ideology, especially when its deeply entrenched in Lebanese society.
This Sunni PM has no sway, no power, just another impotent Arab ruler, dictator, put in place by an outdated demographic system. The real power in Lebanon lies ONLY with the people and the people want Hezbollah.
No country would commit their troops to fight against Hezbollah. Even the G8 countries that are talking about the need to insert an international force will never put their money where their mouths are and send their troops off to fight Hezbollah… they are looking for poor Third World countries to send their sons off to die for cash.
Re: Lebanese PM calls for Hezbollah to disarm (Updated: PM Misquoted)
madsc. it seems the tunes been changed already (check the update).
Hezbullah is not only the more powerful militia/military in Lebanon, and it also has the most support. The lebanese gov has very little authority or the will to disarm as they know hezbullah has popular support regardless of its religious roots. There might be factions in lebanon that are not so supportive or indifferent to hezbullah, but they are mostly united in their opinion on Israel, and that counts immensley in hezbullah’s favour. :k:
Re: Lebanese PM calls for Hezbollah to disarm (Updated: PM Misquoted)
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in other words.. Israel wants Hazbollah to be more powerful than a legitimite Lebanese government..and will disrupt any attempts at disarming or debilitating Hizbullah’s powers..
..:halo: 