Zagreb Jutarnji List in Serbo-Croatian 16 Jan 99 pp 32-33

[Interview with Hasan Nasrallah, Hizballah secretary general, by Hasan Haidar Diab in
Beirut: "We Shall Never Accept Humiliating Negotiations Like 'Arafat Has"]

After Israel repeatedly threatened that it would bomb the infrastructure in Lebanon if Hizballah
continued targeting their military positions in the south, we asked Hizballah Secretary
General Hasan Nasrallah for an interview. Almost a month passed and we already said to
ourselves that we would not get an interview, when we received a call from the Hizballah
press center. After the confirmation of the approval of an interview, a most peculiar transfer to
our objective followed, which can be compared to James Bond movies. Our guide took us to
a black Mercedes with dark windows which did not allow to see where you were going. After
a fifteen minute ride, we arrived in an underground garage, and there got out of our car and
into another Mercedes, which also had dark windows. After another two transportation
changes, always in garages, we arrived to our destination. From the underground garage, we
took an elevator without numbers on the floor-buttons, so that we did not know which floor we
were going to. After we entered the first room, the secretary general's bodyguards took our
tape recorder, pens, and notebook, as well as watches, jackets, and wallets. After they
checked them, our tape recorder and notebook were returned to us, and one of the
bodyguards gave us his own pen. These security measures were taken because Israel has
threatened to murder Shayhk Nasrallah, and the Israeli security service Mosad has already
tried to assassinate him on several occasions.

The sound background of this whole operation of transfer from the press center to the
Hizballah Secretary General was played by Israeli jet planes, which flew low above Beirut
and broke the sound barrier all day long.

Rigid security measures and the anxiety we felt when our personal items were taken away
prior to the meeting with the secretary general were relieved by Shayhk Hasan Nasrallah by
his politeness and simplicity of character.

[Diab] What is the difference between Hizballah in 1982 and Hizballah today?

[Nasrallah] There is no difference. After the foundation of Hizballah, the main objective was
the liberation of Lebanon from the occupiers. Parallel to the development of military situation
in the country, the people gradually accepted us, and after the war, the Lebanese entirely
accepted our program. Even though there are some political disagreements between us and
certain parties, they, too, support our resistance to Israel in the south.

[Diab] Recently, Israel has been threatening to bomb the infrastructure in Lebanon if
Hizballah continues to lob shells into northern Israel and carry out military actions in the
occupied zone. What are you going to do if Israel carries out its threat?

[Nasrallah] In April 1996 we managed to achieve an agreement with Israel to cease shelling
civilian targets. Our attacks on northern Israel are our response to the attack carried out by the
Israelis in which one woman and her six children were killed in the south. That is a warning to
Israel, because Israel violated our agreement, and to any kind of similar violation we are
going to respond with might. The occupied part of Lebanon is a trump card in every Israeli
election, just like it was before the agreement from April 1996. Then, using the excuse of
protecting northern Israel, Shim'on Peres gave an order for a military action deep into
Lebanese territory, and the capital was bombed, too. We readily answered those attacks and
Lebanon became a cemetery for many Zionist soldiers. In the end, we had to sign an
agreement on mutual non-attacking of civilian targets. We once again have warned Lebanon
that our civilians are not voting tickets for the Israeli elections and we demand unconditional
withdrawal of the Israeli army from within the borders of their country.

[Diab] Will you, if Israel fulfills its threat, attack Jews around the world?

[Nasrallah] When the Israelis are concerned, then I only refer to the war we participate in for
the liberation of southern Lebanon. We are not interested in any kind of targets all over the
world. If Israel fulfills its threat and bombs the infrastructure in Lebanon, Hizballah will shell its
northern settlements.

[Diab] Do you have anything more destructible than multiple rocket launchers, so-called
Katyushas, and will you use them in your attack on Israel?

[Nasrallah] Our objective is not to kill civilians, but to liberate the south. We shell northern
Israel when it is the final solution, but we often carry out military raids on Israeli soldiers in the
occupied zone, which is an exceptional strike on their morality and combat readiness.

[Diab] On paper, Israel agrees to withdraw from the south of Lebanon, but it demands that
Hizballah guarantee that it will never ever attack Israel again. Are you prepared to give them
such guarantees?

[Nasrallah] During the 50 years of the existence of the Israeli state, it turns out that the
Zionists were ready to spread to neighboring territories at the expense of neighboring Arab
countries. They have done that with the Palestinians, having violated the agreement on the
division of the country, they occupied the Egyptian Sinai and Syrian Golan. Experience tells
us that it is in vain to give any kind of guarantees to such an enemy, who himself never obeys
any agreements and constantly reaches for a bit more of other countries' land under excuse
of its own security. That is why we are so uncompromising and firm in our demand for the
withdrawal of the Israeli army from southern Lebanon. Only then can the two countries begin
negotiating, under condition that the international community determines how big was the
criminal activity of the Israeli army in Lebanon -- from murders of civilians to devastating the
region and stealing of natural resources. The mass murder of 150 civilians in the town of
Kana is only one example.

[Diab] Why have the Palestinians agreed to the peace process with Israel led by Yasir
'Arafat? Why do you reject it?

[Nasrallah] That is not at all a peace process, but allowing the US Administration and Israel to
do what they want. The thing happening with the Palestinians is simply pressure put on an
exhausted nation, without any equality in negotiations. Hizballah will never accept to be an
unequal partner in negotiations. We think that 'Arafat made a big mistake when he allowed
his people be drawn into a charade.

[Diab] Why do you constantly connect the withdrawal of Israel from southern Lebanon and the
Syrian Golan Heights?

[Nasrallah] Lebanon and Syria have a common interest there, and that is liberation of
occupied territories, however, Hizballah invites other Arab countries to more unity regarding
Israel, and not to look out only for their individual interests. Israel, assisted by the US
Administration and its weapons, is an economically strong and lasting factor of
destabilization of the Near East and wider region, because, hungry for territories, it constantly
jumps into neighboring countries. Thus it achieves that fine imbalance which is suitable for
arms trade, which consequently fills the budget of the United States of America. Even if Arab
countries do not respond to the Hizballah appeal, Lebanon and Syria will nevertheless find
common interests.

[Diab] Do you think that the United States is your enemy because it supports Israel?

[Nasrallah] When we talk about the United States, you must know that it was not the
American people, but the US Administration and big corporations found their lasting interest
in the Near East. One can earn a lot in arms trade, let alone speculations in oil trade.
Annually, the US Congress approves $11 billion for military and economic aid to Israel.
Simultaneously, the very same Congress discusses canceling the $12 million in aid for
Lebanon, because the Congress thinks that is a burden. They sold some old tanks from
closed-down US military bases to Lebanon, while Israel receives sophisticated equipment.
And now the US Administration is presenting itself as the sponsor of the Near East peace
process, which is pure cynicism.

[Diab] The US Administration thinks you are one of its biggest enemies, and is convinced that
it is Hizballah standing behind suicidal attacks on American targets in Lebanon in 1980s.

[Nasrallah] I must correct you. The US Administration is not our biggest enemy, but it is the
biggest devil. In relation to the attacks on American targets in Lebanon in the 1980s, I can say
only that they were correct and necessary at that moment. Hizballah is not responsible for
those attacks, but if they had not occurred, the Americans would have not withdrawn from
Lebanon, where they came uninvited by the Lebanese Government. Their objective was to
assist to Israeli troops occupying Lebanon, and not to provide for a just peace.

[Diab] For almost 10 years, Hizballah has been established as a political party with high
reputation among the Lebanese, and you have 12 seats in the parliament, too. All this,
obviously, is not sufficient for the western European countries, which still thinks that Hizballah
is a terrorist organization.

[Nasrallah] I do not agree with you. To the contrary, we have good relations with the
ambassadors from western countries and frequent meetings on high level, where our opinion
is taken into regard.

[Diab] Hizballah has always sent help to Muslims throughout the world, so it has also helped
those in Bosnia. Have you sent anyone to Kosovo?

[Nasrallah] So far, we have not considered that, because our brethren from Kosovo have not
asked for it.

[Diab] How do you comment on the attacks on US Embassies in Africa, which have
supposedly been conducted by Muslim groups, and do you have contacts with Osama
Bin-Laden?

[Nasrallah] The reasons for those attacks are not clear, and we do not even know who, in fact,
executed them, therefore I cannot comment on that. I have read articles about Osama
Bin-Laden in the newspapers after those attacks and that was the first time I heard about him.

[Diab] You are the only leader whose son was killed in combat with Israeli soldiers.

[Nasrallah] My 18-year-old son was a member of the Islamic Resistance Movement. The
courageous young man was in action together with his comrades in the occupied territory. He
died in a face-to-face combat, and the Israelis took his body, along with the others, to Israel.
At the beginning they did not know it was my son, and many people were surprised when
they found out that he was a common soldier who was in many dangerous action. It is hard
for me as a parent, but I am also proud of my son, because he knew how to choose his own
way. For almost a year I had not been able to give my son a decent burial, because the
Israelis only offered my son's body. We asked for and finally we got all of our dead brethren,
and we returned to the Israelis the body of one of their soldiers.

[Diab] Analysts believe that Hizballah will slowly disappear if the Near East peace agreement
is signed.

[Nasrallah] As a political organization, we cannot disappear, because we enjoy large support
from the Lebanese people, which we proved in the elections. A wide scope of our activity can
only contribute to an even better reputation of Hizballah beyond Lebanese borders.

At the end of this interview, I wish to add something: not everyone fighting against an
occupier is a terrorist, and not every Muslim is a fundamentalist fanatic.