Saturday, May 30, 2015

Hezbollah ready to liberate Arsal: Qaouk

A Hezbollah man holds his fist up at a Liberation Day Parade in Nabatieh, south Lebanon, Sunday, May 24, 2015. (The Daily Star/Mohammed Zaatari)
The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Hezbollah is ready to liberate the outskirts of the Lebanese border town of Arsal, the deputy head of the party's executive council said Saturday, accusing the March 14 coalition of supporting terrorism and inciting sectarian strife.

“The positions of the March 14 [coalition], which serve as a source of hope for takfiri gangs don’t concern us, neither does sectarian incitement which is worse than the terrorist occupation of the outskirts of Arsal,” Sheikh Nabil Qaouk said during a Hezbollah ceremony in south Lebanon.

“No matter how large the incitement grows, the resistance is ready as long as there is territory occupied [by jihadis] in the outskirts of Arsal.”

The remarks came in light of growing tensions between Hezbollah and the Future Movement over Hezbollah's offensive in Syria's Qalamoun region and its warning that it would enter the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal to push jihadis out of Lebanon if the Army doesn't take action.

Militants have been holed up in the mountains surrounding Arsal since spring 2014, when they were driven out by Hezbollah and the Syrian Army from Qalamoun.

The Future Movement, Hezbollah’s rival, accuses the party of trying to drag the Army into a confrontation with jihadis.

On Saturday, Qaouk said that Lebanese political blocs that fund and support terrorism will not succeed in giving extremists any cover, asserting that the resistance is stronger than any supportive rhetoric or sectarian incitement.

Alluding to the Future Movement, he said that Lebanese political blocs were “betting” on the success of terrorist groups in Qalamoun, the outskirts of Arsal and in Syria.

“They are attempting to erect a blue tent to protect the [terrorists] in these areas,” he added.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2015/May-30/299859-hezbollah-ready-to-liberate-arsal-qaouk.ashx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=transactional&utm_campaign=Newsletter

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