AFP: Hezbollah’s representative in Iran has ruled out the disarmament of the Shiite Lebanese militia and said the group will buy new weapons if necessary, in an interview published Monday. TEHRAN, Aug 21, 2006 (AFP) – Hezbollah’s representative in Iran has ruled out the disarmament of the Shiite Lebanese militia and said the group will buy new weapons if necessary, in an interview published Monday.
“There will not be disarmament, the UN resolution has not demanded that either,” Abdullah Safieddin told Shargh newspaper, on the eighth day of a UN-brokered ceasefire to end the month-long Israeli offensive in Lebanon aimed at crippling Hezbollah.
However, UN Resolution 1701 which laid out the ceasefire calls for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon and prohibits any sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon except as authorized by its government.
“God willing, we will have no problem. If anybody wants to resist they will seek to buy arms if need be,” Safieddin said. “As long as the army does not have the capability to defend the country we have to defend it.”
The UN resolution calls for an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese army as well as 15,000 international peacekeepers to the Hezbollah stronghold of south Lebanon.
Israel wants Hezbollah guerrillas pushed back to the north of Litani River — 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the border — in the hope of ending the hail of rocket attacks that were unleashed during the 34-day war.
Safieddin dismissed the call, saying: “Hezbollah does not have a (military) base. It is the residents of south Lebanon. They cannot send them out.
“Hezbollah will remain as it is. We even believe this war made the spirit of resistance more serious. We will do our political work but we will defend our country too.”
Iran as well as Syria is accused of channeling weapons to Hezbollah — an allegation Tehran denies saying it only provides “moral support”.
