Speech of Hezbollah Secretary General Sayed Hassan Nasrallah on May 14, 2018, commemorating the second anniversary of the death of Hezbollah Commander Sayed Moustafa Badreddine.
Translation : unz.com/sayedhasan
Translation:
[...] After this introduction devoted to our beloved commander [the martyr Sayed Moustafa Badreddine, killed in Syria on 05.13.2016], let us talk about the files which, incidentally, he was responsible of.
The first point — I'll be as brief as possible [with the 3 points I want to address, namely the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, the confrontation between Syria and Israel and the events in occupied Palestine].
The first point — I'll be as brief as possible [with the 3 points I want to address, namely the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, the confrontation between Syria and Israel and the events in occupied Palestine].
The first point is what the US administration is currently doing in our region, the main topic being the announcement by Trump of the (US) withdrawal from the (Iran) nuclear deal. I begin with this point because all my comments will lead us to (the issue of) Palestine, which constitute the essential part of this second part of my speech.
I will not analyze or discuss the nuclear deal itself, its causes, the causes of Trump's withdrawal or its implications and consequences. I'll go directly to the teachings and lessons we must draw (from this decision), because that's what we will benefit from, as Lebanese people, as Palestinian people in the first place, the peoples of the region, the governments of the region and also the whole world. We must learn to know, in our political line and in life in general, how the US administration, which sees itself as the leading world power, behaves, what it is (in reality). And in truth, it touches on their (general) political culture and political consciousness, more than it concerns this political development (in particular).
Well, today, the US administration again demonstrates, with the evidence that we will discuss, that it is a State, a government — because it is not merely a Trump decision, it's not President Trump's own decision only, it is a decision of the US government, the American ruling establishment.
Today, the United States once again demonstrate that the only thing they care about in the world are their interests first, and secondly the interests of Israel. Final point.
That is to say, for successive US governments, humanitarian considerations or moral values have no place. The humanitarian considerations or moral values never had any place.
Today, Palestinians demonstrate peacefully in Gaza and the West Bank. In Gaza, there are dozens of martyrs so far, and more than 1,000 injured so far. In recent weeks, there have been dozens of martyrs and thousands of wounded. And for the US administration, it does not change anything, it has no importance whatsoever and no influence on their actions. And if someone dares to call for a condemnation in the Security Council, the US veto is ready.
Any evocation of humanitarian considerations, moral values or human rights is empty talk, and has no place behind the scenes of American decision-making.
Second, international resolutions, international law, international organizations and the international community — in Lebanon, we are always asked to ‘respect international resolutions’, ‘implement international resolutions’ [pushing for the disarmament of Hezbollah]. Tomorrow you will see it again, just read the ministerial statement's exhortations to ‘implement international resolutions’, ‘respect international resolutions’.
But as for the United States, the leading world power, they do not respect international resolutions, international law or international institutions, not even international resolutions in which they participated, those they have shaped and approved. When they no longer fit their interests, they abandon them and throw them off.
Third, all agreements, conventions and charters have no value, nor moral nor legal, for successive US governments. They make and cancel agreements at will. They (don't respect) any agreement, any commitment, any charter. And I'm not even talking about climate agreements and trade agreements. I only talk about what just happened in our region. This means that no one in the world can have confidence in the commitments of the United States, in their agreements and promises.
Today, they are leading the President of North Korea up the garden path, telling him that if he destroys his nuclear weapons, they will allow American companies to come and invest in North Korea. If the North Koreans trust the US and destroy (their arsenal), as did Libya, for example, the United States will then say that for US companies to come, North Korea must organize such elections, meet such human rights criteria, etc., etc. And the blackmail process will continue (indefinitely).
O Lebanese, O Palestinians, O peoples of the region, we can not trust the United States... After all these experiences, it would be an act of stupidity (to trust them). A (prophetic) tradition says that the believer does not fall twice in the same trap. O my brother, this is not the second time but the hundredth and the thousandth time that these Americans stab the world in the back. This administration and these leaders can not be trusted at all in their agreements, commitments and promises. And this (new) experience before our eyes demonstrates it once more. I do not speak of (ancient) history, it takes place (live) before our eyes.
And likewise, experience shows that the US administration does not even respect its allies, not even their interests: they just don't care about them. The economic, political and even security interests of Europeans were to maintain the nuclear deal with Iran. But the US has not even consulted them. Who are we talking about ? European allies, not their collaborators in the Third World. European allies, powerful States, which have veto power in the Security Council! But the United States didn't consult any of them nor in substance, nor about their interests, nor in form.
Hence, how could they take into account the interests of those they see as mere instruments, subordinates, including States about which Trump said that without the American presence, they would not even survive seven days? The interests of the Arab and Gulf countries, and of some countries of the Muslim world, are they even present in the calculations, mind, head of the Americans when they make their decisions? They have no place whatsoever.
Such is the fundamental lesson we should learn today after the Trump's withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. I will not mention its impact, its consequences, its causes, what will happen next, it is not the topic of my speech today. But this aspect is in our opinion very important for anyone in our region and in the world, but especially for those in our region who link their destiny, plan their future, shape their region or take (strategic) decisions based on the United States and counting on them and on their promises and commitments, on any topic, major or minor.
And therefore, since today is the day of Palestine, let me also draw a conclusion on this point: when Trump announced his recognition of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as Israel's capital, the [Palestinian] Authority, or rather the Palestinian side responsible for negotiations, not to say his name [Mahmoud Abbas], said they would not agree to further negotiations or settlement of the conflict in which the mediator is the United States because it is not a neutral intermediary. What do you want instead? He said ‘I want the P5 + 1 [5 members of the Security Council + Germany], just like the agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. This is the process that will give me guarantees and enables me to succeed.’
We declare to him today, after the Trump withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, which was concluded by the P5 + 1 and on which a unanimous decision was taken at the UN Security Council, that all this was erased. Even this path leads nowhere and does not guarantee anything. (Despite) P5 + 1, Trump did not consult Europe, nor Russia, nor China, nor the Security Council nor the international community, he got up and went out (of this agreement). If anyone in Palestine, whomever he might be, counts on a resolution involving the United States, either as a single intermediary, as an international intermediary or as part of a P5 + 1, he is deluded, he is disconnected from reality and relies on mirages that will lead to no result. This experiment proves you, O Palestinians, that it is not the way to go in any case. It leads nowhere. [...]
I will not analyze or discuss the nuclear deal itself, its causes, the causes of Trump's withdrawal or its implications and consequences. I'll go directly to the teachings and lessons we must draw (from this decision), because that's what we will benefit from, as Lebanese people, as Palestinian people in the first place, the peoples of the region, the governments of the region and also the whole world. We must learn to know, in our political line and in life in general, how the US administration, which sees itself as the leading world power, behaves, what it is (in reality). And in truth, it touches on their (general) political culture and political consciousness, more than it concerns this political development (in particular).
Well, today, the US administration again demonstrates, with the evidence that we will discuss, that it is a State, a government — because it is not merely a Trump decision, it's not President Trump's own decision only, it is a decision of the US government, the American ruling establishment.
Today, the United States once again demonstrate that the only thing they care about in the world are their interests first, and secondly the interests of Israel. Final point.
That is to say, for successive US governments, humanitarian considerations or moral values have no place. The humanitarian considerations or moral values never had any place.
Today, Palestinians demonstrate peacefully in Gaza and the West Bank. In Gaza, there are dozens of martyrs so far, and more than 1,000 injured so far. In recent weeks, there have been dozens of martyrs and thousands of wounded. And for the US administration, it does not change anything, it has no importance whatsoever and no influence on their actions. And if someone dares to call for a condemnation in the Security Council, the US veto is ready.
Any evocation of humanitarian considerations, moral values or human rights is empty talk, and has no place behind the scenes of American decision-making.
Second, international resolutions, international law, international organizations and the international community — in Lebanon, we are always asked to ‘respect international resolutions’, ‘implement international resolutions’ [pushing for the disarmament of Hezbollah]. Tomorrow you will see it again, just read the ministerial statement's exhortations to ‘implement international resolutions’, ‘respect international resolutions’.
But as for the United States, the leading world power, they do not respect international resolutions, international law or international institutions, not even international resolutions in which they participated, those they have shaped and approved. When they no longer fit their interests, they abandon them and throw them off.
Third, all agreements, conventions and charters have no value, nor moral nor legal, for successive US governments. They make and cancel agreements at will. They (don't respect) any agreement, any commitment, any charter. And I'm not even talking about climate agreements and trade agreements. I only talk about what just happened in our region. This means that no one in the world can have confidence in the commitments of the United States, in their agreements and promises.
Today, they are leading the President of North Korea up the garden path, telling him that if he destroys his nuclear weapons, they will allow American companies to come and invest in North Korea. If the North Koreans trust the US and destroy (their arsenal), as did Libya, for example, the United States will then say that for US companies to come, North Korea must organize such elections, meet such human rights criteria, etc., etc. And the blackmail process will continue (indefinitely).
O Lebanese, O Palestinians, O peoples of the region, we can not trust the United States... After all these experiences, it would be an act of stupidity (to trust them). A (prophetic) tradition says that the believer does not fall twice in the same trap. O my brother, this is not the second time but the hundredth and the thousandth time that these Americans stab the world in the back. This administration and these leaders can not be trusted at all in their agreements, commitments and promises. And this (new) experience before our eyes demonstrates it once more. I do not speak of (ancient) history, it takes place (live) before our eyes.
And likewise, experience shows that the US administration does not even respect its allies, not even their interests: they just don't care about them. The economic, political and even security interests of Europeans were to maintain the nuclear deal with Iran. But the US has not even consulted them. Who are we talking about ? European allies, not their collaborators in the Third World. European allies, powerful States, which have veto power in the Security Council! But the United States didn't consult any of them nor in substance, nor about their interests, nor in form.
Hence, how could they take into account the interests of those they see as mere instruments, subordinates, including States about which Trump said that without the American presence, they would not even survive seven days? The interests of the Arab and Gulf countries, and of some countries of the Muslim world, are they even present in the calculations, mind, head of the Americans when they make their decisions? They have no place whatsoever.
Such is the fundamental lesson we should learn today after the Trump's withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal. I will not mention its impact, its consequences, its causes, what will happen next, it is not the topic of my speech today. But this aspect is in our opinion very important for anyone in our region and in the world, but especially for those in our region who link their destiny, plan their future, shape their region or take (strategic) decisions based on the United States and counting on them and on their promises and commitments, on any topic, major or minor.
And therefore, since today is the day of Palestine, let me also draw a conclusion on this point: when Trump announced his recognition of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as Israel's capital, the [Palestinian] Authority, or rather the Palestinian side responsible for negotiations, not to say his name [Mahmoud Abbas], said they would not agree to further negotiations or settlement of the conflict in which the mediator is the United States because it is not a neutral intermediary. What do you want instead? He said ‘I want the P5 + 1 [5 members of the Security Council + Germany], just like the agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue. This is the process that will give me guarantees and enables me to succeed.’
We declare to him today, after the Trump withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, which was concluded by the P5 + 1 and on which a unanimous decision was taken at the UN Security Council, that all this was erased. Even this path leads nowhere and does not guarantee anything. (Despite) P5 + 1, Trump did not consult Europe, nor Russia, nor China, nor the Security Council nor the international community, he got up and went out (of this agreement). If anyone in Palestine, whomever he might be, counts on a resolution involving the United States, either as a single intermediary, as an international intermediary or as part of a P5 + 1, he is deluded, he is disconnected from reality and relies on mirages that will lead to no result. This experiment proves you, O Palestinians, that it is not the way to go in any case. It leads nowhere. [...]
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