Speech by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Baalbeck on April 15, 2018, in preparation for the May 6 legislative elections in Lebanon.
Translation: unz.com/sayedhasan
Transcript:
[...] During the last few days, and in front of the threats of the President Trump and his Tweets, the world and the region lived in a state of anxiety, as I said on Friday. Before dawn Saturday, in the world and the region, there was (great) concern. Why in the world also? Because no one knew what would be the extent of the strikes, the magnitude of the aggression, and whether it would lead to a (direct) confrontation between the United States and Russia. And it would not have remained limited to Syria, and could have spread to other parts of the world.
Anyway, there was a high level of anxiety in the world and in the region. And there were also very big dreams and hopes for Israel, for some regional states, and for terrorist armed takfiri groups in Syria, who failed and lost the war for 7 years. Very large, huge expectations (were founded on this operation).
Well, anyway, I have already mentioned in the past that we are facing another example, new evidence, a new experience of the arrogance of the US administration who self-designates itself as the Investigator - of course, they did no investigation at all, and have only the name of Investigator -, Attorney General, Judge making judgments and Executioner applying the judgments.
Well, why did they rush at dawn Saturday? One important reason is that Saturday - that is to say yesterday - the first part of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) research team was to arrive (to Syria) and Sunday, today, the second part was to arrive in Damascus. Saturday and Sunday, it was expected that the OPCW team, which reports to the UN, was to go to Douma and take samples on the ground, around the place and on the people who have allegedly been affected by chemical weapons, and present their report. And since Trump knows that what happened in Douma is really a staged, false attack, since the French President knows it was staged - and it is strange that the French have now recognized that their evidence is (solely based) on social networks and the films they have seen there. Because they know (for a fact) that this is all staged, they rushed to the assault before the OPCW team arrived in Douma. And we need to ponder this issue carefully. They didn't wait for (the authorization of) the Security Council, nor anyone else's. And this is another proof of the level of arrogance of the United States, their despotism, their tyranny and their sovereign contempt.
Of course, I speak about the United States and don't mention France and Britain, as they are (fully) submitted to the United States. In this aggression, they were mere auxiliaries and had no independent decision. There were included only to give the illusion (of an international coalition), so that it not be said that it is only the United States but they can pretend that this is the West, an important part of the international community. And the number of targets that have been hit at dawn Saturday did not require the participation of the United States, France and Britain. It is only to provide (international) coloration (to a unilateral act). That's why I will mention only the United States.
Well, the strikes took place, fine. We all expected this aggression, and took into account all eventualities. That's why Friday I have not listed the various assumptions, because as the saying goes, such a thing is worth so much today, but will be given out for free in two days. We only had to wait a few days to see what would happen. But of course, in Syria and the Resistance Axis - Syria, Iran, and the movements of Resistance, Hezbollah, along with the Russian ally - we acted on the assumption that everything was possible, because we do not know what decision this (crazy) Trump will ultimately take.
Well, things stopped at the tripartite aggression that took place at dawn Saturday. They hit a limited number of targets, 3 targets, no more, 4 maximum - and there was even a target that has been declared as such, but no missile has reached it, either because they were intercepted, either because it was not a target. We will not get into that debate. The assault has taken place against a limited number of targets that, despite their assertions, had no relation to chemical weapons, as I will explain in a moment.
Of course, here, one must underline the remarkable and exceptional response of the anti-air defense forces of the Syrian Arab Army. It's the truth. There are people who want us to be modest and discreet about it, but I tell you, on behalf of your brothers, the young Hezbollah fighters in Syria that attest to what they saw with their own eyes and who tell you the truth. Yes, the Syrian air defense managed to intercept a large number of missiles, and prevent them from reaching their targets. And it's a very big and important military achievement. And before intercepting missiles or not, the fact that these officers and Syrian troops have remained at their defenses, at their posts, under this aerial assault that lasted nearly an hour, demonstrates the level of courage and discipline, and the soul of loyalty, devotion and defiance that the Arab Syrian Army has, while some strive constantly to break their morale and determination. And we commend this behavior, spirit and courage that we witnessed.
The strike thus ended. A number of missiles was shot down. Some targets were hit, and some of them - if not all - were empty. And some of these targets had been hit in the past. They were not only empty, they had already been hit in the past. That's all (regarding the attack).
I stop on this event to say two words. If we consider promptly all the alleged objectives (of the strikes) which were mentioned in the US, French, British, Arab and especially Gulf media, and even the hopes and aspirations that were founded on the attack, to see whether these hypothetical objectives were indeed achieved or not. Are we facing a victory, as they try to present it, or failure?
The first (alleged purpose of these strikes) is bullying (Syria) into submission, make it give up to racketeering and make concessions. This did not happen neither before the strike nor after the strike. Therefore, if that was the goal, it was not realized.
Second (alleged purpose of these strikes), to terrorize and demoralize the Syrians and their allies: the Syrian people, the Syrian leadership, the Syrian Army, we strike you, break you, beat you up, to shake and crush your determination and morale. What was the result? Today, the people of Syria, the Syrian Army and Syrian leaders, after considering the results of the strike, their morale is even bigger, stronger, more resolute. Their confidence in themselves, in their leaders, in their army, in their officers and soldiers, in their weapons is stronger than ever before.
Third (alleged purpose of these strikes), if it was to cheer up the terrorist groups, armed groups, so that they, after the strike and aggression, as was really prepare for on more than a front-line, would resume the offensive, whether in the south, in the region of Daraa, or in the direction of Palmyra from the base of al-Tanf, or on the front line of Deir Ezzor / Boukamal, or north of Hama, in Idlib or west of Aleppo, what were the results? Their morale remains at zero, and the despondency is even greater. I followed the events in real time, before the strikes until hours after they occurred - the media, the field and all the details.
And I saw the disappointed hopes expressed by the leaders of armed groups, as well as those of what is known as "the Syrian opposition" who reside in hotels abroad. They were appalled. "That's all ? These are the results? That is all ?" And some countries were also in such a (dismayed) state.
Fourth (alleged purpose of these strikes), if it were to change the equation in favor of Israel, or to change the equation in favor of some regional countries, they also saw their hopes dashed. I bring you an Israeli synthetic comment: "Trump's threats and 'beautiful' - Israelis scoff at him - 'new and intelligent' missile, we saw that them as beautiful, but their results are zero. Zero."
That's the Israeli assessment, Israel who imagined that US, French and British planes were coming to destroy Syrian aircraft and air defenses, strike positions of the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah and the rest of the allies. Such were the expectations of Israel and some regional countries.
If the goal was to hit the infrastructure, this did not happen. If the objective was to hit the bases of the armed forces, this did not happen. If the objective was - I let the chemical question for the end - to put pressure on Syria and its allies to accelerate the political resolution of the conflict, I believe that what happened at dawn Saturday will complicate any political resolution. I'm just using that word. This will complicate the political resolution, hamper international relations, as is already the case, and complicate the Geneva talks if they do not completely collapse. So we get the opposite result of the alleged objectives.
Finally, what have they said? They said their goal was not to hit the regime, nor to strike the army nor... nor... nor revenge, but we only wanted to stop... to hit the chemical weapons infrastructure in Syria. O my brother, there is no such infrastructure, it is a foregone conclusion, they are illusions, false accusations. And I assure you that this accusation will remain. At every next victory, we might see a staged chemical scene, and this kind of aggression. We expect such things in the future.
Just like the history of the Iranian nuclear weapon. Despite the fact that the reports of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have verified that Iran doesn't strive to make nuclear weapons, that his Eminence Imam Khamenei, God preserve him, in his daily speech, says with his religious and political credibility that the manufacture of atomic weapons is (religiously) forbidden, and that all indications, data and evidence confirms that Iran has never sought and will not seek possession or manufacture of nuclear weapons, and (its accusers) have no proof, Iran is besieged and subjected to international sanctions, from the Security Council and the US administration, because of false accusations.
And today in Syria, this accusation (of chemical weapons use) will keep being made against the regime, the army and the State, (to hamper) its ability of Syria to face (the armed groups). So if that was a goal, it was a foregone conclusion, because there was nothing. You merely stroke the air.
The most important point I want to get in conclusion is the reason for this limited strike. Why this limited strike? Although we know conclusively and decisively that the Gulf States, during the days and hours before the strikes, exerted the biggest pressure on the American administration, moving huge sums of money for a large-scale military operation to be conducted against Syria. (They asked for) strikes against the army, air force, the Ministry of Defense, the Presidential Palace, etc. Why this limited strike when we know that the Zionist lobby in the United States was working day and night to get a devastating strike, as violent as possible, to change the equations in the conflict in Syria? Why is it that American leadership has not opted for a vast operation instead of limited strikes?
Because of the arguments and debates that took place between politicians and advisers on the one hand, and the Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon on the other hand. Be careful at this point, its importance, and then I will conclude. What was the precise point (of discussion)? The US military is well aware that a major offensive and a major operation against the (Syrian) regime and army and allied forces in Syria would have no end and could not succeed. The Ministry of Defense and the heads of the US military are responsible for the safety of their officers, their troops and their bases in the region, and they know very well that this kind of large-scale aggression would engulf all the region, and would blow it completely.
And that is why they have acted reasonably. And the result was the limit that have accepted the Pentagon, the Defense Ministry and the US Army. For if things had been left in the hands of Trump, Bolton, some regional countries, Israel and active lobbies in the United States, we would have seen a very different aggression.
What do I mean? I wanted to get to the following conclusion: this strike is a true American military and security confession about the strength of the Resistance Axis, its ability to cope, and at least to inflict heavy losses to anyone thinking of launching an attack in the area, if not to inflict them a (stinging) defeat, as it happened in all previous battles.
The experience that occurred Saturday at dawn, its results should make us even more confident in our strength, in our existence, in our Axis, in our ability to face and fight, and in the (very) limited scale of choices for the opponent, although it has enormous resources. One can have huge capacities, but (very) limited choices. We have passed that stage, but the war is not over, this battle is not over, even though we are on the path to victory. [...]
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