Hezbollah ready for a settlement

Beirut: Hezbollah leader General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said that the Lebanese resistance movement is ready for a settlement of the political crisis in the country.

Nasrallah reiterated a call for a national unity government to help resolve Lebanon's political deadlock, adding that "Lebanon can only overcome its crisis with cooperation and unity".

The Hezbollah leader made the remarks in a speech broadcast on huge screens before thousands of seated supporters in the eastern city of Baalbek to mark the anniversary of the last summer war with the Zionist regime.

Nasrallah said Lebanon cannot be divided, both practically and objectively, adding "we do not seek to control the government, or control the state".

The US-backed government of Fouad Siniora accuses the opposition of seeking to earn a veto power in the cabinet.

But Nasrallah said, "We are looking for a united and unified country which will protect Lebanon at a time the US government is seeking to sow discords."

Nasrallah said Hezbollah's campaign was "peaceful, civilian and civilized", stressing that the arms the resistance movement possessed are not "to be used against other Lebanese factions".

The Hezbollah leader stated that using force was not in Lebanon's interests.

Lebanon has been in deep political crisis since November over Siniora's refusal to commit to a government of national unity, forcing six ministers to step down from the government.

The US is a staunch support of the Siniora government, announcing on Thursday that it would freeze the assets of people whom it perceived as undermining Lebanon's government.

Nasrallah said the US policy in Lebanon is "pushing a Lebanese party to monopolize powers", adding the result was more crises.

The secretary general of Hezbollah also criticized a US plan to sell more arms to some Arab countries.