Hezbollah seeks mutually acceptable settlement

Beirut: Differences over formation of the national unity government, the international tribunal to try those accused of murdering former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and suspicions over US, Syrian and Iranian influences fuel the tension between Hezbollah and Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government, said a member of the group's politburo.

The only solution to the current crisis is a mutual accepted agreement with the authority, and not through "stubbornness", stressed Ghaleb Abu Zeinab in an interview with Gulf News.

"There is no solution to the Lebanese issue but through settlement; a satisfactory settlement to both parties," said Abu Zeinab.

"However, the continuation of the stubbornness on the authority's side will lead to political escalation, and then to a greater crisis in the country."

Arab League secretary-general Amr Mousa mediated between the two parties and left Beirut on Saturday without announcing a settlement. One of the main differences between them is which would come first - national unity government or the special tribunal, noted press reports.

According to Abu Zeinab, tension with the government started more than a year ago - there was "fire under the ashes".

"We were in the government ... but we were more of an Opposition inside it," he said. The turning point was the Israeli war on Lebanon in July when the differences went public, noted Abu Zeinab. Since then, many Lebanese, including the government, blamed Hezbollah for dragging the country into a war.

But Zeinab denied giving Israel the chance to launch a war against Lebanon, saying, "Israel, in this war in particular, was launching the US administration war .... There was a plan to launch a deadly strike against Hezbollah". The United States wants to use Lebanon as a ground to spread its influence in the region, he said.

'No Islamic government'

He also dismissed suggestions by some of Hezbollah critics that it is seeking to form an Islamic government in Lebanon where there are nearly 17 religious sects.

"We are not Taliban, and we are not Al Qaida," said Abu Zeinab. The Hezbollah official also stressed that the group is not targeting the political role of the Sunnis in the current crisis by calling for the resignation of the Sunni Prime Minister, Fouad Siniora. "We are talking about goals, not individuals," he explained.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

Gulf News: Why do you want all of a sudden to participate in the government?

Ghaleb Abu Zeinab: Basically, we are in the government.

But your ministers were the ones who have resigned?

As I have explained, the problem became a political problem.

A problem in decision taking?

We took part in the government on the basis of a political programme and they [the government] backed off on the political choice [strategy] ... so we told them, if you don't want us to be your partners, say so, and we will resign and you can appoint others .... They don't want to accept the resignation and they don't want [us] to participate [in taking decisions]. What shall we do?

Was it the decision to set up the international tribunal that provoked you?

The issue is not the international tribunal. What we were discussing was not the tribunal but a national unity government. The Hezbollah ministers have not resigned because of the tribunal.

They resigned because three days earlier there was an agreement with Sa'ad Hariri during which he showed willingness to give us one-third [in the government] .... But because of American pressure and the position taken by the US ambassador in Lebanon [Jeffrey Feltman], they retracted.

What can they say to explain their political position? Can they say we reject a national unity government? They can't. On the contrary, they resorted to another choice and said we are against the international tribunal, because such a talk in Lebanon, politically, has popularity .... The issue of the tribunal can be used to create a sectarian tension so they will have supporters. ...

We should know its details .... We can't endorse the tribunal without knowing the details. It is unacceptable for us, as Lebanese citizens, that this tribunal is endorsed abroad, and sent to us for approval ... without looking at its details and before deciding whether it is suitable for Lebanon or not. We want to express our point of view.

Was it a sacred text that we received from the United Nations? And if we don't [approve it], will we be protecting the killers of Hariri? Our position is clear in this regard. We are with the international tribunal, with the studying of it, with the establishment of it, with the formation of a national unity government, so we can reveal the murderers of Hariri.

You are accusing the government of acting under the American influence but the government is accusing Hezbollah of acting under Syrian-Iranian influence.

We don't have a problem. If all of us as Opposition, and not only Hezbollah, are under the Syrian and Iranian influence, and if both countries control the decision of such a huge number of the Lebanese people, and can direct them according to their interests, then I think this is a strength of Syria and Iran. That means they own half of Lebanon or more.

They [the government and its supporters] can say whatever they want. But the issue is that we share with Iran and Syria an opposition to US influence .... We agree with the Syrians and Iranians in this, and we are not ashamed of that .... But I ask, can the government admit that they agree with the American policy? Adopt their political position? And want to be part of the American project in the region?

American intelligence reports said Hezbollah is receiving $200 million [about Dh734 million] annually from Iran.

No, but we want to ask are these $200 million to match the $1 billion the [the US Secretary of State Condoleezza] Rice promised Siniora to boost the security organisations in the face of Hezbollah? What I am trying to say is that the American propaganda is to help the US administration justify to the Congress that it has to pay $1 billion [about Dh3.68 billion] to stand in the face of Hezbollah.

What is the amount of the Iranian aid that Hezbollah receives?

In Shiite jurisprudence, there is what is called the 'fifth' [one form of Zakat paying 20 per cent of the amount of money one owns and exceeds their needs every year]. And we receive donations ... not only from the Shiites.

To be fair, donations arrive from the entire Islamic world, and in amounts exceed, exceed the American administration's estimates. Because the Arabs and Muslims appreciate the resistance and look at it as a noble thing they should support, especially that it stands in the face of the enemy of the Muslims and Arabs - Israel.

Iranian aid comes to many charity and humanitarian organisations of Hezbollah through the Iranian organisations in Lebanon .... This is no secret.

Many Lebanese say the popularity of Hezbollah inside Lebanon has decreased, particularly with the current crisis.

You can't talk in the absolute. If you want to talk about Hezbollah ... those who supported the resistance during the war, are still doing so. Those who supported the aggression were against the resistance during the war and criticised it, are still against the resistance. What I say is that the general atmosphere for some [now], particularly those supporting the authority, took a worse position towards the resistance.

I am talking about ordinary people who are saying they are not taking positions with either side in the crisis, and are saying let them agree?

It is not us to blame. We are not in the authority. The authority is the one responsible for the current crisis, not the Opposition. ... People are divided politically in the country. ... The country is divided at all levels and regrettably there is also a sectarian division. If you go to Shiite areas, you will hear people blaming the authority, if you go to a Sunni area, they will blame the Opposition. ... So this is not a parameter.