Hizbollah urges Muslims to defend Syria against US

Reuters | 4/22/03 | Mariam Karouny

[kattracks]

Hizbollah urges Muslims to defend Syria against US

By Mariam Karouny

BEIRUT, April 22 (Reuters) - Hizbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah called on Arab and Muslim states on Tuesday to defend Syria if the United States launched any military action against Damascus.

Nasrallah, whose Syrian-backed Shi'ite Muslim guerrilla group is labelled as "terrorist" by the United States, said Arabs should not trust Washington's promises that its troops were in Iraq to liberate the people.

Since toppling Saddam Hussein in Iraq, the United States has accused Syria of harbouring ousted Iraqi officials and developing chemical weapons. Syria has dismissed the charges as baseless.

"All Arabs and Muslims are called on to defend Syria in all assemblies and positions...the battle here is everyone's battle," Nasrallah told thousands at a gathering in Beirut's Shi'ite Muslim southern suburbs.

"Tomorrow brothers and sisters, and I am not exaggerating or throwing out zealous or sentimental words,...is the beginning of the end of the American era in Iraq and in the region," he said.

"This is the truth that the coming few years will prove, God willing," Nasrallah said on the eve of the Arbaiin commemoration of the 40th day after the death of Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Mohammad.

Hussein's death in a battle at Kerbala in Iraq 13 centuries ago helped cement a rift in Islam between Sunnis and Shi'ites. Shi'ites are a minority in the Arab world but make up 60 percent of Iraq's 26 million population and were suppressed by Saddam before he was ousted.

Hizbollah waged a war of attrition that helped end Israel's 22-year occupation of south Lebanon in 2000, and Nasrallah said Iraqis could also drive foreigners from their land.

"Is it possible to bet on the Iraqi people to succeed in liberating their land and gaining back their freedom and independence? We say...yes," he said.

Washington launched the war on Iraq last month with the twin goals of ousting Saddam and eliminating Baghdad's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

04/22/03 18:45 ET

[b4its2late]

Hizbollah urges Muslims to defend Syria against US

Erasing terrorists; one body at a time..............

[Inkie]

Syria better wise up and do what the Taliban should have done with Al Qaeda. They didn't, and now they're history.

[Warren]

Maybe they can get a couple of Russian generals to contribute defense plans.

[joesnuffy]

Not surprising even rats defend their homes...and Syria is Hiz boluses' home

[billhilly]

""Tomorrow brothers and sisters, and I am not exaggerating or throwing out zealous or sentimental words,...is the beginning of the end of the American era in Iraq and in the region," he said."

Well! Sure. OK.

[COBOL2Java]

"Tomorrow brothers and sisters, and I am not exaggerating or throwing out zealous or sentimental words...

Exaggerating? Throwing out zealous words? Throwing out sentimental words? That about sums up Arabic speech as a whole, doesn't it?

[Bill Davis FR]

its time to nuke the hizbollah...

[since1868]

Since they did such a great job in Iraq against the US why not

[Tahoe3002]

You know, I think a bunch of those 4th Infantry guys are really hot! First the turks leave them 'high and dry', then they have to spend all that extra time sailing around to come ashore in Kuwait, then 3rd ID and 3rd MarDiv get all the credit for whuppin' the Democratic Guard and toppling saddam. The 4th gets guard and riot control duty. Bet they would jump up and down with joy to go over and pound some syrians.

[sheik yerbouty]

Hey jihadists!
! Diein' times here!

[schaketo]

All Arabs and Muslims are called on to defend Syria in all assemblies and positions...the battle here is everyone's battle," Nasrallah told thousands at a gathering in Beirut's Shi'ite Muslim southern suburbs.

Today tens of thousands of Islamic militants marched in the streets of Baghdad, chanting "America is god’s enemy.” Good to see things are back to normal over there.

Do these idiots remind you of the knight on Monty Python’s “In Search of the Holy Grail”?

A couple of high profile, public removals of extremities might help these morons understand the jihad party is over.