Secretary General of the Lebanese Hizbollah resistance movement, Hassan Nasrallah, attacked France’s recent statements on Arab issues as pro-Israeli and not different from those of the US.
He said the Arabs have always looked at France’s policies as “different from the United States’,” in the sense that they used to be balanced, understanding and supportive.
“But recently, things have taken a different course,” the Islamist leader said in an exclusive interview with the Jordanian daily Al Arab Al Yawm, which published a summary in its Sunday’s issue.
Nasrallah was referring to recent statements by French premier Leonel Jospin and his defense minister, Alain Richard, criticizing Syria’s policies and presence in Lebanon.
Nasrallah added that France has begun to adopt pro-Israeli policies of great similarity to those of the US.
The Hizbollah leader again rejected any presence for the Israeli-backed militia in the region after an Israeli withdrawal in July, saying his party views the militia’s case as a “totally Israeli case and not a Lebanese one.”
Nasrallah whose party undertakes a major role in resisting the Israeli occupation in south Lebanon said that Hizbollah has no information on the missing Israeli pilot Ron Arad.
Israel accuses the group of holding the serviceman, and has kidnapped two key Hizbollah figures, Abdul Karim Obeid and Mustafa Deirani, among others, in a bid to trade them with Arad. Last week, Israel released 13 Lebanese detainees after holding them for years without trial– Albawaba.com.
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
