The leader of Lebanon's Hizbullah movement warned the international community Friday against cooperating with America in a war that would be a disaster for Iraq and urged Arabs to take up arms and fight at Iraq's side.
Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah also said a war in Iraq would produce "millions" of Iraqi victims, including casualties and refugees.
"Nobody in the world under any title, form or pretext should offer any assistance to the Americans, even those opposed to Saddam Hussein," Nasrallah told thousands of supporters during a rally in a southern Beirut suburb to mark the 24th anniversary of Iran's Islamic revolution.
Nasrallah said a U.S.-led war against Iraq would be a "disaster" for ordinary Iraqis and should be averted "if only for humanitarian reasons."
Nasrallah stated America wanted to wage war in a bid to control the Middle East, not to help Iraqi civilians or protect people in Kuwait.
He also called for an Arab or Muslim conference to form a national reconciliation government in Baghdad and urged men throughout the region to defend Iraq in the event of war.
"If, in light of such Iraqi readiness for real and genuine national reconciliation, the United States insists on attacking Iraq, then ... every able and mature adult should carry arms and fight the Americans in defense of Iraq," he said. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
