Berri: Unless “Israel” leaves occupied Shibaa Farms we will drive them out

Source: freeinternetpress, 10-10-2006
Hizbullah will resume its military campaign against "Israel" unless it withdraws from the (occupied) Shibaa farms area and other pockets of territory occupied during this summer's 34-day war, Nabih Berri, speaker of the Lebanese parliament, has warned.
"If `Israel` does not pull out we will have to drive them out," said Berri, who acted as a link to the militant organization during this summer's war with "Israel", in an interview with the Guardian.
Hizbullah will remain armed and fully operational in south Lebanon, despite the newly-deployed U.N. forces, until "Israel" withdraws from all Lebanese territory and ceases its ongoing air, sea and land violations, added Berri.
"The UNIFIL presence will not hinder Hizbullah`s defensive operations. The resistance doesn`t need to fly its flags high to operate, it`s a guerrilla movement; it operates among the people," he said.
Berri also expressed concerns some U.N. forces could be involved in gathering information that could fall into the hands of "Israel's" intelligence agency Mossad.
"We will allow them to do everything they need to complete their mission, we don`t want to interfere in their work, but we will be watching closely. We have to be careful, but we have a very effective intelligence service and we are used to watching for `Israeli` spies."
"We will help them and give them everything they need to complete their mission," he added, "but we will not accept the force if its presence is to secure `Israel`. They are on our land, so that means they have to work in the interests of Lebanon, not `Israel`."
Lebanon would be "the last of the last Arab nations to sign a peace treaty with `Israel`," he said, echoing the position of the prime minister.
Berri holds the highest position attainable by a Shia in Lebanon`s tripartite power sharing system, made up of a Sunni Muslim prime minister, a Maronite Christian president and a Shia Muslim speaker. He has held the position since 1992, throughout the years of the Syrian occupation, and has been the head of the Amal movement, the other main Shia party, for more than 26 years.
He said there was concern the foreign troops may stay indefinitely, as Security Council resolution 1701 does not specify a time frame for the mission. "As Lebanese, we love to have guests, but not guests who stay for ever. We hope that when they have done their duty, when `Israel` has stopped their aggressions and withdrawn from all Lebanese territory, the UNIFIL will go on their way. I don`t think they will stay; the U.N. force is very expensive for them to maintain."
Resolution 1701 calls for "security arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, including the establishment ... of an area free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL."
A recent leaked draft of the UNIFIL`s new rules of engagement said its troops are allowed to employ "the use of force beyond self defense to ensure that UNIFIL`s area of operations is not utilized for hostile activities of any kind".
Berri says only Hizbullah is capable of protecting the country. "We are all very proud that the Lebanese army has deployed along the border but it is not adequately equipped to defend the country.
"At the same time, the UNIFIL arrived in 1978 but `Israel` has attacked Lebanon many times since then and the UNIFIL has never intervened to stop them. Without the resistance we will not be able to face up to the `Israeli` army."