Sheikh Qassem blames government for security breakdown

Source: Daily Star, 24-5-2007
BEIRUT: Hizbullah`s second-in-command, Sheikh Naim Qassem, said Wednesday the government of Premier Fouad Siniora was responsible for the deterioration of the country`s political and security situations. "While we have persistently warned against foreign intervention in Lebanese domestic affairs because it will lead to disasters as we have seen in the last couple of days, the ruling majority does all that is possible to widen the scope of foreign interference," Qassem said during a rally to mark Liberation Day at the Mreijeh stadium in the capital`s southern suburbs.
Liberation Day marks the withdrawal of occupying Israeli forces from most of South Lebanon in May 2000.
Qassem said Hizbullah had "repeatedly" expressed its willingness to cooperate with other groups to avoid further complications in Lebanon, "but it seems they reject our offers and prefer to conspire with foreign forces against their own country."
"Lebanon has spies and intelligence organizations more than any country in the world and all these work on inciting tensions among the Lebanese scene since our government has abandoned its responsibilities," he said.
Qassem said that it was "high time the current government stepped down so that definitive solutions can be reached on all pending issues."
"It is truly a shame to wound the economy of our country in order to keep high positions and it is more of a shame to destroy the country because the US dictates that it be done," he said.
The Hizbullah leader said the ruling majority ought to have realized by now that the opposition "constitutes two-thirds of the Lebanese population."
"Even if they had suspicions about such a fact, why don`t they accept our suggestion to resort to early parliamentary elections that would determine the true majority in the country?" he asked.
"If elections showed that they constituted the real majority," Qassem said, the opposition would accept the government.
Qassem called on all Lebanese groups to join forces and unite "for the welfare of Lebanon, which is in deep need of its entire people."