Sheikh Qassem: "Israel" wants to keep Lebanese Army weak so that it could not defend the country

Source: Nowlebanon.com, 24-9-2008
Hizbullah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem criticized "Israel" for its "official objection to [former US Ambassador] Jeffrey Feltman, who came to "Israel" to discuss the possibility of US supplying weapons to the Lebanese Army." Qassem said that "Israel" wanted "to humiliate the Lebanese by forbidding the armament of the Lebanese army by the US."
During an Iftar at Coral Beach Hotel on Tuesday, Qassem said, "We know that this discourse makes us more convinced in our resistance, and we are not affected by it. On the contrary, it gives us further evidence of the righteousness of our resistance."
Qassem said that he preferred to wait for a couple of days to hear the comments in the US on "Israel's" "insult." He said that "Israel" required that Lebanon remained weak, and "Israel" strong.
Qassem also said that "Israel" wants to keep the Lebanese Army weak so that it could not defend the country. Qassem said Hizbullah would reject anything that weakened Lebanon, or facilitated US dominance. "This is definite, not because we want weapons, not because we want resistance," he said, "but t because we want honor, dignity and liberation... Resistance is means not an end."