Nasrallah: We have 20,000 missiles

Hizbullah leader says his group possesses over 20,000 missiles despite Israel's military offensive; lauds his guerillas for turning IDF soldiers into 'scared mice'

Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said on Friday in his first public appearance since July 12 that his group still possesses over 20,000 missiles, assuring supporters that his guerillas are as strong as they were on the eve of a 34-day war with Israel.

Nasrallah drew loud applauds from the crowd and vowed that his group won't be disarmed: "We will rehabilitate the force and bases within
a short period of time. In a number of days we succeeded in rehabilitating our military capabilities. The resistance today is stronger than it was on July 12. He who wants to weaken us is miscalculating. We are stronger today than ever before. Second – the prisoners. Your prisoners will all return, Inshallah. I vowed on July 12, that even if the whole world comes, they won't be able to return the two soldiers but through indirect negotiations. The whole world arrived and the two soldiers remain here."

About the international peacekeeping force he quoted German Chancellor Angela Merkel's remarks that German troops will be sent to Lebanon to protect Israel.

"You can close the sea, the air, but this won't weaken our will … We fought for 34 days and we were prepared for a long war. What we sacrificed in the war was a small portion of our capability," he said.

"We welcomed you and I do so again. Your mission is to assist the Lebanese army and not to spy on Hizbullah or to disarm it. That's what Secretary General Kofi Annan said. Until now, I haven't heard a single country that sent troops that it did so to protect Lebanon. They are ashamed in us and say they came to protect Israel," Nasrallah said

Roee Nahmias
Latest Update: 09.22.06, 20:05

But the three stooges are still there and Iran and Hizbullah are feeling stronger than ever.