Qassem Rejects Accusations Hizbullah Will Transform Lebanon into an Islamic State
Hizbullah”s deputy secretary general has rejected accusations that a Hizbullah-led government would try to implement an Iranian-style Islamic state.
Confident of victory in Lebanese weekend elections, Sheikh Naim Qassem said Tuesday the party would invite its opponents to join a national unity government if it wins.
In an interview with The Associated Press, he shrugged off warnings about boycotts and insisted Western nations are willing to talk to the new government irrespective of who wins.
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, on a visit to Lebanon last month, warned Washington would reassess aid to Lebanon depending on the next government”s makeup and policies. The U.S., which considers Hizbullah a terrorist organization, has provided about $1 billion in aid since 2006.
"After June 7, there will be a new scene," said Qassem, who leads Hizbullah”s election campaign. He said Hizbullah and its allies "will work to form a national unity government. How much we will succeed is up to the other side."
He spoke Tuesday at a secret location in the Hizbullah stronghold of south Beirut. Out of security concerns, AP reporters were driven in a minivan with black-draped windows to an apartment building basement. There, they were transferred to another minivan with black-draped windows to block the view and driven to another building, where Qassem later showed up for the interview.
The vote for parliament pits Western-backed factions that have dominated the government for the last four years against a coalition led by Hizbullah and its ally, Christian leader Michel Aoun.
Hizbullah has had veto power over government decisions for the past year as part of a national unity government formed after its gunmen overran Beirut Muslim neighborhoods in May 2008, bringing Lebanon to the verge of another civil war.
So far, the election has been considered too close to call and the pro-Western coalition has also predicted victory. But if Qassem”s predictions materialize, it would be the first time Hizbullah is positioned to play a major role in the formation of Lebanon”s government.
Qassem predicted his alliance would pick up between three and six seats over the 64-seat margin to have an absolute majority in the 128-member legislature and some factions from the pro-Western coalition would opt to join the new government. But one major faction has already said it won”t.
He accused the U.S. of last-minute attempts to influence the vote, but said they would not work. President Barack Obama is addressing Muslims in a speech from Cairo Thursday, days before the Lebanese elections, in his latest overture to improve relations with the Islamic world.