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Hezbollah Official Scoffs at Sharon's Threats
A senior official of Lebanese guerrilla group Hezbollah on Friday termed as "hollow threats" Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's intimidation to launch large-scale offensive against Lebanon.
Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hezbollah's second in command, told Al Mustaqbal television that Sharon's threats are "just an attempted intimidation to neutralize the northern front."
"He dreads the specter of a rekindled south Lebanon war front and he shudders at the prospect of having to face the Palestinian and Lebanese fronts simultaneously," Kassem added.
He denied Sharon's charge that Hezbollah, or Party of God, was fighting alongside Palestinian fighters in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, saying that Sharon was trying to "create a political excuse for escalation of Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian Intifada (uprising)."
During his recent visit to the United States, Sharon accused Hezbollah of suing Palestinian groups to stage attacks against Israeli targets. He also claimed that Iran was airlifting massive arms supplies to Hezbollah.
"Sharon is in an impasse that forces him to make intimidating accusations and threats," Kassem said.
He reiterated that Hezbollah is "waiting for a chance to deal a really painful blow to the enemy (Israel)."
Hezbollah spearheaded resistance to eventually force Israeli troop withdrawal from south Lebanon last May, ending Israel's 22- year occupation of the border strip. But it vows to continue fighting as long as Israel occupies the Shebaa Farms, a mountainous area at the Lebanese-Syrian border.
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