Inquiry & Analysis | No. 586 | February 10, 2010
Lebanon | |
Resistance Conference in Beirut Declares Resistance's Victory, U.S. Policy's Defeat in RegionBy. Y. Yehoshua* The Beirut Conference: A Show of Strength by Resistance Organizations, Syria, and Iran |
The first conference of the Arab-International Forum for Support of the Resistance was held January 15-17, 2010 in Beirut. Over 3,000 individuals from the Arab, Islamic, and Western world were in attendance; figuring prominently among them were leaders of the Palestinian, Lebanese and Iraqi resistance movements, and representatives from Iran and Syria.
The guest list included: Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, Hamas Political Bureau head Khaled Mash'al, and Iraqi Scholars Association chairman Sheikh Harith Al-Dhari, who represented the Iraqi resistance. There were also senior officials from Islamic and Arab countries, including Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Mir-Tajeddini, who read a letter from Ahmadinejad; a Syrian Ba'th Party official representing Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad; and numerous Lebanese officials, including a representative of Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, a representative of Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'd Al-Hariri, and former Lebanese prime minister Salim Al-Hoss. Also among the participants was International Union of Muslim Scholars head Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, as well as officials and intellectuals from various Western countries. The latter included British MP George Galloway, as well as former U.S. attorney-general Ramsey Clark and American attorney Stanley Cohen, who for years have been active in providing legal defense for accused terrorists.
During the conference, in what was in effect a show of strength by the elements of the pro-Iran camp, participants underlined the right to armed resistance against the Israeli and American occupations, and also the importance of the resistance in thwarting the West's policy vis-à-vis the Middle East and creating a just world order. The official website of the conference explained that the idea to convene it was born of the increase in pressure and in attempts to eliminate the option of resistance to occupation after the resistance "proved its great effectiveness in thwarting the hostile plans in Lebanon, Gaza, Iraq, and Afghanistan."[1] The conference's concluding statement called for coordination among all the resistance movements, and declared the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq to be a model for ways of "countering the terrorism being implemented by Israel and the U.S."[2]
Iran's and Syria's representatives stood out at the conference; these two countries' support for the resistance was esteemed by the participants. In contrast, moderate countries, particularly Egypt, were the target of attacks. The concluding statement called for these countries to adopt resistance, sever relations with Israel, act to remove this country from the U.N. and from other international organizations, and to prosecute Israeli and American "war criminals."
This conference was held a year after the shift in the balance of power in the Middle East that led to the crumbling of the moderate Arab camp which had been a counterbalance to the pro-Iran camp in the Arab world and had vehemently opposed the resistance organizations. The crucial factor in the weakening of the moderate camp was Saudi King Abdallah's reconciliation with Syria. Saudi Arabia, which reached an agreement with Syria on the establishment of a unity government in Lebanon despite the electoral victory of the March 14 Forces – a Saudi ally – paved the way for Syria to return to Lebanon with no guarantee of Hizbullah's changing its policy, and without Syria having to provide anything tangible in exchange.
Despite its reconciliation with Saudi Arabia, Syria continues to maintain very close relations with Iran, and to support the resistance. Likewise, the Saudi conciliation towards Syria came at the same time as Syria, Iran, and the resistance organizations launched a scathing attack on Egypt, Saudi's most prominent ally, against the backdrop of Egypt's relations with Israel, the blockade on Gaza, and Egypt's construction of the steel barrier along the Egypt-Gaza border.
Particularly notable at the conference were the many Lebanese representatives, including two government ministers representing Lebanese President Michel Suleiman and Lebanese Prime Minister Sa'd Al-Hariri. Their presence at this conference reflects Hizbullah's political ascent despite its loss in the polls, and also reflects the defeat of the March 14 Forces, most of whose members no longer call today for disarming Hizbullah.
The holding of this conference in Beirut, with the attendance of senior Lebanese figures, Iran and Syria demonstrated Lebanon's return to the camp of the resistance.
Various articles in the Lebanese and Syrian press about the conference stressed that the very convening of the resistance conference in Beirut, with Syrian and Iranian backing, reflects the political accomplishments of Hizbullah and its allies. Lebanese columnist Hussein Atwi wrote in the Qatari daily Al-Watan that "the conference in Beirut would not have taken place at this time if the option of the resistance and its legitimacy was not firmly accepted by Lebanon's official echelon, following the bitter struggle in the Lebanese arena between the resistance camp and the forces that rallied around the flag of the American plan and sought to use Resolution 1559 to disarm the resistance and to impose the Americanization plan on Lebanon..."[3]
Another columnist for the Syrian Al-Watan daily, Hassan Hirdan, also referred to the circumstances that led to the conference, saying: "Beyond the shadow of a doubt, without the Arab resistance's victories in Lebanon, Palestine, and Iraq, and without the Syrian and Iranian resistance's steadfastness against the American hegemony enterprise, and without the continued support and cultivation of the resistance, this conference could never have been convened in Beirut – and it is by means of this conference that Beirut has regained its pioneering role in cultivating the seekers of freedom in the world that resist occupation, imperialism, imperialistic hegemony, and barbaric and inhuman globalization..."[4]
Call for Cooperation, Coordination between Resistance Organizations in Palestine, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Iraq
The significance of this conference is that it brought together representatives of numerous resistance organizations in the Arab and Muslim world that are acting against Israel and the U.S., and called for cooperation and coordination between them. Among the conference's goals, as set out on its website, was "forming a global resistance front to fight against the existing plan of imperialist hegemony"; expanding the support for the resistance; and fighting for the release of "tens of thousands of resistance [fighters] incarcerated in the prisons of the Zionist and American occupations."[5] The conference's concluding statement did not announce the establishment of such a front, but stated that "it is necessary to maintain coordination among the resistance [movements], to have them share knowledge and experience, to increase the unity between [these movements] and the peoples, and to provide them with the support and assistance they require..."[6]
The conference stressed the importance of resistance as the most effective way to fight Israel and the U.S., and the concluding statement – which was read out loud in the village of Maroun Al-Ras over loudspeakers aimed towards Israel – said: "Resistance to aggression and occupation is an undeniable right of the peoples, which is sanctioned by international law and by the monotheistic religions... [The peoples] have the right to wage resistance in all its forms, first and foremost armed [resistance]." The statement also called "to esteem the heroic role of the resistance in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq," which is a model for emulation, and which "stands in contrast to the terrorism of the Zionist entity and the American administration." There was also a call to "act on all levels to pursue and prosecute the leaders of the Zionist entity and the American administration who are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon."[7]
Representatives of the resistance movements who spoke at the conference proclaimed the victory of the resistance and the defeat of the American plan for the region. At the conference's opening session, held at the UNESCO palace, Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said in his speech, which was broadcast by satellite: "The men of resistance and steadfastness have achieved great victories... The New Middle East plan failed in the face of the jihad fighters' fists, the alertness of elected leaders, and the sacrifices of the common people."[8]
Hizbullah inter-Arab relations chief Hassan 'Izz Al-Din spoke in his speech about the determination of the resistance forces to continue their struggle against Israel and the U.S.: "Oh, American administration and Zionist enemy, [know] that this is a forum of Arabs and [figures] from all over the world. From here, [we] declare that we will confront your aggression, your wars, and your 'soft war' using every means at our disposal. We will defend the resistance and support it by every financial, cultural, political, media and social means, and by all [other means] available to us, and embrace it in soul and in spirit. Therefore, all the free people of the world can rest assured that today's resistance – in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine and everywhere else – is stronger than it was yesterday, and tomorrow it will be stronger still... The option of resistance is not [just the option of a certain] party or group, but the option of the [entire] nation. For the free peoples of the world it is the fastest, shortest and most effective way to liberate [the land] and restore the holy places."[9]
Hamas political bureau head Khaled Mash'al stressed the natural right of the peoples to oppose occupation, saying: "Nothing will defeat Gaza, neither war, nor siege, nor the fence being constructed [by Egypt], and the resistance will never be vanquished – neither in Lebanon nor in Gaza nor in Iraq."[10]
The representative of the Iraqi resistance at the conference was Sheikh Harith Al-Dhari, chairman of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Iraq, who stated: "The Iraqi resistance is now more determined than ever to continue its activity to the end, and with high morale. Every day it inflicts heavy losses on the occupation forces, whether they and their helpers admit it or not... This is the only plan and the right way to liberate Iraq and deliver it from the yoke of the occupation that has brought us [only] problems and evil... Every Iraqi must support the resistance by all existing, possible and legitimate means until we achieve the goal, with Allah's help. The nation, the leaders and the peoples must put aside the notion that there is any benefit in the political process in Iraq or in the political conspiracy that the occupation and its agents are promoting against Iraq and the nation...
"I commend the noble Iraqi people for resisting the occupation, in all its forms, and [for opposing] all the foreign, international and regional interference in the country's affairs. I commend the heroic resistance for its loyalty to its faith and homeland. [I express] my heartfelt praise for all factions of the Palestinian resistance, for the Lebanese and Afghan resistance, and for all [other] resistance [movements] defending their land, their people's rights, and their nation's honor..."[11]
Support for the resistance was also expressed by the Western speakers at the conference. American attorney Stanley Cohen said in his speech that the necessity for resistance was indisputable, and that peoples had the right to defend themselves, their land and their freedom of religion.[12] At the end of the conference, he said: "Resistance is the way towards victory, and it has several forms. Some wage resistance with a weapon, others with a pen and yet others with their words. But resistance, my friends, is the most powerful force on earth and it cannot be stopped – neither today nor in the future. The people of Jenin, Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and perhaps also Yemen have for a long time paid a steep price for their struggle, activity and resistance, and with Allah's help they will liberate Jerusalem next year."[13]
Praise for Iran's, Syria's Support of Resistance
The prominence of Syria and Iran at the conference was very noticeable: speeches were given by representatives of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad; many participants praised these two countries for supporting the resistance; and numerous speakers adopted the Syrian and Iranian discourse about the collapse of the Zionist-American hegemony in the region and the need for a new world order.
For example, Nasrallah praised "the unlimited support granted by Syria and Iran to the resistance,"[14] and the Syrian representative, Shahnaz Fakoush, applauded Iran for its support of the resistance.[15] Fakoush, a member of the Syrian Ba'th party's regional leadership, conveyed Assad's greetings to the conference participants and said: "Resistance has become an integral part of the lives and culture of our young people. This is an inevitable national and pan-Arab culture, for it is the path that we are confidently following towards liberating our land, restoring our rights, and drawing the map of the new Middle East as we see it, not as the enemy wants it to be..."[16]
Iranian Vice President Mohammad Reza Mir-Tajeddini read a letter from the Iranian president to the conference, which said: "In the future we hope to see even greater and more magnificent victories for Allah on the part of the jihad fighters, and we hope that all the peoples suffering under [the yoke of] occupation shall soon taste the sweet taste of freedom and independence... The Islamic Republic of Iran, based on its humanitarian and divine duty, always champions the just demands of the oppressed peoples, and especially those of the Palestinians and the Lebanese, and it will persist in this support until the divine victory [is achieved]..."[17]
In an article in the Syrian government daily Al-Thawra, columnist Faiz 'Izz Al-Din commented on Syria's high standing at the conference: "The participants saluted the role played by Syria under Bashar Al-Assad, who has not relinquished the option of resistance and has entered the fray alongside the resistance forces in Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan and in every Arab land that is under attack [and fighting for] its national sovereignty and right of self-determination. [Especially] noticeable was the presence of Arab, Muslim and foreign figures who acknowledged the correctness of Syria's policy and of its national, pan-Arab, Islamic and international stance. [This stance] has come to [represent] the aspiration of the entire world, which is yearning for [the emergence of] a strong front against the policy of racism, settlement, and Judaization employed by the aggressive entity [called] Israel..."[18]
Challenging U.S. Policy in Region
One of the conference's central messages was that the resistance challenges the imperialist Western policy that is trying to impose its hegemony on the region. The concluding statement said that "resistance is a necessary condition for establishing a just world order that prohibits wars, aggression and occupation… and inculcates the values of cooperation, brotherhood and peace."
In his speech at the opening ceremony, Nasrallah harshly attacked the U.S. and its policy: "As for the confrontation with the U.S. hegemony in the region, I can also say that we have overcome the most dangerous phase in the history of our region and nation. The military, security, economic and political power of the U.S. reached its peak in the last two decades. Encouraged by being the only [superpower] in the world, the U.S. pushed its project and its offensive against our region, our countries and our peoples to the limit.
"Seeing this as a historic opportunity to resolve its conflict with our nation, the U.S. went on to occupy Afghanistan and Iraq, constantly made threats against the Islamic Republic of Iran and against Assad's Syria, and attempted to take over Lebanon, while fully supporting and sponsoring 'Israel's' wars on Lebanon and Gaza.
"The aim was to crush the resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan, dry up all their sources of support in the world, and topple regimes that defy [the U.S.] hegemony and support the resistance – especially Iran, Syria and Sudan...
"[But] once again, the project and the people of resistance and resilience – yourselves among them – managed to make great historic achievements. The resistance movements stood fast in all the arenas, confronting the wars and the attempts to crush them physically and morally. The governments [supporting] the resistance stood fast in the face of the pressures, isolation and sanctions, and our peoples upheld the culture of honor, liberty and jihad...
"Even if we cannot talk today of the complete collapse of the U.S. project in our region, we can at the very least talk of America's failure, retreat, sense of helplessness, and lack of options. God willing, all of these are but a prelude to the final collapse of this project and war against our nation..."[19]
Syrian columnist Hassan Hirdan wrote in the Syrian daily Al-Watan that the very holding of the conference reflected a shift in the power-balance in favor of the resistance, as well as the weakness of the U.S., which is exhausted from its struggle with the resistance forces: "The forum was held in an Arab and Lebanese climate that reflects the sanctification of the victory of the resistance and opposition forces in their struggle against the American-Zionist-Western imperialism, which aims to defeat the peoples of the region and break the will of the resistance in order to redraw the map of the region according to America's interests…
"The number and quality of the participants – Arabs and foreigners from five continents – reflects the extent to which the power balance has shifted in favor of the enterprise of resistance and opposition in the region, as well as the ongoing decline of America's imperialist enterprise, which the resistance forces have managed to weaken. The forum convened at a time when America is in the midst of a deep crisis in Afghanistan and Iraq [thanks to] the activity of the resistance against its occupation forces – [activity] that is depleting its funds and manpower and exacerbating the economic and financial crisis from which it is suffering. [America's] prestige has plummeted, along with its influence and exclusive control over the international decision-making. It has been supplanted by a new world order based on multiple powers and regional [forces]. This has strengthened the enterprise of liberation and resistance against hegemony, occupation and imperialism throughout the world, giving it a chance to make further achievements and gains…"[20]
Calling on Arab Regimes to Support Resistance
Conference participants criticized the Arab regimes for not supporting the resistance and trying instead to resolve the regional conflict by diplomatic means. The concluding statement declared that resistance was "a strategic necessity in the peoples' struggle, and the most correct way to achieve the peoples' aims, after experience has taught us that the option of negotiations meets with complete failure in resolving conflicts." The statement called on the Arab states "to declare that [the strategy of] resolving conflicts [by diplomatic means] has failed, and to embrace the course of steadfastness and resistance as the strategic choice of the nation in opposing the Zionist-imperialist forces of aggression." The statement also urged the Arabs to "revoke all the agreements that have been signed with the Zionist entity and sever all ties with it," to "strictly uphold the boycott of all products of the Zionist entity and of companies that support it," and to "utilize their economic resources in the conflict [with Israel]."[21]
Special criticism was focused on the Egyptian regime, and the concluding statement called for serious efforts towards "lifting the siege on Gaza and opposing all forms of siege, including the construction of fences, among them the [Egyptian] steel barrier."[22] Nasrallah accused Egypt of helping Israel in its war on the Arab resistance movements, including by building the steel barrier. He said that by signing the peace agreement with Israel, Egypt had removed itself from the framework of the Arab-Israeli conflict, calling this "the most drastic turnaround in history" which had changed the power-balance vis-à-vis Israel. He added that the balance had tilted back only following the Islamic Revolution in Iran.[23]
Khaled Mash'al demanded of the Egyptian government to stop building the steel barrier,[24] and called on the Arab leaders to take an example from Turkey in supporting the resistance: "Treat the resistance as your strength and as a [pillar] that supports you. [Utilize] the Arab and Islamic resistance to intimidate Israel, and tell the Americans and the world that the Palestinian resistance is a complete necessity… If you dislike the example of Iran, which is confronting great forces, or the example of Syria, which refuses to succumb to pressures, then take an example from Turkey, which compelled Israel to apologize, and did not stop there but also declared that it [Turkey] would not change its policy."[25]
In an article about the conference in the Syrian daily Al-Ba'th, Lebanese columnist Muhammad Kanaysi likewise referred to the importance of the Arab regimes' support of the resistance: "The national resistance in Iraq has joined forces with the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance in toppling the New Middle East plan, which aims to subordinate the region through killing and destruction to the Israeli-American will… Since the resistance is so robust and important, and since it has clearly demonstrated its ability to realize the goals of liberation, it must not be a point of contention between official Arab [positions], nor a [subject] for debate. [The regimes] should embrace and support it, just like the masses throughout the great Arab homeland. If the official Arab regimes really wish the peace negotiations to success, they must realize, in light of their bitter experience with the Israeli entity in this domain, that [only] the existence of a strong Arab resistance [movement] will guarantee that this option be successful and fruitful, rather than futile and absurd, as Israel wishes it to remain."[26]
The Media Outlets of the Resistance
Much interest was paid at the conference to a U.S. Congress draft bill that calls for sanctions on satellite companies providing services to TV channels that incite against the U.S., such as Hizbullah's Al-Manar TV, Hamas' Al-Aqsa TV, the Iraqi Al-Rafidayn channel, and the Iraqi Al-Rai channel, which broadcasts from Syria. The conference's concluding statement said, "Freedom of the media is a sacred right that must not be violated in any way, especially by means of legislation that prevents [the media] from playing its role and fulfilling its duty in the conflict, and from publishing facts and exposing the shameful acts of the occupation."[27]
Nasrallah also referred to the bill, saying: "Although today's resistance movements are the most noble national movements in history and in the world, they are branded as terrorist or accused of promoting the 'culture of death.' [This is the West's] title for the culture of jihad and martyrdom, [which it would like us] to exchange for a culture of surrender, termed 'the culture of life.'
"[They want] to drag us [i.e., the resistance movements] into domestic conflicts, in which the resistance refuses to become involved, or to alter our priorities by deceiving the nation into replacing friend with foe and into showing hostility to Syria and Iran. [They wants us] to besiege the resistance and [silence] its voice and discourse – which is legal, reasonable, humanitarian, noble, clear and full of faith – by barring [it] from attending conferences and by means of the new American draft bill that is [currently] being legislated with the aim of silencing [us], especially my Al-Manar channel and the Al-Aqsa channel, and other Arab satellite channels that speak the truth."[28]
In this context, speakers also argued that it was Israel and the U.S., rather than the resistance movements, which were perpetrating terrorism. Hassan Hirdan wrote in his article about the conference: "The struggle today is against ideas and terms that the American and Western media, as well as other recruited media, are spreading in order to smear the reputation of the resistance. [The struggle is] to expose and condemn the terrorist acts that are perpetrated by the agents of the CIA and the Mossad against civilians in Iraq and Pakistan in order to blame them on the resistance. This is a struggle no less important than that of the resistance [fighters] on the battlefield…"[29]
Criticism of the Conference in the Arab World
Along with the articles, primarily in the Syrian and Lebanese press, praising the conference, other Arab media were harshly critical of both the conference and its organizers – particularly the writers who oppose the resistance movements and Iran's policy in the Middle East. Various writers condemned the resistance in its current form, calling it a cover for other interest-driven motives – such as taking power by force or actualizing Iranian aspirations. The following are excerpts from several such articles:
Lebanese Columnist: The Conference Harms Lebanon and Lebanon's Future; Lebanon Must Oppose the Culture of Death
While the Lebanese press, including that identified with the March 14 Forces, featured no articles harshly condemning the conference, criticism appeared on nowlebanon.com, in an article by Lebanese columnist Khirallah Khirallah, who usually writes for the Lebanese daily Al-Mustaqbal. He wrote:
"Lebanon opposes the resistance conference that is being held by Hizbullah in Beirut, [and] this is the real resistance... What do they want from Lebanon – that it should be the base for operations against Israel, while all the Arabs, and all the Arab fronts, remain silent? Or – and is this the real aim of the Beirut conference – is Lebanon to be a mere card... in agreements that the Iran-Syria axis will make with America, 'the Great Satan,' and with Israel, the 'Little Satan'...?
"All the Iranian regime wants is to prove is that it has a presence on the Mediterranean, and all the Syrian regime wants to show is that nothing has changed in Lebanon, that the assassination of [former Lebanese prime minister] Rafiq Al-Hariri was only a passing incident... and that Lebanon remains the playing field through which the [Syrian] regime dispenses its influence in all directions and in all Lebanese circles...
"No serious global, regional, or local element is unaware that Hizbullah is nothing but a brigade belonging to Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, and that it has no agenda but the Iranian-Syrian agenda...
"You don't have to be a political or strategic genius to know that the Palestinian weapons outside the refugee camps [in Lebanon] are in the Syrian military bases on Lebanese soil. These bases are used to pressure Lebanon and the Lebanese, and they have no connection either to resisting Israel or to confronting it.
"Lebanon, and every Lebanese citizen, must oppose the culture of death. Every Lebanese citizen who believes in life and in the culture of life, and believes that Lebanon is not an [arena for operations], must say that the conference of the 'Arab-International Forum for Support of the Resistance' is directed against this small homeland, and against the future of its sons, in the absence of the ability [on the part of the resistance camp] to defeat Israel by means that are not mere slogans..."[30]
Egyptian MP and Al-Gumhouriyya Editor: This is Not Resistance But Oppression
Egyptian MP and editor of the daily Al-Gumhouriyya Muhammad 'Ali Ibrahim attacked the resistance movements, and in particular Hizbullah: "To tell the truth, I do not know the purpose of this conference. Has the resistance died, [making it necessary for them] to announce its demise? Or do they want to enumerate their achievements in front of the cameras now that the spotlight has been turned off, especially since we know that their biggest achievement is their presence on the satellite channels.
"The Palestinian resistance [i.e., Hamas] has not been at its best since it murdered Palestinian Fatah members and thrown them in jail. They murdered Dr. [Abu Al-Nour] Al-Maqdisi after he announced himself the Emir of Gaza... They are also protecting Israel's border from attacks by rival Palestinian groups, and have warned all the factions to refrain from firing even a single missile at Israel or else face dire consequences. Is this resistance? As for Hassan Nasrallah, who enjoys such popularity in the Arab world that some call him 'Mr. Resistance,' I think he is [actually] 'Mr. Hideaway.' Hizbullah is no longer a resistance movement but [merely] a local sectarian militia that is seeking to rule Lebanon, and has nothing to do with resistance against Israel. Do these [militiamen] count as resistance fighters?
"Sadly, resistance has acquired a new definition in Arab politics, namely 'pursuit of a political job.' To put it briefly, in the Arab countries resistance means oppressing your opponents in the name of fighting the enemy, without [actually] firing a single shot against the enemy. Sometimes resistance has a different definition, as in the case of the resistance in Gaza, [where] it is hiring itself out to foreign powers and tying its fate to various regional agendas... In Baghdad, resistance takes on a religious guise, and is called 'the [Iraqi] Scholars Association.' Let me take this opportunity to say that [this association] includes no ulema or imams – [its title] is merely [decoration] meant to legitimize violence against civilians. That, in a nutshell, is the state of the resistance in the Arab world. Is this [really] resistance?!"[31]
Al-Arabiya Director-General: The Resistance Has Lost Its Aura of Sanctity
The director-general of Al-Arabiya TV, 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Rashed, wrote in a similar vein in the daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat: "The Arab resistance movements convened at the UNESCO Palace in Beirut, where each leader talked about his heroic feats... The word 'resistance' has grown worn with time, and has been abused to the point of losing the aura of sanctity that once surrounded it. How can one respect the resistance in Iraq after seeing thousands of people deliberately killed in schools, markets, shops, homes, and government institutions that have nothing to do with the security forces? How can the resistance in Palestinian be sacred when with one hand it is fighting its Palestinian brothers and with the other defending the Israeli border from infiltration by other resistance [groups]? [As for] the Lebanese resistance, how did it become, in the nine years since the Israeli withdrawal, bereft of any role except to serve as a tool for forcibly controlling the Lebanese?
"This is the state of the resistance today, and that is the state of any resistance [movement] that is no longer apt, such as Hizbullah, whose resistance [activity] has become [nothing more than] a domestic problem [in Lebanon] since it turned into a local militia. Resistance is [now] a mere slogan, and its real purpose is to control the domestic [arena] by the force of arms and by silencing opponents in the name of fighting the enemy. [Even] in Palestine, where there is occupation and an armed enemy, some of the resistance [forces] have become tools in the hands of external forces..."[32]
Al-Siyassa Editor: A Satanic Pact Serving Iranian Interests
A particularly harsh indictment of the resistance movements was published on January 17 by the editor of the Kuwaiti daily Al-Siyassa, Ahmad Al-Jarallah, who frequently criticizes the Syrian-Iranian camp and has lately written often in praise of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. In fact, his article prompted the Lebanese authorities to ban the distribution of Al-Siyassa in Lebanon on that day.[33] Al-Jarallah wrote: "The quadrilateral satanic pact, which encompasses Iran, Hizbullah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza, and the [Houthis] in Yemen who are rebelling against law, state and religion, immediately ripped the mask off the ugly plan that is being concocted against this region. Anyone who reads between the lines of the statements made by the central figures of this alliance in Beirut, Gaza, San'a and Tehran realizes that we can no longer settle for partial solutions or be tempted by calls for reconciliation with this group of hotheads, who recognize nothing but the interests of the new Persian imperialism and cannot see beyond their own noses.
"When Hassan Nasrallah says from Beirut that his party will change the face of the region with every future war with Israel, and accuses Egypt of 'defecting from the ranks of the Arabs,' he forgets, deluded as he is, that he is only a tool controlled remotely by the 'Iranian interest,' and that he cannot even inhale without orders from Iranian intelligence... He issues these frivolous threats when he cannot even go to the grocer's [in his neighborhood of] Dahiya in south Beirut, and continues to hide... How can someone in such a position change the face of the region? And does Nasrallah think that Egypt, which figured out long ago that slogans cannot liberate a single inch of land, will let itself be used as a conduit for Iran's loathsome interests?...
"Let Hassan Nasrallah, Khaled Mash'al, Isma'il Haniya, [Yemeni sheikh] 'Abd Al-Majid Al-Zindani,[34] Harith Al-Dhari, and their associates pack their things and go to Mogadishu to engage in their hobbies – piracy and the killing of innocent people – and give the Arab peoples a break from the mad parties they hold every so often. There it will be easier to deal with their madness, and the world will have a rest from their nonsense forever."[35]
Iraqi Columnists Condemn Iranian Presence at Conference
A number of Iraqi writers, some who support the resistance and some who reject it, criticized the fact that Iran played a dominant role at the conference in spite of its blunt interference in Iraq's internal affairs.
Dr. Ayman Al-Hashemi, an Iraqi columnist who frequently criticizes Iran's involvement in Iraq, wrote: "It is strange that statements by a representative of the Iranian president should creep in at the Beirut conference, which is devoted to discussion of the Arab resistance against the occupations in Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon. This oddity raises suspicions regarding the organizers of this conference, which seems to have been aimed at prettifying Iran's ugly face and at presenting Iran as a supporter of the Arab resistance...
"Iran interferes in the internal affairs of countries, and it plays a destructive role in undermining security and stability in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Gulf states, and Yemen. The Iraqi resistance has suffered greatly from Iran's insolent interference. [It suffered] from Iran's support of sectarian [i.e., Shi'ite] governments appointed by the occupier. [In fact, Iran] even declared explicitly that the U.S. cannot occupy Iraq without its help. What an incredible paradox...
"Iran's official participation in the conference on the Arab resistance is amazing, because Iran is not a country of resistance. No one has occupied its land; it has no invading soldiers, and no one has attacked it – on the contrary, it is Iran that is the aggressive country... Can Iran be considered [a country that] leads the line of resistance in the region?... Maybe [Iran] is the one who funded the conference, so as to lead it in the direction it wanted it to go."[36]
Iraqi Ba'thist writer Jabar Khader Al-Ghazi was critical of the fact that Iraq was represented at the conference by Harith Al-Dhari, who, according to Al-Ghazi, is close to Iran. He wrote: "We noticed that the task of representing the Iraqi resistance was given to Sheikh Harith Al-Dhari. [This] is because he is hostile to the 'Jihad, Liberation and National Salvation Front' [established by 'Izzat Al-Douri] and to its leaders. From the standpoint of the Iranians, who are funding the conference, [This hostility] has prepared him to grab the role [of representing] the Iraqi national armed resistance and to create further points of dispute...
"[Furthermore,] the conference was media propaganda for the countries of the region, and particularly for Iran... The statements by Ahmadinejad's [representative] did not even mention the resistance in Iraq, but were limited to the Arab resistance in Lebanon and to Hamas – and this was for reasons both cheap and selfish.
"The question is, what is Iran's connection to the resistance? Shouldn't Iran be asked to change its policy in Iraq...[?]"[37]
*Y. Yehoshua is Director of Research at MEMRI.
[1] http://www.withresistance.org/concept.html
[2] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[3] Al-Watan (Qatar), January 23, 2010.
[4] Al-Watan (Syria), January 24, 2010.
[5] http://www.withresistance.org/concept.html.
[6] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[7] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[8] www.moqawama.org, January 15, 2010.
[9] Al-Safir (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[10] Al-Safir (Lebanon), January 16, 2010; www.palestine-info.info, January 15, 2010.
[11] www.iraq-amsi.com, January 15, 2010.
[12] Teshreen (Syria), January 17, 2010.
[13] Al-Liwa (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[14] www.moqawama.org, January 15, 2010.
[15] Al-Safir (Lebanon), January 16, 2010.
[16] Al-Safir (Lebanon), January 16, 2010.
[17] Al-Safir (Lebanon), January 16, 2010.
[18] Al-Thawra (Syria), January 21, 2010.
[19] www.moqawama.org, January 15, 2010.
[20] Al-Watan (Syria), January 24, 2010.
[21] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[22] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[23] www.moqawama.org, January 15, 2010.
[24] www.palestine-info.info, January 15, 2010.
[25] Al-Safir (Lebanon), January 16, 2010; www.palestine-info.info, January 15, 2010.
[26] Al-Ba'th (Syria), January 17, 2010.
[27] Al-Nahar (Lebanon), January 18, 2010.
[28] www.moqawama.org, January 15, 2010.
[29] Al-Watan (Syria), January 24, 2010.
[30] www.nowlebanon.com, January 21, 2010. A slightly different version of the article was published in the Kuwaiti daily Al-Rai on January 27, 2010.
[31] Al-Gumhouriyya (Egypt), January 21, 2010.
[32] Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), January 17, 2010.
[33] Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), January 23, 2010.
[34] A few days before the conference, Al-Zindani said that jihad against the occupiers was an obligation, and signed a statement issued by 160 clerics saying that jihad must be waged against any foreign military intervention in the country. See: http://www.memrijttm.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=2696¶m=GJN.
35] Al-Siyassa (Kuwait), January 17, 2010.
[36] Iraqoftomorrow.org, January 25, 2010.
[37] www.albasrah.net, January 22, 2010.
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