Nasrallah warns Israel at anniversary fete (Roundup)

By Weedah Hamzah Aug 14, 2007, 21:15 GMT

Beirut - Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah Tuesday warned Israel against future attacks before a cheering crowd gathered to celebrate what his militant Shiite group calls its 'divine victory' in the 33-day war with Israel last summer.

Men, women, children and the elderly flocked to a football stadium near the Roueiss neighbourhood to hear Nasrallah, carrying pictures of the leader and placards that read 'August 14 - the day of victory over the Zionist regime.'

'The July war has aborted the American project to form a new Middle East,' Nasrallah proclaimed.

Nasrallah also accused some 'agents in the country for working to achieve the American goal,' and blamed Lebanon's current political crisis on Washington and Israel, who he said had 'used their influence to prevent the participation and cooperation among the political parties in Lebanon.'

Despite its military weight, Israel failed to crush Hezbollah during the conflict which began July 12, 2006, after Hezbollah guerrillas based in southern Lebanon snatched two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack.

The war was halted on August 14 by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which allowed the deployment of Lebanese soldiers and a beefed- up UN peacekeeping force to monitor the border between Lebanon and Israel.

More than 1,200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, died in the war as well as 116 Israeli soldiers and 43 civilians.

Much of Lebanon's infrastructure was damaged during the fighting. Bridges, roads and thousands of homes were destroyed.

Nasrallah reminded Isrrael that Hezbollah has rockets 'that can hit deep inside the Israeli territories' and said Israel would pay a 'higher price' and face a 'bigger surprise' in a future war.

The crowd chanted 'God is great' in response.

Nasrallah reminded the crowd that his group had paid people who had lost their homes in the war, and vowed to help those still needing a roof over the heads that it would pay their monthly rent for another year.

After the war, Hezbollah paid each family with a damaged house 12,000 dollars help them furnish and rent a flat for one year, using money allegedly sent by Iran. Syria is another strong backer of the Shiite movement.

Nasrallah's followers waited for Nasrallah's appearance, hoping to see him in person instead of on a broadcast screen.

'For us he is the hero and with his wisdom and military tactics he made this victory,' a man carrying Hezbollah's yellow flag said.

'He is the leader of the resistance and we are his strugglers all of us, women, elderly and children,' Mustafa Jafaar, a Hezbollah follower said.

Lebanon has been locked by a political deadlock since six pro-Syrian ministers, among them two Hezbollah, resigned in November after calling on the current government to quit and form a new national unity government which will grant the opposition, led by Hezbollah, veto power.

Part of the crisis focussed on Hezbollah's opposition to a UN-led investigation into the murder of former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

The western-backed government of premier Fouad Seniora has refused to grant the opposition a national unity government before a new president is elected to replace current pro-Syrian president Emile Lahoud.