Hezbollah chief sees no change in US foreign policy under Obama

Nov 11, 2008, 19:44 GMT

Beirut - The leader of the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said late Tuesday that he expects to see no change in US foreign policy with the election of Senator Barack Obama as president.

'Don't exaggerate hopes nor give people high expectations so that no one is disappointed or makes miscalculations ... the American foreign policy will not change,' Nasrallah told supporters at Hezbollah's Martyrs Day in Beirut's southern suburbs.

Nasrallah, who spoke to the crowd of thousands via a huge television screen after Hezbollah fighters marched in a military parade, said, 'I don't want to anticipate events, but logic dictates...that he will not be more lenient or less unfair than his predecessor.'

Nasrallah in his speech accused Israel of operating multiple spy networks in Lebanon, vowing that 'the Israeli hand that attacks Lebanon will be cut off.'

'The spy network that was recently exposed is one of many operating in more than one arena and in more than one place,' the Hezbollah chief said, referring to a cell recently arrested by the Lebanese army, believed to be linked to Israel's Mossad.

'This is a serious matter and we must pay close attention to it - at this very moment there are spy planes flying over the Dahiya,' Nasrallah said, referring to the southern suburbs that are a hotbed of Hezbollah, while urging the Lebanese army to obtain anti-aircraft missiles.

Nasrallah also urged Arab nations to seek to ban Israeli President Shimon Peres from an upcoming interfaith summit, sponsored by the United Nations, to be held in at the New York UN headquarters Wednesday.

Peres and Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni were to join UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait for dinner Tuesday ahead of the meeting.

Nasrallah accused Peres of being responsible for massacres both in Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.

'They should kick Israel out of this conference and prevent Peres from going up on stage and speaking,' he concluded.