The following are excerpts from an address by Hizbullah Leader Hassan Nasrallah to a pro-Syrian rally in Beirut. Al-Manar TV aired this address on March 8, 2005
Hassan Nasrallah: We say to Syria, as your president, Bashar Al-Assad has said:
"In Lebanon, your presence in not material or military.
You are present in the souls, the hearts,
the minds, the present, the past, and the future…"
I say to you, no one can get Syria out of Lebanon,
or out of its mind, its heart, and its future.
We emphasize that any mechanism for Syria's remaining or withdrawing from Lebanon must be subject only to the Al-Taef agreement.
We, who are gathered here, have come to tell the world
that we reject resolution 1559.
Lebanon is a unique case. Lebanon is not like Somalia,
in case you are thinking of military intervention.
Lebanon is not Ukraine. Lebanon is not Ukraine. Lebanon is not Georgia.
Lebanon is Lebanon, a unique case in this world.
If there are those who think that they can bring this country down,
with its regime, its security, its stability, and its strategic choices,
with their connections, their positions and sponsors, with some demonstrations, some scarves, some slogans, and some the media -
then they are wrong.
I address the following to America… I address the following to America.
I say to President Bush…
And to Ms. Condoleezza Rice…
and to the American-Lebanese field commander, Satterfield:
You are wrong about Lebanon.
You are wrong about Lebanon.
Lebanon rejects the partition. Lebanon rejects civil strife. Lebanon rejects defeat.
And I say to you, this Lebanon rejects death.
Never will Lebanon change its name, its history, its identity, or its attire.
Lebanon will not tear off its skin, or throw its heart to your soldiers' dogs so they will eat it.
Lebanon will remain the Lebanon of the homeland, of Arab identity,
the Lebanon of the resistance, the Lebanon of the entire nation.
I ask you… You can make yourself heard by the commander
of the American forces in the region,
who is of Lebanese origin, John Abizaid –
Are you Lebanese afraid of the American naval fleets?
These naval fleets have come in the past, and were defeated,
and if they come again, they will be defeated again.
I say to the Americans: "Don't interfere in our internal affairs. Let us be, and keep your ambassador in his embassy in Awkar.
He should let us Lebanese be.
We Lebanese are the most devoted to our homeland,
to defending our homeland, to the existence of our state,
to our national unity, to our life together, and to our internal peace.
Remove your fingers - the fingers of civil strife - from our country.
To Syria we say: Long live Assad's Syria! Long live Assad's Syria! Long live Assad's Syria! Long live Assad's Syria! Long live Assad's Syria! Long live Assad's Syria!
The den of the lion (Assad) in Damascus will remain a den for all the lions of Lebanon.
