Aoun: Hizbullah Not Playing Domestic Security Role, Resistance is Not Terror

President Michel Aoun has defended Hizbullah in an interview in Rome with leading Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

“Hizbullah has no influence in any way on the security situation of the Lebanese inside the country. As for the southern border, there is ongoing cooperation between the army and the UNIFIL forces,” Aoun said.

“Hizbullah is a party that possesses weapons and it liberated the Lebanese south from Israeli occupation. It consists of Lebanese southern citizens who suffered from Israeli occupation and resisting occupation is not terrorism,” the President added.

Asked about the recent normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab countries, Aoun said: “These countries do not have parts of their territories that are occupied by Israel, whereas parts of the territories of Lebanon and Syria are still occupied.”

“When we liberate them, there will be no more problems related to a military conflict and a track of peace negotiations with Israel can be launched, in order to preserve rights and national sovereignty and liberate land and water, seeing as Lebanon is not a state that is fond of wars,” the President added.

As for the political controversy over the probe into the Beirut port blast explosion, Aoun said: “There is a conflict in Lebanon between those who want justice and those who don’t want it.”

“Some parties are opposed to the current course and it is a duty to carry out sacrifices in order to reach the goal, but I’m confident that justice will be fulfilled, especially that all Lebanese are seeking it,” the President added.

“I have demanded the elimination of all obstacles preventing its fulfillment,” Aoun noted.