Nicholas Blanford
Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, Hizbullah’s southern commander, dismissed the pro-withdrawal
views of the Israeli officers as “nothing new,” adding that there was no
suggestion of
an imminent unilateral pullout.
“There are no concrete and serious indications on the ground that Israel
is willing to
end the occupation completely,” Qaouk told The Daily Star.
He suggested that the subject of the occupation would soon take a back
seat in Israel.
“When there are no troop casualties, the Israelis forget about the occupation,
as does
the entire world. Our operations remind the world of the occupation,” he
said.
Resistance would continue, he vowed, until the Israelis left Lebanon.
“We’re now fighting for the freedom of our country,” he said. “But after
an Israeli
withdrawal does that mean that we accept the presence of Israel beside
us? Our
position on that will be made public at the right time.”