In an effort to rebut claims about Hezbollah's secret weapons sites, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil invited more than 70 foreign envoys during a guided tour Monday in the alleged premises. from Beirut.
The move followed a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he accused the Shia militia of converting "imprecise projectiles" into precision-guided missiles in Beirut. He also showed aerial photos that he said showed the exact location of the weapons storage centers.
On Monday, Foreign Minister Bassil accused Israel of "trying to justify another aggression" against Lebanon by uttering "pure lies".
"Lebanon will not accept that the UN is used as a platform to attack Lebanon," Bassil told the ambassadors before the tour of the scene.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
Hezbollah climb
Hezbollah, or Party of God, was designed by Muslim clerics in the 1980s in response to the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982. The Shiite group has a political and military wing.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
National support against Israel
Hezbollah appeared in the 1980s as a group of Shiite militias and played a major role in Lebanon's civil war. He used guerrillas to drive out Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. Israel withdrew in 2000. Israel and Hezbollah engaged in another war in 2006. His defense of Lebanon against Israel had won him the support of all sects and his acceptance by Lebanese society.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
Supported by Iran
Since its inception, Hezbollah has received military, financial and political support from Iran and Syria. Today, the military wing of Hezbollah is more powerful than the Lebanese army and has become a major regional paramilitary force.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
Political apparatus
Hezbollah turned to politics after the end of the Lebanese civil war from 1975 to 1990. It represents a large part of the Lebanese Shiite population and is allied with other sectarian groups, including Christians. Their political development is mainly due to Hassan Nasrallah (photo), who became the leader of the group in 1992.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
Armed wing
Unlike other parties involved in the Lebanese civil war from 1975 to 1990, Hezbollah did not disband its armed wing. Some Lebanese political groups, such as the Movement for the Future of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, want Hezbollah to lay down its arms. Hezbollah says its militant wing is needed to defend against Israel and other outside threats.
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Hezbollah, the paramilitary organization of Lebanon backed by Iran
Group of terror?
A number of countries and organs, including the United States, Israel, Canada and the Arab League, regard Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. However, the United Kingdom, Australia and the European Union distinguish between their legitimate political activities and their militant wing.
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Hezbollah, the paramilitary organization of Lebanon backed by Iran
Hezbollah enters civil war in Syria
Hezbollah has been one of the main supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad in the civil war in the country. His entry into the war helped save Assad, one of his main bosses; has secured arms supply routes from Syria and has formed a buffer zone around Lebanon against groups of Sunni militants whom they feared they are invading Syria. As a result, he gained considerable support from Shia communities in Lebanon.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
Sectarianism
Lebanon has long been at the center of regional power struggles, particularly between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, Hezbollah's military and political ascendancy, as well as its intervention in Syria, also contributed to fueling sectarian tensions between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon and the region.
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Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary organization supported by Iran
Renewed conflict with Israel?
Iran and Hezbollah have increased their political and military strength through the war in Syria. Israel considers this a threat and has carried out dozens of airstrikes on Iran / Hezbollah targets in Syria. Israel has promised not to let Iran and Hezbollah create a permanent presence in Syria. A new war between Hezbollah and Israel that could attract Iran is causing more and more concern.
Author: Chase Winter
Golf course, stadium, warehouse
The tour first led the diplomats to a golf course near the Beirut airport, then to the Ahed football team stadium, both identified by Netanyahu as Hezbollah plants. Specifically, Netanyahu said there was a missile site under the stadium, prompting the Lebanese authorities to take the envoys to the gym and underground locker rooms.
The entrance of the Ahed stadium in Beirut
The ambassadors ended the trip by visiting an abandoned warehouse in the district of Ouzai. However, it was not clear if the location corresponded to the third site marked by Netanyahu.
In his speech to the UN, the Israeli leader also accused Iran of having a "secret atomic warehouse" and said Tehran had asked its Hezbollah allies to build the Beirut sites. . Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif ridiculed the accusations by saying that no "craft" show would cover the fact that Israel has an undeclared nuclear arsenal.
Face the bragging of Nasrallah
Hezbollah operates from a multi-religious Lebanon, but the Shiite militia exerts military power well beyond the official Lebanese army. The group is one of the most ardent allies of Iran. Israel and the Shiite army faction have waged several wars, the last one in 2006.
Last month, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah boasted that the militia had obtained "extremely accurate" missiles, despite Israeli efforts to keep them out of reach.
Read more: What you need to know about the military might of Iran
Addressing ambassadors on Monday, Bassil said that Nasrallah's statement "does not mean that these missiles are present near Beirut airport".
The tour included representatives of Iran and Russia. In turn, emissaries from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were present during Bassil's remarks but chose not to visit the sites. The US ambassador was absent from Monday's protest, apparently because he was out of the country.
dj / rt (dpa, AFP, Reuters, AP)
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