An absolute “must watch”!!
——-
In the Name of Allah, The Compassionate, The Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the world. Peace be on the Seal of prophets – our Master and Prophet Abi Al Qassem Mohammad – and on his chaste and pure Household, chosen companions and all prophets and messengers.
Brothers and sisters! Ladies and gentlemen! Peace be upon you all and Allah’s mercy and blessing.
First, I have promised to hold a press conference in which I present indications and data that open new horizons which help in accusing the Israeli enemy of assassinating martyr Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. This is exactly what I promised of, and I will fulfill my promise tonight Inshallah.
Also since I made my announcement to this effect, comments from one party were issued: Why now? Why not years before? Why did you hide this data? Why are you unveiling it now and talking about it?
Apart from the means, background and technique in which this issue was evoked – as we will talk seriously because we do not want to get engaged with each other – I will leave answering this question to the end of the press conference because the data which I will present will help, taking its nature and timing into consideration. That will help very much in answering this question.
Indeed I must welcome all of you and thank you for this important and great attendance. It goes without saying that the event, the topic, the cause, the stage and the challenge necessitated on you this level of responsibility – and you are competent for this responsibility. Welcome then. I also thank all the media outlets that will show interest in what I will say and broadcast it live on air.
As usual, there are several topics:
I will try to be as quick as possible. I will talk also in classical Arabic to generalize the benefit abroad. I will be as quick as possible to make full use of time though the case deserves considerable time from all of us.
The first topic: Israel’s accusation of Hezbollah. This is an indispensable prelude. The Israeli enemy had been working on this since the very beginning and especially after the event of September 13th, 1993. All of us – all the Lebanese – know that on that very day Oslo Accord was inked. Hezbollah organized a protest in the southern suburb (Dahiyeh); it was opposed by the Lebanese government which was then under Premier Hariri. Fire was opened on the demonstrators; ten martyrs fell and more than 50 were wounded. At the time, a kind of political tension and conflict took place between Hezbollah and the first government of Premier Hariri and with Premier Rafiq Hariri in person. This is well known.
The Israelis intruded through one of their agent at the time who contacted one of the security internals in the party of Premier Hariri. He worked at convincing him that Hezbollah is plotting to assassinate him and is now in the execution stage. He particularly accused brethren martyr Imad Mughniyeh and others of what he claimed and the data he gave.
To comprehend the issue, I would like to present it in my way: Months after the event of September 13th, 1993, Syrian Intelligence and pursuant to a command by General Ghazi Kanaan, arrested one of the Islamic Resistance cadres in Sidon – namely brethren fighter Hajj Ali Deeb who is known as Abu Hassan Salameh and who was later killed by the Israelis. When you listen to the collaborator talking about Abu Hassan Salameh, he would be meaning brethren Ali Deeb. Brethren Ali Deeb was arrested in ambiguous unknown conditions. Days later, I knew that brethren Abu Hassan Salameh is in Anjjar. So I went to meet General Ghazi Kanaan, and I called on him to set free the brethren. He told me that he sent him that morning to Damascus and that the issue is in Damascus by now. I blamed him saying: What is the story? Has you summoned him from me for interrogation, you know that we would have responded. You know we respond in such issues especially if the case is sensitive.
General Ghazi told me: (Indeed let no one say I am referring to deceased persons because the document exists and will be presented in a while) Some days ago, Premier Rafiq Hariri paid me a visit and told me: I have some data; there is a very close person to Hajj Imad Mughniyeh. He is either a politburo or one of the very close bodyguards to Hajj Imad. He attended a session (this reminds me of Zuheir Essedeeq) with Hajj Imad Mughniyeh and Abu Hassan Salameh among others whom he did not know by name. In the session, they plotted to assassinate you. The assassination will take place through ambushes which will be set for you in this road and on that road. He gave him some details. General Ghazi carries on saying: We can’t remain silent on that because this is an assassination operation which is being set for the Premier. We can’t contact Imad Mughniyeh but we can reach Abu Hassan Salameh. Thus we arrested him. I told him: Good. Six days of interrogation – allow me to say of “Anjjari” interrogation – during which the bones of Abu Hassan Salameh were ‘crushed’ so that he confesses and acknowledges of the incident but Abu Hassan used to tell them that is not true. This is sheer falsehood. He used to deny that absolutely.
He was sent to Damascus, and he was interrogated there too. General Ghazi told me: The case is now in Damascus. I wrote then a letter to late President Hafiz Assad. He referred the case to General Ali Duba. (Now we are talking about alive persons). He called me to have a meeting with me. I went to meet General Ali. He got an investigation file. The result of the investigation in Damascus also was that the story is baseless.
Indeed things took place then and there is no time to mention them now. Brethren Abu Hassan was set free and he returned to Beirut. Two years following this incident (which took place by the end of 1993 and early 1994) i.e. in 1996, the security of the Resistance was pursuing an Israeli collaborator who used to take shots of headquarters, houses and personalities in the southern suburbs of Beirut (Dahiyeh) and in the South. Finally the brethrens could arrest him. The name of the collaborator is Ahmad Nasrallah. He is not a relative of mine indeed because he is from another village. But now he is not a relative even of his own family because the collaborator does not belong to his father, mother and family.
The interrogation with collaborator Ahmad Nasrallah was over photographing houses and headquarters. What did you photographed? What did you provide the Israelis with? The story of Premier Rafiq Hariri, General Ghazi Kanaan and Abu Hassan Salameh was not in our minds at all. However, in the process of the interrogation, he mentioned the story and we have as prolonged record of that. However due to the importance of the time element and the time limit, we will listen in a while to some of the confessions of this collaborator. He confessed and said: I contacted one of PM Hariri’s internals and told him that I am close to Hajj Imad Mughniyeh. He also mentioned a name – Mohammad Afif – and said that he does not in fact know someone with this name. I gave him false illusionary information for several months. (See what this collaborator did. He used to demand on the security body of Premier Hariri to avoid moving on such and such highway because his information says that Hezbollah will ambush him there or place a booby-trapped car there, and tell them that he must take another highway. For an interval of time, he could control the movement of Premier Hariri’s motorcade. He then quoted (And this is very serious) Abu Hassan Salameh as saying that during the session he suggested (And Abu Hassan is from Sidon so his suggestion is typically from Sidon too) that they may kill MP Bahiyeh Hariri. Then Premier Hariri will be obliged to come to Sidon to receive condolences and then they would kill him in Sidon. This is the complete fabrication which was presented by the Israeli collaborator to Premier Hariri’s security body.
Then I handed a copy of the tape to General Ghazi Kanaan, and the collaborator was also handed to the concerned security apparatuses. He was jailed until 2000. In February 2000 and before the liberation he was set free for reasons which I do not know. He fled within few days to the border line and thereof to Occupied Palestine and he is still there. His family followed him or he fled with his family and he is still there in Occupied Palestine where he works for recruiting Lebanese for the enemy.
This is the beginning then. Collaborator Ahmad Nasrallah could, and following dictations from the Israeli enemy, implant this fabrication. So our story with false witnesses started a long time ago. Here is a biography for Ahmad Nasrallah and a sound bite for him:
The report:
Name: Ahmad Hussein Nasrallah
Date and place of birth: Khiam, 1967.
Nationality: Lebanese.
He is an Israeli collaborator who resides currently in Occupied Palestine.
He was arrested in 1996 and remained in jail until 2000 when he was set free on February 3rd, 2000. He fled to the occupied border line on February 14th, 2000 and thereof he fled to Occupied Palestine in May 2000.
His family members came back from Occupied Palestine to Lebanon in groups via Naqura border gate.
During his presence in Occupied Palestine, he partook in several recruitment operations for Lebanese to work for the enemy.
He provided Premier Hariri with false information via one of the persons who work for PM Hariri: Illusionary information about Hajj Imad Mughniyeh; Hezbollah intends to assassinate Premier Hariri and had executed to this effect several unsuccessful attempts; a booby-trapped car is set and will target Premier Hariri – he eyed it on St. Michael crossing; Hezbollah has the intention of targeting Premier Hariri via persuading him to come to Sidon after brethren martyr Ali Deeb kills MP Bahiyeh Hariri in Sidon.
Collaborator Ahmad Hussein Nasrallah (Sound bite): My name is Ahmad Hussein Nasrallah. I know a man who works for Rafiq Hariri since 1988 or 1989. He used to work at Al Hariri Institute near the house of my sister. On the day of the massacre of September 1993, I was going to visit my sister and the incident took place. He asked me what took place. What do you have to say? Was it a massacre? I told him they say that things are not going smoothly. They want to kill Rafiq Hariri. So if there was something against Hariri you may benefit from me. After a week or two, I saw him and told him it seems they are preparing something against Rafiq Hariri. He told me are you able to know anything to this effect? Can you make sure if there is something being prepared? I told him yes I can be sure. I can collect information whether there is anything prepared or not. After around a week or four or five days I saw him and told him there is a person whom we may benefit from. His name is Mohammad Afif who works with Imad Mughniyeh and who works in a security way. There is an attempt to kill Hariri.
I told him what is the communication means between you and me – in case anything takes place? I took a date after a week so that he gives me a mobile phone. On that date he gave me a mobile phone. So in every time I used to tell him: There is a booby-trapped car and give him its descriptions. I used to tell him there is something prepared for Hariri. (Don’t let your master go and come. Always warn him. I used to tell him at time where is you master? I used to know when there is a session for the government and tell him let your master be aware. There is a booby-trapped car on the way to Baabda. Let your master be aware. Once I told him that Imad Mughniyeh is going to Hamra if any one may watch him or anything of this sort. Once I told him the story of Bahiyeh – that there is an assassination attempt against Bahiyeh so if they kill Bahiyeh Hariri, Premier Hariri will visit Sidon. When he comes they will kill him while on the way to Sidon. This was set by Abu Hassan Salameh who lives in Sidon. Thus was the story of killing Bahiyeh.
So whenever I go and come back from the South, I would tell him I saw the men of Abu Hassan Salameh on my way. As for Mohammad Afif, there is no one with this name. I fabricated this name for an illusionary guy who works with me and with Imad. As for Imad Mughniyeh I do not know him. I never in my life saw him but I hear of his name.
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: This is evidence on the primary Israeli fabrication deluding Premier Hariri to this effect. It goes without saying that then we may suppose that the martyr Premier did not inform General Ghazi Kanaan only but also informed the rest of his friends in Syria, his close team, his French, Saudi, Gulf, European friends and others. Indeed one can’t remain silent on such a critical issue. Thus the Israelis could implant in the minds of many that there is an illusionary conspiracy of this kind.
We suffice ourselves with this extent and move to the second part.
Second under the topic of Israel’s accusation of Hezbollah: We found that the Israelis on February 14th, 2005 made haste and accused us of the assassination. Since the very beginning they stuck to this accusation for years until reaching Dir Spiegel and what follows Dir Spiegel. You have listened recently to Israeli comments on the issue. Still and also not to consume much of time, we will watch a brief report on some samples of Israel’s accusations of Hezbollah.
The Report: The Israeli accusation of Hezbollah – Statements made by Israeli officials and the comments of the Israeli media accusing Hezbollah of standing behind the crime.
On February 14th, 2005, the Israeli Radio commented on the killing of Premier Hariri saying he had considerable conflicts with Hezbollah.
On February 17th, 2005, Yadiot Ahranot published a report in which it mentioned the Military Intelligence Branch – Aman – as saying that the Branch has completed a new report which indicates that Hezbollah is the side responsible of liquidating former Lebanese Premier Rafiq Hariri.
On February 17th, 2005, Amnon Dahan from Shas Party said that based on Aman report Hezbollah has assassinated Hariri and backed tightening the grip around Hezbollah and freezing its activities.
Worth mentioning that journalist Amos Har’il wrote a report in Haartez on May 25th, 2010 and presented a file to Aman by the end of 2001 – i.e. three years before the assassination took place in which he expected that Hariri be assassinated on the hands of Hezbollah.
War Minister Ehud Barak on May 24th, 2009 i.e. after Dir Spiegel Report, stressed that the STL has accused Hezbollah and not Syria.
On May 29th, 2009, the military reporter of Jerusalem Post – Jacob Katz – quoted Barak as saying that it seems the UN report will reveal that Hezbollah is responsible of killing former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri.
The enemy’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermann on May 24th, 2009 and following Dir Spiegel Report stressed that an international arrest warranty must be issued against Nasrallah and he must be arrested by force and taken to for trial.
On February 10th, 2010, Naenae news Website reported Liebermann as accusing Hezbollah of being responsible for killing Premier Hariri and said addressing Saad Hariri: My heart is with Hariri. Hezbollah organization killed his father. Thus he is a hostage. I believe that his views towards Hezbollah are by far better than ours.
Sayyed Nasrallah: We suffice ourselves with this limit as regarding the first topic. Now I will move to the second topic which is our accusation of the Israeli enemy of being responsible of the assassination operation. Under this topic there are four subtopics.
First: Israel has the capability. I do not believe we need to have evidence that Israel has the capability to carry out this type of operations and similar operations that took place in Lebanon especially following 2004. The Israeli enemy history is full of operations that targeted Lebanese leaders whether in Lebanon or abroad. However in Lebanon in particular we do not need to mention a lengthy list of names of those who were killed by the Israeli enemy. Perhaps one of the best arenas in which the enemy enjoys a high capacity to execute such assassination operations is Lebanon which comes after Occupied Palestine. It’s better than any other country because of its geographical situation: there is a long territorial border and a long shore. When tackling the activities of the collaborators we will mention how Israelis enter via Lebanese shores and ports at times into Lebanon and stay for weeks and for various periods of time.
So the Israeli enemy has the capacity and the opportunity as well. Today it is being revealed that the enemy has many collaborators in various specializations. That means that in any field they want, there are collaborators in Lebanon. This is what has been revealed so far, and what is not revealed yet is even greater.
Second: The interest and the motive. In brief, this is a political analysis but it is based on decisive conclusions. Everyone knows that Israel’s enmity to the Resistance in Lebanon is great, strong and bitter. It is as such towards all the resistance movements in Lebanon especially to Hezbollah. The Israeli enemy is interested in benefiting from any military or security or internal chance to exterminate the resistance or to disarm it at least. It is taken for granted also that Israel has animosity towards Syria because it opposes a comprehensive settlement with Israeli conditions which wastes Arab rights and because Syria sticks to its rights and protects the resistance in Palestine and protects and supports the resistance in Lebanon. Frankly speaking, Israel’s problem with Syria when it was in Lebanon was not that Syria is running Lebanon or is practicing mandate over Lebanon or appoints the government… That’s not Israel’s problem. Israel’s problem with Syria is that Syria used to support and back the resistance movements in Lebanon and in Palestine. I know and I am obliged to say that. I have previously said so but now I will say the following: President Bachar Assad had personally told me that in 2004 and few weeks before the issuance of UN Security Council Resolution 1559, that an Arab leader paid him a visit and informed him that the US and the international community do not mind keeping Syrian forces in Lebanon, (Here I would like to remind you of Al Arz (The Cedars) Revolution and uprising and all the political movements that took place then with the hope that through this political bustle the Syrian Forces would withdraw from Lebanon). So they do not mind that Syrian Troops remain in Lebanon but they have a problem in the troops transgressing Al Awali River and go deep into South Lebanon until reaching the international frontiers. There are also two conditions: The first condition: disarming Hezbollah and the second condition: disarming Palestinian camps. Assad answered then that the Resistance in Lebanon is part of strategic national security which no one may dispense with, and that Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and could not disarm the camps. He returned with this response – meaning no. So Syria was negotiated to stay in Lebanon or to withdraw from it weeks before Resolution 1559 was issued. So it was necessary that a great event take place in Lebanon which might be exploited and invested to achieve these goals: Withdrawing Syria from Lebanon, besieging and isolating the Resistance before hitting it to disarm it. Thus was the great earthquake on February 14th, 2005. The assassination of PM Hariri came in this perspective and his blood was invested to withdraw Syria from Lebanon and it is now being used to besiege the resistance and to stage an aggression against it. This is the motive and the interest.
Third: The Israeli technique: The Israeli technique in work. Tackling the Israeli technique in work will help us in understanding the indications, data and signs which I will present Inshallah.
As for the Israeli method of operations, when the Israelis want to stage any security operation or a military operation with a security trait, they depend on several elements:
First: Aerial surveillance: The Israeli enemy has various reconnaissance means: small and huge, and of various shapes and the most important of which is what the Lebanese know as the MK drone. Even the people in villages know the MK. A surveillance plane surveys the regions, roads, cities, houses, motorcades, the movement of individuals, gatherings, fortifications and the deployment of military forces and the like.
Second: Technical Control: That means wiretapping devices, monitoring devices, cameras installed in various places and maximum benefit from mobile phones.
Third: Field Surveillance through collaborators or spies or through Israeli commandos that descend to the land and make field surveillance and not being content with aerial scanning. Field surveillance provides detailed and at times precise information which may not be available through aerial surveillance.
Fourth: Logistic support which means providing or admitting weapons, explosives, exploding apparatuses and transportation means to the field of the operation until reaching the execution stage
Fourth: Here we will start talking about indications and data. Do the Israelis have a true security, intelligence operative activity since 2004 till now or not? Some used to deal with the issue as if the Israelis do not have an operative activity. Consequently, following every assassination that used to take place in the Lebanese arena, fingers used to point directly to Syria and Syria’s allies or the so called Lebanese-Syrian joint security system. When we answer this question we may read and reach somewhere in comprehending the assassinations and the links between these operations and their taking place during the past years.
We start with the collaborators. The majority of these collaborators were arrested in 2009 – 2010. For those who would like to ask me whether my information is new or old, I say that the security apparatuses started seriously arresting collaborators in 2009. Why is that so? This is another field for research.
We start with the collaborators. I will talk about sample collaborators and their confessions not to Hezbollah but to the official Lebanese security bodies during official interrogation sessions. These collaborators were referred along with the interrogation records to the Public Prosecution. Some contents of the records were leaked and written in media outlets. However they were not taken into consideration as they ought to. We will take samples of collaborators. Following every collaborator, I will give a short comment to complete the idea. We start with the first collaborator:
Report: We present for you the names of some collaborators who confessed of staging surveillance activities, explosions, communication operations, installing monitoring cameras as well as determining the places of persons whom the enemy assassinated in a direct way. Some of them also confessed of transporting explosives and requisites.
-Collaborator Philipos Hanna Sader; He used to gather information about the President of the Republic and the Commander of the Army.
Philipos Hanna Sader.
Date of Birth: 1964.
An Israeli collaborator.
He started spying for the Israeli enemy in 2006 and was arrested in 2010 by the Lebanese security bodies.
His role was to gather information about Lebanese military posts some of which for the Lebanese Army and collecting executive information about Lebanese political and military leaderships and figures.
Prominent confessions: Following are the most prominent aims which the collaborator worked at pursuant to Israeli commands according to the information he presented:
– His Eminence the President of the Republic General Michel Sleiman: information about his house in Amsheat; external descriptions, entrances, roads leading to it, how far it is from the shoreline, the duration which is needed to reach it on feet and by car from the shoreline, nearby parking.
-Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji’s: Information about his personal yacht.
His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: If we considered for a while the mission which this collaborator – i.e. Sader – was asked to do, I must mention that field surveillance is an advanced step which precedes execution. That’s because with this step the file of the operation is completed. It is followed with providing the capabilities and executing the operation. If the Israelis wanted general information about the house of the President of the Republic and its surrounding, they will be content with aerial surveillance. But in this case the collaborator is executing what the Israelis demanded on him to do. There is an Israeli official who operates him and calls on him to go and collect detailed and precise information about the house: the entrances, the surrounding… There is a very important thing which I would like you to keep in mind while watching the clips which have to do with the assassination of Premier Rafiq Hariri. It’s the coastal shore. The Israelis are always interested in searching for a location for the operation which is near to the coastal shore. Thus they demanded from this collaborator to go to the shore and go on feet to the house of the President of the Republic to see how much time it consumes. Then they asked him to drive there to see how much time it consumes. Is this a survey to collect information for the fun of that or is it to perform an assassination operation in that area? This collaborator also confessed that he surveyed in details the yacht of the Army Commander which is in the port. Why did he inspect the yacht? Simply he might install a bomb or anything else in the yacht to target the Army Commander. Here I would like to stop for a while. This has not remained a secret in Lebanon. It was published in some newspapers. It was mentioned in the interrogation, sealed and referred to the Public Prosecution. How did this event pass in the country? Suppose that the Lebanese security bodies have arrested a Lebanese person who claimed that the Syrian Intelligence has charged him of a mission of this kind or that Hezbollah has charged him of a mission of this kind. How would be the situation in the country then? But since the Israelis are accused, the case was wrapped in 24 hours. Media outlets mentioned that for one day and the story was over. But who are the persons who are the target of the surveillance? They are the President of the Republic and the Lebanese Army Commander and not ordinary figures in the country. I want to put the basis to be careful with the rest of the collaborators and their revelations. Why did not the International Investigation Committee meet with this collaborator and with the others who have made similar confessions? Maybe it might find a link between this collaborator and the operating official and other collaborators who were involved in similar operations. A liar false witness came to Lebanon; based on his testimony, four senior officers and other persons from Abdul Aal family and from other respectable families were hurled in prison for four years. Senior Syrian officers were summoned to Vienna and were interrogated there as well as in Damascus. Still such a piece of information along with scores of similar revelations from collaborators do not necessitate on the international community or from the Lebanese government or from anyone in this world to ask for an interrogation with the Israeli officers who operate these collaborators to see what they are doing in the Lebanese arena, whom they want to kill after the figures the already killed. This is only a point for consideration. I hope you will keep that in mind while presenting the rest of the collaborators. Also keep in mind the places the Israelis ask about their proximity from the coastal shore. We move to another collaborator.
Report:
Collaborator Said Tanios Alam
He was charged of gathering information about Samir Geagea and Premier Saad Al Hariri.
Name: Said Alam
Date of birth: 1958
Nationality: Lebanese.
An Israeli collaborator. He started working for the Israelis in 1990.
He was arrested in 2009 by the Lebanese security bodies.
Informative role: He was charged of collecting executive information about official political and party figures.
Most prominent confessions: Following are the most prominent aims which the collaborator worked at pursuant to Israeli commands according to the information he presented:
– PM Saad Al Hariri: Determining the times in which he attends at the house of Samir Geagea.
– The Head of the executive body in Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea:
Monitoring his movements in Al Arz – The Cedars – especially the movement of his motorcade;
Monitoring his movements after leaving Al Arz; Determining the frequency by which some politicians visit coffee shops in Byblos.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: This is the second collaborator as you might have noticed. The Israeli operating officers charged him of collecting field and detailed information about who? Hezbollah leaderships? No. rather about LF Chief or the Head of the executive body in the Lebanese Forces Samir Geagea: while in Al Arz, after leaving Al Arz. In the interrogation report there are other details which we do not want to spend our time talking about. He was charged of determining when PM Saad Hariri visits Samir Geagea. Why does Israel want to monitor Samir Geagea? Why does Israel want to monitor PM Saad Hariri when he visits Samir Geagea? Why? This question is to be posed on everyone, and let everyone answer this question. This is an answer to all those who ask why March 14 leaders are being killed. That’s because it was demanded that March 14 leaders be killed so that the blame would fall on Syria and its allies and the Resistance. The last confession is information about the frequency of visits paid by some politicians to the coffee shops in Byblos. As far as I know it is not Mohammad Fneish, Mohammad Raad or Sheikh Naim who go to the coffee shops in Byblos. Indeed our brethrens in the National Free Party go to Byblos. However most of those who go to Byblos are from March 14 Bloc. So the collaborator is charged of monitoring the coffee shops and who visits frequently these coffee shops. What is the nature of this surveillance? Why does the Israeli operative charge him of that?
The third collaborator.
Report:
Collaborator Mahmoud Rafea.
Date of Birth: 1949.
Nationality: Lebanese
An Israeli collaborator.
He started collaboration in 1993.
He was arrested in 2006 by the Lebanese security bodies.
His most prominent confessions:
- Partaking in four assassination operations which targeted martyrs Ali Deeb, Jihad Jibril, Ali Saleh and brothers Majzoub.
- Partaking in installing several bombs between 1999 and 2005 such as Naemeh bomb in 1999 and Zahrani bomb in 2005.
- Receiving, lodging, helping and transporting a number of Israeli groups inside the Lebanese territories.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: Now we come to collaborator Mahmoud Rafea. He targeted leaderships in the Resistance. He officially confessed of that. Just to make the Arab viewers acquainted with this piece of information as the Lebanese know that: the Military Court issued a death penalty against this collaborator. He confessed of all the crimes he perpetrated. Here I would like to stress two points:
The first point is Zahrani bomb. In the concluding section and as pertaining to the technical aspect which we would reach we wanted to tackle this issue for a while. But after more scrutiny it was revealed that this topic deserves not to be squeezed and handled briefly in this press conference. We believe that Zahrani bomb which was installed by the end of 2005 but the army intelligence discovered and dismantled it was targeting Speaker Nabih Berri. Indeed Mahmoud Rafea does not know whom does the bomb target, and I believe him because he is just an executive person. He is demanded to transport the bomb and at times help in installing the bomb but he later and after the bomb explodes knows whom did it target. To this extent their masters and operatives belittle them.
This bomb was highly critical and dangerous. Its report and shots exist. Some of these shots were published in the media. The bomb is 100% Israeli and Mahmoud Rafea confessed of that and the bomb itself bears witness of that from the technical perspective.
This indicates that the Israelis – whom in our opinion killed the Sunni Premier Rafiq Hariri early in 2005 but failed to evoke a sedition which they wanted to ignite between the Shiites and the Sunnites in Lebanon – plotted to assassinate the Shiite Speaker so that this sedition works but Allah protected Lebanon again.
I hope the Zahrani bomb topic remains in your minds. Maybe one day we would say very important things about it.
The second point which took place in 2005 and which we must take into consideration is that Mahmoud Rafea confessed of receiving, lodging, helping and transporting a number of Israeli groups inside the Lebanese territories. He used to receive the groups but he did not know where they go and what they do. They remain for a period of time then come back and he would carry them to the sea or to the barbed wire between Lebanon and Occupied Palestine. Now did the International Investigation Committee (and I do not want to turn the meeting to a condemnation for the International Investigation Committee. I am only saying this incidentally) ask Mahmoud Rafea about these Israelis whom he used to receive in the Lebanese territories and whom other collaborator also confessed of receiving: What did they do in Lebanon? Noteworthy that such operations took place in that year which witnessed a great number of indications. Would the officers who operated Mahmoud Rafea and the groups which were received in Lebanon be summoned by the International Investigation Committee?
We move to the next collaborator.
Report:
Collaborator Nasser Nader:
Date of Birth: 1965.
Nationality: Lebanese
An Israeli collaborator.
He started collaboration in 1997. He was arrested in 2009 by the Lebanese security bodies.
His most prominent confession is partaking with the executive group which assassinated martyr Ghaleb Awali in Dahiyeh in 2004.
Worth mentioning the collaborator used to reside in Jal Al Deeb.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: This collaborator is an executive partaker. I do not know where the serious interrogation with him reached in other perspectives especially that he is a Muslim and a Shiite from the South but used to live in Jal Al Deeb pursuant to a request from Israeli Intelligence to perform his missions. This evokes several questions.
Still here I would like to comment saying that on the very day on which brethren Ghaleb Awali was martyred, a statement under the name of Jund Al Sham adopted the assassination of Ghaleb Awali. This reveals that the mind of the Israelis is too small. They wanted to convince Hezbollah that so called Jund Al Sham Organization – which existed then – assassinated Awali. That means they wanted to accuse a Sunnite organization of killing a Shiite cadre in the Resistance.
The next collaborator.
Report:
Collaborator: Faisal Muqaled
Date of Birth: 1977.
Nationality: Lebanese
An Israeli collaborator.
He started collaboration in 2003.
He was arrested in 2006 by the Lebanese security bodies.
His most prominent confession was transporting back and forth Israeli executive members through the sea. Some of these members used to stay in Lebanon for several weeks. He used to transport huge black bags and logistic materials in addition to some weapons.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: What we said a while ago applies on this collaborator – transporting groups in 2006. These groups used to remain for weeks in the Lebanese territories. He used to carry them to and back to the sea. What did these groups use to do? Did they gather information? Do Israelis lack collaborators and spies to collect information so that they be obliged to dispatch members from the Mosad or from the Israeli Army to the Lebanese territories to stay there for weeks? This collaborator along with other collaborators confessed of receiving black bags which hold explosives or weapons and the like. They used to put them in definite places or hideaways in Mount Lebanon and return after a duration of time to find that these bags were transferred and they used to put in their places other bags which the Israelis handed them.
The next collaborator:
Report: Collaborator Adib Alam
Date of Birth: 1942.
Nationality: Lebanese
An Israeli collaborator
He started in collaboration in 1994.
He was arrested in 2009 by the Lebanese security bodies.
Most Prominent confessions:
-He surveyed and took pictures for several Lebanese coastal and mountain regions and roads.
-He partook with his wife collaborator Hayat Slumi in surveillance operations as a prelude to one of the assassination operations – namely the assassination of brothers Al-Majzoub.
-He brought along into Lebanon several intelligence apparatuses and materials.
-He provided the enemy with a number of mobile phones numbers and recharging cards.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: I will wrap up the part which has to do with the collaborators. As for this collaborator, what I said before applies on him.
These collaborators made confessions before the official Lebanese apparatuses under the current state and not for the Syrian mandatory state or for the joint Lebanese-Syrian Security system.
These collaborators made their revelations and what we presented is just a simple sample of the many collaborators.
I call that a definite side collect the confessions of these collaborators and draw a diagram of their work in various sectors, regions, places and specialties. Then let this side make a deep scrutiny of the active movement of the collaborators especially in the past few years whether on the information level or on the operational level. Whoever wants to know who assassinated Premier Hariri and who was behind the various assassinations and explosions that took place in Lebanon must start from here and not from the false witnesses.
Fifth: The communication file. I have only two words to say to this effect. In the light of arresting important collaborators in the communication field and their confessions, it is decisively confirmed that the Israeli enemy has very great technical control on the communication field. So the enemy does not need to operate these collaborators in a detailed way because the technical services offered by these collaborators are enough to enable the Israeli enemy to achieve whatever he wants through the sizable capacity of the technical services. This must be tackled by specialists.
The decisive conclusion is that Israelis have technical control on the Lebanese arena especially on the field of communication. Through the mobile phone they might tap on any person or target. They might tap about his surrounding and decide his place with precision and his movement very accurately should they want to target him in an assassination operation. This is a new given which has become decisive following the latest arrests and the disclosure of the communication sector before the enemy.
Sixth: Here we come to the very sensitive point. It is aerial surveillance. This is the cornerstone in all what Israel perpetrated and perpetrates on the Lebanese arena. As I said at the very beginning, the Israelis have well known high capabilities in this field. They have various kinds of reconnaissance drones. They have drones that scan and execute at the same time. Israel is one of the most important countries that manufacture reconnaissance drones. It even sells drones to Turkey, Russia, and India among other countries around the world. That’s because in this perspective it has high technical and technological development. So in Lebanon Israelis scan the target locations whether a house or a road or the motorcade and the paths it frequently drives through. So they depend on aerial surveillance as a cornerstone and wrap their case at times with some detailed data through field surveillance if they needed that.
Now we come to the secret I want to reveal tonight. Indeed I am revealing it to the public opinion. As for the Israelis, we believe that after Ansariyeh Operation, they analyzed and evaluated the whole matter and took several procedures. Now I will mention things in details.
Prior to 1997, the Islamic Resistance in the South and through a definite technical effort was able to catch the transmission of an Israeli spy plane (MK) photographing several places in South Lebanon and sending them directly to an Israeli operations center. Transmission means that the spy plane through a wireless technique could transmit directly (exactly like live broadcasting) to an operation center in Occupied Palestine. The brethrens managed to access this transmission. Consequently while the footages and the photographs are transmitted live to the enemy’s operation center, they are at the very moment being received to the Resistance operation center. That was a technical achievement by the Resistance men – by Lebanese men who graduated from Lebanese schools and institutions. Well, we kept this to ourselves and started receiving the captured footages and photographs. At the beginning I confess (as we are realistic and objective as well), things were difficult because interpreting these footages and photographs needed specialization which was not sufficiently available. Even more, interpreting these footages needs direct acquaintance with the land. It also needs to compare the satellite scanning and the footage to identify that this footage is in this village, in this region, in this road, in that city or in other locations. No one may understand these footages directly even if he intercepted these footages and recordings. That needs specialization and professionalism as well as capabilities which were not sufficiently available.
Second: Our technical capacities didn’t give us the opportunity to intercept all what all spy planes transmit at a time because as you know several spy planes used to fly over South Lebanon at a time. At the same time other spy planes would come over Dahiyeh, Beirut, the North and Bekaa. In fact we did not have the capability to intercept everything. We used to receive things and there were things which we used not to receive. I also believe that following Ansariyeh incident (the major operation in Ansariyeh), the Israeli enemy took precautionary measures and encoded the transmission. So some of what they used to capture was transmitted by the spy planes encoded to the operation centers. Then we used to face the problem of decoding. At times they used to make uuencoded transmissions. Then we used to understand exactly what was taking place. So the clear footages are understood while the encoded footages posed a problem.
Following this prelude I say that the brethrens intercepted footages captured by an Israeli spy plane (What you will watch in a while). They were footages from the shore moving towards the orchids. The spy plane moves over a definite way before reaching a blacktopped road that leads to the village of Ansariyeh. However at the first encounter, we did not know where that is. But since it is in the South and because our cadres are from the South we gathered to find out for which region these footages are. Well the satellite footage which exists now was new to us then, and we used to depend on rural human expertise. Well brethrens, let’s see where this image is and in which village especially that we have a key element which is the shore whereof one might commence to reach that region. We could know the location scanned by the enemy drones and the roads it focused on. We started analyzing as we had no given. Will the Israelis stage an operation in that region? We supposed that they will stage an operation. So on that road that leads to that location we installed several ambushes, and our men remained there for several weeks. I will not specify the duration but I will say for several weeks.
One long dark night, on September 5th, 1997, an Israeli Commandos came from the sea – It was a naval commandos – and moved on the very surveyed road. They remained moving on all night long until they reached one of the ambushes set by our men. The confrontation took place there. Bombs were detonated. It seems that the Israelis were also holding bombs and that was what led to their killing. As much as I remember, they were 15. Twelve were killed on the spot. Two were wounded. There remained one who contacted the support group. There was also a support group somewhere else. (You will watch it in the clip). Israeli helicopter intervened to rescue whoever remained and to evacuate the bodies. Well, in that dark night, they possessed night vision while we didn’t. That reason somehow was behind the enemy’s superiority. They could evacuate the bodies and the wounded. There remained some limbs which we negotiated on later… You will also watch footages taken by a reconnaissance plane that intervened and captured footages for helicopters which were trying to assist the support group. Indeed we could not film the operation field directly. Indeed there must be an MK drone which was filming the combat and Al Ansariyeh Operation scene directly. Now we will watch the clip. Indeed we do not have enough time to present everything. We will present the part necessary for us to build on for the rest of our speech.
Footages from Ansariyeh Operation:
Report: September 5th, 1997. The footage shows Ansariyeh village and the point of landing of the Israeli Commandos on the shore. Then we see their path until reaching the point of clashing and the landing of the helicopter. The Israeli spying plane which signal the Islamic Resistance intercepts monitors the landing point, the path of the commandos until reaching the clashing point. The arrow shows the path which is a side road between the orchids which leads to the Ansayriyeh-Lubyeh Road where the clashes took place.
The clashing point was at the gate of the orchid where the Islamic Resistance ambushed the antagonistic force. Here we see Ansariyeh-Lubyeh main road. The circle shows the location where the rescue and evacuation plane landed. These are the operation footages broadcasted by the media. The helicopter is evacuating the soldiers. They appear moving towards it. These are the footages captured by the Israeli spy plane and which the Resistance intercepted: a group of soldiers gathering in a circular way near the helicopter landing spot; another helicopter landed and is evacuating soldiers. They are carrying the body limbs and the wounded. The enemy soldiers move towards the helicopter. The helicopter has the soldiers on its board. Inside the circle appears the area were the rockets fired by the Islamic Resistance fell to block the rescue operation. This is a satellite footage and the other footage is captured by the spying plane to the same path starting with the landing point to the clashing point. Both footages coincide: the clashing point at the gate of the orchid; the landing of the helicopters near the road between Ansariyeh and Lubyeh; the point where the shells fired by the Resistance fell.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: What does this conclusion mean? That means first that it gives an authenticity to this tactic. It asserts that the surveillance of the path leading to this place was a prelude to a security operation – a commandos security operation. So far we do not know for sure the aim of the operation. Next to that road there is a water path above which there is a small bridge. Did they want to put a bomb underneath to target the Resistance cadres who might move on that road, or did they want to kidnap one of the Resistance leaderships. That is left for scrutiny.
However, this is a sample on which we will build. To confirm this idea we will give two samples only due to the time limit or else we have several examples of Israeli aerial surveillance that were preparing for assassination operations. Israeli drones used to scan the location and the building and also survey other locations which later are revealed to be the places in which they install the bomb to assassinate these men.
Now we have footages taken by the spy planes. Indeed we must hint to an important point. Filming does not mean that the operation will take place after one, two or three days. At times it might continue for months or for years, and surveillance is repeated twice and thrice.
In the two clips we will present two you, there are footages for the preparation stage but we do not have footages for the brethren’s motorcade or for his car which was targeted at the time of detonation. That’s despite the fact that an MK drone was there in the skies during the detonation but maybe it might be transmitting encoded images which remained problematic to us. Thus what we will present is but the preludes which the Israelis depended on to execute the assassination operation later on. The first sample is for the preparation for the assassination of martyr Abu Hassan Salameh or oppressed brethren Ali Deeb whom we talked about a while ago.
Report: Monitoring Martyr Hajj Ali Deeb (Abu Hassan Salameh) in 1997. A satellite footage for the City of Sidon: It shows the place of work of Martyr Ali Deeb in Abra region near the Evangelists Girls School. It also shows the path the Martyr used to travel along towards the city of Sidon until reaching the targeting point. The spying plane monitors the house of Martyr Abu Hassan in Ghaziyeh. In Abra region the spying plane monitors the martyr’s working place. This monitoring lasted for two years before executing the assassination operation on August 16th, 1999 through installing a bomb near Abra-Sidon road.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: Indeed we are being brief to gain time because we still have the important section. The second sample is for the first and second preparations for the assassination of Martyr Mahmoud Majzoub. So we have the first surveillance and the second surveillance because in the second operation he was martyred.
Report: Monitoring Martyr Mahmoud Al Majzoub in 1998: The city of Sidon: The satellite footage shows the house of Martyr Mahmoud Al Majzoub inside the city. This is the house of Martyr Al Majzoub monitored by the spying plane. It is monitoring the cars near it. Following this surveillance, a bomb was installed in his car. Then it was detonated; his wife and son were wounded.
A spying plane monitors the working place of martyr Al Majzoub. It also monitors the cars in the surrounding. The enemy intelligence could assassinate him with his brother Nidal on Friday May 26th, 2006 i.e. after 8 years of industrious work to target him. Worth mentioning that collaborator Mahmoud Rafea confessed of having an essential role in this operation in which officers from the enemy intelligence partook in addition to the runaway collaborator Hussein Khattab.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: Following this presentation, I move to what is linked to martyr PM Rafiq Hariri. However, a short lead in is indispensable. Following the martyrdom of MP Hariri, I visited his family in Kraitim and I met with the whole family who were gathering. The family called on me that Hezbollah help in the investigation within its available capabilities. We then formed a joint committee in which some leaders in Hezbollah partook. The family of martyr PM Rafiq Hariri was represented then by Mr. Wissam Al Hassan before he headed the Information Branch. The crime scene was reviewed. Even more, the committee was provided with data about the movement of PM Hariri as Al Hassan was the head of PM Hariri’s bodyguards: his motorcade, the paths he used to follow, the places he used to head for… A primary study was set then on the operation. However political developments took place in the country and everything was over at that limit. The country moved towards accusing Syria, the officers, the joint Lebanese-Syrian security system… Then came Dir Spiegel and the false witnesses were revealed. The four officers were set free, and the accusation headed in another direction. For those who blame me for talking based on articles in newspapers I say: Lebanese political leaderships heard from political leaderships in various place around the world what I mentioned. They heard what I mentioned months before. So we formed a team and this is what I mentioned in my previous speech. It is really a special team. We told them: Brothers let’s sit down and search seriously. When the information became available that gave us a strong indication to the effect of the Israeli methodologies. Collaborators who surveyed or had active participations in the execution of operations might have been pulled out of the country knowing that a great number of collaborators fled during the past few years. The Israelis might have as well taken precautionary measures and pulled out these collaborators, and there remained the collaborators who are carrying on their work. Those who were arrested were involved in executing operations that took place mainly in 2006. One of the ideas which were presented by that committee was that well we have archives. Some are clear to us for various regions. We used to record but we used not to follow up because our priority was the Resistance headquarters, leaderships and axes. So let’s go back to the archives to the period that preceded February 14th, 2005. Let’s search among these films and try to compare them to the map of the movement of martyr Rafiq Hariri: the motorcade, the places he used to go to… Is there any aerial surveillance to these places? Might the surveillance indicate that it had executive features or not? We remained working for almost a year, and here we confess that in the past few weeks the brethrens came under great pressure as we were still with the first section of the material. We were still reviewing many of these films. In fact the brethrens spent hundreds of hours reviewing these films and searching in them as it goes without saying that we needed satellite films and persons who are acquainted with the various Lebanese regions especially that we were not closely acquainted with some regions.
Through this study we reached very important and remarkable conclusions. That was what I meant with indications and given. If we added what we reached to the antecedents which we tackled before we go towards accusing Israel. We will present footages for surveillances carried out by the Israeli enemy the majority of which and the most important of which are above Beirut. The footages which we will present to you are indeed not all the documents we possess. That in fact needs long time. They are rather samples for Israeli surveillance done at various times. So they are not all taken in one time but over an interval of time – meaning from late 90s to the early 2000 until 2005. You will also notice as you watch that the scanned location is monitored from various and different perspectives. That means it was not captured as a matter of chance or to collect general information. Rather when they approach some turns and some definite locations from various perspectives and from various places that means – according to experts – that it was an executive preparatory surveillance. What we will present first has to do with Beirut. The second clip pertains to the path linking between Beirut and the resort of PM Hariri in Fakra region. The third footage has to do with Sidon. I would like to take into consideration also that the Israeli enemy especially in the footages of Beirut and the path to Fakra takes extra care in turns. That’s because when there is a motorcade and armored cars, it goes without saying that when they reach a turn, the cars will slow down for sure. This is called a mortal spot. I have expertise in that because I used to ride in such motorcades. Notice the surveillance of turns from various perspectives especially the turns which are adjacent to the coastal shore. Do you still remember what we said on surveying the house of the President of the Republic Michel Sleiman? First we will watch the Israeli aerial surveillance of Beirut City:
Report: Israeli spying planes surveying several places in the city of Beirut. A satellite footage for the city of Beirut and the circles show the castle of PM Rafiq Hariri in Kraitim, the governmental castle in Sanaea, the new governmental castle and the point where PM Hariri was targeted. We see a general footage for the governmental castle in Sanaea. The Israeli drone monitors and films the castle in Sanaea. The previous governmental castle is monitored while focusing on the surrounding roads in the direction of Al Hamra Street and in the opposite direction near Sanaea Park. This is a general footage for the new governmental castle, Najmeh Square and the Parliament. Thereof the camera moves to make a complete survey of the coastal sidewalk starting from St George Hotel until reach Raouche. Later and after targeting PM Hariri, it was made clear that he used to pursue two paths more than others when heading towards the Parliament and his castle in Kraitim while following more the coastal road. First: from St. George to the AUB Beach in Al Manara to the Military Beach to Dbeibo to KFC intersection towards Shatila street which is considered a main entrance to Kraitim and Hariri’s castle.
The second path starts with Bliss Street until reaching the Sportive Club facing the Military Beach where the path hereof coincides with the first path until reaching Kraitim and Hariri’s castle. It is possible to reach the first path through the coastal highway or through Phoenicia descend. Here we return to the coastal road. The Israeli drone monitors the coastal road from the AUB Beach towards St. George then Ain Mreisseh until reaching St. George Hotel where PM Hariri was targeted. These footages were captured by the drone at various dates. It monitors the same place where MP Hariri was targeted. The point where MP Hariri was targeted is monitored from various perspectives and at various times. The red circle shows the targeting point. This is the continuation of the first path. The circle shows Al Manara Turn. The drone surveys the new Al Manara (Lighthouse) Turn between Riviera Hotel and the Military Beach. It scans road corners precisely and at various dates and from various perspectives. This is another footage for the New Lighthouse Turn from another perspective and at a different time. This is also a footage monitoring the coastal road from the AUB Beach until reaching the new Lighthouse Turn towards the Military Beach. This is the continuation of the first path until reaching Dbeibo Turn which is encircled. It is also an appropriate point to execute the targeting. The drone’s surveying camera monitors Dbeibo Turn also at various times and from various perspectives. This is the continuation of the first path until reaching Kraitim and the circle shows an appropriate point to execute the targeting. This is a detailed scanning taken by the drone while focusing on KFC intersection at the entrance of Kraitim from Raouche. As for the second path it commences with Clemonso Street passing in front of the AUB through Bliss Street until reaching the Sportive Club. The circles show the appropriate points to execute the targeting. Here near the Military Beach the first and the second paths meet on the coastal highway. Here the enemy’s drone focuses on the road with precision and further focuses on the appropriate points for execution. Here is a continuation of the path until reaching Dbeibo Turn followed by the entrance of Kraitim and KFC interception then PM Hariri’s castle in Kraitim.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: I have an important question on what we watched and what we will watch in a while. In all the regions which the Israelis survey, do you know that there are headquarters for Hezbollah or the Resistance or houses for Hezbollah leaderships or gathering points for Hezbollah? Why are the Israelis then following this track especially the turns and intersections leading to Kraitim? Have you noticed how long did they pose and focus on these locations? Indeed I reiterate that these were captured at different times. The St George spot was monitored from various perspectives and at different times especially at the point which is nearest to the coastal shore what gives the Israeli a very high capacity to execute an operation. Also keep in mind: Is this merely accidental? Is this a chance and another chance and another chance? There are coincidences which are tackled by some and on which an indictment is being fabricated. So are these chances also acceptable to be adopted by the investigation to build on an indictment? This is as far as Beirut City is concerned.
PM Hariri used to leave Beirut towards Fakra where there is his resort. Here we will watch Israeli surveillance of the obligatory path. That means whoever wants to go from Beirut to Fakra has to take this binding path and pass through a specific turn in particular.
Report: The enemy spying plane monitors the northern exit of Nahr AlKalb Tunnel that leads towards Junyeh. It focuses its monitoring on the cars moving northward. The spying plane films generally Junyeh- Dbaiyeh area. The camera moves around before reaching the region of Ouon Siman- Fakra-Farayeh which is covered with snow. The spying plane monitors in particular Yassou Al Malak Turn on an ascending road. This path is pursued by those heading towards Farayeh-Fakra. The satellite footage shows the path leading to the Yassou Al Malak Turn on an ascending road. Worth mentioning that this is a binding path to reach Fakra as there is no other path from the coastline road. This road was usually pursued by Martyr PM Rafiq Hariri when heading towards Fakra.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: In that area and at that turn in particular, is there any Resistance figures? No one from the resistance lives there or visits that area frequently or travels on that path. Are we to say it is a path used by Hezbollah to transfer ammunition? It’s not so as well. Is it a road traveled by Hezbollah leaderships? Indeed not. So why and for whom are this road, turn and curve which is near the shore being monitored. Let’s watch the last clip which has to do with Sidon City. You will notice that the camera monitors a main road and does not move towards a definite center. Indeed the footage starts before Awali River and even before Jiyeh and moves until reaching Sidon. It chooses the road and moves until it reaches the surrounding of the house of Mr. Shafiq Hariri. At other times it returns to monitor the house of Mr. Shafiq Hariri from various perspectives. So the aim of the drone’s movement is to survey the road that leads directly to that house. It did not go to any intersection or any other direction which leads to a headquarter for the Resistance or to the Popular Organization or the Islamic Jamaa or to the house of any of the leaderships. So it is clear that the target of the surveillance is to monitor that path in particular.
Report: The spying planes also monitored the highway between Beirut and Sidon. This clip shows the highway in Jiyeh. The spying plane monitors the traffic. This is Al Awali Bridge. Here the drone starts monitoring the entrance to Sidon, then the roads inside Sidon and the traffic. This is the coastline highway and Sidon entrance. It carries on monitoring towards Najmeh Square. The is Zaateri Mosque. Here the Israeli drone reaches over Najmeh Square. It moves towards Elia Round. It’s remarkable that the drone moves towards the house of Shafiq Hariri, the brother of the martyr PM. The Israeli drone monitors the house of Mr. Shafiq Hariri and the surrounding streets. It also monitors its entrance. The footage focuses on a car about to leave the house.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: That is as far as the technical side is concerned. We consider that these footages and clips which were captured at different times, for different locations and from various perspectives can’t be a matter of coincidence. If you put in the hands of any group of experts this given, they will confirm for you that whoever is carrying this surveillance is preparing the part that constitutes the first leg of the execution of an operation.
I still have two rapid indications. The first sign comes as the seventh topic: the enemy’s aerial movement on the day of the assassination. Allow me not to reveal a secret. I promised to reveal one secret. I can not bear disclosing two secrets. But if one day we were before a serious responsible investigation, I will have no problem then in revealing the other secret.
We have confirmed information – we could collect confirmed information – related to the Israeli enemy aerial movement on February 14th, 2005 whether it has to do with the AWACS on which we will feature a report in a while or with the Israeli air force or other movements which has to do with the Israeli aerial movement. You know that if an AWACS drone is over a region facing the Lebanese shore, this drone would then be equipped with the capacity to tap, to technically control and to lead operations. So let’s watch this report on the aerial movement together:
Report: On February 13th, 2005, Israeli spying planes flying over Sidon and its surroundings accompanied by war planes hovering over the regional waters adjacent to Sidon coastline from 10:40 to 1:45.
Hours before the assassination of PM Hariri, an Israeli drone was surveying the Sidon-Beirut-Junyeh coastline passing over the Capital Beirut as Israeli warplanes were flying over the regional waters adjacent to Beirut from 8:45 to 11:55 pm.
On Monday February 14th, 2005 from 9:20 to 11:15 an interrupted warplanes movement was recorded in the Lebanese airspace. From 10:00 to 2:30, an AWACS plane was flying adjacent to the Lebanese coastline reaching Beirut. From 10:30 to 12:40 spying planes and signal and electronic intelligence war planes were active adjacent to the Lebanese coastline until reaching the Beirut.
Worth mentioning, the explosion which led to the killing of martyr PM Rafiq Hariri took place at 12:56 pm. A day after the explosion, Israeli warplanes were recorded flying from Tyr till Sidon until reaching the regional waters adjacent to Beirut from 11:09 am to 12:18 pm.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: Any international investigating side may receive this schedule for the Israeli movement if the Israelis themselves are ready to confess. They may also receive it from friendly states which have radars in the region which may record and monitor the whole aerial movement which took place then. Through a serious investigation, the validity of this schedule may be verified. We are sure of this evidence, or else we do not risk and feature anything we are not sure of its validity.
The last sign is something new even to us. In the past few weeks another evidence became available to us that one of the executive collaborators – Ghassan Al Jid who had harbored an executive team which had to do with the assassination of Martyr Ghaleb Awali (or Martyr Ali Saleh) in his house – was present at the scene of the operation in St George on February 13th, 2005. Indeed we have gathered information about this collaborator since a period of time and submitted them to the Lebanese security bodies especially to the effect of his involvement in the assassination of Martyr Ghaleb Awali (or Martyr Ali Saleh) before having the data related to his presence in St. George area on February 13th, 2005. However this collaborator fled from Lebanon before the Lebanese security bodies arrest him.
Report: The movement of spies that coincided with the assassination:
One of the most dangerous executive collaborators – Ghassan Gorges Al Jid – was present at the crime scene on February 13th, 2005 i.e. one day before the assassination of Hariri.
Name: Collaborator Ghassan Gorges Al Jid
Nationality and date of birth: Lebanese – 1940.
An Israeli collaborator who started collaboration in the early 90s.
He fled Lebanon in 2009.
His security role: Receiving and evacuating Israeli intelligence members at the Lebanese shores and the territorial borders. Most of these members enter stealthily to execute logistic executive missions such as transferring bombs and black bags.
He also partook in several security missions.
Most prominent logistic activities: On Wednesday March 24th, 2004, at night an Israeli group which consists of two security officers at least entered the Lebanese territories through the sea at Jiyeh shore where it stayed for fifty hours in Mount Liban accompanied with the above mentioned collaborator.
On December 12th, 2004 he partook in assassinating martyr Ghaleb Awali through transporting the executive group to the location of the operation then evacuating them from there after the event.
The file of the above mentioned collaborator was submitted to the security bodies in 2006 but he fled before being arrested in 2009.
His Eminence Sayyed Nasrallah: This is as far as this collaborator is concerned. We also have our own evidences. If one day there was formed a serious investigation committee which is not accused or politicized, this will be a part of what we might cooperate together on to reach the truth.
This is the group of indications I have. I do not claim I am presenting decisive evidences so that no one argues with me over that later on. We are presenting indications and signs and asking questions which will open new horizons for the investigation. If there is a truth and someone who wants to reach the truth, he must work on this given and for the first time open the door of investigation on the Israeli assumption after more than five years have passed on the assassination attempt. We keep the rest to another time because we are living in a treacherous deceptive time. Indeed as I have promised I will not tackle the International Investigation Committee or the STL. I am committed to the appeasement. We might have breached this commitment a little when making some interpretations. Well this is the given we have and which have been available after the arrest of the collaborators in 2009-2010. This has helped us to move in this direction. Thus we presented this given now. Were we not obliged to present them now we would have taken some more time to reach a better and stronger given. This is some of what I wanted to present to you tonight. I apologize for the long time I took, but that was indispensable. We tried to concise the material as much as possible to present it tonight.
Questions and answers:
Q: We thank you for the data you provided the Lebanese people, the Arabs in general and the world with. I absolutely evaluate that you limited your speech on the data that has to do with the Israeli enemy and the possibility of Israel having a role in the assassination of PM Martyr Rafiq Hariri. However, there is always a political logic which sees this assassination operation as part of a continuous political sequence that might have started with Resolution 1559 and carries on with various political stations before reaching the assassination and then what followed it: the political investment of the assassination and all the repercussions that were issued from that appalling crime. Consequently it is difficult to separate between the political repercussions, the sequence of these repercussions and the results we reached, then switching the accused sides pursuant to the requirements of that political movement: first Syria and labeling innocent all other sides approximately, then setting Syria innocent and accusing – even if with clamor – Hezbollah. Does this political review which is being concluded meet with the course you have presented?
A: The logical objective rational political review which you have presented and what is being evoked reach the very outcome. I totally agree with what you said, but I wished to stay as far as possible from political reviews and political analyses so that it won’t be said that I am drawing conclusions based on analyses. I wished to go more towards what is related to indications, given and data which might be set as the basis that opens new horizons in the investigation, or else we totally back the political given and the political review which you have presented.
Q: As you have said these signs and indications do not form decisive evidence but are enough to make us move towards investigating with the Israeli enemy. What will be the position of the Resistance and Hezbollah if the international Investigation Committee or the STL ignored this given, and Lebanese sides whether the Opposition, the Loyalists, March 8 or March 14 blocs did not respond to this effect? That’s because really we were surprised with very important given which makes no investigator able to neglect investigating with Israel?
A: Such negligence will assert our logic, convictions and accusation of the International Investigation Committee that it is politicized, and this is enough for us.
Q: You have presented events which you called indications that finger point at Israel that it might have perpetrated this crime. Don’t this given and indications deserve from Your Eminence presenting them to the STL that was established to this effect perhaps it causes a great turnabout in the course of the investigation. Will you present this given to the STL?
A: You indeed mean the International Investigation Committee and the General Prosecutor Bellemar. Unfortunately, we do not trust the investigation and that side. But I have said and here I will say again that if the Lebanese government – and it is concerned in that – decides to charge a trusted Lebanese side, we will cooperate with it. We are ready to submit this given to the Lebanese government and the side which it commissions. Thereof, whether the Lebanese government presents this given to the International Investigation Committee or not will be its concern. I do not believe that the Investigation Committee – and because of its previous and current performance – is really a committee to be entrusted with the truth, and I have my evidence on that. However I will pull off my evidence for a later time.
Q: Is it true that you provided PM Saad Hariri by the end of 2005 and early 2006 with some data that indicates that there is a team belonging to the Resistance Security body which is monitoring an Israeli collaborator in Beirut and Kisirwan who used to travel along the roads which PM Rafiq Hariri used to pass through in the last months before his assassination? Is it true that you presented this data to PM Hariri through Colonel Wissam Al Hassan in response to the given or conclusions available to the Information Branch which says that there is a team from the Resistance Security linked to the group which used to monitor PM Hariri before his assassination? Which security body did you provide information about Ghassan Al Jid with in 2006?
A: I will answer later the last question when I will talk about the collaborators and the spying network and the general performance in the country.
As for the first question, that is true. We were tracking an Israeli agent and we offered information about our tracking of this collaborator. However we did not have any information then that the collaborator has to do with the assassination of Premier Rafiq Hariri. Had we have any data we would have submitted it then and presented now.
Q: Why did Hezbollah remain silent over such criminal evidences all through these years while seeing the country on the verge of assassination? If the issue of spying plane monitoring which we saw is something new and you recently concluded that you possess it, what about the collaborator whose pictures you presented. This has been available since 1996. Why have you remained silent all through this period of time over such criminal evidences? Why did not Hezbollah speak out until the sword reached its neck and when it became in danger? Is this fear alone what moved you to present the indications? Finally and to be somehow skeptical, Israel scans all of Lebanon and every corner in Lebanon. So you might have taken these footages from a long Israeli film. This press conference might lead you to the international tribunal. What do you say?
A: First, the case of Ahmad does not form criminal evidence. That’s why I did not mention him with the evidences but rather put under an independent title. I cited him as a witness to say that the Israelis have implanted in the mind of PM Hariri something of this sort. However I did not consider that what Ahmad Nasrallah performed is a proof besides being criminal evidence. If I were a judge I would not have considered it criminal evidence. I cited him under the title of Israel’s accusation of Hezbollah and not in the course of our accusation of Israel. Evoking such issue in the media wouldn’t have had any significance in the previous stages. But yes, in this integrated presentation it might be a helping element which supports and further clarifies things while making more indications. But if I presented it all alone in 2005 or 2006 or 2007 saying this is what Ahmad Nasrallah did, it will be said but who is accusing you. No one did accuse you. Why did we talk about Ahmad Nasrallah? Still you have heard many frequently talking in the country following my speech weeks ago. My tackling of the indictment and my defense have become evidence for my conviction. What if I evoked the issue of Ahmad Nasrallah previously and that is not criminal evidence. They will say what is your story? You are not accused. No, that does not form criminal evidence.
As for the clips and aerial surveillance footage, the enemy may carry general filming. But filming different definite places from definite and different perspectives at different and various times is an indication of a surveillance that precedes operations and not aerial tourism. Thus experts may discuss that and rely on it.
Q: You said that Ahmad Nasrallah could control the path of PM Hariri’s motorcade in 1996. So why did not Israel assassinate him in 1996? Did you inform PM Hariri of that back in 1996 until February 14th, 2005? The second question: As for the filming, surely the clips we saw are but excerpts. For example the coastal road which you said they filmed but has no headquarters for Hezbollah, then had headquarters for the Syrian forces near the Sportive Field in Jal Al Bahr. Even the KFC checkpoint was there. Even more we did not see footages of Kraitim Castle or Fakra Castle? When the Israelis want to execute an assassination operation, they will monitor all the entrances and exits to those regions.
A: As for the first question, back in 1996 there was not a great political scheme on the level of Lebanon and on the regional level which necessitates an assassination operation of the level of the assassination of PM Rafiq Hariri. Had Israel in 1996 assassinated PM Rafiq Hariri, all the local, regional and international repercussions that took place following 2005 would not have taken place. There wasn’t any George Bush. I do not know how mature the French stance was then. The presence, influence and popularity of PM Hariri on the Lebanese level were only in their beginning. That’s besides the internal statue quo and the regional situation. Then the assassination operation would not have achieved the great political project Mr. Talal talked about at the beginning.
The assassination operation came in the framework of a political scheme which started in 2000 and which is related to the whole region: Lebanon, Syria and Palestine were but chains in this great political scheme which led to the invasion of countries (Iraq and Afghanistan) and led to wars and also led to assassination operation as important as the assassination of PM Hariri.
As for the filming, the clips we presented are footages of turns where there are no Syrian checkpoints or Hezbollah headquarters. This is first. Second, there are footages which we did not present. That does not mean that the Israelis did not film them. I said a while ago that the MK drone was over the car of martyr Abu Hassan Salameh when the assassination operation was executed, but we have no footage for that. It was above the house of Al Majzoub when the assassination was executed but we have no footage. At times it was over the houses of leaderships. I was a Secretary General before the war but I do not have a footage taken by the Israeli reconnaissance plane which used to film our house in Haret Hreik and the headquarter of the secretariat in Haret Hreik. Are we to say that it did not film them? How did it bombard them during the war then? However I do not claim – and this is what I said at the very beginning – that we intercept all the footages. If we do not have footages that does not mean they did not film. That is one. Second, they might have filmed them but we could not have intercepted them due to the codification.
What you said to the effect of not having footages for some places is not a proof that there isn’t any filming. I am saying that I possess these clips. It’s supposed that the Israelis have an answer for that before the international investigation committee: Why were they filming these places and focusing on them at different times and from different perspectives?
Q: Whom do you want to convince today? Hezbollah masses are with Hezbollah and perhaps today they are more with Hezbollah to the effect of this conviction. The other masses and due to political aligning in Lebanon will not be convinced by all what you have presented today. This was made clear in political statements which were made prior to the press conference. Does it soothe you that an indictment be issued without internal political coverage? Is this what you are seeking? Moving to another topic, is it true that you told the Army Commander when he visited you lately that you are ready to hand the members accused in the indictment but whoever wants to arrest them is to assume the responsibility, and that he told you – and the political leadership in Lebanon also – that the army won’t be a dagger in the back of the Resistance. Consequently you protected yourself as far as the Lebanese Army is concerned in case the indictment was issued and started with the post indictment issuance era.
A: What you said did not take place between me and the Army Commander. What has to do with the indictment and the way of dealing with it when it is issued come in time. As for the first question, we do not want to issue an indictment. We do not want to increase the conviction of the convinced or convince those who do not want to be convinced. All through the previous week until today I have been reading for one of the politicians – So it is not one statement. He made four or five statements since my last speech until today – saying that the evidences provided by Nasrallah are invalid. Before even knowing the evidences and what I might talk about he considered everything invalid. I do not argue with such people. All what I am saying is that we want the truth really, and we want to help in achieving the truth, but we are very much interested in making the Lebanese, Arab, Islamic and international public opinion acquainted with what we have. That’s because the central target of the indictment which is said to be issued is above all distorting the image of Hezbollah and labeling Israel innocent. So part of the existing battle is a public opinion battle. Some have spent $500 million in Lebanon only – They did not say how much they spent in other countries, other Arab satellites and other newspapers. They are talking about Lebanon – to distort the image of Hezbollah. So there is the battle of the image and the public opinion. In as much as we are concerned and interested in helping in the investigation to reach the truth, we are concerned in getting truthfully engaged – others might not talk with such frankness – in the public opinion battle and say that the Resistance is oppressed, falsely accused and aggressed against. This is what I started with on the very first day, especially that some are working night and day to label Israel innocent. Whoever wants to be convinced, it’s up to him. I do not want to force anyone to accept or not to accept. Even I was realistic in what I presented. I said they are indications and not decisive evidences. However the gate before this supposition must be opened because for five years neither the STL nor the International Investigation Committee nor anyone in Lebanon took one step and went towards the Israeli supposition. Even in Lebanon no one worked on that. What I did is that this supposition has indications which I want the people to know and get acquainted with.
Q: What would be the reaction of Hezbollah in particular if Hezbollah members were accused of assassinating PM Hariri? Would Hezbollah withdraw from the government? Would another May 7th take place? The other question is a demand which I hope you will accept: Would you accept to give AFP a special interview?
A: I can’t promise anyone because if I promised you I will be obliged to fulfill my promise and my circumstances might not help. So I apologize for not promising you. Maybe one day that might take place, for everything might take place.
As for the first question, the press conference is dedicated for what I talked about. I will tackle everything that has to do with the indictment, the future and the repercussions in due time, Inshallah.
Q: As for the aerial footages, have you intercepted footages that have to do with monitoring other figures who were assassinated at the same era as PM Rafiq Hariri. Second, with what means it was evident that Ghassan Al Jid was present in St George area? Does it have technical or informative evidence?
A: We have focused in the past few months in reviewing the films and the documents that have to do with the movement of the motorcade of PM Hariri. We did not have enough time to review footages for other personalities. We might carry on with that later. If we reached anything we might announce it or give it to the concerned Lebanese authorities. As for Ghassan Al Jid, I mentioned that if a serious investigation committee was formed, we are ready to present the evidence on his presence there on February 13th, 2005, but we are not to say everything in the media today.
Q: We have noticed that you did not stress on the telecommunication file especially that it seems that the STL will rely on this file primarily through monitoring specific calls. What do you have to say to this effect?
A: I did not focus on the telecommunication file because that will lead us to talk about a file we want to push with it what is prepared for us in the indictment. This will be tackled later. I have limited my word regarding the telecoms in as much as saying that it helps the Israelis in having a technical control for executing an assassination operation. But in fact I also have things to say on the telecoms issue and I have documented data also. However everything related to the telecoms topic is intentionally pulled off to the day on which I will handle the indictment and what the indictment is said to be based on. Then we will talk about that.
Q: You have talked about a calming attempt which was brought about by the tripartite summit which took place in Beirut. Is it possible that we know what this summit had told you? Is it true that the Saudi King talked in the Lebanese way and said that “he will take this issue to his hert” and told you one way or another that he guarantees that no indictment will be issued against you? I have another question. You talked about a follow up committee between you and the family of PM Hariri which was represented in the committee by Wissam Al Hassan. Is it possible that we know when did this relation deteriorate and mutual mistrust overwhelmed instead?
A: Starting with July War. On the light of July War and what took place in July War the relation deteriorated. Until before July War we were in contact always. There were frequent meetings. Even a short time before the war on the National Dialogue Table MP Saad Hariri invited me to Kraitim and I went there and we had dinner. There were many friends and part of the meeting had to do with the investigation, the truth and the data we had then. But what took place in July War in fact led to the deterioration of this relation. Anyway, it’s not time to talk about that now.
As for the first question, I do not have anything to say more than what I said in my speech a week ago. I said that we understood from the tripartite Arab summit that there is a serious Arab attempt to block the way before the Israeli dreams.
Q: In your viewpoint do you believe the court which you describe as Israeli and which the counselor of Sayyed Ali Khamenai referred to as Israeli-American deserves disclosing one of the secrets of the resistance via analyzing the footages taken by the MK drone as if it is a defense strategy and the secret now is revealed to the Israelis. Does that deserve revealing a secret? The second question is that PM Saad Hariri’s counselor Mohammad Shatah said that PM Saad Hariri is ready to meet you. Are you ready for this meeting? Will you call on him frankly to quit the STL?
A: As for revealing the secret, well protecting Lebanon and the Resistance before what is threatening it through the performance of the international investigation and the STL deserves sacrificing our blood and not only revealing secrets. Consequently there is no problem. Second, it is true I am revealing a secret to the public opinion, but as for the Israelis one way or another after Ansariyeh Operation, they took this supposition into consideration and resorted to encoding the footages. Consequently, revealing the secret will not make us lose much from what we hope to preserve or keep to ourselves.
Second, in fact, there is no severance of relations between PM Saad Hariri and me. There is contact. Even while I am delivering my speeches during the past weeks, there was a meeting between the political assistant brethren Hajj Hussein Khalil and PM Saad Hariri in his house. On the day of Adeisseh incident and since I did not use the phone, I asked brethren Hajj Hussein Khalil to call PM Saad Hariri in Sardinia. So we were in contact and tackled the developments in the South. In fact there is no break off.
May a meeting take place? A meeting may take place at anytime.
Will I ask him to give up the STL? I will not ask anything from him whether to give up the STL or annul the indictment or give up Bellemar.
Indeed in many of my speeches, I said that the issue of the assassination of PM Hariri is not anymore a familial right. From the legitimate perspective they are entrusted of his blood. But he has become also a national responsibility. Lebanon as a whole, along with Syria and the Palestinian cause to some extent have been influenced by the event. In case I met with Sheikh Saad as we used to meet previously and discussed this issue more than once, we will say we want the truth and justice. For five years the truth was lost behind the false witnesses and those who fabricated them.
Now we must not allow the Israelis again to cover up the truth, and we are ready for everything that will help in revealing the truth.
Q: We had a problem tonight because though you presented such evidences and indications but you still insist on your fixed stance to the effect that the STL is not serious. Did this media appearance today only aimed at turning over the Lebanese and Arab public opinion or they were legal evidences and indications? If they are legal evidences and indications why don’t you take them directly to the STL? Worth mentioning that the STL has previously received General Jamil Assayed and listened to his viewpoint in the topic he was demanding.
A: It’s true it received him and listened to his viewpoint. But what was the result? Tell me what was the outcome?
Q: The issue is still a lawsuit, and the debate was public. This is what is important.
A: I have answered this question a while ago. I said I will not go to a side which I do not trust. When we some time ago responded to the International Investigation Committee to interrogate with our brethrens as witnesses we accepted to go only to offer help and because we knew that if we did not go to the investigation we will cause an uproar in Lebanon, the region and the world. They will all say was Hezbollah not involved, they would have gone to the interrogation as they were summoned as witnesses. This was why we went to the investigation. I have tackled this issue through the TV and in a very clear way. That’s why I do not cooperate with a side which I do not trust.
Let there be a side which we trust and we are ready to the maximum cooperation.
Q: Following the last two answers you gave, let me benefit from your large-heartedness and say as we look to our lines we find that our majority is from one color. So allow me to pass on the views of the other color. Your Eminence, though you had all of this information, you partook in a national unity government. The 13th Clause in the government’s ministerial statement provides for cooperating with the STL. Has the expiry date of that become near?
Second, last March 31rst and after the members belonging to Hezbollah were summoned, you pledged to cooperate with the STL. Does today’s press conference end the expiry date of that too?
A: As for part one of the question, we had a discussion then. Our brethren ministers remember very well. The leadership of Hezbollah had the idea of showing reservation on the STL because that was clear to us. We said that today we will not tackle the STL. There will come a day when everything will be revealed and we will talk about everything with documentation.
Several brethrens suggested that we show reservation. Others had other view saying that will make a problem and cause an unnecessary argument in the country as everyone knows our position from the STL.
It was as if we wanted to show reservation on the STL in as much as some parties want to show reservation on the equation of the Army, the people and the Resistance. Thus we discarded with that idea. However our stance from the STL is known and old.
As for whether we cooperate or not, that will be clear in the next date with the International Investigation Committee. See how much in a hurry they are. They had their summer vacation. We were moving with the investigation but they informed us that they will take their summer vacation before the uproar would take place. The vacation extends until after Al Fitr Eid. So let’s fast and enjoy Al Fitr Eid. After the holiday the date will be due and we will announce our position.
Q: As a sequel to the previous question on sacrificing one of the most important secrets of the Resistance security operation, perhaps the masses of the Resistance are thinking to what extent revealing this secret will influence the Resistance surveillance and intelligence capability in its war with the Israeli enemy. Perhaps some among the Resistance masses are saying this is a great blunt. A while ago you clarified this issue.
Part two of the question: You have mentioned in the presentation course that one of the many goals of the STL and the misguidance and the indictment as well as the Israeli sedition is creating a gap between the Sunnites and the Shiites. Today what do you say to our brethren Sunnites in Lebanon and in the Arab world after presenting these indications and data on the involvement of Israel – which must be the common enemy to all Muslims and Christians in Lebanon and perhaps to the whole humanity in the world.
A: As for the first question, the Resistance masses and the resistance fighters know that we study our steps very well. Let them be assured as to what we will miss or what we will not miss. They are very much assured. Anyway, we might’ve talked about one eye but perhaps there are several eyes Inshallah. As our capacities, expertise, capabilities and readiness develop we are able to take risks in any of the various fields which we are engaged in.
As for the second point, everyone knows that the main obsession or interest of Hezbollah has become the movement of this Resistance and its absolute commitment to the Lebanese national unity between Muslims and Christians and the other sects and factions. Hezbollah takes pain to preserve the Islamic unity, to avoid internal clashes and struggles and to give priority to the conflict with the Israeli enemy. Hezbollah’s historic course is as such. Consequently, Hezbollah will carry on in this track. When I tackle the indictment, the STL or the International Investigation my problem is with Israel and America and with those who manipulate the STL. My problem is not with my Sunnite people in Lebanon or with my Sunnite people in the region so that I would be obliged to address them with a special speech tonight.
Peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.
