Israel-Lebanon negotiations: Raad criticizes 'defeatist' officials

BEIRUT — The head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, Mohammad Raad, made an ''appeal'' to his party's grassroots base Friday through an audio message broadcast on the al-Manar channel.

On this occasion, he reaffirmed his militia's positions, refusing to lay down arms and recognize ongoing negotiations between Lebanon and Israel aimed at ending the war. The lawmaker implicitly criticized ''defeatist'' officials, denouncing the ''failures of the state to protect its people,'' at a time when Hezbollah plunged the entire country into regional war on March 2.

However, he did not mention the U.S. sanctions imposed the day before on four leaders from his movement, associates of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, as well as an officer from the Lebanese army and another from General Security.

The message, delivered by Raad and not by Secretary-General Naim Qassem, had an intimate tone.

Addressing his party's base, Raad said: ''You are the model of free men, the symbol of glory and pride, the community of the heroes of the resistance.'' ''You have been, you are, and you will remain loyal partners in your homeland, Lebanon, which grows because of you and with which you grow to achieve sovereignty, glory, dignity, security, justice, freedom, and coexistence.''

Then taking aim at officials, notably President Joseph Aoun without naming him, Raad lamented that ''some have miscalculated, or have debased themselves by accepting submission, humiliation, or tutelage, out of greed for power, security, influence, or personal interest at the expense of their homeland and their people.''

He then criticized the direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon under American sponsorship. ''We advise our partners in the homeland, seduced by these international hypocrites, not to bet on their lies and promises,'' adding that history will judge the ''defeatists.'' ''Our enemies and everyone else in the country and the world know that we stand firm and hold on to protect our existence and compensate for our state's failures to protect its people,'' he said.

Stating that his militia will not give up its weapons as demanded by the state and will continue the armed struggle, Raad quoted Imam Hussein, an essential religious reference for the Shiite community: ''We see death only as happiness, and life alongside the unjust only as torment.''