Nasrallah denies links with al Qaida

(24 May 2002)

1. Mid shot of Hezbollah Secretary General- Sheik Hassan Nasrallah on stage
2. Wide pan of audience
3. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary General
"The Americans are talking again about meetings held between al-Qaida, Hamas and Hezbollah. No such meeting has ever taken place and we don't even need to deny these accusations because they are simply ridiculous."
4.Wide shot of Hezbollah officials
5. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary General
"The real problem is Israel's security not American security. When Hezbollah declares that it will stop fighting Israel, it will no longer be considered as a threat to the USA. It will be removed from the list of terrorists and it will no longer be accused of drug smuggling or money laundering when the problem with Israel is solved."
6. Wide shot of audience.
7. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary General
"What's the maximum the Americans could do? Kill me or kill you? If our survival means that we have to live in humiliation and kneel before Condoleezza Rice or Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney or before this stupid mad man George Bush, we would prefer a thousand deaths to this kind of life."
8. Wide top shot of audience
9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah Secretary General
"It's a shame that many Palestinian officials today are eager to participate at a peace conference and are promising the Palestinians that this conference will have great results. But it's a peace conference proposed by Sharon, led by Sharon, the parties of the conference are chosen by Sharon and Sharon is imposing his conditions on each party. As for us, our choice and our destiny is the resistance, the resistance that achieved victory in Lebanon."
10. Wide pan of Hezbollah supporters shouting and waving Hezbollah flags

STORYLINE:

Hezbollah's Secretary General has vigourously denied US media reports that it staged a summit of terror groups in Lebanon involving al-Qaida and Hamas leaders to coordinate policy.

Speaking to a rally in south Beirut, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah called the accusations "silly" and denied that such meetings took place.

About 15,000 people attended the rally, which celebrated the second anniversary of the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon.

Earlier this week, ABC Television's website quoted unnamed US intelligence and law enforcement officials as saying that in late March the Lebanese Islamic militant group had met with members of the Palestinian militant faction Hamas and with al-Qaida.

Hezbollah is known to have ties with Palestinian militant groups but has repeatedly denied any links to al-Qaida.

Unnamed US officials in Washington have told The Associated Press they have no evidence of any al-Qaida members or leaders attending the Lebanon meeting.

The officials said there is no evidence of increased Hezbollah threats to US citizens.

Most of the recent increase in foreign terrorist activity is believed to be linked to al-Qaida.

Hezbollah, like al-Qaida and Hamas, is listed by America as a terrorist organisation.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...