Qassem Says Israel Waging 'International Campaign' against Hizbullah after Bulgaria Accusation
Hizbullah denounced Israel on Wednesday for waging an "international campaign" against it after Bulgaria said the Lebanese party was behind a July bombing that killed five Israeli tourists.
Sheikh Naim Qassem, the group's number two, slammed the "international campaign of intimidation waged by Israel against Hizbullah," and said it is "ever improving its equipment and training" and that "these charges will change nothing."
Qassem did not make specific reference to the bombing that also killed one Bulgarian, in the first comments from Hizbullah since the accusation was made by Sofia on Tuesday.
"There is a global attack led by Israel to confront the resistance in Lebanon and Palestine... targeting Hizbullah specifically because (Israeli) aggression has failed against Hizbullah," added Qassem.
"Today the world is divided between the resistance and those who seek international hegemony, and we know that the resistance can triumph," he went on to say.
The Bulgarian government said two people using Canadian and Australian passports linked to Hizbullah were behind the July 18 bombing of a bus at the Black Sea Burgas airport.
After the announcement, the White House and Israel called on Europe to take action against Hizbullah.
U.S. President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan, his nominee to head the CIA, urged European states to take "pro-active action" to uncover Hizbullah's infrastructure, financing and operational networks.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Bulgarian accusation that Hizbullah was behind the bombing should push the EU to draw the "necessary conclusions" about the group, hinting it should be placed on a terror watch list.
Source: Agence France Presse
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