Hezbollah prepares for victory rally

<snip>

Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah supporters are expected in Beirut for a rally to celebrate the group's "divine victory" over Israel.

"The rally on Friday, called for by the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah, will be held in the Shia Muslim movement's stronghold in the south of the city that was flattened by Israeli bombing during the recent 34-day war.

The event could see Nasrallah appear in public for the first time since a news conference on July 12 when he announced the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah fighters, an act which led to the Israeli attacks.

Supporters are expected from across Lebanon with many setting off for the capital on Thursday by car and on foot from Shia villages in the south of the country, an area badly damaged in the Israeli offensive."

more


Dahiya rally: Nasrallah expected to speak

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3307144,00.html

Hizbullah sources tell Lebanese press that Hizbullah chief expected to arrive at rally

"Tens of thousands of people are streaming into Beirut for the 'divine victory' rally where victory celebrations will be held by Hizbullah in Dahiya, Beirut, following the war with Israel.



The rally is expected to begin at 4:30 p.m. and according to the Arab media, people began arriving from across the city and villages in south Lebanon from Thursday evening in order to find space.

The thousands who already entered the area are waving Hizbullah flags, pictures of Nasrallah, and various leaflets, including the banner: "At your call, Nasrallah."



The enormous event will be broadcast by Hizbullah's TV station al-Manar, which has deployed correspondents throughout the area.

Other than local residents, various delegations from across the Arab world and from political movements in Lebanon are expected to attend."

Time to buy some oil futures. What are the odds that Isreal would not take a shot (or 20) at Nasrallah in such a case?

although with this being broadcast live I'm not real sure I would share that sentiment if I were him.

<snip>

"In his first public appearance since the start of his group's war with Israel, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said Friday that "no army in the world" would be able to disarm his group, a key demand of a United Nations cease-fire resolution that ended the 34-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

"There is no army in the world that can to drop our weapons from our hands, from our grip," Nasrallah told an estimated 500,000-strong crowd, mostly Shiite Muslims, who turned out for a rally in a bombed-out suburb of Beirut to celebrate Hezbollah's "divine victory" in the war.

"Today we celebrate a great divine, historic and strategic victory," Nasrallah told the crowd. He said he had decided to appear at the rally despite threats to his life.

"They said that this square would be bombed and this stage would be destroyed to frighten the people and keep them away," Nasrallah said.

He debated with his aides until 30 minutes before the rally, about whether to attend. "But my heart, mind and soul did not allow me to address you from afar," he said."

more