2/11/2006 A.D, 11 Shawwal 1427 H

The Religious Authority, Sayyed Muhammad Hussein Fadlullah, suggested that the UNIFIL ought to equip the Lebanese army with defensive missiles to deter Israel from violating the Lebanese airspace.

His Eminence proposed this suggestion when he received Miguel Benzo, the Spanish Ambassador, who discussed with him the situation in Lebanon, especially in the south, the role of the UNIFIL and how it should cooperate with the residents and the army in the south and protect the Lebanese people from the Israeli threats and the continuous violations.

The Spanish Ambassador affirmed that the Spanish forces that are working with the “UNIFIL” are peace forces that aim at keeping peace in the country and cooperating with the Lebanese people and the army in the south. Further, he indicated that the Spanish people were very worried during the Israeli aggressive war on Lebanon.

In this meeting, His Eminence affirmed that we are against any foreign intervention in the Lebanese affairs, especially if it creates problems in the country and complicates the relations among the Lebanese people. He said: “We do not accept any international or regional tutelage, and the talks that we are holding with the entire world are based on keeping our independence”.

Concerning the UNIFIL’s role in the south, Fadlullah said: “We notice that Israel is continuing its violations outrageously without taking into consideration the role of the UNIFIL. This is because there is a common belief that the UNIFIL’s role in using force is restricted to defend itself. Meanwhile, the Lebanese army does not possess the weapons that make it capable of preventing the Israeli aggressions and violations. For this reason, I suggest that the UNIFIL should provide the Lebanese army with some defensive weapons such as the surface-to-air missiles in order to defend its country and deter the Israeli violations of the Lebanese air space. In this way, no country will have to be embarrassed anymore, since this will help in protecting the Lebanese sovereignty and give these countries some credibility. The “UNIFIL”, thus, will not simply watch and count the Israeli violations.