Aug 28 is the Second Liberation Day, ISIL Submitted to Hezbollah

On Aug 31, 2017

On Thursday, August 31, 2017, Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced Thursday that the land that was seized by ISIL inside the Lebanese and Syrian territories was completely liberated, pointing out that 2920 square kilometer of the Syrian territories and 764 square kilometer of the Lebanese territories were under the control of the terrorist group.

Speaking in a ceremony Hezbollah held in Baalback celebrating the “Second victory”, his eminence, according to official translation by Sara Taha Moughnieh, stressed that “the decision to engage in this battle was taken independently by the Lebanese state, and this is a very important point because it represents a sovereign political decision… this is one of the achievements of the new era that is represented by President Michel Aoun, who I’ve always considered a brave, independent, and leading man who is not affiliated to any country, embassy, or threat.”

He explained that the Lebanese Army had taken over the northern borders and that this battle had stopped an emirate from being established from Lebanon to the Mediterranean. In addition, he highlighted that the threat of sending booby-trapped vehicles was still present and there was a decision to bombard and occupy two “Christian” towns, before this battle put an end to these terrorists.

As Sayyed Nasrallah told the crowds that he wished he could personally attend the celebration in Baalback but he couldn’t due to the security situation – especially as the American-Zionist projects are being defeated – he revealed that the US government was upset about Hezbollah’s intervention in the operation and threatened to cut aid on the Lebanese Army if the operation takes place.

Sayyed Nasrallah called for enhancing political trust in the strength of the Lebanese Army and assured that the Lebanese Army has proved that it is trustworthy.

He further said that “we are waiting for another sovereign decision because a Lebanese land is still under Israeli occupation – in reference to Shebaa Farms and Kfarshuba hills – and today, on the ceremony of the Second Liberation, we demand a plan to liberate Shebaa Farms and the hills… I am not calling for a war against Israel, but for a complete plan to liberate the land and return it to the Lebanese sovereignty.”

On another hand, Sayyed Nasrallah referred to the efforts and sacrifices of the Syrian Arab Army, pointing out that the latter “fought the battle on our side to finally liberate Flita and Jarajeer”.

His eminence revealed that he had personally went to Syria and met with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to ask him to take part in battle.

“It was of no benefit for the Syrian leadership to fight ISIL east Qalamoun but we asked them to do so because we had a national and humanitarian cause and this was the only way for us to be able to unveil the destiny of the kidnapped Lebanese soldiers.”

Sayyed Nasrallah also expressed his gratitude to the Islamic Republic in Iran, its president, people, parliament, armed forces, basij, and every individual for their constant support for the resistance, Syria, and Iraq, and for its ongoing readiness to aid the Lebanese Army without conditions or threats.

Moreover, he congratulated Iraq for liberating the whole province of Ninawa which suffered a lot from ISIL under the name of Islam.

On the Israeli enemy, his eminence indicated that “the enemy is crying over its orphans and is acknowledging the defeat of its project and friends in Syria. Israel is referring to the US Administration to pull threats away from it and is putting pressure on Iran and Yemen. The priority of Israel is to make use of others before fighting its own battle. Lately, it took advantage of the US pressure in the International Security Council to make changes in the 1701 decision, but the Lebanese Foreign Ministry made its calls and refused any reform.”

Additionally, he stressed that “the US-Israeli plot in the region failed and the US-Israeli dreams that were put on ISIL and other terrorist groups fell… the resistance axis supported by Russia defeated it, and now the pressure on us by the US and Israel will start all over again… specifically under the rule of Trump, the entire world is now stuck between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un. Trump administration took relations with Russia and China to their lowest level, it is close to announce war against Venezuela, it constantly threatens to cancel the nuclear deal with Iran, and it backs Gulf disagreements.”

Internally, Sayyed Nasrallah greeted the people of Beqaa for their patience and sacrifices. He assured that the important thing to do now is to normalize the situation and pacify the relations between people, and called on the government to be fair and to treat all the Lebanese areas equally giving them all equal rights and duties.

His eminence reassured his support for the call of the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker to pacify the situation and halt arguments, and reassured that protecting the borders is the responsibility of the Lebanese Army.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah announced August 28, 2017 as the day of the second victory against Takfiri terrorism, saying this battle was a continuation of the battle against ‘Israel’.

In a televised speech on Monday after the last ISIL terrorists were expelled from the country, Sayyed Nasrallah said ISIL terrorists who left the border region between Lebanon and Syria had no choice, but to submit to resistance fighters, according to Al-Manar Website..

“August 28, 2017 is the ‘second Liberation Day,’ regardless whether the Lebanese government recognizes it or not. It’s up to the state if it chooses to set another date but we chose this day because it’s the day when no more Takfiri terrorists exist on the Lebanese soil and Hezbollah’s mission had been successfully accomplished,” Sayyed Nasrallah indicated. “It was written with the blood of the Lebanese, Syrian armies, and the Resistance. It will go down in the history of Lebanon and the region.”

“We are before a second victory: the liberation of all the Lebanese territories and the Syrian territories. This is what we call the Great Victory, it is worth calling it as the second liberation day, it is part of the victories in the region,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, adding that the battle against ISIL has achieved its full objectives. The issue is not the liberation of 140 square kilometers of Lebanese territory but rather the liberation of the entire Lebanese soil from terrorists, Hezbollah leader said.

Sayyed Nasrallah described Takfiri terrorism as part of a US-Israeli plot in the region. “ISIL had no choice, but to submit to us, because they had collapsed from within and had to accept our conditions.”

“Today Lebanon has won and the overwhelming majority is happy, except for those who bet on Nusra and ISIL, and the regional and international forces behind them.”

Hezbollah S.G. said the fight against ISIL was a battle and not an act of personal vengeance, praising the Lebanese army soldiers for their successful operation against ISIL. Sayyed Nasrallah also paid condolences to Lebanese servicemen families over the martyrdom of their sons who were kidnapped by ISIL several years ago. “I also salute the families of the martyrs of the Lebanese army, the Syrian army and the resistance.”

Referring to allegations that Hezbollah was blackmailinging the Lebanese army and the state over the kidnapped army soldiers, Sayyed Nasrallah said “It is not Hezbollah that resorts to blackmail over a humanitarian file, those who carried out these claims were either ignorant, with no literacy of the Arabic language, or mean. Those who commented on my previous speech, he said, did not hear my full speech or it reached them taken out of its context.

Since the beginning of the battle, his eminence said, ISIL wanted a ceasefire but the battle continued on both fronts so it collapsed and surrendered in the end. He also emphasized that negotiation was the best way to solve the problem of ISIL’s presence along Syrian border with Lebanon, noting that if they had chosen a military solution, they would not be able to find the location of the servicemen.

Sayyed Nasrallah lashed out at some who were struggling to undermine the victory over Takfiris, saying: after unveiling that the servicemen were martyred, voices went loud that ISIL militants must be tried and killed before going to Syria, those wanted to distort the victory. We have made a deal with them, the other side [ISIL] abided by it and we shall fulfill our promises.

His eminence called for “interrogating those who left the soldiers in ISIL’s hands” instead of pressuring “the side that unveiled their fate.” Those who prevented the Lebanese army on the same day from returning the soldiers and were able to do so from the beginning must be tried, Sayyed Nasrallah went on to say. “The coward, hesitant political decision must be held accountable and all those who didn’t consider Nusra and ISIL as enemies must be held accountable.”

His eminence added that defeating ISIL in various parts of Syria, including in Raqqa, Aleppo and Homs, was instrumental in convincing the terrorist group to leave the Lebanese border with Syria.

“We must not forget that this great victory was achieved through cooperation between Lebanon and Syria,” Sayyed Nasrallah said. He described the current developments as miraculous. “We emerge victorious in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria.”

Sayyed Nasrallah set next Thursday as the day to celebrate this victory in Baalbek city near Ras Al-Ain Park where there’s also a monument where the head of Imam Hussein (AS) was settled when Assabaya procession passed in this area from Karbala. “As in the 2000 victory when the South was liberated from the Israeli occupation, Beqaa residents are the happiest among all the Lebanese now because they suffered the most in the battle against Takfiri terrorism,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.

Hezbollah S.G. called upon all Beqaa residents and other supporters to participate in this ceremony which coincides with the day of Arafa, the day Muslims mark in Hajj and comes before Eid Al-Adha. “At the same time when Muslims will be standing in Arafa, we and those who sacrificed their sons will be standing in Baalbek celebrating this victory. We will be representing the real meaning of Hajj and sacrifice and we’ll be throwing stones on the real Satan and evil.”

“On Thursday we’ll vow: We are the owners of this land, we won’t leave it, and if any terrorist or Takfiri threaten us we will fight them here, and here we shall be martyred, we hold only one passport, the Lebanese one,” Sayyed Nasrallah ended up saying.

Dr. Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

alibrahim56@hotmail.com