August 11, 2006	Friday	Rajab 15, 1427

KARACHI, Aug 10: The US-backed Israeli attack on Lebanon is part of a new Middle East plan for creating a ‘greater’ Israeli state stretching from River Nile up to the Litani River in southern Lebanon, according to chairperson of Pakistan People’s Party (Shaheed Bhutto) Ms Ghinva Bhutto.

She was addressing a press conference at 70 Clifton on Thursday after returning from Syria.

Ghinva Bhutto said that the idea of a greater Israel state had been conceived by Jews in 1702, adding that they had tried to implement it in 1879 but were hampered by the defeat of Napolean Bonapart in Egypt but now it was being pursued by imperialists in the UK and the US.

According to the PPP (SB) leader, originally Isreal had prepared a plan to invade the Lebanon in September last year to wipe out resistance forces in Lebanon and eliminate Hezbollah’s leader Nasrullah, but the plan failed when two of its soldiers were captured by Hezbollah.

Condemning Israel for the disproportionate response for the capturing of two soldiers, she said that it was notan excuse for invading a sovereign country. She said that such incidents were common on both sides and had always resulted in exchanges of bodies and prisoners.

Praising Hezbollah and the Lebanese people, she said that they had been bravely resisting the Israeli onslaught despite suffering heavy casualties, adding that the people of Lebanon had vowed to resist until Israel pulled its forces out of their country.

She declined to compare Hezbollah and the Hamas movement with other Muslim militant groups, saying it would be unwise to compare them with other militant groups as both the Hezb and Hamas were indigenous and popular movements, adding that they were part of the people’s struggles to protect themselves and their land from aggressors. She said that the two movements should support each other politically against foreign aggression.

Criticising Arab countries, she said that most of them were “collaborating with the US imperialism for their vested interests”. She praised the role of Iran and Syrian governments for opposing the Israeli aggression and supporting the struggle of the Lebanese people. But she said she was not satisfied with the role of the PLO.

She said Pakistan, being an important US ally in the war against terrorism, should use its clout in efforts for peace in the Middle East, adding that Pakistan should also be instrumental in enforcing an immediate ceasefire in Lebanon through the UN by pursuing the US government to put pressure on Israeli to end its war of aggression in Lebanon.

She said that Pakistan should have its own agenda for peace and it should lead intensive diplomacy in the UN to pass a resolution according to the wishes of the Lebanese people.

Asked how long the resistance forces would continue their struggle, she said unless Israel ended its occupation and withdrew its forces from the Lebanese territory, there could be no peace in the Middle East and the resistance forces would continue to fight.

About the role of the Lebanese army, Ms Ghinva Bhutto said it had been crippled by a series of international conspiracies, adding that resistance one did not need a regular army. She said that she had been impressed by the will of Lebanese people, adding that the Lebanese people were prepared to resist Israeli forces on their land.

She was accompanied by her daughter, Fatima Bhutto, during the press conference. She had also accompanied her during her visit to Lebanon.