Transcript for July 30

MR. RUSSERT: Let me show you what the American/Israel public affairs committee put out. This statement—while they acknowledge they are bombing southern Lebanon, they say when it comes to Beirut, the “Lebanese spokesmen have characterized Israel’s air campaign as a systematic destruction of Beirut, while news reports have shown images of what appears to be widespread devastation. In reality, an overwhelming majority of the city remains untouched.” “ And they show this map, which indicates that it’s very selected attacks on Beirut. Would you agree with that?

MR. MAHMOUD: Well, sure, there aren’t too many standing, standing buildings in Beirut yet. But the first Israeli attack were Lebanon, Lebanon’s infrastructure, Lebanon’s civilians. From the first day the airport was hit, from the first day the seaports were hit, the bridges were destroyed, 600 Lebanese civilians. There cannot be called all collateral damage and bad mistakes, and whatever you hear. Fortunately, yes, we still have part of Beirut spared, but we don’t know when the Israeli will, will react against us.  It can happen any time.

MR. RUSSERT: Two weeks ago, this was the scene at the United Nations, when Ambassador Gillerman, who we just spoke to, confronted you directly on the floor of the United Nations. Let’s watch and listen.

(Videotape, July 14, 2006):

MR. GILLERMAN: I would like to make a personal appeal to my esteemed Lebanese colleague. Your excellency, you know deep down that if you could, you would add your own brave voice to those voices of your brave compatriots and colleagues. You know deep in your heart that if you could, you would be sitting here right next to me right now, because you know that we are doing the right thing. And that if we succeed, Lebanon will be the beneficiary.

(End of videotape)

MR. RUSSERT: How do you respond? Is Israel doing the right thing in trying to eliminate the Hezbollah militia?

MR. MAHMOUD: Everyone can see that they are not doing the right thing. Now, in the third week of their bombardment and activities over Lebanon everywhere, they have not achieved much militarily. Actually, they achieved war crimes, unfortunately, and they achieved the destruction of the country, turning it to rubble in about few hours. And we Lebanese, we were trying to reach an agreement with Hezbollah on the national table, national dialogue, and were about to, to, to arrive to something substantial in this issue. So even they were blaming us that we are taking our time in doing that, but militarily it will take much longer, and it won’t be achieved, as we said from the first day.

MR. MAHMOUD: If their aim is, is, is to destroy Hezbollah militarily, yes, they are.

MR. RUSSERT: And yet, you represent the Lebanese government.

MR. MAHMOUD: Yes.

MR. RUSSERT: And you signed on to United Nations Resolution 1559, passed more than two years ago, and let me read that for you and our viewers: it “Reaffirms its call for the strict respect of the sovereignty ... of Lebanon under the sole and exclusive authority of the Government of Lebanon throughout Lebanon.” It “... Calls for the disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias.” Your government has the obligation to disband the Hezbollah militia, and you have refused to do that. Why?

MR. MAHMOUD: We didn’t refuse at all. This government is in office for the last one year, and one of the main issue was the armament of Hezbollah, and that was discussed. It cannot be achieved militarily. They are part of the Lebanese society, and they have their, their legitimacy through their fighting, the, the occupation of Israeli for about 20 years of south Lebanon.  So these things don’t have a quick fix. We’re taking our time, right, but we don’t want to go back to national strife and to national civil war.

MR. RUSSERT: But would you acknowledge the Lebanese Army is not strong enough to disband the Hezbollah militia?

MR. MAHMOUD: It’s not in our political agenda to disband of them militarily.

MR. RUSSERT: Let me show you something that your president said, the president of Lebanon, had to say about Hezbollah. “Hezbollah enjoys utmost prestige in Lebanon, because it freed our country. All over the Arab world you hear: Hezbollah maintains Arab honor, and even though it is very small, it stands up to Israel. And of course [Hezbollah’s leader] Nasrallah has my respect.” Does Mr. Nasrallah have your respect?

MR. MAHMOUD: Sure.

MR. RUSSERT: Sure? Let me show you what Mr. Nasrallah had to say, according to Reuters. “There is no solution to the conflict in this region except with the disappearance of Israel. ... Peace settlements will not change reality, which is that Israel is the enemy and that it will never be a neighbor or a nation.” Do you agree that Israel should disappear?

MR. MAHMOUD: No, we don’t agree on that, and we are not working on that.  And this is not our agenda. We hope and we aim at living in peace all together in the Middle East. But unfortunately, the Israeli every day remind their neighbors of their might and of their way of dealing with things. They want everyone to submit to their dictation, and that’s not going to happen, not in Palestine, not in Lebanon. Let’s be reasonable. Let’s use our brain power instead of our fire power and that will get us somewhere. Not through bombardment, not through mistakes which are repeated on the Lebanese soil.

MR. RUSSERT: But Mr. Ambassador, if another militia snatched two Lebanese soldiers and began to bomb parts of your country, wouldn’t you respond the way Israel has?

MR. MAHMOUD: No, not this way. This way was disproportionate. It was collective punishment. It was targeting civilian in unprecedented way.

MR. RUSSERT: If there was a free election in Lebanon today, how well would Hezbollah do at the polls?

MR. MAHMOUD: They’ll do very well.

MR. RUSSERT: Would Christian Lebanese and Sunni Lebanese, not disposed to like Hezbollah, who are Shiite, would they vote for Hezbollah now? Have their minds been changed because of this war?

MR. MAHMOUD: Well, the Israeli aggression for all this time put all the Lebanese under heavy fire. So we don’t feel that there is any distinction.  We are all subject to their aggression and that’s why the war is rallying people around Hezbollah. That’s very normal.

MR. RUSSERT: Do you believe there can be true peace without the Hezbollah militia being removed from the southern border with Israel?

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