Brothers and sisters, today� time is short� it is pouring�loved ones are waiting and it is not the time to do justice to Hajj Imad.  In the days to come, we will carry out - at least - part of our duties towards him. 
 
However�,
 
In the presence of the martyred leader, Hajj Imad, and before his pure body.. in front of you and the world that awaits Hezbollah�s retort at this hour, I would like to affirm several points:
 
First: They� the Zionists, see in the martyrdom of Hajj Imad a great achievement� and we see in it a great sign of the coming decisive and final victory�, God willing.
 
Let us remember;  we had the same situation with Sheikh Ragheb.  They killed him so the Resistance grew stronger and Israel had to get out of the capital, the mountain, the Western Beqaa , as well as most of the South with the exception of the occupied strip.  It is because of Sheikh Ragheb�s virtuous blood and his proud resistance that Israel withdrew, not because of international resolutions or intervention which we never see except in support of the Zionists.
 
It was also the case with our martyred leader Abbas el Moussawi.  They killed him and they thought that the Resistance would collapse because of it� Instead it grew, drawing an increasingly steeper chart� and a few years later, Israel left defeated and humiliated in 2000 because of his blood, and because of the Resistance that carried Abbas al Moussawi�s name and banner� not because of international resolutions or the international community.
 
Today they killed the brother and leader Hajj Imad al Mughneyeh thinking that by killing him, the Resistance would collapse.  They killed him within the framework of the July war on Lebanon which is still not over as until today no cease-fire has been declared.  The war continues� politically, on the level of media, financially, as well as on the level of security� and it is still backed by the same countries that backed the July war!!  He was killed in the framework of this war� But they (the Zionists) are however completely misguided and completely mistaken� just as they were mistaken when they killed Sheikh Ragheb and when they killed Sayyed Abbas.
 
From the July 2006 war which is closely connected to Imad Mughniyeh�, to the blood of Hajj Imad Mughniyeh in February 2008, let the world write down�  and upon my responsibility, that we have to historically mark the beginning of the fall of the state of Israel.
 
If the blood of Sheikh Ragheb got the Israelis to retreat from most of the Lebanese land� and if the blood of Sayyed Abbas got them to retreat from the occupied strip with the exception of the shebaa farms, it is the blood of Imad Mughniyeh that will get them to retreat from existence God willing (in Sha� Allah)!
 
These words are not to agitate and they are not based on emotions.  Listen to me well and reflect:  you all know that Ben Gurion is the founder of the Zionist entity in occupied Palestine� and therefore, he is one of the best informed people in terms of the strengths and weaknesses of this entity� as well as the formulas that will preserve it or damage it.  Listen to what Ben Gurion says� and if many of our Arab leaders just read, this conflict would have been over long ago. 
 
Ben Gurion says that Israel would fall�. Yes, fall�, not withdraw from the South or the Golan or Sinai or the West Bank �  No.  He says that Israel, this artificial entity, will fall after losing its first war�and Israel had its war in July 2006.   Some of the Zionists called it the sixth war as did most of the world, but the leading strategists in Israel called it the first war.   Israel acknowledges from its leftists to its ultra rightists and its ultra ultra rightists - because Israel doesn�t have any moderates - Israel acknowledges that it lost the war.  The Winograd commission report which was presented in a very �dilute� and convenient manner in order to preserve what is left out of Israel, still couldn�t hide the bitterness of the reality, it repeats hundreds of times with the words �serious failures�, �shortage�, �weakness�, and �inaptness on the level of the political, military leadership and the Israeli army�.  Isn�t this what the Winograd report says??  It is not Imad Mughniyeh who said this.  It is a judge who Olmert had appointed to speak about a portion of the truth and to warn Israel of its fate.
 
The question is, why did they fail and why did they lose the July war, although they have � as he [the judge] says - the strongest army in the Middle East and the best equipment and technology anybody has?  Simply, because they faced in Lebanon for 33 days, a serious, sincere and courageous Resistance�  Because in Lebanon� in the July war, they were fighting Imad Mughniyeh,  Imad Mughniyeh�s brothers and Imad Mughniyeh�s pupils who were on the look-out for them!  They fought them with courage, bravery and intelligence� This is why Israel lost a war for the first time, and according to the laws of history and the affirmations of the founder of Israel, Israel is now doomed to fall� and it shall fall God willing.  
 
Therefore, the shedding of Imad Mughniyeh�s blood, this blessed and virtuous blood,  the martyrdom of Sheikh Ragheb, to Sayyed Abbas, Fathy el Shaqaky, Ahmad Yassin and all the martyrs of the Resistance, leaders and fighters will come together to raze with purity and sincerity this cancerous usurping entity which has been planted in the heart of the Arab world and Muslim world.
 
Second�
 
Let all the people who love us and who worry, be reassured.
 
The enemy on the other hand should know that he committed a very grave offense.  As I stand before the body of Hajj Imad, and in front of me are his brothers who know all the facts� I tell the friend and the foe:  no vulnerability, no weakness and no instability in the body and the ranks of the Resistance.  The brothers of Imad Mughneyeh will continue his journey, his course and his jihad. 
 
As for Sayyed Abbas� blood� the Israelis just don�t know what the blood of Sayyed Abbas did in the past for Hezbollah� what emotional and spiritual unity it gave Hezbollah and what kind of incentives were unleashed as a result.  These people don�t know because they belong to a completely different culture.  The blood of Hajj Radwan provides us with additional strength, unity and solidarity and is an incentive for us to continue our course with broader and greater horizons God willing.  On this point I would like to tell the enemy before the friend� that Hajj Imad has accomplished with his brothers his entire mission and as he departs today as a martyr, only a little is left behind him to be completed. 
 
Since the end of the July war and from August 14th� we already started preparing for another day� in full knowledge that Israel�s aggressive nature, would lead it to again aggress Lebanon and launch a war on it and on the region.  This is what Winograd himself recommended.  We however, on the 14th of August� the second day� while the displaced were returning and a big part of our organization was handling housing, compensations, removal of rubble etc�,  we had our people on the front line preparing for the next possible conflict from the very first day. 
 
What I promised in the past has already been achieved� and it was achieved by Hajj Imad and his brothers.  Today, Hezbollah and the Islamic Resistance are more than ready to face any possible aggression� and I say any aggression on Lebanon� any war on Lebanon.
 
In the past, I spoke of missiles.  Today I will speak of our fighters� because among us is one of the commanders of those fighters and one of their major leaders.  Winograd says that a few thousand fighters stood up for a few weeks to the Israeli army which is the most powerful army in the Middle East� and he acknowledges the defeat.  Today after the Israelis killed Hajj Imad, they should listen to me well:  in any future war, there won�t be one Imad Mughneya waiting for you nor will there be a few thousand fighters.  Imad Mughneya left for you tens of thousands of well trained and qualified fighters who are all ready to be martyred.
 
Third�
 
To the enemy because we are not deceitful�
To the friend seeking his indulgence�  I say the following:
The Zionists killed Hajj Mughneya in Damascus, and all our field and investigative reports so far confirm this.  The Israelis have handled this matter through intimations that were stronger than direct statements in terms of their responsibility in this assassination.  I tell them:  You have killed Hajj Imad outside the normal battlefield.  Our battle with you was and still is on Lebanese land.  You used to murder us on our land and this was where we battled against you and your cruel entity.  You have now crossed the borders.  I won�t talk much now but I will remind you of something I told you during the July war when I addressed you the first time:  if you Zionists want an open war, then let it be an open war� and I promised the believers a victory because I trust in God, in the believers, in our people and in our fighters.  Today� one word only:  considering such murder, its timing, its location and the method�, if you Zionists want this kind of open war, let the whole world hear me now�, it shall be an open war!! 
 
Like all human beings, we have a sacred right to defend ourselves� and anything necessary for the defense of our country, our brothers, our leaders and our countries, we shall do God willing.
 
Fourth�
 
On the 14th of February was the commemoration of the martyr Rafiq al Hariri�s death.  We would have hoped to see the Lebanese people brought together on such a day, but some people always prefer to transform any opportunity to a �party of insults� and meaningless threats.  It is not enough that speakers take turn insulting, but their �party of insults� always ends up with hands that are reaching out.  A sincerely reaching-out hand will immediately receive a positive response from us.  However, in memory of the martyr Rafiq al Hariri, and of the great leader of the Resistance (Imad Mughneyeh), I would like to answer this �party of insults� with a short answer� and let them all hear: 
 
Lebanon, a land on which we sacrificed as martyrs the most precious of our leaders and the most intelligent of our scholars, and our most beloved brothers, wives and children�, this Lebanon will never be Israeli!! It will not be a foot-hold for the Zionists.  This Lebanon will not be American any day!  This Lebanon will not be divided!  This Lebanon will not be made into a federation� and whoever is asking for a �divorce� should leave this house and go to his masters in Washington or in Tel Aviv!!!  This Lebanon will remain a country of national unity, cohabitation and civil peace� and whether some dwarfs here like it or not, a country of Resistance, a country of victory and a country of national pride!
 
Shortly, in spite of those who call armies to launch a war on Lebanon and Syria because they are smaller than to manage a war themselves� and in spite of those who instigate civil strife night and day, this Lebanon is here to stay!  A country for unity, a country for pride, a country for chivalry, a country of sovereignty and of self respect!  This is why it has always and will forever deserve its martyrs from Abbas el Moussawi to Ragheb Harb to Imad Mughneya to Rafiq al Hariri.
 
Brothers and sisters, let us pray for our dear cherished� and let us bid him farewell in these last moments and let us renew our vow to him.  Let us raise on our shoulders a leader in whom we take pride� and a martyr whose martyrdom we dearly cherish.  Despite the winter and the cold, let our voices be heard by all enemies and killers.  We shall continue our Resistance until complete victory in achieved God willing� whatever the sacrifices may be. 
 
May God bless you and raise our martyr to the heaven, along with the martyrs and prophets who preceded him.  You left behind you Radwan, thousands who have your soul, your mind, your intelligence, your sincerity and your courage and with them� and our martyrs, our course will only be filled with victory and celebration, God willing.
 
Peace be upon you, mercy and God�s blessings

http://english.wa3ad.org/index.php?show=news&action=article&id=1824

Editor's Note: If any of our readers are capable and interested in helping Cherifa sub-title this speech for the new film documentary, please write to us.  Thanks, LMB