Ahmadinejad Promises to Protect Qana in South Lebanon

The USG Open Source Center translates from Persian the speech of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at Qana in South Lebanon on Friday (See below). Qana is significant as the site of several Israeli attacks and atrocities, most recently in summer 2006, in which Israeli bombing killed innocent non-combatants. Lead 9/11 hijacker Mohammad Atta was incensed by the 1996 Israeli bombing of Qana.

Ahmadinejad’s speeches in Lebanon have centered on defense, not offense, and he has several times suggested that the situation will improve when the 12th Imam, a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, returns, alongside Jesus Christ. That is, he is speaking a mystical language of spiritual saviors at the end-time rather than talking about tanks.

Aljazeera English reports:

Here is the speech:

Ahmadinezhad Says Iran Will Stand By Lebanon to ‘Last Breath’
Address by President Mahmud Ahmadinezhad to people of Qana, southern Lebanon — live
Islamic Republic of Iran News Network Television (IRINN)
Friday, October 15, 2010
Document Type: OSC Translated Text …

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. (Introductory prayers in
Arabic).

I thank God Almighty for granting me the opportunity to visit you pious, brave and revolutionary people.

I have come to bring the greetings of the great Iranian nation and its leadership to you. God bless you, brave and committed offspring of Lebanon. Greetings to your faith and revolutionary zeal. Greetings to the proud youth of Qana, the hopes of Lebanon and the hopes of the resistance of the nations of the region. Greetings to martyrs and self-sacrificers of Qana. Greetings to the war disabled and families of martyrs. Greetings to innocent widows and small children of Qana’s martyrs.

I have come to thank you for your patience, resistance and honor. I have come to offer greetings to you and to Qana, the land of patience and resistance. Qana is living proof of resistance, patience and faith of the people of Lebanon. The innocent and defenseless martyrs of Qana are proof of the innocence and resistance of the people of Lebanon. Qana is living proof of the crimes of the criminal Zionists.

My dear ones, you are victorious and your enemies are defeated. You will stay and your enemies, who are the enemies of humanity, are on the slippery slope to destruction.

You are honorable and respected and your Zionist enemies are shamed, wretched and pitiful. On behalf of the Iranian nation, I would like to congratulate you on your faith, resistance and love for justice.

I have come to tell you that the Iranian nation and leadership will stand by the people of Lebanon and Qana to their last breath. The martyrs of Qana are alive and the enemies of Qana are dead. The path of martyrs, the path of justice, purity and resistance against oppressors is everlasting.

I have come to thank you. I thank my dear brother, the honorable Mr Michel Sulayman, the dear president of Lebanon. I have come to thank my combatant and honorable brother, the speaker of parliament Mr Nabih Birri.

I have come to thank my dear brother, the prime minister, the esteemed Mr Sa’d Hariri. I have come to thank the dear combatant and the hero of Lebanon, the honorable Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah. I have come to thank all the Lebanese tribes, from Christian to Muslim, from Shi’i to Sunni and Druze, and all the heads of tribes, senior officials, political officials, and religious leaders of Christians and Muslims. I have come to thank the dear Lebanese Army, which has been standing proud against the criminal Zionists. I have come to thank the Lebanese security and police forces, who maintain the security of this land. I have come to pray for the victory of all nations at the grave of martyrs. God Almighty, the people of Qana and Lebanon are dear, take them to the peak of human dignity and honor.

God Almighty, destroy the enemies of the Lebanese nation and the innocent nations. God Almighty, our hearts and the hearts of the Lebanese nation are saddened by the grief of Scholar Seyyed Musa Sadr. God Almighty, bring happiness to the hearts of all pious people with some good news from that dear one.

(Sentence in Arabic meaning: Dear Lebanese people, Dear honorables, we are proud of you and we will be with you always.)

(Description of Source: Tehran Islamic Republic of Iran News Network Television (IRINN) in Persian — 24-hour news channel of state-run television, officially controlled by the office of the supreme leader)