Hezbollah says it has right to have air defense weapons

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said Monday that the militant group has the right to possess air defense weapons to face the Israeli warplanes that regularly fly over Lebanon, al-Manar TV reported.

"The resistance (Hezbollah) has enough courage to use air defense weapons if possessed, and the right to use these weapons," Nasrallah said when addressing crowded of supporters in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

His remarks came on the occasion of the first anniversary of assassination of Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh, who was killed in a car bomb in Damascus on Feb. 12 last year. Hezbollah blamed Israel for Mughniyeh's killing, but Israel denied involvement.

Nasrallah said Hezbollah will respond to Israeli threats with more threats, adding that "the students of Mughniyeh (and other martyrs) would destroy the Israeli army if it tries to invade Lebanon."

"The main lesson learned from the Gaza war is that the Israeli army is not capable of winning a battle," Nasrallah said, adding that "Arab armies have never been weak, but Arab decision makers have been weak."

Referring to the upcoming legislative elections scheduled for June, Nasrallah said Lebanon can only be ruled by consensus, no matter who wins the elections.

"If the resistance (opposition) wins the election, we would give the other side a veto power in cabinet, if they refuse, we will rule without consensus, but with a national perspective," he said.

The upcoming Lebanese elections will determine who will rule the country for the next four years.

Majority leader Saad Hariri said last week that he will not join the government if the opposition wins, but stressed that he would respect the outcomes of the elections which he hoped would take place in a democratic atmosphere.