So spoke Sheikh Naim Qassem
So spoke Sheikh Naim Qassem
Plus news from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, a glance at Israel and at the Houthi menace.
Note to readers: the article exceeds the length limits of the e-mail. To read it in its entirety, just click on the title to open the full online version.
As reported by Al Mayadeen, yesterday (Tuesday 29th October 2024) Hezbollah announced that its Shura Council had elected Sheikh Naim Qassem as the new Secretary-General, succeeding Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, stating that this decision is…
grounded in the principles of true Islam and the steadfast ideals of Hezbollah, [and] follows the party's established procedures for selecting the Secretary-General.
We pledge to God Almighty, to the soul of our beloved martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (may God be pleased with him), to the martyrs, to the Islamic resistance fighters, and to our resilient and loyal people, to work together to fulfill Hezbollah's principles and goals.
A short biography of Sheikh Naim Qassem can be found in the Al Mayadeen article linked above, whereas congratulations on his election from Palestinian Resistance factions and Iranian officials can be found respectively here and here.
So spoke Sheikh Naim Qassem
Earlier today Sheikh Naim Qassem gave his first speech as a new as Secretary-General of Hezbollah. A summary of can be found in this Al Mayadeen article, but here are some highlights from two posts (1 and 2) of the Resistance News Network (Unofficial) Telegram channel (all emphasis original - since substack does not allow underlined, underlined formatting is replaced with italics):
In this meeting, it is essential to express loyalty to the martyr leader Sayyed Hashem Safieddin.
Sayyed Safieddin was an organized person, involved in operations, with a keen vision. He cared for the fighters and worked to fulfill the needs of the front, and he was one of the main people on whom the martyred Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah relied.
The great martyr Yahya Sinwar, an icon of heroism and resistance for Palestine and the free of the world, was martyred in the confrontation until his last breath—strong, brave, faithful, upright, dignified, and free.
My master, His Eminence Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah (may Allah be pleased with him), for 32 years, you have been instilling faith, loyalty, and resistance in the hearts of young people, women, the elderly, and children.
You were and will remain the victorious banner of the resistance, beloved of the fighters, the reservoir of hope, the harbinger of victory, and adored by those yearning for a life of dignity.
I thank the leadership of Hezbollah and the esteemed Shura, entrusted by the fighters and people with this path, for choosing me for this heavy responsibility, which signifies trust.
This trust is the legacy of Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi (may Allah be pleased with him), who told us that the primary commandment is to preserve the resistance.
This trust is also the trust of the great leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and here I recall his words when Sayyed Abbas al-Musawi was martyred, saying, “They intended by killing our Secretary-General to defeat within us the spirit of resistance and to crush the will of jihad, but his blood will continue to boil in our veins and will increase our determination to continue on this path.”
My work plan is a continuation of the work plan of our leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah across all political, jihadi, social, and cultural fields.
We will continue implementing the war plan outlined by Sayyed Nasrallah with the resistance leadership, and we will remain on the war path within the defined political guidelines.
Supporting Gaza was imperative to confront the threat of "israel" to the entire region through the gateway of Gaza, and Gaza’s people have the right to support, and everyone must stand by them.
Our resistance exists to confront occupation and its expansionist ambitions and to liberate the land.
Some consider that "israel" was provoked; does "israel" need an excuse? Have we forgotten 75 years of killing Palestinians, displacing them, seizing land and sanctities, and committing massacres?
It was the resistance, in collaboration with the army and the people, that expelled "israel" from our land in the past.
International resolutions did not expel "israel" from our land; it was the resistance.
We will continue on the war path within the outlined developments.
Netanyahu himself said at the start of his aggression on Lebanon that it was for a "new Middle East," and we have thwarted a series of surprises.
Through resistance, we disrupt the "israeli" project, while waiting causes us to lose everything.
We face a major project in the region; this is a global war against the resistance, not limited to Lebanon and Gaza.
This aggression employs all forms of brutality and genocide to push forward its project. We must confront it and not merely observe.
This confrontation will expose Western values as false slogans that have fallen before their alignment with the savage.
The legendary steadfastness of the resistance in Gaza and Lebanon is a saga of dignity, forging the future of our generations.
We have repeatedly stated, as our leader affirmed, that we do not seek war, but if it is imposed on us, we will face it with dignity.
No one fights on our behalf, nor do we fight on behalf of anyone else. Our project is to protect our land and defend our country.
Iran supports us without asking for anything in return, and we welcome any Arab or Islamic country willing to support us against "israel."
Iran is aware of the price it pays for supporting the resistance, and it has given us, through the martyr General Soleimani, what no one else has.
We fight on our land and liberate our occupied land, with no demands or obligations imposed upon us.
The scale of targeting Hezbollah, especially its leadership after the pager bombings, was painful for us, yet Hezbollah regained its position.
The [battle] field demonstrates and confirms Hezbollah's recovery from the attacks it endured, as it is a large, cohesive institution with great capabilities.
Hezbollah has a genuine history of jihad, strengthening year by year and gaining more experience.
Hezbollah’s capabilities are present and suitable for a prolonged battlefield.
The fighters on the front lines are filled with faith and courage; they are martyrdom-seekers, and no one can advance past them.
As our leader said, "We are awaiting the engagement." The confrontations are focused on the frontline edge, and the enemy is fearful, altering its statements and goals.
The fighters on the front lines possess all the necessary capabilities, standing firm and strong.
The Resistance Operations Room has documented the enemy’s losses, which are only on the frontline edge.
Our resistance is legendary, a school for generations of freedom.
The occupation acknowledged its inability against Hezbollah's missiles and drones, which strike within a studied field program.
The resistance’s ability to set up platforms despite continuous airstrikes is exceptional, and we fight with honor.
We target bases and soldiers, while they target civilians, people, and infrastructure, aiming to inflict suffering.
The enemy must know that its bombing of our villages and cities will not make us retreat. The resistance is strong, and it succeeded in delivering a drone to Netanyahu’s room.
Netanyahu survived this time; “perhaps his time has not yet come.”
We are causing pain to the enemy, and our targeting of the "Binyamina" base is proof of that, as well as our strikes on Haifa, Acre, and others.
We have decided to name this war “The Battle of the Mighty Ones.”
Sheikh Qassem to the occupation: You will certainly be defeated because the land is ours, and our people stand united around us. Leave our land to reduce your losses; otherwise, you will pay an unprecedented price.
Just as we triumphed in July, we will triumph now and remain strong, with our power continually rising.
To the U.S. ambassador in Lebanon: Neither you nor those with you will see the defeat of the resistance, not even in your dreams.
Hezbollah will emerge from this confrontation stronger and victorious.
To the displaced: This battle requires this level of sacrifice, and we are in a phase of causing pain to the enemy, added to by a phase of steadfastness and patience. The resistance cannot win without your sacrifices, and others are astounded by your patience, and we will rebuild together.
Hezbollah is strong in resistance by the blessing of the fighters and strong in the political sphere internally thanks to you.
To those betting on the post-war period: you will find yourselves cursing America and its allies because they lied to you.
The enemy will not be able to rely on time as its losses are substantial, and it will be forced to end its aggression.
We will continue to confront the aggression, and if the enemy wishes to stop it, we will accept terms that we find suitable, with any solution remaining through indirect negotiation.
The foundation of any negotiation is a ceasefire first.
To the fighters: as our leader said, “The era of defeats has ended, and the era of victories has arrived,” and we are victorious. So be patient and steadfast.
News from Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Saudi Arabia
Following up the Israeli attack against Iran last Saturday, 26th October 2024, the Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh, stated that “Iran can conduct dozens of retaliatory operations like Operation True Promise” and that “Iran's defense capabilities remain high”, as reported by Al Mayadeen, which quoted him as saying:
The Zionist enemy attempted to harm Iranian air defense systems but failed to achieve any significant success.
There is no issue with the missile production process.
Even a single bullet fired by the Zionist entity against barren land in Iran is considered an affront to our strong and ancient country, and we will not allow it; we will respond.
Moreover Al Mayadeen quoted the Deputy Chief of the Iranian Army for Coordination, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, as saying “that Israeli, American, French, and UK warplanes hovered in Iraqi airspace for 25 days before the aggression on Iran”. He also added:
However, as a result of the readiness and alertness of our dear [servicemen] in the Air Defense and Air Force, a concerted operation took place that did not allow any of the enemy’s advanced aircraft to cross our borders
…thus forcing enemy warplanes to launch ballistic missiles at Iran from more than 100 kilometres away from its borders.
In the same article Al Mayadeen reports that the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades condemned the use of Iraqi airspace by Israel to launch airstrikes on Iranian facilities and promised retaliation against the Outlaw US Empire, which still has military bases in the country.
In the meantime, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), which convened two days ago to discuss the Israeli aggression against Iran (see this Al Mayadeen article for a summary), to “impose severe sanctions against that regime based on the Seventh Chapter of the United Nations Charter”, adding:
In the current critical and sensitive period, the Islamic Republic of Iran emphasizes the necessity of collective diplomatic efforts to stop the aggression and crimes of the Zionist regime.
At the same time Turkey and other countries have proposed a draft UN resolution…
to take immediate steps to stop the supply or transfer of arms, ammunition and related equipment to Israel, the occupying power, in all cases where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that they may be used in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, as stipulated in General Assembly resolution ES-10/24 of 18 September 2024.
We must urgently take decisive action to halt this dangerous trend, end impunity and ensure accountability for all violations, in line with obligations under international law, including the UN Charter, the Fourth Geneva Convention and other relevant treaties, as well as all relevant UN resolutions and the rulings of the International Court of Justice, including its advisory opinions and measures and binding temporary orders.
…as written in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the President of the Security Council, Swiss Ambassador Pascale Baeriswyl, and the President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang, as reported by Middle East Monitor in this article.
On the other hand, today Saudi Arabia hosted the inaugural meeting of the “International Alliance to Implement the Two-State Solution”, launched last month at the UN General Assembly (UNGA), as reported by Al Mayadeen, which quoted Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan as saying:
A genocide is happening with the goal of evicting the Palestinian people from their land, which Saudi Arabia rejects.
A joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit will take place on 11th November 2024, focusing on the “continued Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and current developments in the region”.
A glance at Israel
Meanwhile, in Israel, a columnist for Israel Hayom, Yoav Limor, writes that…
Continued fighting through the Lebanese winter could exact a heavy price on Israel
…while the newspaper Maariv highlights how Hezbollah is still retaining its rocket capabilities, with daily launches, despite the killing of Nasrallah and other commanders, and quotes Noam Tibon, former commander of the Israeli Northern Corps, as saying:
We have lost the manpower of a whole division, and we need three additional divisions; otherwise, we will find it difficult to defend Israel.
…as reported in this Al Mayadeen article, which also Seth Frantzman from The Jerusalem Post as saying:
The challenge in southern Lebanon is that while Hezbollah has suffered blows to its command and control, the group appears to be clinging on and it is capable of continued deadly operations.
In a month of war, the rocket fire continues to average around 100-200 rockets fired by Hezbollah a day.
Another Al Mayadeen article quotes retired Israeli military colonel and national security expert Kobi Marom as saying to Israeli Channel 13:
The ground operation in Lebanon comes at a high cost for us.
…admitting that “Hezbollah’s rocket strength, combined with its leadership and control, poses a significant threat”.
The same Al Mayadeen article quotes also a military correspondent for the Israeli Walla! news website, Amir Bohbot, highlighting “a lack of coordination between the Israeli northern and southern commands” and describing “the ongoing crisis as a ‘war of minds’ in both southern Lebanon and Gaza, fueled by Hezbollah and Hamas' shift to urban warfare tactics involving explosive devices”. Bohbot reports also a “significant gap” in the Israeli military structure, referring to “a recent incident in Gaza involving the 252nd Division, where veteran reserve soldiers refused to enter a Palestinian building due to insufficient backup from special units”.
Al Mayadeen also reports that, due to the threat of drones, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu, rightly described as “detached from his people and soldiers” by former Gaza Division commander Maj. Gen. (Res.) Gadi Shamni, has delayed his son Avner's wedding, originally scheduled for late November. Not only that, but the Israeli news site Srugim, quoted by Al Mayadeen, has also reported that Netanyahu recently asked:
What will we do if a drone reaches the Knesset?
That’s a good question, Bibi! Have you ever though of stopping the genocide in Gaza? That would immediately stop Hezbollah’s drone attacks and rocket barrages, as well as the Houthi’s Red Sea blockade. Speaking of which…
The Houthi Menace
On Monday 28th October 2024 Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), announced that the YAF had carried out three successful military operations, “as part of the ongoing maritime blockade against the Israeli occupation entity”, as reported by Al Mayadeen, which summarizes the 3 operations as follows:
The first operation targeted the vessel SC MONTREAL in the southern Arabian Sea, using two drones, the spokesperson said.
He added that the second operation targeted the vessel MAERSK KOWLOON in the Arabian Sea with a cruise missile.
Meanwhile, the third operation, carried out by the YAF's Naval and Missile Forces, targeted the vessel MOTARO in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait with multiple ballistic missiles, Saree confirmed.
According to the Yemeni spokesperson, the targeting of the three vessels was due to the owning companies’ violation of the ban imposed by the YAF on entry to Israeli-occupied ports in occupied Palestine.
In another article Al Mayadeen reported about a 20-minute video released by the Yemeni Military Media, “documenting a series of tactical exercises dubbed ‘To Make Your Faces Wretched’ (Quranic verse) carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces”:
The exercises were divided as follows:
1. Naval and Coastal Defense Maneuver
2. Urban Warfare Maneuver
3. Mountainous Region Maneuver
4. Desert Region Maneuver
5. Public Mobilization Forces Maneuver
You can find more information in the aforementioned Al Mayadeen article in the link above and you can watch the video here:
And it looks like the Germans got scared by the Houthis! In fact, as reported by The Guardian earlier today, quoting the German ministry spokesperson Colonel Mitko Mueller, two German navy ships (a frigate and a supply ship) on their way back from an Indo-Pacific deployment avoided the Red Sea and took the longer route around Africa, as ordered by the German Defence minister Boris Pistorius. Col. Mitko Mueller justified the circumnavigation of Africa saying that the two ships are not “specifically designed to carry out air defence operations” to protect themselves as well as fleets of nearby vessels. So much for the “powerful NATO alliance”… HA, HA! They cannot even defend themselves from the “Houthi pirates”!
By the way, because of the extensive use of interceptors in the Middle East, air-defense stockpiles are running low in the Outlaw US Empire, as reported by the Wall Street Journal (paywalled - but you can read a summary in this Al Mayadeen article). Oh, well… I will extend my previous question to the neo-cons in the US: have you ever thought of stopping waging wars around the world and spending money on healthcare and social services instead of wasting it on military adventures and expensive, but obsolete and underperforming military hardware?
Great round up. 🙏
This is the important part:
"Netanyahu himself said at the start of his aggression on Lebanon that it was for a "new Middle East," and we have thwarted a series of surprises. Through resistance, we disrupt the "israeli" project, while waiting causes us to lose everything. We face a major project in the region; this is a global war against the resistance, not limited to Lebanon and Gaza."
This is something a lot of people still don't get. They think this is all about Gaza and then Lebanon. It's about the entire Middle East and beyond that the future US war with China. As I've said repeatedly, the US neocons and other Powers That Be have decreed that the US' and Israel's enemies in the Middle East must be removed, especially Iran, so that oil can be denied to China to cause China's economy to crash, preparatory to a US war on China should the economic crash not be sufficient (as happened in Russia where the West's sanctions failed.)
Before Iran can be taken out, Hezbollah and the rest of the Axis of Resistance needs to be taken out, otherwise Israel will suffer serious damage and likely go under during any war with Iran. I've been saying that for 17 years.
Israel's and the US PTB believe they can take down all their enemies, and Israel in particular believes it will then be able to clean out the Palestinians, and once that is done regain its position as a tourist trap, seize the gas off the coasts of Gaza and Lebanon, and become a Mediterranean trade hub for the region, thus getting rich - the usual Jewish wet dream.
And it doesn't matter than objectively they can't achieve this against the Axis of Resistance. As Andrei Martyanov says daily, the West's PTB are ignorant, uneducated and don't understand modern war and the "Correlation of Forces and Means". So they will try to achieve these goals up to the moment when it becomes obvious the goals can not be achieved and they are forced to pack up and go home, as in Afghanistan.
What is likely to happen is Israel will be destroyed, the Zionists driven from Palestine and the US driven from the Middle East permanently.
In the meantime hundreds of thousands if not a million or more people will die in the Middle East. This is now inevitable. What is also possible is a direct confrontation between the West and Russia and China - which is, after all, the ultimate goal of the West.
This conflict will change the future of the Middle East and of the whole world. So it's not remotely just about Gaza or Lebanon. Both the Axis and the West's PTB understand that at the top, as Sheikh Naim Qassem has said explicitly.