US, Israel must be denied any gains: Hizbollah

BEIRUT, July 29: The United States and Israel must be denied any political gains from the Israeli onslaught in Lebanon, Hizbollah's deputy chief Naim Kassem said today.

''America and Israel have no right to get a result from their defeat. There is no (military) victory for America and Israel (as a basis) for them to make political gains,'' he told Reuters in an interview when asked how Hizbollah viewed US demands for the Shi'ite guerrillas to disarm and make way for an international force in south Lebanon.

Pressed on the possible deployment of such a force, he said Hizbollah had decided not to talk about this in public.

Kassem said Hizbollah still had ''observations'' on some of the proposals made by Prime Minister Fouad Siniora for a ceasefire.

The Lebanese cabinet, which includes two ministers loyal to Hizbollah, has backed Siniora's proposals for an immediate ceasefire and deployment of an international force to help the Lebanese army take control of the south.

On Thursday it endorsed Siniora's speech to a conference in Rome the previous day in which he also said a ceasefire should result in a monopoly of weapons for the Lebanese authorities, implying Hizbollah's eventual disarmament or the incorporation of its fighters into the army.

''Hizbollah expressed its observations and asked a few questions because there are things that need more discussions, more details and more debate,'' Kassem said of the cabinet decision.

''But we saw the need to come out with a unified national position,'' he said, adding that the details would be discussed within the government.

Kassem reiterated the group's position on a ceasefire to end Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

''It is natural that we demand it (the attack) is ended unconditionally and that all the displaced people (are allowed to) return to their villages and towns,'' he said.

Kassem denied Israel's claims that it had inflicted huge damage on Hizbollah's military capability and had killed hundreds of guerrillas.

''This is all part of psychological warfare ... We are proud of our martyrs and we announce their names in the media. Their number is limited and much smaller than the enemy claims,'' he said. Hizbollah has said it has lost 31 fighters so far in the 18-day-old war against Israel.

REUTERS