Hizbollah chief emerges for first time since war

BEIRUT, Sep 22 (Reuters) Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah emerged in public today for the first time since the war with Israel, waving to a sea of his supporters thronging southern Beirut for a ''divine victory'' rally.

Flanked by burly bodyguards, Nasrallah appeared on stage to a rapturous welcome and waved to the crowds.

He was expected later to address the crowd of hundreds of thousands of people waving flags, balloons and Hizbollah banners flooding Beirut's heavily bombed Shi'ite Muslim suburbs.

The huge turnout in a country of just four million was a gesture of defiance to Israel but also marked a challenge to the US-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

Hizbollah has two ministers in the cabinet, but most cabinet members oppose the group's alliances with Syria and Iran.

Since the war, Israeli officials have said they would continue to target Hizbollah's leadership but Prime Minister Ehud Olmert refused to comment yesterday on whether Israel would try to kill Nasrallah if he appeared at the rally.

''God was generous to us and granted us this victory against our enemy. He was generous to us and gave us Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah so we come here to celebrate with him,'' Hussein Kaddouh, 29, from the southern village of Yater, told Reuters.

''We are willing to respond to Sayyed Nasrallah's call with our blood, children and everything that we own.'' Hundreds set out on foot yesterday from Shi'ite villages in south Lebanon battered by Israel's bombardment and invasion.

The Beirut crowds carried pictures of Nasrallah and yellow Hizbollah flags bearing the message: ''Here we are Nasrallah''.

Many wore yellow T-shirts and chanted pro-Hizbollah slogans. Some said they were there not only to celebrate but also in the hope of seeing the charismatic Nasrallah.

''I came to take a close-up glimpse of Sayyed. This is Lebanon's real independence day and we want to be with him,'' said Zahra Soueidan, from the southern village of Bayada.

WITHDRAWAL DELAYED The rally had been expected to coincide with the final withdrawal of Israeli troops from the south, but Israel's army chief said on Wednesday the pullout might take a few more days.

Israeli forces have been gradually leaving territory they captured in fighting that began after Hizbollah guerrillas seized two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.

Israel and Hizbollah have both declared themselves victors in the war which killed nearly 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 157 Israelis, mainly soldiers.

''I call on you all to participate in a victory rally, your victory ... in the southern suburb, the suburb of honour, glory, faith, steadfastness and victory for the whole country,'' Nasrallah said on Hizbollah's Al-Manar television.

Israeli warplanes pounded Hizbollah strongholds during the war and bombarded bridges and roads across the country, forcing almost a million people to flee their homes. Hizbollah fired nearly 4,000 rockets into northern Israel.

Under an August truce which ended the fighting, United Nations reinforcements and Lebanese army forces are deploying in the south to monitor the ceasefire and try to assert the authority of the Beirut government.

But Nasrallah has said his fighters remain on the border with Israel and Hizbollah has dismissed demands that it disarm.

Nasrallah has not appeared in public since a July 12 news conference to announce the capture of the two Israeli soldiers.

REUTERS MQA PM2030