Nasrallah Sends Message on Syria
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah disproved rumors he is sick and delivered a message to Lebanon’s leaders on Syria and the electoral law issue, writes Ali Hashem.
In the course of less than 24 hours, Hezbollah found itself drawn into a media frenzy to refute claims that its secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, was seriously ill and hospitalized in Iran and that the group's deputy leader, according to a Syrian opposition group, had been injured in an attack along the Lebanon-Syria border.
As murmurs grew louder, and the rumors made their way to the media outlets, many Lebanese began to wonder if Hezbollah was covering up news of these events. The organization soon broke its silence.
"Rumors that have spread in the previous days have led me to make an urgent media appearance to show you that I am in good health," said Hasan Nasrallah on Feb. 27. Addressing his supporters via al-Manar TV, he added, "These rumors are part of a media campaign against Hezbollah."
A similar incident occurred in 2008, when Israeli media reports suggested Nasrallah had been poisoned by a Mossad agent and might be near death. A quick, 10-minute interview with the Hezbollah leader was arranged, again on al-Manar, where he made a statement almost identical to the one on Feb. 27.
