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Nasrallah's Calculated Moderation

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah has adopted a more moderate approach, which some believe aims to diversify the party's allies and thwart the Western political war against it.
Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters via a video conference during iftar, the breaking of fast meal, during the Islamic month of Ramadan in Beirut's southern suburbs July 19, 2013. REUTERS/Sharif Karim   (LEBANON - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION) - RTX11S9O
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In his most recent speech on July 19, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah said, "We are always ready for dialogue under any form, [whether] the current or previous dialogue table, or any other formula for discussing national defense strategy ... We are ready to participate in any dialogue unconditionally. Now you want to open a dialogue before the formation of the government. We are ready for this, and we are also ready [to participate] after its formation."

From the standpoint of Lebanese observers, this significant openness is unprecedented in Nasrallah's rhetoric. The question, however, revolves around the motivation for it.

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