US blackmailing Lebanon opposition

Lebanese Parliament Speaker denounced America's move to deploy its Cole warship in the Lebanese waters as a threat to the whole region.

"Deployment of an American warship off Lebanon's coast is a real threat to divert world's public opinion from the Zionist regime's crimes in the Gaza Strip," the Lebanese Parliament Speaker said Friday.

Meanwhile, Hossein Rehal, head of the Lebanese Hezbollah's media affairs told al-Alam TV Network that the political confrontation is now with America not with the Washington's pawns.

Another Lebanese official, Ayoub al-Hamid told al-Minar TV Network that Lebanon has passed the time when it was intimidated by America's military power and its arsenal.

"America had deployed its forces in Lebanon in the past and tried to impose certain options on the Lebanese people but it failed," he said.

"We was not intimidated by America's threats then and now we have no fear too," he added.

Al-Hamid warned that America has planned to blackmail Syria and the Lebanese opposition through the deployment.

He reiterated that putting hope in foreign support was not in the interest of any group in Lebanon.

Al-Hamid added that the illegal Lebanese goverment's moves in monopolizing power stems from a plan to prolong the country's crisis.

Ruling group must adopt clear stance
Member of Hezbollah party in Lebanon Parliament, Hossein al-Haj Hasan, said on Friday that the situation in Lebanon and region has entered a new stage where America has decided to deploy its warship in Lebanese waters.

He slammed America for its military interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon and the region.

According to Al-Minar TV network, in a speech in Beirut Univercity, al-Haj Hasan asked the ruling party to clearly declare its stance in this regard.

Addressing the ruling group, he said, "You who reject our accusation that you are America's mercenaries, must adopt a clear stance and condemn the American destroyer deployment."

"The only way you can prove that you are not America's mercenary is that you condemn its interference in the internal affairs of Lebanon."

Cole deployment, a show of power
Head of Lebanese Al-Ittihad party, Abdorrahim Morad, said on Friday that the deployment of the American Cole warship in Lebanon waters was a show of power by the country to improve the morale of its mecenaries in Lebanon.

According to Al-Minar TV network Morad added, "I don't think that America has decided to deploy the Cole warship without consultation with its allies in Lebanon."

"The ruling faction claimed that they had been surprised by the act," he said, "but they refused to comment the the deployment.

Morad also considered the American move as a lever of pressure against Syria and build support for Washington's Arab allies.