BEIRUT- Hezbollah considered that “the State’s embrace for Resistance” is one of the main conditions for the success of the national Dialogue which starts next Tuesday and includes in its agenda the discussion of the defense strategy that organizes the Hezbollah’ arms relation with the State.

Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, declared to Lebanese newspapers Saturday that “there is no equivalence called State against Resistance, or Resistance against State, and there no equivalence called State and Resistance. We refuse these equivalences, there is only one equivalence called State embracing Resistance”.

“We are heading to the dialogue roundtable, but each one has its own vision regarding this dialogue. If we want this dialogue to succeed quickly, there are three rules: the parties should agree on the fact that they have only one enemy, namely Israel. They should be convinced of building a capable, fair, balanced, powerful, and clean State. And they should agree on the fact that the objective is to provide the required factors to free the land and defend it through the defense strategy”, he added.

Before fixing the dialogue date, a conflict began between the parliamentary majority and minority regarding the increase of the participants’ number and the opening of an agenda. The first party insisted on the fact that the number of participants should only be limited to the ones who attended the last dialogues in 2006, without being opposed to the development of the discussions, provided that the defense strategy remains the priority. On the other hand, the second party asked for the increase of the participants’ number and the opening of an agenda.

Prime Minister Fouad Siniora reiterated his insistence on the fact that “the dialogue’s title is the defense strategy which was not studied during the past dialogues” that took place in 2006 after the initiative of the Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri.

“Just as Parliament is the master of itself, so are the participants (in the dialogue) who will make their own decisions, and the final decision concerning the agenda will be made according to the discussions" , he added.

As for Future Movement leader Saad Hariri, he stated Friday that “it is time to make the national dialogue a means to strengthen the independent national decision making concept and the establishment of a capable State which is responsible for protecting the citizens and the national sovereignty, renewing confidence in its role and institutions, and stopping the siege laid on it, be it by parties, religions, confessions, or armed forces”.

“We are going to the national dialogue to affirm that the period in which Lebanon was controlled by secret services is over and going back to the guardianship era is never going to happen no matter how strong the pressures were and whatever the terrorist acts they perform and the threats they impose. [And to affirm that] Anjar- the Syrian forces past headquarters in Lebanon – will never be a gate to control Lebanon again”.

President Michel Suleiman called for a national dialogue in the Presidential Palace. During the first session, which will take place on September 16, the parties will discuss the problematic matters first of which is the defense strategy.