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Iran cleric says Obama adopting old US tactics
A top Iranian cleric on Friday slammed U.S. president-elect Barack Obama's criticism of Hezbollah and defended the Islamic republic's support of the Lebanese Shiite group. "We are announcing it frankly, that we will defend the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance and its brave leader Hassan Nasrallah with pride," the conservative cleric Ahmed Khatami told worshippers in Friday prayers broadcast on state radio.

"They are not terrorists since they are defending their honor and independence," he said. "If Obama wants to decrease hatred, he has to stop making worthless comments. Most probably the Zionists have put down a banana skin for him," Khatami said.

Shiite majority Iran owns is a staunch supporter of Hezbollah and maintains that it provides them with moral support and not arms as alleged by two of its arch-foes, Washington and Israel.
The Gun Fairy visits them every night from his workshop at the East Pole.
After the summer 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, Iran sent money and technical expertise for reconstruction and to compensate victims. Israel says the Shiite group is now three times stronger than during the war.
Posted by: Fred 2008-12-13
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=257117