Hezbollah leader hits out at Bush

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The leader of Hezbollah, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has accused the US of ordering Israel to start last year's conflict with the militant group.

Addressing a huge crowd in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, Sheikh Nasrallah also accused the US and Israel of trying to foment civil wars in the region.

It comes amid moves by Hezbollah to oust Lebanon's pro-Western government.

Seven people died last week in street clashes between Hezbollah's supporters and their political opponents.

Sheikh Nasrallah's remarks came a day after US President George W Bush implicitly accused Hezbollah of stirring up violence in Lebanon, saying "those responsible for creating chaos must be held to account".

George Bush wants to punish you because you resisted, he wants to punish you because you won Sheikh Hassan NasrallahHezbollah leader Addressing tens of thousands of supporters who had gathered to mark the end of the Shia mourning period of Ashura, Sheikh Nasrallah said it was the US which was to blame.

"The one who fomented chaos in Lebanon, who destroyed Lebanon, who killed women and children, old and young in Lebanon, is George Bush and [Secretary of State] Condoleezza Rice, who ordered the Zionists to launch the war on Lebanon," he said.

'Punish Bush'

Hezbollah and Israel fought a fierce 34-day conflict in July and August, after Hezbollah killed and captured several Israeli soldiers.

"The one who must be punished, who must be tried, is the one who ordered the launching of war on Lebanon," Sheikh Nasrallah told the crowd.

"George Bush wants to punish you because you resisted, he wants to punish you because you won."

He also accused Mr Bush and Israel of "trying to defeat resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq by starting civil wars".

"Lebanon will not be defeated. We will not allow it to be invaded... we have proved that we are capable of defeating [invaders]," he said.

About 1,000 Lebanese were killed in last summer's conflict, mostly civilians in Israel's vast bombardment of the county and land invasion in the south. Lebanon's infrastructure also suffered extensive damage.

The Israeli army lost 116 soldiers. Forty-three Israeli civilians were also killed by more than 4,000 Hezbollah rocket attacks.