By Xinhua,
Beirut : Lebanese President Michel Suleiman confirmed that Lebanon has the right to liberate its land by all legal means, local LBC TV reported Wednesday.
“This is an international right which we will not give up,” Suleiman said at a welcome ceremony for the Israeli-freed prisoners at Beirut international airport, adding that “We are attached importance to the return of the Palestinians to their land.”
He congratulated the resistance for “this new achievement” and called for unity in facing the Israelis.
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Fouad Seniora and both pro-government and opposition leaders who were engaged inthe worst political and military battles gathered at the airport to welcome the freed prisoners, the report said.
Majority leader Saad Hariri, Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun and members of the new cabinet joined as well the official ceremony.
While preparations were underway for the popular parade in the southern suburbs, Lebanese leaders were waiting for the released prisoners coming in two helicopters from Naqoura.
Earlier in Naqoura, convicted killer Samir Kontar and another four Hezbollah prisoners changed the clothes they were wearing andput on Hezbollah military uniforms.
“Divine victory and divine thanks,” said Sheikh Ibrahim Amin Sayed, representative of Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah.
“You have placed your bets on Hasan Nasrallah and the resistance, and your bets were sound,” said Sayed.
Israel concluded a prisoner swap deal with Hezbollah on Wednesday, receiving bodies of two Israeli soldiers captured in July 2006, and releasing five Lebanese prisoners along with 12 bodies, eight of which are Hezbollah fighters, and the rest are Palestinian guerillas.