Friday, February 3, 2006 12:59 PM

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius interviewed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah on February 2, 2006 in Beirut. Excerpts: 

On Hamas taking political responsibility:

"It's natural for Hamas to assume the responsibility and to prove, God willing, that it deserves the confidence of the people."

"Those who elected Hamas in Palestine did so on the basis of its political platform. What the U.S. and the Quartet are demanding now is that Hamas abandon its electoral platform. This is something no one in the world can do."

How political power changes movements such as Hamas and Hezbollah:

"There is no doubt that giving a chance to major political forces to take part in decision making burdens them with larger political responsibilties and affects their decision making to a large extent."

The group will remain attached to its principles, "but it's behavior may be influenced" by the experience of political responsibility.

On Bush's statement about Middle East democracy in the State of the Union speech:

"Nice words. Lovely words." But Nasrallah asks whether the new Iraqi government will have power, or the more than 100,000 U.S. troops.

"To talk about liberty and freedom is nice, lovely, but the important thing is to allow people to act in liberty and freedom."

Is the U.S. making a smart bet in encouraging Arab democracy?

"This helps, but it doesn't resolve the problem of hostility against the U.S.

"One reason for this hostility is that U.S. administrations for decades have always supported dictatorships in the Islamic world. The people of the Muslim world have held the U.S. responsible for what these governments did." He cites the U.S. role in installing the Shah, and American support for Saddam Hussein, "I can assure you that to allow democracy will begin removing the barrier and the well of hatred against the US. But the real thing is to deal positively with the outcome of the elections."

Lebanon:

During the interview, Nasrallah received phone calls about an agreement for Shiite members of the cabinet to return to the government -- ending Lebanon's political crisis. He said the issue was "99 percent resolved" and that the settlement will have two principle elements: Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's statement Thursday in parliament saying that Hezbollah was not a militia, but a resistance movement, and Siniora's agreement that major political decisions will be made within the government on the basis of consensus.

On independence from Iran:

"Am I supposed to meet [President] Ahmadinejad in secret?...We are the party in Lebanon that is the most independent, that takes its decisions by itself."

On Sunni-Shia tensions:

"I believe the most dangerous thing we confront is the so-called Zarqawi phenomenon. This is a creed of killing, without any responsibility -- to kill women, children, to attack mosques, churches, schools, restaurants. These bloody events are a major factor in creating tension between Sunnis and Shia."

Can he be a leader like Hariri?

He says he can't travel widely, developing the same network of Arab and international contacts. "I can't have such relations. I'm included on a terrorist list."

Can he ever imagine Hezbollah changing, Israel changing, America changing so that he wouldn't be on that terrorist list?

"The whole world will change. This is the law of life." He adds that the decision about recognizing Israel in the end belongs to the Palestinians. "They have the decision. Nobody can substitute for them."