Terror theme park / Hezbollah ‘holy war’ homage (NEW YORK POST) By ANDY SOLTIS REUTERS 08/18/12)
Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/terror_theme_park_pPCXjAYH3taIwYRzJo2pyH
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Hezbollah terrorists have built a vast, multimillion-dollar “holy
war” theme park to teach children the glory of losing their lives
fighting against Israel.
The Museum for Resistance Tourism, constructed on a former war zone
in the southern Lebanon town of Mleeta, features models of heroic
Hezbollah fighters, destroyed Israeli tanks and a “Martyrs Hill”
garden, decorated with guns and missiles.
Visitors begin their tour in a theater with a seven-minute video
history of Hezbollah, which fought a 34-day war with Israel in 2006,
during which 160 Israelis were killed.
The video includes a welcoming speech from the Shiite group’s hard-
line leader Hassan Nasrallah, saying, “We hope this tourist jihadi
[holy war] center will be a first step toward preserving the history
of our heroic resistance.”
Outside, tourists can see the remains of fierce clashes with the
Israelis, including trophies like a destroyed Merkava tank whose
cannon has been twisted into a pretzel.
Visitors, including children, are encouraged to take turns raising
and lowering an anti-aircraft gun as to fire at incoming Israeli air
force jets.
Also on the sprawling, 60,000-square-yard grounds is a Hezbollah
bunker and a 200-yard underground tunnel, with a kitchen, prayer hall
and living space for 30 men.
It was used to hide fighters from the Iran-backed group during the
2006 cross-border war that ended without a victor.
More than half a million people visited the park, which lies about 50
miles from Beirut, in the first three months after it opened in 2010.
Hezbollah leaders have indicated that the park, which is officially
sanctioned by the Lebanese government, will be expanded with some
less ideological amenities — like swimming pools and playgrounds.
But as it stands, it looks like a prime target for Israeli bombers in
the future war that both sides say is inevitable.
Nasrallah hinted yesterday that Hezbollah now has nuclear weapons.
In a speech to supporters in southern Lebanon, he said his group
could turn the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis “to real
hell” by launching precision-guided missiles.
“We can change the face of Israel,” he threatened.
Nasrallah, who holds the post of Hezbollah’s secretary-general, said
Israel was still debating whether to attack Iran because “Iran was
strong and brave.”
“We all know that the Islamic republic’s response will be very great
and thunderous if it is targeted by Israel,” he said.
His comments came as the US Embassy in Beirut warned American
citizens in the country to be aware of “an increased possibility of
attacks” in Lebanon. (Copyright 2011 NYP Holdings, Inc. 08/18/12)
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