Lebanese Political Analyst Saleh El Machnouk: Hizbullah Leaders Must Be Using Their Own Captagon, Because They Are Hallucinating; How Can They Claim To Have Great Achievements When They Cannot Even Appoint A Secretary-General

Lebanese political analyst Saleh El Machnouk said in an October 9, 2024 interview with Al-Mashhad TV (UAE) that after watching Naim Qassem speak, it seems that Hizbullah leaders are using the Captagon they produce for their own consumption, because they are hallucinating. He said that Hizbullah cannot even appoint a replacement secretary-general, so how can they claim that their “achievements are great” or that Israel is collapsing?

El Machnouk said that the purpose of Hizbullah's weapons is not to provide a secure and prosperous life to the Lebanese people, rather they must live in fear of bombings so that Hizbullah’s weapons could survive.

Saleh El Machnouk: "All over the world, and throughout history, the occupation has generated resistance. Only in Lebanon, it is the resistance that generates the occupation.

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"For 20 years, the slogan has been that Hizbullah constitutes a unique force of deterrence that protects the Lebanese. In ten days, this slogan has collapsed, and today they are trying to replace it with another slogan that says that the Lebanese should protect Hizbullah. The purpose of Hizbullah's weapons is not to provide secure and prosperous life to the Lebanese. Rather, the Lebanese should live in fear of bombings so that Hizbullah's weapons survive.

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"Two days ago, I heard Sheikh Naim Qassem speaking. For years, we have believed that Hizbullah's leaders were producing Captagon for export. Turns out they have been producing Captagon for self use..."

Interviewer: "No, no..."

El Machnouk: "There has never been a greater hallucination in the history of Lebanon – including in the Lebanese nightlife, cabarets, and whatever that the Hizbullah people always criticize... Not a single person in the history of Lebanon's nightlife has hallucinated like Sheikh Naim Qassem."

Interviewer: "These are serious accusations..."

El Machnouk: "He said that they will cause an earthquake... These are realistic statements for which the Lebanese people are paying the price, in blood, displacement, ruin, and destruction, because someone is following ideological hallucinations and myths... How can anyone with any sense possibly say that our achievements are great? You are incapable of electing a secretary-general, and you are telling me that Israel is collapsing?"