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| 17/07/2008 Samir Kintar, Hussein Suleiman, Mohammad Srour, Maher Kourani and Khodor Zaidan visited on Thursday the tomb of Hezbollah military leader martyr Imad Mughniyeh in Beirut's southern suburb on their second day of release, pledging to follow his footsteps.
The five, wearing military uniforms, were given a red carpet reception before entering Martyr Mughniyeh's tomb at Rawdat Shahedein cemetery. They placed wreaths and gave a military salute at the grave as people showered them with rice.
Kintar was released along with four Hezbollah fighters and bodies of about 200 Arab martyrs as a result of a swap deal in exchange with two dead Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah dubbed the swap deal "Operation al-Redwan" in reference to Mughniyeh's nom de guerre, Hajj Redwan whom Israel martyred in February 2008.
"We swear by God to continue the same way and not to retreat until we achieve the same stature that God bestowed on you," said Kintar, Lebanon's longest held detainee in Israel, as he left the graveyard. "We will never retreat until we die as martyrs," he added.
The freed detainees then separated everyone to his hometown. Hundreds of people in Aabey, Kintar's home town in Mount Lebanon, celebrated the return of the dean of detainees after 30 years in Israeli jails. One banner along the road leading to Aabey read: "From Palestine, to Iraq to Lebanon, the resistance is victorious."
Another said "Our prisoners are our promise," in reference to Hezbollah's vow to free Kintar and other detainees held in Israel.
In the ceremony several political figures delivered speeches greeting Kintar's release and calling for solidarity.
MP Walid Jumblatt said that "there is no contradiction between good relations and mutual respect between Lebanon, Syria and the Resistance. There is no contradiction between the Resistance and the state after agreeing over a gradual defense strategy. I assert that the only weapon to protect an arsenal is national unity."
For his part, Labor Minister Mohammed Fneish addressed Jumblat saying: "We will stay loyal to those who were with us in the cause of Arabism. We will never forget our common struggle with you, Walid Jumblatt, and what we have done together. We are looking forward to build the future of this country together."
Kintar stressed that the liberation of Shebaa Farms will not end the struggle with Israel. "It is an illusion to think that the liberation of Shebaa brings an end to the Resistance’s role. This enemy will not leave us, and the Resistance will remain long after the liberation of Shebaa."
"The expected policy statement cannot fail to recognize the legitimacy of and need for the Resistance", Minister Talal Areslan said. "The dream which was achieved when Kintar and other detainees and bodies is the decisive evidence on the ability of the resistance to attain miracles," he added.
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