Second in command of the HIzbullah terrorist organization, Naim Qassem said that the 2006 Lebanon War was “the greatest defeat of Israel ever” according to Army Radio."Israel today is beaten and frustrated. And the United States also finds itself in defeats and problems,” Qassem declared at a rally marking the war's second anniversary over the weekend

The rally was held in the Shi'ite slums of the Dahiya (“suburbs”) of southern Beirut; Hizbullah headquarters is situated there and the area was subject to heavy bombing by the IAF during the war. The ransom deal with the Hizbullah is set to take place this Wednesday or Thursday, barring any unforeseen changes.