BEIRUT (IRNA) -- Prominent Lebanese Shia source of jurisprudence Allameh Muhammad-Hussain Fazlallah here Friday warned Arab countries not to harmonize with U.S. anti-Iranian efforts. According to IRNA's Beirut Bureau, Fazlallah made the comment at the sermons of his this week Friday Prayer in southern Beirut, adding, "The Arab countries' leaders that would have visits with U.S. Vice- President Dick Cheney this week should maintain their own prestige and dignity in their remarks regarding the ongoing regional crisis."

He asked the Arab countries not to fall preys to the pressure imposed, and plots hatched by the White House, aimed at distancing them from the Muslims' main problem, that is the Palestinians' plight, and not to focus instead on the U.S.-coined lie that Iran is the real threat. Fazlallah added, "U.S. relations with Iran is disturbed and therefore, Washington is after taking advantage of the Arab countries against Tehran, while Iran has been extending a friendship hand towards Arab countries for security, political, and economic cooperation." He added, "The Iranian officials have also very frankly stressed in all their meetings and negotiations that Tehran's nuclear program is entirely peaceful, posing absolutely no security threat against the region, or beyond." Beirut Friday preacher added, "According to reliable reports, the Zionist Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's cabinet is on verge of collapse, yet some Arab countries are in a self-styled strategy trying to save him from downfall, receiving that regime's Foreign Minister, holding useless and meaningless talks with him." The prominent Shia cleric added, "The policies pursed by Tel Aviv are still aimed at belittling and making fun of the Arabs, and that usurper regime would not agree with the implementation of the Road Map Plan so long as they have not annihilated the Arab World's power and prestige entirely." Fazlallah severely criticized the U.S. Secretary of State's interference in most minute internal political affairs of Lebanon, arguing, "She considers herself as a member of the ruling political group (the March 14th Group), criticizing the protesters that are trying to change their government resorting to democratic methods."

He also criticized Rice for having asked the Lebanese Parliament to approve of the proposal made by the International Court of Justice on slain former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri, as another obvious case of U.S. interference in Lebanon's internal affairs. Criticizing the ruling political group in Lebanon, he added, "They too, along with the U.S. politicians, when they noticed they could not achieve their goal in that regard, begged the interference of the UN Security Council, that has today become a cozy corner for policy making for internal Lebanese affairs, as if the world peace and security had been disturbed by our country's political developments!" Fazlallah said, "It is very interesting to note that the U.S. Secretary of State argues that safeguarding democracy and the current Lebanese government's sovereignty are two main concerns of the U.S. administration, claiming that democracy is at stake due to the ongoing internal political struggle here."