Hizbollah of Lebanon issued a statement early this week stressing, "We are fully willing and ready to confront all possibilities to defend our people." The group issued the statement in response to remarks by U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in which he called Hizbollah the A-team of terrorists, saying that perhaps Al-Qaeda is the B-team. But, who are the real terrorists? There is a saying: "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

Hizbollah is a liberation movement by any definition of the term. According to both Islamic law and international law, citizens defending their homeland against invaders are resistance fighters, not terrorists. According to the Geneva Conventions everyone is allowed to defend their homeland against aggression.

Hizbollah believes in Islamic democracy. It is a legitimate political party that has contested elections and won several seats in the Lebanese parliament. Hizbollah believes in dialogue among civilizations and has good relations with some Lebanese Christians. The Lebanese government recognizes them as resistance fighters who were the main force that drove the Zionist army out of south Lebanon in May 2000 after a 22-year occupation. The international community never recognized the Zionist occupation of southern Lebanon.

The Zionist army is still occupying the Shebaa Farms, a small territory in southern Lebanon. Resistance against this occupation by Hizbollah or any other Lebanese nationals is legal and justified according to Islamic law, the Geneva Conventions, and international law in general. The United Nations does not recognize the Zionist occupation of the Shebaa Farms.

Hizbollah has established orphanages, schools, and clinics. It was one of the only providers of social services during the Lebanese civil war, when much of the country's infrastructure was destroyed. Many members of Hizbollah are social workers, yet U.S. officials have the audacity to call them terrorists.

Perhaps U.S. officials should look at their own record. The United States is guilty of numerous war crimes and acts of terrorism. The U.S. military killed over three million Vietnamese during the Vietnam War. The U.S. government helped establish fascist dictatorships all over the world. The CIA was directly involved in the coup in Chile that toppled the elected government of president Salvador Allende and brought dictator Augusto Pinochet to power.

The U.S. supported the dictatorship in Argentina and was aware of the crimes against humanity committed during the "dirty war", such as kidnapping, torture, and murder of political opponents, and the kidnapping of the children of dissidents, who were later given to adoptive families. Many Argentines who were disappeared are still listed as missing.

Latin America has suffered greatly and continues to suffer as a result of U.S. aggression. The U.S. supported the military dictatorship in Guatemala during four decades of war that left over 200,000 dead, mostly indigenous Maya Indians. A report prepared on the war entitled "The Recovery of Historical Memory" blames the Guatemalan military for over 90 percent of the deaths. Bishop Juan Gerardi, who helped compile the report, was assassinated days after its release.

The U.S. military used depleted uranium (DU) weapons in Iraq, Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo. Parts of these countries are still contaminated by radioactive dust and debris from the DU weapons. There are now higher rates of cancer and birth defects in these areas, particularly southern Iraq.

About 10 percent of the U.S. soldiers who served in Iraq are currently suffering from a mysterious illness called Gulf War Syndrome, which was probably caused by exposure to radioactive dust from the DU weapons. Some U.S. soldiers are now also suffering from Balkan War Syndrome, which is probably the same disease. Even U.S. citizens are victims of U.S. aggression.

The U.S. withdrew from the International Criminal Court to protect its nationals from prosecution for acts of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. However, the U.S. is still part of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague. All countries that have been victims of U.S. aggression should file suits against the U.S. at the ICJ to seek reparations and the cleanup of their contaminated territories.

The United States is not even properly defending its own citizens and territory. The U.S. Congress has allocated over $370 billion for this year's U.S. military budget in order to project power around the world.

Meanwhile, the rest of the world suffers. The campaign to cut hunger and poverty in half needs about $50 billion to meet its targets, yet donors have not been contributing. The campaign to eradicate polio is in need of about $100 million to meet its target. The eradication of polio would be one of the major achievements of humanity, alongside the eradication of smallpox. Poverty, misery, and hunger breed discontent, which can lead to acts of violence.

Perhaps the U.S. government should reallocate some of the funds earmarked for its military budget to social programs meant to eradicate, or at least reduce, hunger, poverty, disease, and social deprivation. Maybe then the rest of the world would begin to view the United States as a defender of the oppressed and not an oppressor.

The United States has to decide if it wants dialogue among civilizations or clash of civilizations, if it wants to be a partner with the rest of the world or a dictator.

All true Muslims are in favor of dialogue of civilizations. It is part of the religion of Islam.