Ziyad al-Hasan, member of the political committee, said that Hezbollah’s unwillingness to pull its mercenaries from Syria is a sign that it will continue its crimes against Syrians. This refusal to leave Syria also highlights Assad’s growing weakness. Al Hasan’s remarks came in response to Naim Qassem’s announcement, Deputy Secretary General of Hezbollah, that it is too early to withdraw their troops from Syria. Qassem also said that the Syrian opposition has two options; either reach an understanding with Assad, or the crisis will not see an end. “There is nothing new in this speech, which is not much different from what Assad’s shabeeha have been reiteration since the beginning of the uprising, (Assad or we burn the country.) Hezbollah must know that the problem is not between the opposition and Assad, but between the Assad regime and the Syrian people. The Syrian opposition is merely a mouthpiece for the Syrian people,” Al Hasan stresses. He also calls on the Lebanese government and the international community to put pressure on Hezbollah to immediately withdraw its militiamen from all Syrian territory and to stop the killing of Syrians and respect human rights laws. The inaction towards the massacres committed by Hezbollah’s militiamen is a real participation by the international community and the Lebanese government in the killing of the Syrian people.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)