Syria, Iran leaders praise Hezbollah

Tehran and Damascus may be the biggest winners from the 34 days of fighting in Lebanon — buoyed by the ability of ally Hezbollah to stand up to Israel's punishing assaults and by the new, widespread popularity of the guerrillas across the Middle East. Syria and Iran both ridiculed U.S. hopes for eliminating the guerrillas and belittled Israel's high-tech military as useless against Hezbollah. "The Middle East they (the Americans) aspire to ... has become an illusion," Syrian President Bashar Assad said in Damascus. "We tell them (Israelis) that after tasting humiliation in the latest battles, your weapons are not going to protect you — not your planes, or missiles, or even your nuclear bombs ... The future generations in the Arab world will find a way to defeat Israel," Assad added. A few hours later, Iran's leader, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, saluted Hezbollah for hoisting "the banner of victory" over Israel. Analysts said both countries now feel stronger in their own individual disputes with the West and that the alliance of their hard-line governments is stronger now, in contrast to the Mideast bloc of pro-U.S. governments.