"We consider any American base in Lebanon a hostile act," the Lebanese daily Ad Diyar quoted Sheik Naim Kassem, deputy Hezbollah leader, as saying.
The warning came several days after a visit to Beirut by U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Eric Edelman, where he announced Washington's plans to establish a strategic partnership with the Lebanese military.
Although Edelman made no mention of the construction of a U.S. military base, Hezbollah viewed his remarks as "hidden confirmation" of earlier reports circling in the Lebanese opposition media.
Lebanese As Safir newspaper said last week that the U.S. official discussed with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora the possibility of increasing U.S. military aid to the country to $1 billion, in exchange for the use of military bases and installations in Lebanon.
Following last year's conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, the United States has already increased its military assistance to Lebanon five-fold to $270 million in 2007.
Hezbollah, which is on the U.S. terrorist list, claims that Washington has serious plans to turn Lebanon into its new outpost in the Middle East and "apply pressure on regional and international forces that refuse to obey its orders and do not follow its policies."
