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http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2007Nov05/0,4670,LebanonHezbollah,00.html
Report: Hezbollah Stages Maneuvers
Monday, November 05, 2007
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Thousands of Hezbollah guerrillas staged secret military
maneuvers without weapons or uniforms near Israel's border in southern
Lebanon, a pro-Hezbollah Lebanese newspaper reported Monday. The Lebanese
government downplayed the report as probably just a simulation.
Al-Akhbar, a pro-Hezbollah newspaper, said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
personally supervised the maneuvers, which it reported were carried out in
the last three days and were the biggest ever staged on Israel's border by
the Shiite Muslim militant group.
Monday's report marked the first time Hezbollah, with its highly secretive
military wing, revealed such exercises through a newspaper. The maneuvers,
if confirmed, could pose a major challenge to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire
that ended last year's war with the Jewish state.
Hezbollah officials declined to comment. However, a Hezbollah legislator,
Hassan Fadlallah, said it was only "natural" that the group be fully ready
to confront any possible Israeli attack.
"Clearly, we will not let Israel carry out aggression against Lebanon and we
sit still," he told Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. television, referring to the
increased Israeli military flights over southern Lebanon in recent days.
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, speaking to AP Television News at government
headquarters, said authorities checked with military and police units as
well as U.N. peacekeepers and "they confirmed nothing on the ground really
happened."
"It was, let's say, a simulation probably, in an operation room, on the
desk, probably they did such a thing," he said. "This has been confirmed by
all the sources."
He noted there was no statement issued by Hezbollah confirming the reported
maneuvers.
The alleged maneuvers came a few days after Israel held major military
exercises in the north of the country near the Lebanese border. The Israeli
action was interpreted by some Lebanese media as preparation by the Jewish
state for a possible new war with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah's actions could be an attempt to counter the Israeli exercises.
Al-Akhbar said the Hezbollah maneuvers were carried out south of the Litani
River in southern Lebanon and aimed at "deterring the enemy from carrying
out any adventure in Lebanon." The zone has been controlled by a U.N.
peacekeeping force and the Lebanese army since last year's war.
"A state of Israeli alertness is countered by extraordinary movement by the
resistance (Hezbollah)," read a front-page headline Monday in As-Safir,
another newspaper close to Hezbollah. It quoted witnesses in southern
Lebanon as saying they observed "unusual movement" by Hezbollah for the
first time since last year's war, but gave no further details.
There was no immediate comment from officials of the U.N. peacekeeping
force, which has 13,500 soldiers who patrol a buffer zone near the border
with Israel with the help of 15,000 Lebanese troops.
But As-Safir quoted Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano, the commander of the U.N.
Interim Force in Lebanon as warning Lebanese leaders he met in Beirut last
week that the tension in the south and a deepening political crisis in the
country might prompt European countries "to withdraw from UNIFIL within less
than four months."
Italy, France, Spain and Germany form the bulk of the reinforced U.N. force
that deployed in southern Lebanon after last year's war.
Commenting on the reported Hezbollah maneuvers, a Lebanese security
official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity in line with
government regulations, said Lebanese forces in south Lebanon "did not
register any armed presence south of the Litani."
The official said troops are under orders to prevent any armed presence in
accordance with a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended last year's
fighting, but pointed out "that civilians have the right to freely move in
their villages" and if they do not carry weapons, they are not breaking the
law.
Al-Akhbar said Hezbollah's maneuvers were carried out all along the border
with Israel "in extreme secrecy without any show of arms."
The newspaper quoted Nasrallah as telling the participants that the
maneuvers were intended "for foe and friend to make them understand that the
resistance (Hezbollah) is fully ready to confront any kinds of Israeli
threats."
Nasrallah said last week his guerrilla group has grown stronger since last
summer's war as Israel has weakened. He said his guerrillas did not want war
but "will not allow anyone to attack our villages, people and country."
The Lebanese army command has in the last few days issued statements noting
increased Israeli overflights in southern Lebanon in violation of the
cease-fire resolution.
Since the fighting with Israel ended, Nasrallah has boasted that his
guerrillas have replenished their rocket arsenal and were ready to fight
Israel if attacked. The Hezbollah leader has said his group possesses more
than 33,000 rockets.
Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a new report that said
Israel claims that Hezbollah has rearmed with new long-range rockets capable
of hitting Tel Aviv. Ban's report said Israel claims Hezbollah has tripled
its shore-to-sea C-802 missiles and has established an air defense unit
armed with ground-to-air missiles.
Report: Hezbollah Stages Maneuvers
Monday, November 05, 2007
BEIRUT, Lebanon - Thousands of Hezbollah guerrillas staged secret military
maneuvers without weapons or uniforms near Israel's border in southern
Lebanon, a pro-Hezbollah Lebanese newspaper reported Monday. The Lebanese
government downplayed the report as probably just a simulation.
Al-Akhbar, a pro-Hezbollah newspaper, said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
personally supervised the maneuvers, which it reported were carried out in
the last three days and were the biggest ever staged on Israel's border by
the Shiite Muslim militant group.
Monday's report marked the first time Hezbollah, with its highly secretive
military wing, revealed such exercises through a newspaper. The maneuvers,
if confirmed, could pose a major challenge to a U.N.-brokered cease-fire
that ended last year's war with the Jewish state.
Hezbollah officials declined to comment. However, a Hezbollah legislator,
Hassan Fadlallah, said it was only "natural" that the group be fully ready
to confront any possible Israeli attack.
"Clearly, we will not let Israel carry out aggression against Lebanon and we
sit still," he told Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. television, referring to the
increased Israeli military flights over southern Lebanon in recent days.
Prime Minister Fuad Saniora, speaking to AP Television News at government
headquarters, said authorities checked with military and police units as
well as U.N. peacekeepers and "they confirmed nothing on the ground really
happened."
"It was, let's say, a simulation probably, in an operation room, on the
desk, probably they did such a thing," he said. "This has been confirmed by
all the sources."
He noted there was no statement issued by Hezbollah confirming the reported
maneuvers.
The alleged maneuvers came a few days after Israel held major military
exercises in the north of the country near the Lebanese border. The Israeli
action was interpreted by some Lebanese media as preparation by the Jewish
state for a possible new war with Hezbollah.
Hezbollah's actions could be an attempt to counter the Israeli exercises.
Al-Akhbar said the Hezbollah maneuvers were carried out south of the Litani
River in southern Lebanon and aimed at "deterring the enemy from carrying
out any adventure in Lebanon." The zone has been controlled by a U.N.
peacekeeping force and the Lebanese army since last year's war.
"A state of Israeli alertness is countered by extraordinary movement by the
resistance (Hezbollah)," read a front-page headline Monday in As-Safir,
another newspaper close to Hezbollah. It quoted witnesses in southern
Lebanon as saying they observed "unusual movement" by Hezbollah for the
first time since last year's war, but gave no further details.
There was no immediate comment from officials of the U.N. peacekeeping
force, which has 13,500 soldiers who patrol a buffer zone near the border
with Israel with the help of 15,000 Lebanese troops.
But As-Safir quoted Maj. Gen. Claudio Graziano, the commander of the U.N.
Interim Force in Lebanon as warning Lebanese leaders he met in Beirut last
week that the tension in the south and a deepening political crisis in the
country might prompt European countries "to withdraw from UNIFIL within less
than four months."
Italy, France, Spain and Germany form the bulk of the reinforced U.N. force
that deployed in southern Lebanon after last year's war.
Commenting on the reported Hezbollah maneuvers, a Lebanese security
official, speaking on customary condition of anonymity in line with
government regulations, said Lebanese forces in south Lebanon "did not
register any armed presence south of the Litani."
The official said troops are under orders to prevent any armed presence in
accordance with a U.N. Security Council resolution that ended last year's
fighting, but pointed out "that civilians have the right to freely move in
their villages" and if they do not carry weapons, they are not breaking the
law.
Al-Akhbar said Hezbollah's maneuvers were carried out all along the border
with Israel "in extreme secrecy without any show of arms."
The newspaper quoted Nasrallah as telling the participants that the
maneuvers were intended "for foe and friend to make them understand that the
resistance (Hezbollah) is fully ready to confront any kinds of Israeli
threats."
Nasrallah said last week his guerrilla group has grown stronger since last
summer's war as Israel has weakened. He said his guerrillas did not want war
but "will not allow anyone to attack our villages, people and country."
The Lebanese army command has in the last few days issued statements noting
increased Israeli overflights in southern Lebanon in violation of the
cease-fire resolution.
Since the fighting with Israel ended, Nasrallah has boasted that his
guerrillas have replenished their rocket arsenal and were ready to fight
Israel if attacked. The Hezbollah leader has said his group possesses more
than 33,000 rockets.
Last week, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a new report that said
Israel claims that Hezbollah has rearmed with new long-range rockets capable
of hitting Tel Aviv. Ban's report said Israel claims Hezbollah has tripled
its shore-to-sea C-802 missiles and has established an air defense unit
armed with ground-to-air missiles.
