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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Lebanese targets fair game in war with Hezbollah

2012-04-12

Defense officials: It was a mistake not to have made this clear during the Second Leb War in 2006. Israel will attack Lebanese government targets during a future war with Hezbullies, senior defense officials said amid speculation that a war could erupt in the North following a future strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. "It was a mistake not to attack Lebanese government targets during the [Second Leb] War in 2006," a senior defense official explained. "We will not be able to hold back from doing so in a future war." After the outbreak of the 2006 war, the official said, the US asked Israel to refrain from bombing Lebanese government targets so as not to weaken the prime minister at the time, Fuad Siniora, who was aligned with the West. Israel complied and restricted its bombings to Hezbullies targets. "This will not be the same in the future, particularly now that Hezbullies and the government are effectively one and the same," the official said. In general, the IDF has significantly boosted its "target bank" since the 2006 war. Today's bank is said to contain thousands of Hezbullies targets, compared to the approximately 200 that the IDF had on July 12, 2006, when Hezbullies kidnapped reservists Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. Hezbullies is believed to have amassed over 50,000 rockets and missiles, and most of the weaponry is thought to be stored in some 100 villages throughout southern Leb. The new thinking regarding bombing government institutions is part of a revised IDF strategy on how to damage Hezbullies and facilitate a faster end to a war than the 34 days it took in 2006. The guerrilla group, which embeds its military capabilities within civilian infrastructure, does not have a clear power base, which if destroyed could help end such a war. Talk of the possible bombing of Lebanese government targets comes as Israel prepares for a possible war with Hezbullies that could result from either an Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear facilities or a preemptive strike to stop the transfer of sophisticated weaponry from Syria to Leb. Western countries have prepared various contingency plans for such a scenario, including the possible bombing of a convoy if it were detected, as well as the possible insertion of commando forces to secure the chemical stockpile if and when Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Oppressor of the Syrians and the Lebs... falls.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Beirut bomb threat defused as US envoy arrives

2009-06-13

[Al Arabiya Latest] United States envoy George Mitchell said Friday his country would not sacrifice Lebanon as it seeks to reach comprehensive peace in the region in his latest visit to the countr, which came y as security officials defused a small bomb sent to Beirut's General Security headquarters. "Lebanon will play a key role in the long term effort to build lasting, comprehensive peace and stability in the Middle East," Mitchell said after meeting separately with President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Fuad Siniora. Meanwhile a bomb containing 200 grams (seven ounces) of explosives was defused after failing to explode because of a technical glitch, security sources said. Bombs are rarely sent to government buildings although several explosive devices are defused or explode every week in Lebanon. Mideast tour Mitchell was holding separate meetings with President Michel Suleiman, Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Saad Hariri, leader of the March 14 coalition that retained its majority in a closely-fought parliamentary election on Sunday. "Clearly, there can be no lasting solution reached at Lebanon's expense and we look forward to continuing to work with Lebanon to build this solution." Mitchell said his latest tour of the region, which includes stops in Israel, the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan, as well as previous visits were clear proof that U.S. President Barack Obama's administration was committed to "actively and aggressively" seek peace in the region. On a visit to Beirut ahead of the vote, Vice President Joe Biden had hinted that Washington may cut off military aid if a coalition led by Hezbollah won. Mitchell arrived in Lebanon after visits to Jordan and Egypt where he discussed with leaders there ways to achieve peace between the Israelis and Palestinians based on a two-state solution.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

How far will US support for Lebanon go?

2009-05-23

Opinion piece by the BBC mistakenly labeled as 'news' ... The last time a US vice-president came to Beirut was in 1983, when George Bush Senior flew hurriedly in following a suicide truck bomb attack which blew up a US marine barracks, killing more than 240 soldiers. That, and a similar demolition of the US embassy in Beirut, persuaded President Ronald Reagan to pull the marines out of Lebanon, a humiliating retreat in the face of local forces backed by Syria and Iran. You know, I get really tired of reading that "humiliating defeat" stuff. We were in Leb at the time under UN auspices, something we should be bringing up every time somebody suggests we try it again. We and the Frenchies were the bulk of the Multinational Force positioned between the Israelis, who'd just chased the PLO out of the country, and the Leb militias. As our guys were being blown up, it turned out that there was no "mandate" to hunt down and kill the bastards who'd killed them. We were "peacekeepers," not there for military operations. Reagan quite sensibly said to hell with it and pulled our guys out. The "humiliating defeat" was the UN's, since the rules were jiggered sufficiently to make sure the "Multinational Force" was an ineffectual group of targets in uniform, not a fighting force. Subsequent "Multinational Forces" in which the U.S. has participated have been put together and led by the U.S. Nor were we Israeli puppets: one of my friends related a story -- backed up by a couple of his NCOs who'd been there -- about having to pull a rod on an Israeli officer to get his point across at a bridge. That was before the kaboom. More than 25 years on, was Vice-President Joseph Biden visiting Lebanon in the hope of averting another big setback to US influence at the same hands - but this time at the polling booths? Did he open his mouth? After talks with President Michel Suleiman - who is regarded as neutral in the sharply-polarised Lebanese arena - Mr Biden insisted he had not come to back any Lebanese party or person, but rather to support the country's independence and sovereignty. But at the same time, he urged "those who think about standing with the spoilers of peace not to miss this opportunity to walk away from the spoilers" - a remark clearly aimed at Hezbollah and its allies. Who in turn snickered at the buffoon ... Although the outcome hinges on voting results in a few hard-to-predict constituencies, the Hezbollah-led opposition stands a good chance of coming out narrowly ahead of the Western-backed coalition that the Americans would clearly like to see win. It's their country. They can vote for whom they please. It's our money. We can spend it on whom we please -- and we've got enough financial problems right now. Mr Biden also warned of likely consequences if Hezbollah and its allies were to prevail in the 7 June poll and form the kind of government Washington would frown on. The administration, he said, "will evaluate the shape of our assistance programmes based on the composition of the new government and the policies it advocates." He then went off to see the Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, Nabih Berri, who is an ally of Hezbollah, and the Prime Minister, Fuad Siniora, who belongs to the Western-backed coalition. If that implied balance, the impression was swiftly undermined by a later, unpublicised meeting behind closed doors in a private home with leaders of the pro-Western coalition who hold no official posts. But Mr Biden insisted that Washington's commitment was to Lebanon, its sovereignty and independence. To back that up, he appeared with the Defence Minister, Elias al-Murr, at a display of some of the military hardware the US has supplied to the Lebanese Army in recent years. Mr al-Murr said that, in a visit to Washington last month, he had been given a written commitment by Defence Secretary Robert Gates to provide the Lebanese Army with hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of arms and training over a five-year period, including helicopters and drones. Although that commitment might be reviewed in the light of the election results, Washington seems confident that the Lebanese Army can hold together and be built on as a neutral national institution despite the strain of coexistence with Hezbollah, whose military strength is greater. Despite Mr Biden's protestations of neutrality, Hezbollah itself lost no time in dubbing his visit "a clear and detailed interference in Lebanese affairs" which raised "strong doubts about its real motivations." As Mr Biden was showing off US military hardware in Beirut, Hezbollah was staging its own show of strength in Nabatieh, a provincial centre south-east of the capital. Thousands of supporters gathered to watch a relayed speech from their leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, to mark the anniversary of Israel's ignominious withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000 under the pressure of Hezbollah attacks. But US leaders may already have concluded that a narrow win by the Hezbollah-led coalition would not be the end of the world. Hezbollah itself is only putting forward 11 candidates in the contest for 128 parliamentary seats. The other elements in the opposition coalition come from allies such as the mainstream Shia Amal movement, headed by parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri, and the Free Patriotic Movement of the Christian leader Michel Aoun, once a fierce opponent of Syria but now reconciled with Damascus and likely to do well in many Christian areas. So, while generally unwelcome to the West, a narrow victory by the opposition would produce a picture very different from, for example, the Hamas takeover in Gaza, which was violent and absolute. The lines could be further blurred if Washington's diplomatic overtures to the Lebanese opposition's backers, Iran and Syria, were to produce results. The Americans' closest ally, Britain, is already allowing its diplomats to hold official contacts with Hezbollah's "political wing", although the movement is still shunned by Washington as a "terrorist" group.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon: Israel's plan to withdraw troops a 'ploy'

2009-05-05

Israeli plans to withdraw troops from part of a divided village on the Lebanese border are a ploy to divert attention from spy networks uncovered in Lebanon, Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said on Monday. "This shrewd propaganda by the Israeli press reflects Israeli anger and embarrassment in the face of several Israeli spy networks uncovered by Lebanese security throughout Lebanon," Siniora said in a statement. His comments followed reports in the Israeli press that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to announce this week that Israel wants to withdraw its troops from the northern part of the divided border village of Ghajar. Israel's Security Cabinet is expected to discuss the issue on Wednesday. Following the end of Israel's war on Hezbollah in Lebanon in August 2006, Israel has kept a military presence in the northern part of the village and has built a security fence to prevent Shi'ite guerrillas from entering. After the war, Israel said it would keep its troops in northern Ghajar until security arrangements were agreed with UN and Lebanese forces, but such accords have not yet been struck. The village, at the foot of Mount Hermon straddling the Lebanese-Syrian border, is perched on a cliff overlooking the precious Wazzani spring, which has been a source of continuous disputes between Israel and Lebanon. Siniora said Israeli media reports that the withdrawal was a bid to boost his own government ahead of the June legislative elections were but a ploy to divide the Lebanese. "No one will be fooled by these claims," he said, adding that since the 2006 war Lebanon has been demanding that Israel withdraw from Ghajar unconditionally in line with UN Resolution 1701.

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Israel-Palestine-Jordan

Israel stops Lebanese Gaza aid ship

2009-02-05

THE Israeli navy intercepted and boarded a Gaza-bound Lebanese aid boat at sea and was escorting it to the Israeli port of Ashdod, Defence Minister Ehud Barak said. "At first the ship understood we were prohibiting it from heading to Gaza and steered towards El-Arish" in Egypt, Mr Barak said. "From Egyptian territorial waters it tried to slip into Gaza waters. That is when the Israeli navy boarded it, and it is now taking it to Ashdod," he said. The military said the crew would be questioned by police and that any humanitarian goods aboard would be taken to the Gaza Strip. It dismissed claims the navy fired at the vessel. "No gunshots were fired on board during the boarding and capture of the cargo boat," the military said in a statement. One of the organisers of the shipment claimed earlier that the Israeli military had fired at the vessel. "We were informed by the crew that Israeli forces boarded the ship after firing shots at it," Maen Bashur said. He said the Israeli navy had asked the crew to turn back before seizing the vessel. "Two Israeli gunboats intercepted the ship on Wednesday night while it was in international waters trying to reach territorial waters in northern Palestine," Mr Bashur said. "The ship was asked to turn back as two Israeli military helicopters flew over the area and fired flares. The aid boat moved away, but it has been trying since early Thursday to reach Gaza through Egyptian territorial waters," he added. Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora called on the international community to press Israel to allow the vessel which was carrying medical supplies, food, clothing and toys, to reach Gaza. On board the "Brotherhood Ship" were eight people including the former Greek-Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem, Monsignor Hilarion Capucci, who left Jerusalem in the 1970s after serving time in an Israeli jail for membership of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. The Togolese-registered Tali had passed via the nearby Mediterranean island of Cyprus where authorities inspected the cargo before it headed for Gaza. An Israeli military spokesman said that by entering Gazan coastal waters, the crew "raised suspicion, as it could threaten security concerns, or furthermore, the boat could be used for smuggling banned equipment (weaponry, etc) into or out of the Gaza Strip". He stressed in a statement that "any organisation or country that wishes to transfer humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, can do so via the established crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip with prior co-ordination".

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Siniora sez no interest in Israel peace talks

2008-12-26

Wouldn't be right, nope, nope ... BEIRUT - Lebanon's Western-backed Prime Minister Fuad Siniora said his country has no interest in holding peace talks with neighbouring Israel at the moment. ‘I see no interest for us right now to discuss direct negotiations or indirect negotiations with Israel,’ Siniora said in an interview with the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation broadcast on Wednesday. ‘No one has challenged our claim of authority and ownership of the land that Israel occupies. So we see it as premature to take a decision in this regard as yet,’ he added. Israel withrew from south Lebanon in 2000 after more than two decades of occupation, but Lebanon claims it is still occupying land on the border, including Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources. Which belonged to Syria before the games began. If Israel ever gave up Shebaa the Lebanese would just claim something else ... On Monday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his country would eventually embark on direct peace talks with Israel, but that they must be based on UN Security Council resolutions. ‘We are closely following what the Syrian Arab Republic is undertaking, but that is the decision of the Syrian Arab Republic... we in Lebanon have to look at our situation very carefully,’ Siniora said. ‘We always have said it is in Lebanon's interest to be the last country to enter into a peace process (with Israel),’ he added. Siniora also welcomed the imminent opening of the first-ever Syrian embassy in Beirut after the two countries agreed to reestablish ties for the first time since independence 60 years ago. ‘It is a very important and fundamental step that lays the groundwork for other steps,’ the Lebanese premier said as he was told to say.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Accord signed to end north Lebanon civil war

2008-09-09

A reconciliation accord was signed Monday between Alawites and Sunnis in northern Lebanon's capital of Tripoli aiming to restore state control in the port city and put an end to bloodshed. At least 23 people have been killed since clashes broke out in May between residents of Jabal Mohsen, who mostly support Lebanon's opposition led by Hezbollah, and those of Bab al-Tebbaneh who back the anti-Syrian ruling bloc. The six-point Tripoli Document calls for armed men to withdraw from the streets, security forces to deploy, the displaced to return home, compensation for material losses, and an economic development plan for the city. The accord was signed in the home of Tripoli's mufti Sheikh Malek al-Shaar, who oversaw the talks between Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and political leaders from different factions in Tripoli. "Tripoli is a single, unified city where there is no difference between Lebanese and Lebanese, Muslim and Muslim or Muslim or Christian. We are all Lebanese," Siniora said in a televised speech from Shaar's home before the agreement was signed. "Tripoli needs to be a city free of weapons. Weapons don't protect anyone," he said of the arsenals held by different political groups in the country's second city before reading out the text of the accord. Siniora called the agreement a contract which all sides should commit to and abide by, and said "the state will play a complete role" in keeping the peace. Parliamentary leader Saad Hariri, a Sunni leader, has been in Tripoli since Saturday trying to reconcile the city's feuding communities. There has been tension between the two sects ever since Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite Islam and straddle the border into Syria whose President Bashar al-Assad is a follower of the faith. Hariri accused Syria on Friday of using the instability in Tripoli as a means to meddle in Lebanese affairs. The Syrians "want to use the situation in Tripoli as a pretext to involve themselves in Lebanese affairs and use it as a means for their military and security return to Lebanon," Hariri charged. But Assad said he had asked Lebanese President Michel Sleiman to urgently send more troops to northern Lebanon to combat "extremism." Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said in comments published on Monday that he fully supported Hariri's efforts to calm sectarian tensions in Tripoli.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon lodges UN complaint over perceived 'Israeli threats'

2008-08-23

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora sent a letter of protest to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday, having received the cabinet's approval of a decision to formally complain about what it perceived as recent Israeli threats against Lebanon. Siniora urged Ban to inform the UN Security Council's member nations of the seriousness of the Israeli threats, according to his office. "To hear what Israeli officials say, one would think Israel was showering Lebanon with roses during its last aggression," he said of the 2006 summer war between Israel and Hezbollah, in which over 1,200 Lebanese - mostly civilians - were killed. Siniora was responding to remarks made earlier this week by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who said Israel would dispense with restrictions it has so far imposed on itself in combating Hezbollah on Lebanese soil should Lebanon "become a Hezbollah state." Meanwhile, a military source close to the Lebanon-based Hezbollah told a Kuwaiti daily on Friday that the is planning to avenge the assassination of its second-in-command, Imad Mughniyah. "We shall have Dire Revenge!™" Hezbollah has accused Israel of orchestrating the Damascus car bombing which killed Mughniyeh in February. Sheikh Ahmed Murad told the newspaper Hezbollah would take action "as soon as the conditions are ripe." "The revenge will be rattling, and big surprises can be expected," Murad said, warning that "Israel and its generals will not enjoy stability. New intelligence on Hezbollah's intentions to abduct Israelis abroad prompted the government's counterterrorism unit this week to issue a warning to travelers, who were advised to take special precautions. The threat comes days after the government's counterterrorism unit issued a warning to Israeli travelers to take special precautions, following new intelligence on Hezbollah's intentions to abduct Israelis abroad prompted. The Counter-terrorism Bureau, a branch in the Prime Minister's Office, explained that intelligence reports suggested Hezbollah is planning abductions as its revenge for the assassination of Mughniyeh, the militia's former operations chief. Israel has denied any involvement in the bombing. But the Sunday Times in London quoted "informed Israeli sources" that the Mossad spy agency carried out the car bombing that killed Mughniyeh. Hezbollah has previously vowed to avenge Mughniyeh's death by attacking Israel or Israelis abroad. The travel advisory set this week was a general warning, applicable to the entire world, not any specific travel destinations. According to people within the intelligence community, Israel does possess specific information regarding the location where Hezbollah plans to attack. But the Counter-terrorism Bureau's warning says it applies to all countries.

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Arabia

Mubarak, Saudi monarch discuss regional issues

2008-08-17

Talks between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Saudi King Abdullah in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria have focused on regional developments and boosting bilateral ties. "The two leaders discussed the range of Arab issues, including recent developments on the Palestinian front... developments in Lebanon and the confrontation between the West and Iran over its nuclear file," Egyptian presidential spokesman Suleiman Awad told reporters, following the talks late on Friday. The two leaders also discussed bilateral trade which has increased to 2.8 billion dollars annually, Awad said. He said the two leaders discussed Egypt's invitation to Palestinian factions to hold talks in Cairo, adding that "we are waiting to receive answers from all the Palestinian factions before we set a date (for the inter-Palestinian talks)." With regards the Iranian nuclear crisis, Awad called on Tehran to adopt a "principle of transparency" with regards its nuclear activities, urging the West "not to drag the whole region into a dangerous situation." President Mubarak met with Oman's Sultan Qaboos on Thursday and is due to meet Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Saturday.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

US army's Petraeus visits Beirut

2008-08-07

BEIRUT - The US commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus, held talks with President Michel Sleiman during a surprise visit to Beirut on Wednesday, offering further military support to Lebanon. Petraeus also met acting army chief Shawki al-Masri and discussed how to "strengthen the army's defensive capabilities, training and logistics," an army statement said. He held talks with Sleiman on providing US equipment to Lebanon and on key developments in the region, the president's office said. Petraeus also met Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and Defence Minister Elias Murr. The trip follows a visit on May 31 when US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy Eric Edelman "stressed the United States' commitment to enhancing the LAF's (Lebanese armed forces) capabilities." Since 2006, Washington has committed more than 371 million dollars (240 million euros) in security assistance to Lebanon. Now that the Hezbies are in charge that should come to a complete halt ...

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanon Forms New Cabinet, Hezbollah Keeps Veto Power

2008-07-12

After weeks of political deadlock, Lebanon's Prime Minister announced Friday that a new 30-member cabinet had been formed, opening the door to reconciliation among fighting factions. The country, which has suffered repeated bouts of violence over the past two years, had been without a cabinet for six weeks. Aya Batrawy has more from our Middle East bureau in Cairo. Lebanon's Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's new unity government gives 16 seats to the Western-backed parliament majority, 11 to opposition groups such as Hezbollah and three to be chosen by the Maronite Christian president. Prime Minister Siniora expressed hope that this newly formed cabinet will bring peace among the various factions vying for power in Lebanon. "Today, through this national unity government, we have decided to manage our disputes through democratic institutions and dialogue, and not through force and intimidation," he said. In May, after months of internal strife and violence, the Arab League brokered the layout for the newly formed Cabinet, which gave Hezbollah and its supporters in the government veto power over government decisions. The announcement of a cabinet comes at a crucial time for Lebanon. The country was left without a president for nearly six months until former military chief General Michel Suleiman was chosen. During that time and after, violence spilled to the streets between the Muslim Sunni and Shiite and Maronite Christian communities. Over 80 people died in May alone. There were fears that a second civil war would erupt, just eight years after the country's 15-year civil war was put to rest. Analyst Jamil Mroueh of the Lebanese Daily Star newspaper expressed skepticism that this newly formed Cabinet will be able to revive Lebanon's economy, which was once a hub for tourism in the region, and settle deep political rifts. "I don't think that this Government is capable of doing anything about the economy or political stability if it does not set down to talk about issues in a manner that reconciles in a positive way," he said.

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Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Lebanese army occupies abandoned Shebaa Farm

2008-07-11

The Lebanese army moved on Friday into Bastara Farm, the only one of the occupied Shebaa Farms that the Israeli army evacuated when it pulled out of south Lebanon in 2000, an AFP correspondent said. Lebanese army vehicles and bulldozers could be seen moving for the first time into the farm, which lies some 300 metres (yards) away from other farms which Israel has occupied for more than 40 years. A road has been reconstructed to link this new position to other Lebanese army posts in the southeast of the country. The Shebaa Farms, a mountainous sliver of land rich in water resources measuring 25 square kilometres (10 square miles), are located at the junction of southeast Lebanon, southwest Syria and northern Israel. Israel seized the Farms from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war when it captured the neighbouring Golan Heights which it later annexed. Ever since, the Farms have been caught in a tug-of-war over ownership. Lebanon claims them, with the backing of Damascus, while Israel says they are part of Syria. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, during a visit to Beirut last month, called for an end to the standoff. "The United States believes that the time has come to deal with the Shebaa Farms issue... in accordance with (UN Security Council Resolution) 1701," Rice said. Resolution 1701 brought an end to a devastating 33-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in summer 2006 And replaced it with a devastating peace, a UN specialty. and called for the UN secretary general to propose a border demarcation for the Shebaa Farms. Israel occupied south Lebanon for nearly 20 years until withdrawing its troops in May 2000, but it remained in the Shebaa. The United Nations ruled at the time that the withdrawal was complete and that the Farms were Syrian. A seven-point plan drawn up by Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora and adopted by the United Nations envisages placing the territory under UN administration while waiting for the three countries to resolve the issue.

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