Israel at War Watch: Lebanese Army Moves Below Latani River
Children pictured in the back of a car flying a Hezbollah flag just metres from the Israel-Lebanon border. The White House said that it would ultimately be up to the Lebanese government, with UN backing, to make sure that Hezbollah is disarmed and that the process would “take some time.”
AP: Lebanese army moves below Litani River
Lebanese troops, tanks and armored vehicles began deploying south of the strategic Litani River early Thursday after the Israeli army stepped up its withdrawal from the region and handed over some of its positions to U.N. peacekeepers.
The rapid developments aimed at ending 34 days of fighting came after Lebanon’s government agreed Wednesday to deploy troops near Israel’s border for the first time in 40 years.
en armored carriers mounted on flatbed trucks drove across a newly installed bridge over the Litani at its mouth on the Mediterranean coastline, about 18 miles north of the Israeli border.
Trucks and jeeps mounted with Lebanese flags also carried soldiers south toward the port city of Tyre. Troops were expected to be brought in by sea to the Tyre port later in the deployment.
Further south, flatbed trucks carrying 20 tanks arrived in Marjayoun, a key town near the Israeli border that was briefly occupied by Israeli forces during their incursion into Lebanon. They were accompanied by a dozen trucks loaded with troops and hoisting Lebanese flags.
The army deployment will continue for a few days “to spread Lebanese government authority over all Lebanese territory, including south of the Litani River,” a senior military official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The Lebanese army has been preparing troops for the past few days. The U.N. cease-fire plan calls for the force to reach 15,000 and to be joined eventually by an equal number of international peacekeepers to patrol the region between the Israeli border and the Litani River.
But the Lebanese government said soldiers would not “chase” or “take revenge” on Hezbollah guerrillas in a bid to disarm the fighters who fiercely resisted the Israeli invasion.
“The will be no confrontation between the army and brothers in Hezbollah,” said Information Minister Ghazi Aridi after the two-hour Cabinet meeting Wednesday. “That is not the army’s mission. … They are not going to chase or, God forbid, exact revenge (on Hezbollah).”
But, Hezbollah has NOT been disarmed and neither the Lebanese government nor the additional UNIFIL forces (when eventually deployed) will apparently enforce UNSCR 1701. What is to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping and resupplying – with material and weaponery supplied by Syria and Iran?
The Lebanese Army and UNIFIL?
NOT LIKELY
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said completion of the Israeli pullout depended on the presence of both the Lebanese army and an international force. She also said she wanted the international force to help monitor the border to prevent Iran and Syria from replenishing Hezbollah’s weapons.
“If there is a place that Israel can withdraw from and the Lebanese army can come, plus international forces, we’ll do it,” Livni said after meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in New York. “But if it takes time until the international forces are organized, it takes time until Israel withdraws. This is the equation.”
The REAL equation appears a defeat for Israel and the United States. The Arab Street has already declared a Hezbollah victory as have the Presidents of Syria and Iran.
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a message to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah described the militant group’s clashes with Israel as a “victory” for Islam.
So, is there a time to be CLEAR about the Israel-Hezbollah war?
YES – Israel and the United States policy has FAILED.
Iranian soccer fans hold photos of Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, during the Iran and Syria Asian Cup 2007 qualifying soccer match in Tehran on Wednesday Aug. 16, 2006. The match ended 1-1. Hours after a cease-fire went into effect in Lebanon Monday Nasrallah promised to help Lebanese rebuild, pledging money for civilians to pay rent and buy furniture. Nasrallah did not say where the money would come from, but the source was widely believed to be Iran, the group’s primary donor of money and weapons.
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Israel At War Watch: Israel Defense Forces To Withdraw Despite Plans To Leave Hezbollah Armed
Michael Ramirez on Israel-Hezbollah War
Israel at War Watch: Israel to STOP Pullout If Lebanese Army Fails to Deploy Timely
Israel At War Watch: Israel Threatens To Resume War If Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm
Israel At War Watch: Hassan Nasrallah – The Disarmament of Hezbollah Should NOT Be Discussed Now
Israel at War Watch: The Arab Street Rejoices – Mocks Israel And United States
Israel at War Watch: Conversation With Benjamin Netanyahu – Hezbollah Will NOT Disarm
Iran Nuclear Watch: Iran Cleric Ahmad Khatami Warns Israel of Missile Attack