MIDDLE EAST: Israel, Hezbollah in warning war

Israel keeps an eye on its northern neighbor. An ear, too. After a long silence during which multiple espionage rings were uncovered in Lebanon, Israel informed the United Nations that it would continue to gather intelligence in Lebanon so long as the government isn't in full control of its territory. 

This was Israel's answer to an official Lebanese petition to the U.N. after the discovery in late October of suspected Israeli listening devices in southern Lebanon. A few days later, Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon also confirmed that Israel was gathering intelligence. When Hezbollah is disarmed and the border becomes one of peace, we will stop, he said.

Hezbollah isn't disarming. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559 called for the Lebanese government to extend its control over all Lebanese territory and for the disbanding and disarming of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militias. That's not happening. Hezbollah is holding both ends of the stick, entering the political and governmental system while holding on to its arms.

And they're not just holding on. Israel has long maintained that the organization has more than restored its arsenal and strength to the levels of before the war in 2006.  This week, Israeli army Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Hezbollah has rockets with a 320 km range that can reach far into Israel's south and warned of the misleading calm. 

A day later, Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah corrected him, saying that all of Israel is within range and informed Ashkenazi (along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Obama) that they could send in the entire Israeli army next time, and it would only be destroyed.

Israel says that the quiet is deceptive and that under the surface -- sometimes literally -- Hezbollah is building itself up for the next round. Lebanon, for its part, has told the U.N. that Israel appears to be poised for an imminent attack.

The U.N., to which Israel and Lebanon constantly file complaints, is also monitoring the situation closely. The latest secretary-general's report on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701, which  ended the war three years ago,  said that "both Israel and Lebanon remain committed to its full implementation," but Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also said that a series of violations highlighted its fragility and potential to deteriorate. 

Michael Williams, special U.N. coordinator to Lebanon, told the Security Council that Israel was violating the resolution with overflights that constitute an "intrusive regime of aerial surveillance." In a separate recent discussion on Resolution 1559, it was said behind closed doors that Hezbollah was the one destabilizing the region.

Resolution 1701 isn't doing so well in other respects either. The gun-running, for example. Last week, the Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying hundreds of tons of rockets and other arms, which it maintained were an Iranian shipment intended to reach Hezbollah via Syria. The three denied it and accused Israel of piracy. For a long time Israel has accused Iran of arming Hezbollah and running guns to the organization through Syria (which also comes up constantly in context of peace talks with Syria). Satisfied with catching at least one end red-handed, Israeli officials briefed dozens of diplomats and military attaches on the operation and displayed the munitions removed from the ship.
One week later, the Israeli army and Ministry of Foreign Affairs published extensive documentation on "Iran's complicity in arms smuggling to terrorists," such as mortar fuses that Israel says are manufactured exclusively by the Iranian armament industry and the ship's manifest showing that the cargo originated in Iran.
  

-- Batsheva Sobelman in Jerusalem

Top photo: Rockets found aboard the Antigua-flagged Francop.

Middle photo: Polyethylene, made in Iran, used to line containers and conceal munitions.

Bottom photo: Ministry of Sepah (the body in charge of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps) labels attached to cargo.

Credit: Israel Defense Forces

Comments

[Guy]

Because Hezbollah is publicly seen as an enemy of Israel, many forget the extent to which Hezbollah is a danger to Lebanon. Ban's emphasis on Hezbollah's danger to the Lebanese civilian population was very welcome.

http://lfacc.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/ban-ki-moon-chews/

[Robert Naiman]

I think the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs response to the "Ministry of Sepah" controversy is pretty lame, and I think it's pretty lame of the LAT not to respond to the controversy. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs now concedes that "the 'Ministry of Sepah' is now called something else." Critics say the term has not been used in Iran for many years.

Here's what it says in the LAT text about "Ministry of Sepah": "Bottom photo: Ministry of Sepah (the body in charge of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps) labels attached to cargo." That is, nothing in the LAT text would clue you in that the term hasn't been used in Iran for years.

LAT is citing the Israeli Foreign Ministry: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/The+Iranian+Threat/Support+of+terror/Proof_Iranian_arms_smuggling_to_terrorists_Nov+2009.htm. Here's what it says about "Ministry of Sepah" on the MFA site:

"d. Ministry of Sepah (Iranian Armed Forces) customs labels attached to the cargo"

Again, the implication is present tense, to anyone who doesn't know otherwise.

I think the Los Angeles Times should run a correction or clarification, and think twice in the future about running with information from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs without checking it elsewhere. The Israeli government has a track record of providing bad information to the media about security issues, as during the invasion of Gaza. The LAT should be more cautious.

Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org

[Israel MFA Info Dept]

"Observer" is right about the fact that the 'Ministry of Sepah' is now called something else. While most of the smuggled shipment was brand new Iranian manufacture (60mm, 81mm and 120mm mortar bombs, hand grenades and 107mm rockets) our Navy found those 'Sepah' customs labels on some old crates of ammo which were manufactured outside Iran (mostly Chinese 7.62mm bullets). We figured that they were affixed when the crates were first received by Iran years ago. We decided to release the photos since they showed that even the old munitions were sent by Iran, although they were manufactured elsewhere. Pictures of the labels are available on our 'Flickr' account at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/israel-mfa/

[Observer]

In their rush to fabricate "evidence," the Israeli propagandists forgot the fact that there has been no "Ministry of Sepah" (which translates as the Ministry of the Corps) in Iran for some 20 years! The Sepah (aka the Revolutionary Guards Corps) stopped having its own ministry 20 years ago and has been under the Ministry of Defense since then. If only the usually skeptical American journalists took the Israeli propaganda with a pinch of salt. Some hope...

[ali]

Hey! The crazy guys. There is no "Ministry of Sepah" in Iran now. It is "The Revolutionary Guard". This is a big photo gaff!

[Catdog]

I hope and pray that Iran gets nuclear weapons and plenty of them.

Then and only then will the Middle East balance of power be such that the Israelis will honestly bargain.

Typical of Jews to use everyone for their own benefit. The Iraq War was an example of them using a proxy army to fight a battle they themselves couldn't win. 9/11 was example of the 1950's Lavon Affair where the Israelis plotted to blow up American & British interests in Egypt leaving the Egyptians to blame thus potentially bringing the Americans and British to war w/ Egypt.

Even Fox news reported how the Mossad (disguised as furniture movers) were in place filming the planes flying into the Twin Towers. This is "OUR FRIENDS" who are constantly spying on the US!!! America better wake-up!!!

[Ramsey Taymani]

Thanks CavScout. Unfortunately the Lebanese can't get rid of Hizbollah. Hizbollah were formed as a response and resistance to the brutal Israeli invasion and occupation of South Lebanon (from 1982 to 2000). The Israelis invaded ostensibly to destroy the PLO and ended up occupying Lebanon for 20 years. During these years of occupation they killed and tortured thousands of Lebanese civilians. Hizbollah was formed to drive Israel out, and to their credit they succeeded in doing so. However today Hizbollah remain as the only armed militia in Lebanon, and they cannot currently be neutralised. The Lebanese army is unable to realistically confront Hizbollah. Lebanon has never had a well equipped army and no airforce to speak of. Even when countries like the UAE donate helicopters to the Lebanese army, they are obliged to supply them stripped of any modern hardware (such as standard guns),a condition imposed by the US under Israeli pressure (no one messes with the Israeli lobby in the US). So Hezbollah remains unchallenged in its military might which is just the way the Israelis like it (this justifies their "right to defend themselves" through pre-emptive strikes. But actually (and I know this will shock you) Hizbollah has never constituted a threat to Israel, only to Israeli plans to occupy Lebanon. Hizbollah can be construed as a destabilising influence in Lebanon, but al Quaida they are most definitely not! It is Israel who have killed and tortured thousands of Lebanese civilians, and continue to maim and kill infants even today with the "left over" cluster bombs(over 200 Lebanese civilians have been killed or maimed by these cluster bombs since after the ending of the 2006 Israeli onslaught).
JD, why do you use the term "terrorist"? Hezbollah have never ever targeted civilians, Israeli, American or Lebanese. I suppress a laugh when America applies the "terrorist" label (any offering resistance to Israeli aggression are terrorist).Tell me how many American citizens have ever been targeted or killed by Hezbollah. Incidentally do try to research sources other than Fox news before you respond. You'll find that not a single US citizen worldwide has ever been killed by Hizbollah. The case of the US marines being blown up in Lebanon during the early 80's is often mentioned. But these marines weren't actually civilians, and were operating on Lebanese soil on active duty. In any case the US marines weren't attacked by Hizbollah at all, but by an entirely different group. While loss of life is always regrettable, those US marines were war combatants who had been firing missiles into civilian areas(naturally killing Lebanese civilians)in their attempt to enforce the puppet government being set up at the time by the Israelis. You also assume Hezbollah sympathisers are Islamic fundamentalists and therefore conclude that Lebanon deserves to be "nuked" (how civilised!). It may surprise you to know that Lebanon has a Christian head of state, has more Christians than any other country in the middle east (30% Christian, 30% Shi'te muslim,30% sunni muslim, 10% other) -and in any case the muslims in Lebanon are overwhelmingly secular and highly liberal in outlook. Hizbollah enjoys the support of the largest Christian ploitical faction in Lebanon partly because it is the only institution that can act as some kind of credible deterrent to Israeli terror. Remember Hizbollah has only ever fought Israeli soldiers on Lebanese soil and has never targeted civilians. Thorran Reed, do get your facts right. In 2006 Hizbollah did not attack Israel. Please watch something other than Fox news! Try the BBC perhaps, or even Al Jazeera (at least the latter shows the Israeli point of view - when have you ever seen a Lebanese or Palestinian politician interviewed on US TV). The indisputably documented facts are that Hizbollah kidnapped 2 Israeli soldiers in a cross border raid (there had been a series of "tit for tat" cross border raids by both sides over the years since the last Israeli puullout from Lebanon). Hizbollah's wish was to use the 2 soldiers to negotiate for the release of Lebanese prisoners in Israel. Israel immediately threatened to bomb Lebanon (not Hizbollah, but Lebanon) back into "the stone age" (Israeli words, not mine)- and proceeded to do so rather than negotiate a prisoner swap. It is interesting that Ehud Olmert later admitted to the Israeli Winongrad Commision that the IDF had in fact been preparing to attack Lebanon for over two years and had been waiting for a suitable pretext. Also, Samir Kuntar has always claimed that he never killed the Israeli child in question but that she had been killed by the bullets of the Israeli soldiers as they tried to prevent Kuntar's escape. When the soldiers realised their error, they bludgeoned the dead child repeatedly to implicate Kuntar. Kuntar's version of events has never received an airing by the western media.
Finally Thurman, the operation you mention was launched against Lebanon at a time the PLO constituted no threat to Israeli population centres (in fact I remember there had been a ceasefire for at least 12 months before this). I am keen to learn how many Israeli citizens within Israel were actually killed by the PLO during their several years of activity from Lebanese soil. I also suggest that you watch Al Jazeera for a few seconds, rather than assume it is anything other than objective (and "award winning") coverage of events on the ground. The US media may be "free" when commenting on domestic issues but we all know how laughably one sided any "analysis" covering the middle east has always been. Admittedly, Lebanon (still a beautiful country and society), would be far more succesful if it never had to cope with the armed presence of the PLO, Palestinian refugees or Hizbollah. But these problems were not of Lebanon's making. Israel,the overwhelming bully of the region, can stop acting the role of "victim", and allow the Palestinians a viable state (as well as withdrawing from occupied Lebanese and Syrian territory). This would mean giving back the land and water resources that were annexed. However Israel has consistently preferred to be in a "state of war" (thereby asserting the "right to defend itself"), rather than agreeing a peace that would impose defined geographical borders and curtail its acquisitive and occupation prone nature.

[cody mccall]

I find it curious that the lettering on the munitions and containers purportedly from Iran are in English. How many Middle Eastern countries use English as their primary language? If these items are from Iran, why isn't the language Farsi? If intended for for Syrian/Lebanese destinations, why not Arabic? Or both Farsi and Arabic? Or is English the default language of international seafaring as it is for commercial air travel? Even when the cargo is 'illegal' bombs, bullets, and sundry explosives? Just wondering. Seems odd to me.

[ORDONY]

@JD Israel also should remember that it will only take ONE nuke dropped into TEL AVIV to get hundreds of thousand of Kahanist into HELL quickly.
no more crying about stone throwing and suicide bombers how about total nuclear annihilation.
make your own old testament type of war with some al-Qaida
jihadist down in Negev Desert.
Israel is occupying Arab land since 1967 get out of the west bank or Live there at your peril, you are not innocents.

[KK]

There won't be war if greed is not on the horizon. There won't be terrorist if people have freedom and not caged for 60 years. Please leave religon and race out of the equation.

[2 cents]

I'm old enough to remember when the Israelis were almost universally regarded as the good guys - it disgusts me to see how public opinion has turned against them - of course this is also true of how I feel about the US

[Thurman Reed]

To Ramsey Taymani,

So, are you claiming in 2006, when Hezbollah decided to attack Israel in order to free child murderer Samir Quatar, that Israel in fact attacked Lebanon first? Are you claiming that Operation Peace of the Galilee which Israel launched to ensure its population centers would not be susceptible to the PLO, that Israel in fact attacked first? I don't need the so-called "Western media" to smell the B.S. broadcast on Al-Jazeera.

[Joe]

Another setup by Israel just like a Karine A affair several years back to meddle in between US and Iran reengagement. But of course, carefully hide a shipment but leave your return address all over the place and better yet print your name on all sides of shipping containers, Duh:D
As far as Nuke goes, nuclear materials are traceable and all the known and "gone missing :D" nuke's signatures and it's current locations are in files somewhere! so any state that actually detonate one, will not going to be around at least as a functioning nation to celebrate, Saddam and Iraq destiny was sealed when he start using WMD weapons in early 80's, this lesson is especially more relevant for "DR. Strange Love" in Israel, Bibi, Beebeep!

[JD]

Lebanon is only a stooge for Iran - nothing more. It's a failed state that is run by a terrorist Islamic organization. Live there at your peril, you are not innocents.

Eventually, Hizbullah will go too far and Israel will finally respond with a real war. The kind of War where the Israeli's come without kid-gloves, and make the old testament type of war. Destroy your enemies, take their land, subjugate the people, and don't stop halfway.

Hizbullah should remember that it will only take a few small nukes dropped into the Bekaa to get hundreds of thousand of Islamofascists into paradise quickly. They will hopefully be joined there by a few hundred thousand Iranian martyrs also.

No more crying about white phosporous, or cluster bombs, how about total nuclear annihilation for Hizbullah and pay their masters in Iran and Syria?

It's really sad to see this as inevitable, but it is.

[cavSCOUT69]

@Ramsey...I suppose Hizbollah does not have any Lebanese citizens??? Hizbollah just resides in southern Lebanon illegaly??? Stop worrying about Israel and clean up within your own borders. If you don't like the Hiz and the Hiz are not lebanese, WTH are they doing in Lebanon.

[Ramsey Taymani]

Thanks CavScout. Incidentally have you ever visited Lebanon? I don't think you'd find any lebanese (whether muslim, Christian or Druze)chanting "death to Israel". Please don't confuse us with parts of Iran or Afghanistan. Lebanon is a secular, liberal and sophisticated country with greater press freedom than Israel. Moreover there have never been Lebanese suicide bombers "running around" in Israel. On the contrary Lebanese children and civilians in the south continue to be maimed and blown up by the 4 million cluster bomblets dropped by Israel indiscriminately during the last two days of the 2006 Israeli war with Hizbollah (these were actually dropped after a ceasefire had already been agreed). You clearly don't watch any neutral or objective TV bulletins (as in the US only positive images of Israel make it into the media) otherwise you would be aware of the religious nutters and extremists among the Israeli settlers (who illegally occupy and take over Palestinian land and resources). These nutters were jumping up and down screaming, laughing and celebrating when the IDF was bombing Beiruit and Lebanese Civilian infrastructure (just as they did when the IDF was bombing Gaza a year ago). These armed extremists attack, kill and beat up Palestinians on a daily basis without the Israeli police/army doing anything about it. The truth is that thousands of Lebanese civilians (not one of them a "terrorist") have been killed during previous Israeli incursions into Lebanon. As Lebanese we live in constant fear of being invaded by Israel. I personally detest Hizbollah as they pursue an Iranian (as opposed to a Lebanese) agenda. As the only armed militia in the country they are able to bully and intimidate the government. However Hezbollah has never once targeted Israeli civilians in the way that the Lebanese have been targeted by the IDF (for example every single bridge in Lebanon was blown up in the 2006 conflict). Remember, Hizbolla kidnapped two Israeli soldiers on the border and then offered to negotiate over releasing Lebanese prisoners. Israel responded by attempting to bomb Lebanon back into the stone age (can you imagine Britain deciding to bomb Ireland indiscriminately because the IRA kidnapped two British soldiers).Only after eight days of continual Israeli bombardment (destroying schools, power plants, hospitals, bridges etc) did Hizbollah (for the first time in its history) begin to launch missiles into Northern Israel (unfortunately killing about six Israeli civilians).In any case Ehud Olmert later admitted to the Winograd Commision that the Israelis had been secretly planning to attack Lebanon and had been waiting for an excuse to do so. Of course Israel has a right to defend itself. But "defending" oneself should not mean launching pre-emptive strikes or offensives.If Hizbollah does attack Israel, Israel would have every right to defend itself. However the historically accurate (though politically inexpedient)facts are that this militia has only ever responded to Israeli aggresion or invasions, and has always conducted its campaigns against occupying forces on Lebanese turf. Please don't buy into the "Fox media" stereotype about all middle easterners. Lebanon has extremely liberal, well educated, and cosmopolitan citizens who have always paid the price of being next door to an aggressive and acquisitive neighbour.

[Awamori]

Good! Now Israel has enough Iranian rockets to test a new anti-missile system.

[twitter.com/cavscout90]

chill out @paul @Ramsey...I don't see jewish suicide bombers running around Lebanon. If Lebanon can't control the Hiz then Israel has every right to arm and ready itself. I don't remember the last time I've seen anyone chanting "Death to Lebanon"

[Paul]

There is no "Ministry of Sepah" in Iran. You should know better. The correct name is Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.

[Ramsey Taymani]

Batsheva Sobelman's comments that "Israel appears to be poised for an imminent attack" is misleading (possibly deliberately so) to uninformed readers. A more accurate phrasing would be "Israel appears to be poised to attack Lebanon". Sobelman's choice of words is subtle and presumptive in its suggestion that Israel will not itself initiate any aggressions. However in this instance (as in all previous cases)it is Hezbollah and the Lebanese people who have been anticipating a full blown Israeli assault on Lebanon. All Hizbollah's "threats" (both current and historical) have been consistent in warning that "if", and only if, Israel were to attack Lebanon and bomb Beiruit under some pretext, Hezbollah would retaliate by targeting Tel Aviv. For some reason the contextual rationale behind Hezbollah's statements (which are a response to the Israeli threats to punish and decimate Lebanon)is always overlooked by the western media.