Free Republic

The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) continues to occupy a special place in the pantheon of Syrian terror surrogates. Of all the major Palestinian and Lebanese paramilitary groups sponsored by Damascus, the PFLP-GC exercises the least strategic and operational autonomy. While the perks of this servitude are considerable (it is the only group to have received tanks from the Syrian government), so too are the limitations (its lack of independence has precluded the growth of a strong popular following). Despite its relatively weak presence in the West Bank and Gaza, the PFLP-GC has played a vital...

Israeli jets allegedly struck targets near the Syrian capital overnight on Wednesday, reportedly a weapons shipment to the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, Lebanese media reported. Syrian media reported witnesses hearing "loud explosion sounds" in the early morning hours. According to Lebanese media, the targets that were hit around 3.00 a.m. were affiliated with the Assad regime and were the regime army's 3rd Division in the al-Katif suburbs of the capital. The report also claimed that the IDF struck from within Lebanon, circling the Beqaa Valley and Baalbek, so as not to be blocked by the Russian defense systems operating in...

Hizballah misfires first missile of Iraqi shipment DEBKAfile Exclusive Report December 30, 2002, 11:08 PM (GMT+02:00) Hizballah adds Iraqi missiles to Syrian, Iranian arsenal The powerful blast that reverberated across eastern and central Lebanon Sunday, December 29, was caused by the explosion of a big surface missile in Hizballah hands and of Iraqi origin. Reporting this, DEBKAfile’s exclusive military and Lebanese sources reveal that the Lebanese Shiite terrorist group has recently taken delivery of a shipment of surface missiles, presumed to be medium-range, from the Iraqi army. The blast occurred at a Hizballah training camp near a village called Janta...