Posted on 07/28/2005 10:32:01 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Iranian cadres are training Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon, a State Department official told Congress on Thursday.
Assistant Secretary of State David Welch told the House International Relations Committee the information was provided by "our own sources."
Welch also testified there was "a continuing covert Syrian presence there" despite the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon. And, Welch said, there are armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon, as well.
He said the United States would have no contact with Lebanon's energy and water minister, Mohammed Fneish, who is a member of Hezbollah.
Welch reiterated the long-standing U.S. view that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. The group is known to operate with weapons provided by Iran that are channeled to it through Syria, which borders Lebanon.
Asked by Rep. Howard Berman (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., whether Iranian cadres were training Hezbollah in Lebanon, Welch replied, "Yes."
Welch said the Lebanese army should extend its authority to southern Lebanon and the militia groups should be disarmed.
But on Wednesday, the leader of Hezbollah said no one can uproot the Shiite Muslim group. "The resistance in Lebanon is not an armed gang that can be hit or eradicated," he told supporters in Beirut's southern suburbs.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora pledged to protect Hezbollah, saying the Lebanese government considers it "an honest and natural expression" of resistance to Israeli aggression and threats.
Rep. Tom Lantos (news, bio, voting record), D-Calif., called the statement "profoundly disturbing." He said he was not aware of any Israeli threats to Lebanon.
Welch agreed. Challenging Saniora, whose government has the Bush administration's support, Welch said, "There is no part of Lebanon occupied by Israel."
"I don't know what they would be resisting," he said.
"Hezbollah admits its material support for Palestinian terrorist operations, which undermines the Palestinian leadership's goal of stopping violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories," Welch said.
Still, Welch and James Kunder, an assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the administration had asked Congress to approve $35 million in U.S. aid and $1.7 million in other support.
He said plans would be made for an international donors conference in Beirut this fall.
On another issue, Rep. Gary Ackerman (news, bio, voting record), D-N.Y., complained that a flag of the area that omitted Israel was posted at an AID project in Sidon.
Such flags are common in Arab countries that do not accept the existence of the Jewish state.
Kunder told Ackerman, "We grabbed one off the shelf and we apologize for it."
BEIRUT (AFP) - Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora presented a series of reforms to parliament, pledging a program to focus on national reconciliation and democracy ahead of a confidence vote.
Siniora told MPs that the goal was to "put in place true reforms", in a bid likely to gain support from the 128-member body chosen in June elections, the first since Syria ended a 29-year military presence in April.
After Siniora detailed his programme, including a series of administrative, political and economic reforms, Christian MP Michel Aoun criticized him for failing to mention disarmament of the Shiite Militant group Hezbollah, as called for by the United Nations.
Aoun, the anti-Syrian firebrand former general, and his 21 opposition deputies said they would not vote to support Siniora's plan.
Siniora also called for "healthy, privileged and solid relations with Syria," and pledged to visit Damascus after he received a vote of confidence.
Parliament is due to hold the vote to approve Siniora's cabinet and programme later Thursday and is virtually assured of acceptance.
"a continuing covert Syrian presence there"
What a surprize.
the government should focus on tracking down and killing and deporting their kind in American soil including the MS-13. ...immediately!
Amen. With our totally open borders, one has to assume that they have herded thousands into the country. Our next attack is inevitable. The sad part is, our party will bear most of the blame, not to mention the loss of life and pandemonium that will come with it.
Maybe we have been warned that an attack on Iran would unleash the thousands of the Religion-of-Peace who have walked across our undefended border.
So since they are going to attack ANYWAY, lets throw the first punch. Give em 48 hours and .... Level Tehran. NOW.
I know there's a pattern here, but I just can't see it (Am I being too sarcastic?).
From Google: "Israeli planes bomb Lebanon;" "Israelis bomb Hezbollah bases in southern Lebanon;" "Israeli planes bomb Hezbollah targets;" Results 3 of about 57,100.
So since they are going to attack ANYWAY, lets throw the first punch. Give em 48 hours and .... Level Tehran. NOW.
My reference was to terrorists and not necessarily Iranians in particular, though Iran is a major player in terror. This FReeper believes that Iran is in our sights, but it will have to be either after we settle Iraq or when Iran does something foolish on the world stage. Either way, I think Iran will eventually feel our wrath.
The population of Tehran is about 12 million.
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