Israel determined to stem Hizbullah rearmament

ynet.com ^ | 08/19/2006 | Ron Ben-Yishai

[garbageseeker]

The ceasefire ended Israel's military pressure on Hizbullah and the international force mandated by the United Nations has barely started deploying in southern Lebanon.

Lebanese political forces seeking to disarm Hizbullah have not been able to prepare themselves for a new round of talks with the Shiite group and the Lebanese army is too weak to impose an arms embargo on Hizbulah.

Hizbullah and its Iranian and Syrian patrons feel that with the international community is determined to monitor the Lebanese-Syrian border to curtail arms smuggling from Syria and have intensified their efforts to rearm the group in the short time left before international observers deploy along the border.

The efforts focus on replenishing Hizbullah's secret arms storage depots with antitank and antiaircraft missiles, and long-range missiles.

Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards have been dispatched to Syria and Lebanon to rehabilitate Hizbullah.

A rehabilitated Hizbullah can undermine the Lebanese army and the beefed up UN peacekeeping force and prepare the group for a second round of fighting with Israel.

Hizbullah, like Israel, believes fighting is likely to reignite soon. In southern Lebanon, the group cannot act freely because of Israel's military presence, the deployment of the Lebanese army and UN peacekeepers and pressure from local residents who want to return to normal life.

Beirut remains under and aerial and maritime blockade imposed by the Israeli army and groups opposed to Hizbullah are closely watching the activities of the group.

Therefore the operation to rearm Hizbullah has been almost totally focused on the Bekaa region, which is fully controlled by the Shiite group.

The region's proximity to Syria makes it easier to smuggle arms to towns and villages in the Beeka which houses the group's logistic headquarters.

Israel has a rich experience in attempts by Arab enemies to rearm

[stm]

Time for Israel to open a can of industrial strength

[garbageseeker]

You bet.

[thoughtomator]

Obviously not that determined, as they haven't acted punitively against Syria or Iran at all.

[garbageseeker]

I agree. The only way to stop the munitions from entering the Bekaa valley is to hit them at the source which is Syria.

[MonroeDNA]

This was a Bill Clinton "bomb them, but no ground troops" war, combined with the Johnson-McNamara "let's micromanage, and hesitate, and what are the polls saying" war.

With the same outcome.

They had a good chance, with a greenlight from the world, and they blew it bigtime.

Isreal needs to get rid of Olmert, etc., put BIbi in charge, train, arm, and do it all fast.

The second act of this could be really bad.

[garbageseeker]

Micromanaging wars do lead to total disaster.And the Israelis has learned this the hard way.Israel needs Benjamin Netanyahu at the helm.

[FFIGHTER]

The Israeli PM did not seemed to be concerned about it. He had the opportunity to disarm them and choose not to.

[middie]

As long as Turkey and, of course, Iraq, deny Iranian aircraft permission to transit their airspace without a stop and search, the shipment of arms and missles will be impeded but not totally stopped. Iranian maritime shipments from their ports north of the Hormuz Straits can be monitored by U.S. naval patrols, south of the straits along the Gulf of Oman is more problematic.

If this circumlocuative method is attempted the ships still must transit Suez or try to air transship. That would still require overflight grants from counties who are not favorable to Hezballoh. It ain't gonna be easy unless the missle shipments come as small freight and assembled in Lebanon.

If Iran or Syria tries to run the aerial blockade and Israel flames the aircraft, stand back and watch.

[garbageseeker]

If this circumlocuative method is attempted the ships still must transit Suez or try to air transship. That would still require overflight grants from counties who are not favorable to Hezballoh. It ain't gonna be easy unless the missle shipments come as small freight and assembled in Lebanon.

I agree.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

The ceasefire ended Israel's military pressure on Hizbullah and the international force mandated by the United Nations has barely started deploying in southern Lebanon.

And which international force would that be....the 49 French soldiers who arrived yesterday in a rubber dinghy?

[garbageseeker]

And which international force would that be....the 49 French soldiers who arrived yesterday in a rubber dinghy?

The French who are supposedly going to lead this debacle, could only muster 300 men. Guess what? The "peacekeeping" troops will not be armed.

[goldstategop]

As I observed on the on the other thread, it doesn't change my view on the fate of Israel's government. Had it allowed the IDF to win, today's operation would have been unneccessary.

(No more Olmert! No more Kadima! No more Oslo!)

[garbageseeker]

I agree with you 100 percent. This operation was a window dressing event. He should have been doing these things at the beginning of the war. If he did, the outcome would have been totally different.