.Lebanon halts more rocket fire on Israel
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese troops found and dismantled several rockets positioned to hit Israel after militants in the south fired three earlier Wednesday — a sign Lebanon's government is determined to avoid being drawn into war with the Israelis.
The second rocket attack on Israel in less than a week prompted a brief Israeli artillery retaliation, but no one was hurt in the exchange.
The rocket fire highlighted the volatility of the Lebanese-Israeli border and the threat of a second front as Israel presses its offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers.
No one claimed responsibility for Wednesday's rockets, which crashed in an open area in northern Israel. But the salvo and a similar rocket attack last week were a clear message to Israel that it cannot attack Hamas in Gaza without risking trouble elsewhere.
Lebanon's government condemned the rocket fire and ordered more troops to the southern border region. The Lebanese army later announced that three more rockets, set to be fired, were discovered and dismantled.
Southern Lebanon has been largely quiet since a U.N.-brokered truce halted the 2006 war between Israel and the militant Hezbollah movement — a 34-day battle in which more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and about 160 in Israel were killed.
Wednesday's developments reflected a willingness by the Lebanese government to enforce the U.N. resolution calling for a calm and secure southern Lebanon.
Information Minister Tarek Mitri said such attacks "harm national interest" and could give Israel a pretext to attack.
The government's ability to contain trouble is limited. Syria and Iran, both supporters of Hamas, and their Palestinian and Lebanese allies are major players in Lebanon. It is easy to hide rockets in the hilly and forested southern terrain.
"Physically there is not all that much they (the government) can do," said American University of Beirut professor Timur Goksel, who was adviser to the U.N. force in southern Lebanon for nearly 20 years. "South Lebanon is a perfect rocket launching territory. You cannot cover every valley. It is physically impossible."
He said the rocket firing was "an act of solidarity with Gaza" and that while Hezbollah was not suspected, "they are not really going out there to stop these people."
AP
So Lebanon and Hizbollah are cooperating because of the "U.N.-brokered truce", not out of fear that Israel will bomb their infrastructure. Sure...That's the ticket
The second rocket attack on Israel in less than a week prompted a brief Israeli artillery retaliation, but no one was hurt in the exchange.
The rocket fire highlighted the volatility of the Lebanese-Israeli border and the threat of a second front as Israel presses its offensive against Gaza's Hamas rulers.
No one claimed responsibility for Wednesday's rockets, which crashed in an open area in northern Israel. But the salvo and a similar rocket attack last week were a clear message to Israel that it cannot attack Hamas in Gaza without risking trouble elsewhere.
Lebanon's government condemned the rocket fire and ordered more troops to the southern border region. The Lebanese army later announced that three more rockets, set to be fired, were discovered and dismantled.
Southern Lebanon has been largely quiet since a U.N.-brokered truce halted the 2006 war between Israel and the militant Hezbollah movement — a 34-day battle in which more than 1,000 people in Lebanon and about 160 in Israel were killed.
Wednesday's developments reflected a willingness by the Lebanese government to enforce the U.N. resolution calling for a calm and secure southern Lebanon.
Information Minister Tarek Mitri said such attacks "harm national interest" and could give Israel a pretext to attack.
The government's ability to contain trouble is limited. Syria and Iran, both supporters of Hamas, and their Palestinian and Lebanese allies are major players in Lebanon. It is easy to hide rockets in the hilly and forested southern terrain.
"Physically there is not all that much they (the government) can do," said American University of Beirut professor Timur Goksel, who was adviser to the U.N. force in southern Lebanon for nearly 20 years. "South Lebanon is a perfect rocket launching territory. You cannot cover every valley. It is physically impossible."
He said the rocket firing was "an act of solidarity with Gaza" and that while Hezbollah was not suspected, "they are not really going out there to stop these people."
AP
So Lebanon and Hizbollah are cooperating because of the "U.N.-brokered truce", not out of fear that Israel will bomb their infrastructure. Sure...That's the ticket
posted by madtom at 10:26 AM
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