Israel Resigned To Armed Hezbollah Presence In South Lebanon
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem, Israel (AHN) - After vigorously insisting that the terms of a UN-brokered ceasefire include the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israel is now resigned to the fact that Hezbollah will remain an armed force in southern Lebanon, according to media reports. Israel's head of Military Intelligence, Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin, was quoted by Ha'aretz as telling the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Thursday that, contrary to the terms of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, "the Lebanese army has deployed alongside Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, but is not replacing it." "Hezbollah does not intend to leave southern Lebanon and to disarm itself," Yadlin said. The Jerusalem Post suggests that Israel's political leadership has accepted this as an unavoidable fact, and is now focusing on ensuring implementation of an arms embargo that would deny Hezbollah the ability to replenish its arsenal of long-range offensive weapons. According to the Post, "Israel is less concerned about grenades and rifles remaining in Hezbollah's hands, and more about weaponry that gives it offensive capabilities." Jerusalem also wants to make sure adequate Lebanese and UN peacekeeping forces are deployed to the area to thwart any future attempts by Hezbollah to attack northern Israel. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert had previously stated that after failing to prevent Hezbo |
