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Last update - 07:49 01/08/2008
Report: Hezbollah planning to 'force' IAF to cease overflights
By Yoav Stern and Amos Harel
Tags: Israel, Hezbollah, IDF 

Hezbollah is planning to take "practical measures" to counter Israel air force overflights of Lebanon, according to Thursday's edition of the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, which is considered sympathetic to the Shi'ite group.

It quoted a source who said that Hezbollah is "close to adopting practical measures that will force Israel to cease the overflights."

The report is in line with Israeli intelligence assessments that predicted that following the completion of the Israel-Hezbollah prisoner swap, Hezbollah would seek excuses to resume its struggle against Israel in order to justify its refusal to disarm.
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Hezbollah has cultivated an image as Lebanon's "protector" against what it describes as Israeli aggression.

There have been a number of reports in the Arab media recently on the planned deployment of anti-aircraft missile batteries in the Lebanese mountains, whose purpose would be to disrupt the flights of Israeli aircraft over the country.

Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah said recently that the group would adopt a new "defensive strategy" in Lebanon, with the cooperation of the country's other political groups.

Israeli military sources believe that Hezbollah is planning to alter its military policy toward Israel by carrying out operations inside Lebanon rather than along the border, in order to bolster its legitimacy among the Lebanese public.

On Wednesday, for the first time since the Second Lebanon War, the organization published a condemnation of Israeli overflights and said that those responsible for stopping them are the government in Beirut and the United Nations. It accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty by flying into its airspace and sailing into its territorial waters, and accused UN peacekeepers in the country of failing to put an end to the violations.

Following the Israel Defense Forces' withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, the air force stopped overflights of Lebanon. However, they were resumed in October of that same year after Hezbollah abducted three IDF soldiers on the border. Since then, the air force has carried out hundreds of intelligence and surveillance flights. Israel maintains that the flights are necessary for its security, despite protests by the
Lebanese government and the UN.

Israel charges that Hezbollah continues to rearm and receive training from Iran, in violation of the cease-fire accord that brought an end to the Second Lebanon War in August 2006.

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      1.   only fair 02:31  |  potobac 01/08/08
      2.   CARE TO DEFEND THE OVERFLIGHTS NOW? 02:40  |  VIPER 01/08/08
      3.   class dismissed 02:43  |  Mark 01/08/08
      4.   U2 is the answer 02:49  |  Mike 01/08/08
      5.   overflights 03:01  |  king k 01/08/08
      6.   To #1 03:18  |  Whaddya know? 01/08/08
      7.   Israel would. 03:33  |  Maureen Ann 01/08/08
      8.   VIPER WHY IS AN ILLEGAL ARMY IN SOUTH LEBANON? 04:03  |  PETER SM 01/08/08
      9.   Correction Haaretz 04:08  |  wally 01/08/08
      10.   Drones are very fuel efficient and 04:09  |  Murray the Mongoose 01/08/08
      11.   Yeah, snake,just blow the hell out of every thing that moves, 04:59  |  the crusher 01/08/08
      12.   It`s the only language Israel understands... 05:18  |  Joseph Levy 01/08/08
      13.   No Hezb missiles reach F-15s at 60,000`+. End of story. 05:19  |  Dr. L. Brnd 01/08/08
      14.   Israel has a way of justifying the unjustifiable! 05:20  |  Samy 01/08/08
      15.   War means operations legit 05:24  |  C 01/08/08
      16.   #5 - What Makes The Hebollah Citizens Militia illegal??????? 05:26  |  Lev Bronstein 01/08/08
      17.   whaddya know 5 05:30  |  potobac 01/08/08
      18.   #1, #6, depends on the response 05:39  |  ZS 01/08/08
      19.   #6 Maureen 05:39  |  Rab Burns 01/08/08
      20.   SOUNDS LIKE NASRALLAH IS GETTING READY 05:43  |  BigBadJohn 01/08/08
      21.   Mark, go to the corner and place the dunce cap on your head... 05:48  |  BBSNews 01/08/08
      22.   "BRONSTEIN" Because Siniora said so,not to mention UNSCR 1701 05:53  |  PETER SM 01/08/08
      23.   POTOBAC The Lebanese army not Hesballa should be there 05:57  |  PETER SM 01/08/08
      24.   Hey Haaretz, I hear you have been bought out by Al Jazera 06:04  |  Edward 01/08/08
      25.   Haaretz, Wally has a very valid point... 06:14  |  BBSNews 01/08/08
      26.   Durclex - Practically Speaking 06:15  |  Fish 01/08/08
      27.   Maureen Ann - A Shot from the Hip 06:24  |  Fish 01/08/08
      28.   Bronstein - Propaganda 06:37  |  Anonymous 01/08/08
      29.   Stop the overflights 06:51  |  Natallie Durson 01/08/08
      30.   Edward, as venerable as Haaretz is... 07:13  |  BBSNews 01/08/08
      31.   #27 Fish, blowing bubbles. 07:17  |  Maureen Ann 01/08/08
      32.   Fish, a shot from the lip... 07:24  |  BBSNews 01/08/08
      33.   Arabs will end up killing each other 07:27  |  Anonymous 01/08/08
      34.   Diagnosis - also a racist looney 07:33  |  Anonymou 01/08/08
      35.   MAUREN There were NO problems between Israel&Lebanon till Arafat 07:59  |  PETER SM 01/08/08
      36.   We should not wait : We should beat the Hezbullah to the ground. 08:11  |  Jean Van Daem 01/08/08
      37.   #8 Peter SM 08:20  |  maoriboy 01/08/08
      38.   Seeking Excuses?? 08:44  |  Druid 01/08/08
      39.   #22 Peter SM 08:45  |  maoriboy 01/08/08
      40.   A la guerre comme a la guerre 08:47  |  Gilles 01/08/08
      41.   A la guerre comme a la guerre 08:47  |  Gilles 01/08/08
      42.   Israel Haters, Hzebanon is not violating 1701? Really? 08:53  |  Dan 01/08/08
      43.   No Hezbo terrorist, no overflights 08:54  |  Dan 01/08/08
      44.   Let them provoke us, we are ready 08:54  |  Dan 01/08/08
      45.   Our chief of staff said: next time there will be no doubt who won 08:56  |  Dan 01/08/08
      46.   Let them lock their radar on our planes 08:57  |  Dan 01/08/08
      47.   Religious Freedom-The Answer in the Middle East 08:57  |  John Isenhower 01/08/08
      48.   Unmanned Aircraft 08:59  |  Ron 01/08/08
      49.   #22 When did Siniora say Hezbollah`s militia was illegal, PETER? 09:09  |  Johnboy 01/08/08
      50.   LEBANON=HIZBOLLAH! NEXT WAR WILL BE LEBANONS LAST! 09:13  |  TAKE THAT TO BANK 01/08/08
      51.   Waving the big stick 09:19  |  Milo 01/08/08
      52.   How can we violate Lebanon if it was replaced by Hezbanon? 09:29  |  Dan 01/08/08
      53.   # 13 "dr." 09:30  |  Axel 01/08/08
      54.   To have `overflights of Lebanon` you need to have a Lebanon first 09:34  |  Anyone seen Lebanon? 01/08/08
      55.   The Middle East Dirty Harry, from the safety of San Diego # 13 09:34  |  Clickfool 01/08/08
      56.   Peter SM 09:39  |  maoriboy 01/08/08
      57.   To Fish 09:42  |  Mike 01/08/08
      58.   Both sides violate 1701. Get over it 09:50  |  Natallie Durson 01/08/08
      59.   To Fish 09:52  |  Elie 01/08/08
      60.   To Fish, the quarrel with Israel 10:01  |  Elie 01/08/08
      61.   It would do Israel a power of good to lose a warplane 10:02  |  Clickfool 01/08/08
      62.   Hizbollah is Lebanon`s Biggest Enemy... 10:07  |  Omar 01/08/08
      63.   to Dan HAifa 10:08  |  Elie 01/08/08
      64.   Hezbollah is coming to get you.