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Last update - 07:47 26/08/2008
UN: Lebanon-Syria border still wide open to smugglers
By Barak Ravid and Yoav Stern
Tags: Hezbollah, Lebanon, Israel 

Lebanon's eastern border with Syria is wide open to smugglers, according to a report submitted to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday by a task force he appointed to study the issue.

The report harshly criticizes both Lebanon and Syria, saying there has been no improvement over the past year despite promises by both countries to address the issue.

Israel has long claimed that weapons from Iran and Syria flow freely across this border to Hezbollah, despite the embargo on such shipments imposed by Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War in 2006. This smuggling, Israel says, has given Hezbollah an arsenal that is both qualitatively and quantitatively superior to what it had before that war, and may even include sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles.
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In addition, Hezbollah has built a network of sophisticated underground bunkers in some 150 villages throughout south Lebanon in recent months. These bunkers can hold up to 15 fighters, plus rockets and rocket launchers, and in the event of war with Israel, could serve either as missile-launching bases or as ambushes for Israeli ground troops. Neither the UN forces in Lebanon nor the Lebanese Army has done anything to stop construction of these bunkers.

The task force, appointed about 18 months ago, published a previous report in June 2007, which said that neither Syria nor Lebanon was doing anything to stop the smuggling. The current report reiterates this conclusion.

At the official border crossings, it said, the equipment is outdated, the personnel are poorly trained, and the inspections are inadequate to detect smuggling. There are also several well-known unofficial border crossings, which is where much of the smuggling occurs, and the task force found no impediments to reaching these locations.

At Lebanon's airport and ports, it added, the situation is better, but still unsatisfactory.

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      1.   In THe Next War 04:28  |  Ron 26/08/08
      2.   Ron 05:56  |  Ramius 26/08/08
      3.   Stupid Israel 06:09  |  Ahmed 26/08/08
      4.   Hezbo will bring a disaster on Lebanon 06:19  |  Dan 26/08/08
      5.   And the blah, blah, blah continues.. 06:38  |  maoriboy 26/08/08
      6.   UNIFIL commander said there was no smuggling 07:03  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
      7.   Or, In the Next War 07:07  |  Bernie 26/08/08
      8.   we will return lebanon to the stone age! 07:08  |  ClearCut 26/08/08
      9.   Old News, Israel will get it`s just deserts 07:14  |  John 26/08/08
      10.   will UNIFIL defend lebanon? 07:25  |  northern neighbor 26/08/08
      11.   How can Israel trust UNIFIL ? 07:29  |  Jean Van Daem 26/08/08
      12.   No Golan pullout until the arms build-up stops 07:36  |  Morris Valentine 26/08/08
      13.   big deal,so they slam it does not change the facts;that unifil is 07:45  |  glenna 26/08/08
      14.   So, what the Hell did UN`s Graziani want? 07:57  |  S 26/08/08
      15.   Don`t treat the symptoms, treat the disease 08:17  |  Natallie Durson 26/08/08
      16.   Don`t tell Graziano, he`ll be so disappointed 08:21  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/08/08
      17.   The World According to the UN 08:32  |  Fish 26/08/08
      18.   Weapons smuggling...? 08:47  |  Lean Lion 26/08/08
      19.   The Next war 10:06  |  Tony 26/08/08
      20.   what-so-called israel UseLess 10:21  |  Imad 26/08/08
      21.   For Morris Valentine on the Golan Heights #12 10:31  |  Clickfool 26/08/08
      22.   Endless Zionist whining 10:35  |  Clickfool 26/08/08
      23.   smuggling? what smuggling? 10:40  |  ClearCut 26/08/08
      24.   Ramius who lives on the front line 10:45  |  ClearCut 26/08/08
      25.   hezbolllah have to have weapons 10:48  |  moussa 26/08/08
      26.   #5 maoriboy - the cat got your tongue, I see. 11:04  |  CK Tan 26/08/08
      27.   #15 natallie d PASSES the Q test with flying colors - CONGRATS!!! 11:14  |  CK Tan 26/08/08
      28.   Hey Northern Neighbor 11:46  |  Ramius 26/08/08
      29.   #1, RON, why syria? try russia 11:51  |  VIPER 26/08/08
      30.   it`s all a lie i tell ya 11:52  |  VIPER 26/08/08
      31.   Ahmed 12:01  |  Ramius 26/08/08
      32.   No smuggling in Lebanon and no terrorists 12:04  |  Guy From NYC 26/08/08
      33.   War and Peace 12:16  |  FreeOne 26/08/08
      34.   Smugglers blues 12:42  |  Falafel 26/08/08
      35.   # 15 Natallie Durson - The disease is Islamist terrorism 12:47  |  Paul Henzen 26/08/08
      36.   # Ahmed - Stupid Lebanon 12:54  |  Paul Henzen 26/08/08
      37.   #20 Imad 13:14  |  Daniela 26/08/08
      38.   15: But Natallie, you won`t seek treatment 13:33  |  David Teich 26/08/08
      39.   Politicaly-motivated Report 14:06  |  MiddleStanian 26/08/08
      40.   Natallie Durson 14:30  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 26/08/08
      41.   cLEAR CUT Your Choice! Nasrallah is threatenning again. 15:07  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
      42.   Not smuggling anymore 15:35  |  Ramzi 26/08/08
      43.   #25 Moussa 16:01  |  Daniela 26/08/08
      44.   Natalies idioms 16:02  |  zengeos 26/08/08
      45.   Guys inventions #32 16:10  |  zengeos 26/08/08
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      48.   Ramzi`s majority 16:19  |  zengeos 26/08/08
      49.   Peter SM 16:21  |  Iceberg 26/08/08
      50.   ICEBERG Here are the reports of Hesballah using CLUSTER weapons. 16:35  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
      51.   FreeOne`s logic 16:43  |  zengeos 26/08/08
      52.   Iceberg. Any comments? 16:45  |  PETER SM 26/08/08
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