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Last update - 02:20 27/05/2009
'Hezbollah has more rockets than before Lebanon war'
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hezbollah, IDF, Israel News 

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi told a Knesset committee meeting Tuesday that Hezbollah has more rockets than before the Second Lebanon War and is boosting it's power in South Lebanon ahead of the country's upcoming elections.

"Hezbollah is secretly bolstering its power south of the Litani River, but UNIFIL's presence is making that task more difficult. Today it has more rockets and long-range ammunition than it did before the Second Lebanon War."


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shkenazi warned Hezbollah is still looking to avenge the killing of one of its senior militants Imad Mughniyeh, saying "Hezbollah has been intimidated and restrained, but it is still planning a response to the death of Imad Mughniyeh." Hezbollah blames Israel for the assassination, carried out in Damascus last year.

The army chief called the upcoming elections in Lebanon "a fascinating electoral campaign between a radical axis and moderates. This confrontation will determine which direction Lebanon will face, and it is possible it will fall to the radicals.

On the Iranian nuclear threat, Ashkenazi said, "there is currently a dialogue between the United States and Iran, but we don't know at this point if it will bear fruit. The option of dialogue, alongside imposing sanctions, is preferable in our view, but as chief of staff, my obligation is to prepare for every alternative for dealing with this matter, and that is what I'm doing."

Ashkenazi added that Israel and moderate Arab states in the region have a common interest in stopping Tehran's nuclear ambitions. "Iran is very vulnerable from an economic standpoint, and firm pressure and sanctions can influence the Iranian regime to reconsider its nuclear policy."

Police, not IDF soldiers to carry out West Bank evacuations
In his comments Tuesday, Ashkenazi said the job of evacuating West Bank outposts should be delegated to police officers, not IDF soldiers.

"The army is operating according to the government's instructions, but it would be appropriate if supreme efforts were made for police officers, and not soldiers, to be deployed against civilian populations."

The army chief also referred to the situation in the Gaza Strip, saying that during the IDF offensive earlier this year Israel enhanced its deterrent capability and improved the security situation in the south. He said that since the operation Hamas has transformed into a more restrained force, and that rocket fire on Israel's southern communities has dropped dramatically.

"Hamas has an interest in rehabilitating Gaza and breaking the siege. The situation remains unstable, and we cannot say the current reality in the south will continue in the long term and are therefore preparing for any eventuality," he said.

"Other than a few irregular incidents, nothing has been found which even approaches war crimes. All of the forces operated in the way they were expected to. In addition, in greater Gaza there were 1,400 locations designated 'untouchable,' including hospitals, places of worship and UN facilities. Every commander in the field received aerial photographs of these locations," he said, refering to allegations of misconduct by soldiers during Operation Cast Lead, adding that nine of them had been struck by accident.

On Gilad Shalit, the IDF soldier held captive in Gaza for nearly three years, Ashkenazi said simply, "I have no good news to reveal."

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      1.   Absent physical occupation how to prevent re-armament? 02:58  |  Paul Freedman 27/05/09
      2.   The UN Is At Fault For This Situation 03:00  |  Shepherd 27/05/09
      3.   Who wants a war ? 03:13  |  Arnold 27/05/09
      4.   Sing along 04:49  |  Bazmann 27/05/09
      5.   Ashkenazi.... the lone calm voice 04:57  |  allang 27/05/09
      6.   Just earlier today 05:02  |  Mark Lincoln 27/05/09
      7.   So What`s The Beef? 05:06  |  Cool B 27/05/09
      8.   Gosh, all these "theats"... 05:35  |  BBSNews 27/05/09
      9.   Courtesy of Iran, Syria and UN Resolution 1701 05:40  |  Fortuna Benmayor 27/05/09
      10.   Old news being recycled for domestic consumption 05:43  |  CaptAhab 27/05/09
      11.   General proves the case for accepting Saudi Plan, thanks! 06:33  |  Ivar 27/05/09
      12.   More rockets than pre 2006 07:38  |  DT 27/05/09
      13.   BBS Why not just watch Al Manar and AL Aqsa 08:01  |  PETER SM 27/05/09
      14.   IVAR Where has Hezballah agreed to the Saudi plan? 08:03  |  PETER SM 27/05/09
      15.   COOL B Hezballah is a militia that has started a war before 08:08  |  PETER SM 27/05/09
      16.   THE NIGER CONNECTION 08:29  |  Fortuna Benmayor 27/05/09
      17.   #2 - The UN at fault?? 08:50  |  Samuel 27/05/09
      18.   Its time to dismantle the UN 09:00  |  useless UN 27/05/09
      19.   #7 Cool B 09:23  |  Albrecht Klein 27/05/09
      20.   ISRAEL WON`T FORGET LITANI FOREVER 09:36  |  indrajaya 27/05/09
      21.   To Shepard/ As to UN 10:02  |  Anne 27/05/09
      22.   Ivar the logic 10:07  |  Ingvar Long Fing 27/05/09
      23.   As long as Israel stays out of Lebanon, They pose no threat 10:48  |  Johan Odin 27/05/09
      24.   See? There is no use of military action! 11:18  |  Shimon 27/05/09
      25.   ODIN Israel WAS out of Lebanon when it was attacked 11:54  |  PETER SM 27/05/09
      26.   BBS ALL you have to do is look at Al Manar & AlAqsa TV 12:06  |  PETER SM 27/05/09
      27.   # 20, PETER SM 12:41  |  indrajaya 27/05/09
      28.   un 13:36  |  oz 27/05/09
      29.   BBSNews 14:11  |  Walid 27/05/09
      30.   ith air-conditioning, Heineken beer and ... 16:30  |  un2here 27/05/09
      31.   for pundit indy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shebaa_Farms 16:30  |  Jew-and Bookburner 27/05/09
      32.   Walid #29 16:45  |  BBSNews 27/05/09
      33.   BBSnews - You have a faulty memory 17:47  |  *BEN JABO 27/05/09
      34.   #23 Johan Odin 17:50  |  *BEN JABO 27/05/09
      35.   BBSnews - It doesn`t matter who`s side you`re on 17:51  |  *BEN JABO 27/05/09
      36.   BBSNEWS - Get a refund 18:11  |  *BEN JABO 27/05/09
      37.   bbsn 18:58  |  second try 27/05/09
      38.   Thank you 19:27  |  laura 27/05/09
      39.   To Walid (#29). Re response to B.S. News. 20:16  |  flyingdoc57 27/05/09
      40.   more rockets -so what ? 02:35  |  Geronimo 28/05/09
      41.   #11 Ivar -- I can`t believe you`re really that thick 06:54  |  *BEN JABO 28/05/09
      42.   Johan Odin-#23-Security?What security? 10:15  |  Daniel Leopold 28/05/09
      43.   TO SHEPERD 19:14  |  DANNY 06/06/09
      44.   TO NO 35 BEN JABO. 19:39  |  DANNY 06/06/09
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