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Last update - 23:09 29/01/2010
Top IDF officer: Iran has taken over Hezbollah
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Hezbollah, Israel news, Iran 
 

A senior Israel Defense Forces officer said Thursday that all five incidents of rocket fire from southern Lebanon into Israel since the end of the 2006 Second Lebanon War have been carried out in absolute defiance of Hezbollah directives and that Iran had taken control over the Lebanese militia.

The officer, who preferred to remain unnamed, said that Hezbollah was in a weakened state as a result of activity of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the southern part of the country - a Hezbollah stronghold - and the objection of many southern Lebanon residents to reconstruction of Hezbollah posts and weapons caches south of the Litani River.

According to the officer, Hezbollah now operates freely only in Shiite villages and towns.
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IDF intelligence has surmised that Iran's Revolutionary Guard has increased its control over Hezbollah in recent years and is preventing the Lebanese militia from forming its own independent structure.

Intelligence experts attribute this increase in Iranian control to Iran's displeasure over Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah's conduct during the Second Lebanon War, which the group fought against Israel in southern Lebanon. Experts also believe that the assassination of Hezbollah operations chief Imad Mughniyeh, who has yet to be replaced, also played a role in this process, as many of operational positions within Hezbollah are now held by Iranians.

Hezbollah suffered another blow recently when an investment advisor who was caught up in an embezzlement scandal caused the organization immense financial losses. The IDF believes that Hezbollah is not interested in sparking another round of fighting against Israel, concluding that should Hezbollah carry out a revenge attack over Mughniyeh's assassination, for which it blames Israel, it will only be done against an Israeli target abroad so as to try to prevent an Israeli retaliation.

The IDF officer also said that the five incidents of rocket fire into Israel from southern Lebanon were carried out by Al-Qaida inspired Palestinian groups based in a refugee camp where Hezbollah holds no sway.
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  1.   lol what a joke 22:07  |  who cares 17/09/09
  2.   So Iranians benefited from Muguniehs death? 22:46  |  Alan SA 17/09/09
  3.   rubbish 23:03  |  Paul 17/09/09
  4.   israel is now a circus 07:06  |  VIPER 18/09/09
  5.   Iran is taking over.... 08:54  |  MiddleStanian 18/09/09
  6.   Racketing up the rhetoric 2nd try 09:43  |  maoriboy 18/09/09
  7.   really you just figured that out? 11:56  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 18/09/09
  8.   Hezbolah=Iran=Act of WAR=Declaration of War 17:35  |  Do The Math 04/11/09
  9.   TO NO 8. 22:18  |  DANNY. 04/11/09
  10.   #4 S VIPER 500 Tons isn`t trash 03:57  |  *BEN JABO 05/11/09
  11.   #6 maori boy - Just to let you know 03:59  |  *BEN JABO 05/11/09
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