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Last update - 19:22 31/10/2009
Deputy PM confirms: Israel is gathering intel inside Lebanon
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Lebanon, Moshe Ya'alon 

Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) confirmed on Saturday that Israel was operating intelligence-gathering networks within Lebanon.

Speaking at an event in Be'er Sheva, Ya'alon said that "the moment Hezbollah renewed their attacks, we began to collect intelligence. We will stop when Hezbollah disarms itself and the [Israel-Lebanon] border is a border of peace."

"When we are in conflict with an enemy," he continued, "we gather information about them."
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On Wednesday, Lebanese troops found and dismantled four rockets ready for launching near the border with Israel, one day after a Katyusha rocket fired from Lebanon exploded in the Upper Galilee, marking the first such incident since last month.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister, Fawzi Salloukh, told pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat on Saturday that Israel had overreacted to the launches and that Israeli officials weren't planning to wait until a joint investigation of the incident by UNIFL and the Lebanese army could present its findings.

Ya'alon also addressed the legal aspects of the Goldstone report, compiled by a UN fact-finding mission led by South African jurist Richard Goldstone, which accused Israel of committing war crimes during its offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter. Fears arose in Israel that international pressure to try Israel Defense Forces commanders over these alleged war crimes would limit their freedom of movement outside Israel. "I am willing to forgo studies in London if that is the price for sticking to the principle of protecting the State of Israel," Ya'alon declared.

Ya'alon, who served as IDF chief of staff before joining the Likud party and the current government, also criticized his successor Dan Halutz, who commanded the IDF during Israel's 2006 war against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

"What happened with Dan Halutz was a tragedy," Ya'alon said. "He was an excellent air force commander, and a fine deputy chief of staff. However, when he became chief of staff, several things happened which I can only describe as the sin of arrogance. That is what caused most of the damage during the Second Lebanon War."

He explained that top ranking officers are required to maintain a high degree of humility "That is the difference between them and the others. We the major generals, lieutenant generals and ministers must maintain humility and recognize the limitations of our power. If we move away from this humility for one moment we're likely to find ourselves in a very bad place," he went on to say.

In regard to Israel's recent tension with Turkey, Ya'alon said that Israel is watching with concern the changes that Turkey is undergoing. "Their tendency is to lean eastward toward Iran and Syria. This requires us to reassess the situation. The U.S. has asked Ankara to use the country in order to take action in Afghanistan, and they refused. We have to reassess."

Finally, addressing Iran's controversial nuclear program, Ya'alon quoted Western diplomats who have argued that "there is no question now that the international pressure must be exerted to the point that will prevent Iran from developing weapons of mass destruction."


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      1.   What part of disarm illegal Hezbo weapons dont you understand? 18:46  |  Dan 31/10/09
      2.   Hezbanon is bombing Israeli civilians and is guilty of war crimes 18:46  |  Dan 31/10/09
      3.   Hezbo is in violation of 1701, so Israel is free spy 18:47  |  Dan 31/10/09
      4.   Hezbanese, the period of 2000-06 where Israel did nothing is OVER 18:50  |  Dan 31/10/09
      5.   Keep on the good job IDF 19:04  |  Dan 31/10/09
      6.   Lebanon? What is Lebanon? Never heard about it 19:05  |  Dan 31/10/09
      7.   Lebanon is occupied by Hezbolla 19:06  |  Israeli 31/10/09
      8.   Dan 19:17  |  General Aoun 31/10/09
      9.   I dunno, but Ya`alon castigating arrogance, seems incongruous 19:23  |  Esther 31/10/09
      10.   #3 Dan 20:37  |  BDS 31/10/09
      11.   When It Comes to Self Defence Law Mattes 20:51  |  Brad 31/10/09
      12.   You mean those accusations were true? 21:08  |  Mark Lincoln 31/10/09
      13.   spying on Lebanon is a god thing admitting it is stupid 23:13  |  zionist forever 31/10/09
      14.   The another Face of War. 00:06  |  nobrand 01/11/09
      15.   War by other means 02:10  |  Stephen in New York 01/11/09
      16.   #13 et al on spying 19:42  |  bob 01/11/09
      17.   Yaalon... 22:24  |  Norman G. 01/11/09
      18.   Do not complain.. 21:12  |  alan 03/11/09
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