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Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi overseeing a military drill in the Golan Heights on Wednesday. (Reuters) Last update - 23:06 21/02/2007 Olmert: Lebanese army, UNIFIL are keeping Hezbollah in check By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent, and the Associated Press Prime Minister Ehud Olmert rebuffed on Wednesday assessments Hezbollah had recovered from last year's war with Israel, saying UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army were keeping the guerrilla group in check. Olmert said that though the Shi'ite militia was rearming, it was finding it hard to regroup in its former border strongholds. "When they try to surface now they are disarmed and arrested by the international force and the Lebanese force," Olmert told foreign reporters. He said it was now "almost impossible" for Hezbollah to function in its heartland, southern Lebanon. Advertisement "I am not certain that they have any appetite to fight with Israel again," Olmert said. Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Wednesday that Israel may have to confront Hezbollah to halt the militant group's attempts to rearm after last summer's war in Lebanon. Also Wednesday, Lebanese anti-aircraft guns fired at unmanned Israel Air Force drones near the southern Lebanese port city of Tyre on Wednesday, a Lebanese military spokesman said. Ashkenazi said Israel delivered a tough blow to Hezbollah during the 34-day war, but the group, and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, are rapidly trying to refortify the militia. "I think we all understand that ... he (Nasrallah) is not able to do the things that he could do before," Ashkenazi told reporters. "We see here and there smuggling and other things to bring weapons. We are following this and we apparently have to deal with this." Ashkenazi made the comments while observing a military exercise on the Golan Heights. Attending Wednesday's military exercise, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Israel was trying to avoid a further confrontation with Hezbollah. "There's no doubt that this exercise ... doesn't demonstrate any intention to get involved in any confrontation or friction," Peretz said. The Lebanese Army spokesman said that the IAF drones had violated Lebanese sovereignty, and posed a challenge to United Nations Resolution 1701, a reference to the UN Security Council resolution that ended the second Lebanon war in August. The drones were not hit by the fire. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as is customary for the Lebanese military in the absence of a formal statement. Also Wednesday, IDF troops located and destroyed a cave used by Hezbollah beyond Israel's border fence, but still inside Israeli territory. The cave was situated northeast of a community in the Western Galilee. No arms or explosives were discovered in the cave. The Lebanese army and Lebanese news agencies reported that since Tuesday evening, IAF planes have increased their number of sorties over the country. The planes flew over the western and central sectors of the country, they said, and made sonic booms. After the summer's war, IAF warplanes continued flying over Lebanese territory in violation of the Security Council resolution. The IDF defended the overflights by pointing out that Hezbollah too was violating the resolution by continuing to smuggle arms, and that the flights were necessary for intelligence gathering. IAF planes have flown reconnaissance missions over Lebanon for years, despite protests from the Beirut government. In November, the Lebanese army opened anti-aircraft fire on the planes, but did not hit their targets. In recent weeks, the IAF greatly reduced the number of overflights, a development widely covered in the Lebanese media. In Jerusalem, the Israel Defense Forces declined to comment on the Lebanese statement. On February 7, Lebanese troops fired at an IDF bulldozer after it allegedly crossed into south Lebanon. IDF troops fired back, but later said the bulldozer was still on the Israeli side of the UN-demarcated border. After the war, the Lebanese army deployed some 16,000 troops in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah militants had previously been in control. The UN has sent more than 12,000 peacekeepers to the area to monitor the cease-fire. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Obscene gestures Alleged 'Heil Hitler' comment lands German lawyer Horst Mahler in court AMOS-3 video Israel's sophisticated new communications satellite launched into orbit.   1.   The Hizballah teachers should learn English! 13:37  |  Momo 21/02/07   2.   what`s new? 13:37  |  Claudio Golzman 21/02/07   3.   What advantage is there 14:57  |  Mark Lincoln 21/02/07   4.   Attack Hezbollah in Lebanon and the rockets will fall on Israel 15:04  |  Clickfool 21/02/07   5.   Lebanese Army grows testicle 15:07  |  Mark Lincoln 21/02/07   6.   ISRAELI FLIGHTS: WHERE IS THE HYPOCRAT WEST??? 15:08  |  JACKAL 21/02/07   7.   PROOF ABOUT HEZBOLLAH 15:39  |  ZAD ABDUL RAHMAN 21/02/07   8.   Yo Clicky, & the outcome this time around??? 15:48  |  Rufus 21/02/07   9.   israel should stop its violation 15:49  |  anna 21/02/07   10.   #4, of course if Israel doesn`t overfly Hizbollah attacks 15:56  |  Danny - Israeli one 21/02/07   11.   A question for Mark Lincoln in Houston 15:57  |  Rufus 21/02/07   12.   #4: but rockets aren`t there, no? 15:57  |  Paul Freedman 21/02/07   13.   If Israel started mass murder of Lebanese civilians again... 15:59  |  Stephen Murray 21/02/07   14.   #3: Mark, Israel isn`t going there 16:04  |  Paul Freedman 21/02/07   15.   #4 Clickfool 16:11  |  Itsik 21/02/07   16.   to #3 Israel was not defeated,But did not win yet 16:13  |  Realist 21/02/07   17.   Zad Abdul Rahaman 16:14  |  Itsik 21/02/07   18.   The crackpots (or are they just bored unemployed?) 16:14  |  Rufus 21/02/07   19.   #9 Anna 16:18  |  Itsik 21/02/07   20.   Don`t just Tackle ,Defeat Destroy Hezbollah for good 16:20  |  marcel 21/02/07   21.   # 13 Mass Murder?!! 16:23  |  Leor 21/02/07   22.   jackal cut the crap 16:25  |  flashman 21/02/07   23.   Go for it 16:26  |  Duderino 21/02/07   24.   Caves 16:26  |  Mo 21/02/07   25.   To #7 Zad 16:29  |  Mo 21/02/07   26.   Re 7 and 17: WHAT SORT OF PEOPLE YOPU ARE 16:31  |  JACKAL 21/02/07   27.   STEPHEN MURRAY #13 16:39  |  Brant 21/02/07   28.   Yes well, Tyre is not a Hezbollah town 16:41  |  Marilyn 21/02/07   29.   Lebanese should reclaim their country 16:41  |  Brod 21/02/07   30.   Momo (#1), but let`s be reciprocal! 16:44  |  christoph 21/02/07   31.   I think its simple. Stay in Israel and all is well 16:47  |  Guy From NYC 21/02/07   32.   Time for another lesson 16:54  |  Bob 21/02/07   33.   DUDERINO 16:54  |  Brant 21/02/07   34.   A better world for all 16:56  |  MGB 21/02/07   35.   #28 Marilyn the genious 17:02  |  Itsik 21/02/07   36.   Guy from NYC 17:12  |  Rufus 21/02/07   37.   #30 Christoph 17:13  |  Itsik 21/02/07   38.   For `Bob` in Germany 17:15  |  Rufus 21/02/07   39.   Anna Israel must not do d dirty work for the Christians and Druze 17:21  |  Neutral as Water 21/02/07   40.   Lebanese Israeli Behind the Scenes.. 17:24  |  Ahmed 21/02/07   41.   Stephen Murray: casualties of war happen. oh well. 17:25  |  Richard S 21/02/07   42.   Hizbullah rearming. 17:27  |  JCT 21/02/07   43.   Itsik & Christoph the liguists 17:32  |  Rufus 21/02/07   44.   ATTACK LEBANON 17:35  |  kEVIN 21/02/07   45.   Allow me to introduce myself my name is jov... 17:37  |  Gabriel 21/02/07   46.   Ahmed I agree, and Nasrallah knows that, it is a shame he has no 17:42  |  Neutral as water 21/02/07   47.   JCT why judge a population for one mad man? 17:49  |  Neutral as Water 21/02/07   48.   For "Bob" in Germany 17:50  |  Peter 21/02/07   49.   BOB #32 has it exacty right - and wrong 17:52  |  Elihu 21/02/07   50.   So far, not enough blood shed this year,... 17:53  |  Fritz 21/02/07   51.   Hezballah had to be DISARMED. - UNIFIL are afraid to disarm HEZB. 17:54  |  Vittorio 21/02/07   52.   MARYLIN. THE AUSTRALIAN GIRL 17:54  |  charro 21/02/07   53.   Itsik - grammar is what I really like! (I`m german, by the way) 17:58  |  christoph 21/02/07   54.   Another complete strategic failure from Olmert 18:01  |  Pablo B 21/02/07   55.   War and Peace 18:08  |  Victor Ivanov 21/02/07   56.   Guy from NYC, how about evenhanded approach 18:12  |  topanga 21/02/07   57.   Rufus (43) 18:12  |  christoph 21/02/07   58.   #53 Christoph 18:14  |  Itsik 21/02/07   59.   To 21,27...Mass Murder 18:15  |  Elie 21/02/07   60.   PS: Itsik, but good English is difficult and beautiful 18:20  |  christoph 21/02/07   61.   To Jackal 18:22  |  Elie 21/02/07   62.   to anna 18:23  |  jean marie 21/02/07   63.   #Pablo B 18:25  |  Joe Cool 21/02/07   64.   Elie blame Nasrallah he started the war, not Israel 18:30  |  Neutral as water 21/02/07   65.   To Stephen Murray #13 18:37  |  Passerby 21/02/07   66.   Time for Lebanon to be provided with an air defence 18:38  |  Mayanna 21/02/07   67.   Just a thought for Pablo B 18:43  |  Rufus 21/02/07   68.   To Brod, the Phenician 18:43  |  Elie 21/02/07   69.   Another lunatic... 18:47  |  Sandra 21/02/07   70.   Click-Fool :we are prepared for!!!!!!!! 18:47  |  Claudio Golzman 21/02/07   71.   To JCT, about Geneva Convention 18:55  |  Elie 21/02/07   72.   #63 Joe Cool - Chaos as a strategy 19:02  |  Pablo B 21/02/07   73.   Well, well, well... 19:10  |  Spoon 21/02/07   74.   TO CLICKFOOL 4- JUST GET NASRALLAH 19:14  |  MB 21/02/07   75.   To Neutral as water, about starting the war 19:18  |  Elie 21/02/07   76.   to 66 - iran/syrian already delivered sam missiles 19:23  |  mb 21/02/07   77.   arming Lebanon?? 19:26  |  charro 21/02/07   78.   To Ellie # 59 19:27  |  Passerby 21/02/07   79.   #9 - anna 19:29  |  MichaelF 21/02/07   80.   next round in lebanon 19:30  |  alonitzafoni 21/02/07   81.   Past tense has no place in future peace 19:37  |  Mammy 21/02/07   82.   Where do you live? Walk in someone shoes 19:41  |  Mammy 21/02/07   83.   Solution: South Lebanon to be converted to North Israel. 19:41  |  Sol 21/02/07   84.   to elie - refine your resarch 19:43  |  mb 21/02/07   85.   to eleie in argentina - News about Amia? 19:46  |  mb 21/02/07   86.   Nasrallah is holed up like a weasel 19:47  |  Richard S 21/02/07   87.   For Claudio Golzman # 70 20:05  |  Clickfool 21/02/07   88.   Shhh...Sol - don`t give away the plan # 83 20:25  |  Clickfool 21/02/07   89.   To MB, wake up and shut your umbrela 20:35  |  Elie 21/02/07   90.   #67 Rufus - reducing the border conflict to an airshow 20:40  |  Pablo B 21/02/07   91.   To MB, little green footballs 20:48  |  Elie 21/02/07   92.   #6 . to JACAL who is asking "WHERE IS THE HYPOCRAT WEST???" 20:52  |  WEST 21/02/07   93.   #67 Rufus - what do you think the overflights are for? 20:56  |  Pablo B 21/02/07   94.   To Sol, about israeli imperialism 20:59  |  Elie 21/02/07   95.   #88: don`t bother these posts with the facts 21:01  |  Paul Freedman 21/02/07   96.   clickfool 21:11  |  howard 21/02/07   97.   # 35 Itsik and Marilyn 21:15  |  christa 21/02/07   98.   # 83 Sol 21:17  |  christa 21/02/07   99.   Why Lebanon ? 21:23  |  christa 21/02/07   100.   France and Lebanon 21:26  |  christa 21/02/07   101.   Jackal 21:56  |  Lynn 21/02/07   102.   # 28 Marilyn 22:00  |  Lynn 21/02/07   103.   # 60 22:03  |  Lynn 21/02/07   104.   ????? 22:05  |  Duderino 21/02/07   105.   christa 22:05  |  Lynn 21/02/07   106.   #93 Pablo B 22:10  |  Lynn 21/02/07   107.   Zad #7 22:12  |  Cheryl 21/02/07   108.   Lebanon should respect UNR 1701 22:16  |  dms 21/02/07   109.   Strange posts by forgetful fools 22:19  |  Voice of Reason 21/02/07   110.   what new 22:21  |  south lebanon 21/02/07   111.   # 83 22:23  |  david 21/02/07   112.   christa near monaco 22:38  |  northern neighbor 21/02/07   113.   Does Anyone Know What`s Going On? 23:02  |  Tony Anthony 21/02/07   114.   Pablo B all in a huff 23:17  |  Rufus 21/02/07   115.   Get out of my damn country! 23:19  |  Lebanissa 21/02/07   116.   Howard the man in british columbia! 23:23  |  Rufus 21/02/07   117.   Israel; KEEP OUT of Lebanon! 23:52  |  Maureen Ann 21/02/07   118.   For Howard in British Columbia # 96 23:52  |  Clickfool 21/02/07   119.   To #3 00:09  |  Gene 22/02/07   120.   JACKAL.PAKISTANI TERRORISTS WORLDWIDE."Where is religion of peace 00:25  |  PETER SM 22/02/07   121.   To Mark Lincoln:you got it wrong buddy Israel 00:38  |  Steve 22/02/07   122.   Pulling in 3 different directions... 01:05  |  bat yam 22/02/07   123.   #66 Mayanna 01:07  |  Johnboy 22/02/07   124.   #107 Tony Anthony 01:14  |  Johnboy 22/02/07   125.   MAURREN ANN Israel WAS OUT of Lebanon till attacked.Remember?. 01:53  |  PETER SM 22/02/07   126.   christa #97 01:56  |  KT 22/02/07   127.   That is obvious Clickfool 01:58  |  Mark Lincoln 22/02/07   128.   Rufus - from the home of the world`s first university 02:02  |  Mark Lincoln 22/02/07   129.   FOOL.DO not be shy.Give us all "the plan" and its source. 02:03  |  PETER SM 22/02/07   130.   to elie - Amia is argentina affair! 02:26  |  mb 22/02/07   131.   olmert,must go 02:31  |  chaim 22/02/07   132.   Why Does Israel Keep Saying Hezbollah 02:32  |  Bernie 22/02/07   133.   to elie answer by each question - 1 02:32  |  mb 22/02/07   134.   to elie - answering your question 2 02:41  |  mb 22/02/07   135.   to elie - argentina answering question 4 - deliberate attack 02:50  |  mb 22/02/07   136.   to elie - it is simple - only what lebanon needs is sign peace 02:55  |  mb 22/02/07   137.   elie - the world want to know what happened with amia 02:56  |  mb 22/02/07   138.   arab e. sidney australia 03:05  |  waldo 22/02/07   139.   JOHNBOY." I imagine Condi had a word in the Italian PMs ear." 03:06  |  PETER SM 22/02/07   140.   242,242,242..occupation,occupation,occupation 03:10  |  Waldo 22/02/07   141.   Steve, smoking Bush 03:24  |  Mark Lincoln 22/02/07   142.   #PeterSM Israeli occupation? 03:57  |  Maureen Ann 22/02/07   143.   I HAVE A BRIDGE TO SELL YOU 04:05  |  TOBIA 22/02/07   144.   But marilyn 04:14  |  Danite 22/02/07   145.   MAURRE$EN ANN.ISRAEL left ALL of Lebanon as demanded by the UN 05:25  |  PETERSM 22/02/07   146.   Lebanissa Hisbula is there because Iran &Syria want it. 05:58  |  PETER SM 22/02/07   147.   THAT STATEMENT MAKES ISRAELIS COMFORTABLE? 06:55  |  indrajaya 22/02/07   148.   #139 PETER SM 07:29  |  Johnboy 22/02/07   149.   Olmert is really too optimistic - LAF and UNIFIL are smokescreens 07:59  |  Marwan مروان خو 22/02/07   150.   One comment - the IDF soldiers in the photos are wearing non-IDF 08:06  |  Marwan مروان خو 22/02/07   151.   JOHNBOY.#148.Russia will sell anybody almost anything.Sales to - 08:56  |  PETERSM 22/02/07   152.   JOHNBOY #149 RUSSIA will sell anybody almost anything.Sales to - 09:03  |  PETER SM 22/02/07   153.   NOW WE KNOW OLMERT HAS ASENSE OF HUMOUR 09:23  |  paul harris 22/02/07   154.   ckickfool 13:04  |  jimmy 22/02/07   155.   Whats New [2] 15:16  |  swifty 22/02/07   156.   To MB, respect yourself 17:09  |  Elie 22/02/07   157.   To MB, about Palestinians 17:20  |  Elie 22/02/07   158.   Hizbala can shoot @Israel far from border 19:36  |  sam 22/02/07   159.   Hello clicking English fool 22:53  |  Z 22/02/07   160.   #152 PETER SM descending into the irrelevent 03:48  |  Johnboy 23/02/07   161.   to all israel ppl 14:08  |  houssein 23/02/07   162.   where did#161 crawl out from? 21:41  |  rob 14/02/08   163.   Anna 22:06  |  Rob 14/02/08   164.   to hezbollah peaceagreement just means rearm 04:19  |  nina 09/04/08   165.   #44 09:29  |  amit 22/04/08   166.   Where is Lebanese Forces??? 01:58  |  Sergia 28/04/08   167.   Someone should keep Olmert in check 15:02  |  elianna 28/04/08

Read & React PM: Remorse for Gaza dead, but Hamas put victims at risk Responses: 244 Amos Harel: IDF acting as if no Hamas truce on horizon Responses: 109 Hitler made a splash with Jewish press in pre-state Palestine Responses: 104 Iran official warns of 'danger' of Barbie, Harry Potter toys Responses: 62 Chelsea owner Abramovich to build Britain's most expensive home Responses: 51 Rosner's Domain Is Israel finished? five questions Ziad Asali: deal with Hamas would hurt the moderates Poll: truce with Hamas, good or bad? Wright, the race issue won't leave Obama alone Is suicide bombing rational? (WTR) More Headlines 19:27 Bush: Disclosure of IAF Sept. strike message to Syria, N. Korea, Iran 20:32 IDF Chief, in Warsaw: Israel, its army are answer to Holocaust 17:11 MI chief: Terror groups planning major attacks on Israel's 60th 19:18 Wright, the race issue won't leave Obama alone 12:51 PM voices 'deep remorse' for Gaza deaths, but says Hamas put victims at risk 16:30 Hamas, other factions meet in Egypt to discuss cease-fire 16:51 UNIFIL denies Israeli charges it ignores Hezbollah activity 20:21 Haaretz in 1932: Hitler makes better impression than expected 20:33 Northern resident jailed for duping people over magic powers 19:28 House of last Jewish resident near Auschwitz faces demolition 14:29 Russian-Jewish billionaire to build U.K.'s priciest mansion 16:47 Human rights groups call on Israel to stop limiting fuel to Gaza 15:46 Rishon Letzion man jailed for killing neighbor 15:17 Report: Inequality grows as top 1% earns same as bottom 25% Previous Editions Select Day 28 apr 27 apr 25 apr 24 apr 23 apr 22 apr 21 apr 20 apr 18 apr 17 apr 16 apr 15 apr

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