Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., March 06, 2008 Adar1 29, 5768 | | Israel Time: 19:29 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Rosner's Domain
Diplomacy
Defense Jewish World Opinion National
Print Edition
Advertising
Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File
Military Intelligence chief Amos Yadlin. (Tomer Appelbaum / BauBau)
Last update - 07:18 02/03/2007
Western intelligence sources worried by jihadist upsurge in Lebanon
By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

Western intelligence agencies are worried by a growing concentration of terror operatives associated with the global jihad movement in Lebanon.

Recent intelligence indicates that hundreds of Sunni Muslim terrorists from various Arab countries are currently residing around Tyre, mainly in a Palestinian refugee camp near the city. Some of the terrorists are apparently from Sudan and Yemen.

Both Western and Israeli intelligence agencies fear that the jihadists' growing presence in southern Lebanon will lead to more attacks against Israel and a renewed escalation along the northern border. The United Nations forces deployed along the border following last summer's war with Hezbollah are also considered potential targets.
Advertisement
Global jihad is the term used by intelligence agencies for a wide variety of terror groups that derive inspiration from Al-Qaida and occasionally maintain contact with Osama bin Laden's organization.

In December 2005, members of the Lebanese Al-Ansar group, which is affiliated with global jihad, fired Katyusha rockets at the Galilee panhandle, though no one was hurt. The organization had been in contact with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, then head of Al-Qaida in Iraq, who was killed by American forces last June.

There is considerable tension between the global jihad groups in Lebanon and Hezbollah - not only because Hezbollah is Shi'ite rather than Sunni, but also because they have been involved in turf wars.

Until its war with Israel last summer, Hezbollah was considered the sole power in southern Lebanon. It demanded that all other organizations obtain permission from it before carrying out any attacks on Israel. Shortly before his death, Zarqawi lambasted Hezbollah for this and accused its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, of "collaborating with Israel," because at that time - prior to its July kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers - Hezbollah was vetoing attacks by other groups.

In his intelligence briefing to the cabinet earlier this week, Military Intelligence head Amos Yadlin spoke of growing activity by the global jihad movement along Israel's borders. In addition to Lebanon, the main worries are attacks against Israelis in Sinai or attacks in Jordan. In late 2005, then MI head Aharon Ze'evi said both Israeli and American intelligence had learned that senior Al-Qaida officials had instructed operatives to focus on "the Near East," meaning Israel and its neighbors
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Halimi, relived
A Jewish teen is tortured where Ilan Halimi died in similar circumstances.
Bus-bomb capital
Four buses designed to thwart suicide bombings are tested in J'lem.
  1.   And all this is going on under Lebanon`s nose 05:25  |  Dave 02/03/07
  2.   The Sunni Jihadist will just add to the divisiveness in Lebanon 05:29  |  Dave 02/03/07
  3.   Dave: #1 06:16  |  ben 02/03/07
  4.   THE BUFFER ZONE 07:33  |  HOW SWEET IT IS 02/03/07
  5.   Siniora defraud EU from $7B and does nothing 07:35  |  Joseph E . 02/03/07
  6.   SUNNIS full of Shia 07:51  |  bo 02/03/07
  7.   re #1 `And all this is going on...` 08:15  |  Colin Wright 02/03/07
  8.   THEY ARE CREATING THEM 08:29  |  indrajaya 02/03/07
  9.   You think they`re there to fight ISRAEL?! 08:35  |  Ahmed 02/03/07
  10.   Israeli Simpletons 09:08  |  Walid 02/03/07
  11.   dave the joke 09:15  |  fadi 02/03/07
  12.   dave 09:26  |  fadi 02/03/07
  13.   Yes. It was lebabnon who beat you BACK. 09:37  |  Sam 02/03/07
  14.   Yes Dave, a country call Israel 09:42  |  gus 02/03/07
  15.   dave 09:48  |  fadi 02/03/07
  16.   LOOKS LIKS MY TIME IN IDF IS GOING TO BE TOUGH 09:52  |  alonitzafoni 02/03/07
  17.   a good run for their money 11:53  |  René 02/03/07
  18.   Moderation 11:53  |  Kapofy 02/03/07
  19.   Western Intelligence 12:12  |  Alex 02/03/07
  20.   Are you, Walid, one of those Jihadists? How 12:45  |  Elisha 02/03/07
  21.   fadi 13:11  |  ephraim 02/03/07
  22.   1: Isn`t Canada a Part of US 13:12  |  Tupac 02/03/07
  23.   Western Intelligence... the same WI as the WMDs in Iraq? 13:15  |  Tupac 02/03/07
  24.   WORLD TERRORISM 14:51  |  Mario Fiorito 02/03/07
  25.   13 - Hezbollah controls Lebanon 14:54  |  Bruriah Sarah 02/03/07
  26.   9# 14:58  |  alonitzafoni 02/03/07
  27.   9 - Hezbollah is on the US Terrorist List 14:59  |  Bruriah Sarah 02/03/07
  28.   14 - Reading hate sites again? 15:01  |  Bruriah Sarah 02/03/07
  29.   Yes, Walid, we Israelis are simpletons, and Arabs and especially 15:02  |  Nirah Greenberg 02/03/07
  30.   13#SAM 15:07  |  alonitzafoni 02/03/07
  31.   Elisha 15:16  |  Walid 02/03/07
  32.   Tupac 15:21  |  Walid 02/03/07
  33.   No14 Gus 15:44  |  Turfs 02/03/07
  34.   Where was this concern last summer? 15:44  |  Mark Lincoln 02/03/07
  35.   Tupac 15:50  |  Danite 02/03/07
  36.   Lebanon= failed state 15:54  |  Danite 02/03/07
  37.   Is this the same Western Intelligence 16:04  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/03/07
  38.   LIBERATE TYRE,ARREST ALL TRRORISTS,FREE CAPTIVES,ERADCATE JIHAD)) 16:09  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 02/03/07
  39.   @15, fadi, dave is correct, lebanon is most corrupt and pathetic 16:58  |  vladimir 02/03/07
  40.   Poor loathsome Colin anti-semitisim got his tongue 16:40  |  Steve 02/03/07
  41.   Walid 16:25  |  Danite 02/03/07
  42.   mark Lincoln 16:28  |  Danite 02/03/07
  43.   gus - you really don`t know much about the mid east, do you? 16:41  |  Joe 02/03/07
  44.   another israeli lie 16:46  |  mehmet 02/03/07
  45.   Chris Linthwaite - there certainly were WMD in Iraq 16:48  |  Joe 02/03/07
  46.   One more reason for peace with Syria 16:49  |  Tosefta 02/03/07
  47.   René 16:51  |  Walid 02/03/07
  48.   Danite 17:01  |  Walid 02/03/07
  49.   Jihadists in Lebanon 17:03  |  Clickfool 02/03/07
  50.   Toseftaflub what? 17:04  |  Danite 02/03/07
  51.   #45 Joe 17:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/03/07
  52.   They are fighting Hez 17:14  |  Fahd 02/03/07
  53.   lebanon 17:27  |  fadi 02/03/07
  54.   Walid 17:35  |  Danite 02/03/07
  55.   tosefta "peace with syria would stop the palestinian terrorists" 17:46  |  flashman 02/03/07
  56.   NY Times today, Tomas Friedman 17:49  |  TOMY 02/03/07
  57.   TO TZAHAL 18:01  |  MLK 02/03/07
  58.   Dear Mehmet from IstanBULLsh- 18:10  |  a proud Jew 02/03/07
  59.   I think this is good news! 18:11  |  Sherman 02/03/07
  60.   so far so good, Lebanon will see no rest in future:) 18:15  |  Tamir Gaza 02/03/07
  61.   Israel should attack lebanon again and again and again 18:18  |  Tamir Gaza 02/03/07
  62.   Walid 18:27  |  Motale 02/03/07
  63.   Tomy #56 18:34  |  tom 02/03/07
  64.   UGY the she-camel`s owner 18:36  |  Tosefta 02/03/07
  65.   SUNNI JIHADIST 18:37  |  Andreas Aristos Kark 02/03/07
  66.   #51 Chris - WMD moved to Syria 18:48  |  Joe 02/03/07
  67.   Ahmed believes Hiz has the genuine interest of Lebanese #9 18:58  |  William 02/03/07
  68.   Danite 19:07  |  Walid 02/03/07
  69.   walid just a message 19:23  |  bev 02/03/07
  70.   there is an article in the current New Yorker about this. 19:31  |  Jack 02/03/07
  71.   Ok, we know where they are, let`s bomb them 19:40  |  BradL 02/03/07
  72.   Chris Linthwaite 20:02  |  rich 02/03/07
  73.   colin wright 20:26