Hezbollah: Drill held at Israel border meant to ready us for war - Haaretz

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Sat., November 10, 2007 Cheshvan 29, 5768

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		Hezbollah Deputy Chief Naeem Kassem (AP)

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Last update - 23:02 08/11/2007

Hezbollah: Drill held at Israel border meant to ready us for war

By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent

tags: war, Hezbollah, Lebanon

Hezbollah's deputy leader Sheikh Naeem Kassem on Thursday confirmed that the group had staged its largest-ever military maneuver earlier this week near the border with Israel, claiming that the exercise was intended as preparations to counter Israeli plans for war.

Kassem told the Israeli Arab newspaper Sawat al-Balad on Thursday that the maneuvers were "large and important parts of our preparation so that we won't be surprised." It was the first interview of the kind given since the maneuvers were first reported.

The pro-Hezbollah Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbarreported Monday that thousands of the group's guerrillas had staged the exercise near Israel's border in southern Lebanon, but Prime Minister Fuad Saniora later said the reported exercise was probably just a simulation.

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Israel Air Force warplanes dropped flares over the southern Lebanon hours after Hezbollah officials confirmed the exercise.

In his interview with Sawat al-Balad, Kassem said that the guerillas were unarmed during the exercise, adding that at no point did the guerillas display any weapons.

In its report Monday, Al-Akhbar said Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah personally supervised the maneuvers, which it said were carried out in over three days and were the biggest ever staged on Israel's border by the Shiite Muslim militant group.

Monday's report in marked the first time Hezbollah, with its highly secretive military wing, revealed such exercises through a close newspaper. The maneuvers, if confirmed, could pose a major challenge to a UN-brokered cease-fire that ended last year's war with Israel.

However, Prime Minister Fuad Saniora said authorities checked with military and police units as well as UN peacekeepers and they confirmed nothing on the ground really happened.

"It was, let's say, a simulation probably, in an operation room, on the desk, probably they did such a thing, he said, speaking to Associated Press Television News at government headquarters. "This has been confirmed by all the sources."

Related articles:

IAF drops flares over Lebanon coast after news of Hezbollah exercise

Israel to UN: Hezbollah has tripled its land-to-sea missile arsenal

Defense Minister: Hezbollah rocket arsenal bigger now than before the war

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1.	Several possibilities	19:23	\|	Mark Lincoln	08/11/07

2.	Klingon Masking	19:34	\|	Max Molenaar	08/11/07

3.	Of course nothing was observed.....	19:44	\|	Bryan	08/11/07

4.	Hezbollah drill	19:57	\|	Captain Kirk	08/11/07

5.	i of course do not want a war	20:03	\|	meir	08/11/07

6.	Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria & Iran. Yes, that time is approaching.	20:15	\|	common sense	08/11/07

7.	How about a real drill....	20:36	\|	Blogowitz	08/11/07

8.	Mark: who cares? Either way, Hizballah`s playing a game...	20:38	\|	Richard S	08/11/07

9.	Upcoming Round II	20:45	\|	Shlomo	08/11/07

10.	Hizballah did pretty well last time without such exercises. Corol	20:48	\|	Tosefta	08/11/07

11.	Branch of Iranian Army	20:50	\|	David	08/11/07

12.	Better Bring Weapons Next Time	20:59	\|	Mark Hamil	08/11/07

13.	What are you gona do about it ?!?	21:06	\|	Ahmed	08/11/07

14.	What are you gona do about it ?!? 2	21:10	\|	Ahmed	08/11/07

15.	If Hizbollah is too tough, Israel can always bomb Beruit again	21:13	\|	Natallie Durson	08/11/07

16.	Let the Next Round be the Last	21:27	\|	David Samson	08/11/07

17.	Hizbollah will attempt	21:48	\|	daivod	08/11/07

18.	Ahmed`s Dreamlife	21:53	\|	Mohan	08/11/07

19.	#15, Durson, amazing nonsense	22:06	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	08/11/07

20.	#10, Tosefta	22:11	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	08/11/07

21.	Preparation is needed	22:11	\|	Brod	08/11/07

22.	Ahmed: the marines	22:18	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	08/11/07

23.	What about the financial market?	22:18	\|	Stephen.	08/11/07

24.	The road to Hizballah goes thru Damascus	22:29	\|	Tosefta	08/11/07

25.	Fighting the windmills in Lebanon	22:32	\|	Tosefta	08/11/07

26.	re: Natallie Durson	22:42	\|	Efox	08/11/07

27.	#10 Tosefta	22:44	\|	Sarah	08/11/07

28.	Hesbala started the last war..No wonder UNIFIL wants to leave	22:44	\|	PETER S.M.	08/11/07

29.	Hezbollah Drill = A Bunch of Unarmed Arabs Walking Around	22:47	\|	Efox	08/11/07

30.	re: Tosefta	22:53	\|	Efox	08/11/07

31.	re: Shlomo	22:54	\|	Efox	08/11/07

32.	Cry Baby	23:11	\|	Lebanese	08/11/07

33.	A new war ? Do you really want to see Jews and Lebanese dying ?	23:35	\|	Lebanese Shi`a	08/11/07

34.	Ahmed, noone outside need to anything about it	23:43	\|	Johnny	08/11/07

35.	#1 Lincoln	00:02	\|	* BEN JABO	09/11/07

36.	Ahmed # 14	00:05	\|	Tony	09/11/07

37.	Other newpapers report Israeli drones watched from above	00:05	\|	Jabadini	09/11/07

38.	#13 Ahmed`s Dangerous Delusions and Rabbit like Behavior	00:39	\|	Mark Hamil	09/11/07

39.	HEY AHMED, COOL DOWN WITH THE RHETORIC	00:41	\|	Bill	09/11/07

40.	#10	01:29	\|	viking	09/11/07

41.	#10 Tosefta, probably just testing their mobilization plans	02:51	\|	Johnboy	09/11/07

42.	#25 - BILL	03:17	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

43.	(to mark hamil) HEZBOLLAH & Human shields -	03:23	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

44.	(to mark hamil) HEZBOLLAH & Human shields - 2	03:29	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

45.	(to mark hamil) HEZBOLLAH & Human shields - 3	03:34	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

46.	(to mark hamil) HEZBOLLAH & Human shields - 4	03:40	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

47.	(to mark hamil) HEZBOLLAH & Human shields - 5	03:43	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

48.	(to Mark Hamil) - HEZBOLLAH & Human shields 7	03:50	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

49.	(to Mark Hamil) - HEZBOLLAH & Human shields 8	03:56	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

50.	How intelligent is so-called Israeli Intelligence?	04:35	\|	Hannah	09/11/07

51.	Ahmed	04:43	\|	geoff	09/11/07

52.	why do you want war?	04:57	\|	maria	09/11/07

53.	Hizbollah.. The new standard foe modern warfare	05:02	\|	The Palestinian	09/11/07

54.	Tally Ho Ahmed	05:28	\|	Neil	09/11/07

55.	AFTER SUCH PROVOCATION ISRAEL HAS FULL RIGHT TO INVADE LEBANON)))	08:29	\|	VOICE of MOSHIACH)))	09/11/07

56.	Palestinian doesn`t understand English	09:08	\|	Israeli	09/11/07

57.	#51 Neil - Auckland	11:47	\|	* BEN JABO	09/11/07

58.	Ahmed,why did Hez scream for Ceasefire!	13:31	\|	Alan	09/11/07

59.	(to Alan # 58) - HEZBOLLAH & Ceasefure	15:16	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

60.	(to Alan # 58) - HEZBOLLAH & Ceasefure 2	15:20	\|	Ahmed	09/11/07

61.	Ahmed ! I don`t think you should call for a second round of war	01:26	\|	Lebanese Shi`a	10/11/07

62.	AHMED	18:28	\|	* BEN JABO	10/11/07

63.	$60 Hannah	23:44	\|	* BEN JABO	10/11/07

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