Lebanon bracing itself for possible Hezbollah attack against Israel - Haaretz

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Wed., February 20, 2008 Adar1 14, 5768

Israel Time: 02:17 (EST+7)

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Lebanon bracing itself for possible Hezbollah attack against Israel

By Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies , By Yoav Stern, Yuval Azoulay and Barak Ravid

Tensions are growing in Lebanon over the possibility of renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Bracing itself for the likelihood of Hezbollah retaliation for the assassination of terrorist mastermind Imad Mughniyah in Damascus last week, Israel yesterday deployed Patriot air defense missiles near Haifa.

Rhetoric between rival factions in Lebanon has reached a new peak with Druze leader Walid Jumblat accusing Hezbollah in an editorial to be published today in his party's journal, Al Anba, of serving Syrian interests at Lebanon's expense in its war against Israel. "Lebanon continues to be the arena where wars break out according to their [Hezbollah's] calculations, interests and circumstances, as if the occupied Syrian territory [Golan Heights] is not suitable for such campaign."

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The recent statements by Hezbollah's secretary-general, Hassan Nasrallah, that the Second Lebanon War is not over yet and that there is an "open war" with Israel, have stirred angry responses from Lebanese figures opposed to the radical Shi'ite group.

Prime Minister Fuad Siniora responded to Nasrallah's statements by saying that Lebanon is not interested in war. In an interview in London to two Lebanese television stations, Siniora attacked Hezbollah and Nasrallah for accusing him and other members of the March 14 group (named after the demonstrations that swept the country in the wake of prime minister Rafik Hariri's assassination in 2005) - which opposes Syrian domination of Lebanon - of collaborating with Israel.

"Lebanon wants good relations with all the world, except with Israel... all Lebanese are opposed to Israel. We need to stop classifying people and charging them with being agents," he said.

In parallel, pro-Hezbollah spokesmen have intensified their fiery rhetoric against Israel with calls for its destruction. After Nasrallah declared at Mughniyah's funeral in Beirut last week that "Israel will cease to exist," Ibrahim al-Amin, the editor of the pro-Hezbollah daily Al Ahbar, wrote yesterday in an editorial that, "The confrontation that began under the title 'destruction of Israel' requires different tools from those [used] in the liberation of territory."

Amin wrote that conventions to date are no longer relevant and that the blow to be delivered by Hezbollah will surprise Israel. "They will have to await a response where they are expecting it and where they are not," he wrote.

The vitriol was also echoed in Iran, where the head of the Revolutionary Guards said yesterday that Israel would soon be destroyed by the "hands of Hezbollah," which is a surrogate of the Iranian regime, Fars News Agency reported.

Guards Commander-in-Chief Mohammad Ali Jafari made the comment in a letter to Nasrallah, offering condolences after the killing of Mughniyah. "In the near future, we will witness the destruction of the cancerous germ of Israel by the powerful and competent Hezbollah combatants," Jafari was quoted as saying.

"Undoubtedly the martyrdom of this sincere fighter [Imad Mughniyah] will strengthen the determination of all revolutionary and combatant Muslims, particularly his co-combatants in confrontation with the Zionist regime," Jafari added.

Also yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said that even after 60 years, Israel still has neither legitimacy nor any role in the Middle East, the ISNA news agency reported. "The West has tried to impose a fabricated regime on the Middle East but even after 60 years, the Zionist regime [Israel] has neither gained any legitimacy nor played any role in this region," Mottaki was quoted as saying.

Calling United States policies in the Middle East a failure, Mottaki predicted the collapse of Israel. "The era of imposing policies on other states by military threats is over. The nations in the region will no longer surrender to any threats," Mottaki said.

Meanwhile, Israel's deployment of a battery of Patriot air defense missiles near the northern port city of Haifa is part of precautions against a possible attack by Hezbollah, Israeli security officials said yesterday. The officials said the battery was put on standby Sunday for the first time since the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Another military source said yesterday that it is also possible that the deployment is part of routine exercises carried out by the air defense units.

The air defense missiles are part of a series of steps Israel has taken since Mughniyah's assassination in Damascus, with a focus on bolstering defenses in northern Israel as well as increasing the security of Israeli missions abroad. A travel advisory was also issued last week to Israelis traveling abroad. Israel's security services are concerned that Hezbollah may try to kidnap Israeli civilians abroad.

Over the weekend, the Israel Defense Forces moved reinforcements close to the border with Lebanon in the North, including elite units. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel is prepared on all fronts for an attack.

The deployment of the air defense missiles is part of preparations to intercept explosives-laden, pilotless drones Hezbollah may use to strike targets in Israel.

Following the Mughniyah assassination, Hezbollah vowed to hit Jewish targets outside Israel in retaliation. Israel has denied any involvement in the killing.

Home Front Command also carried out checks of air warning stations in the North and briefed municipal authorities and local council heads on preparedness and procedures.

The command is in the process of running a large-scale exercise, unrelated to the current emergency, which will also include testing a broadcasting station dedicated exclusively to home-front applications. During emergencies the station would broadcast warnings and information to civilians as well as brief them on how to deal with specific emergencies. The broadcasts will cut into regular broadcasts of television and radio programs in the country.

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