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Drug boomerang By Yossi Melman Tags: Israel This past week we learned of the arrest of a number of suspects involved in drug trafficking on the Lebanese border. Among others arrested, in two separate cases, were an Israel Defense Forces noncommissioned officer and couriers suspected of possession of more than 30 kilograms of pure heroin. The police said this was the "largest quantity of heroin ever captured on the northern border," and estimated its street value at tens of millions of shekels. This might be said to be the tip of the iceberg. Since Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, 24 IDF soldiers and civilians have been arrested for involvement in drug trafficking, including officers, both Jews and Arabs, as well as police. Drug trafficking on that border has a fixed pattern: Hezbollah allows Lebanese dealers to smuggle drugs into Israel, in exchange for which they provide Hezbollah, through their Israeli contacts, with intelligence information on the deployment of the IDF in the North, and purchase maps and equipment for Hezbollah. Advertisement One conspicuous case that made headlines was that of Col. (res.) Elhanan Tennenbaum. Hezbollah used an Israeli citizen, Kais Obeid - a member of a family of drug dealers from Taibeh who joined the organization - to entice Tennenbaum, a swindler who had gone bankrupt, to meet him in Europe and from there to go to the Emirates, where he was abducted. The bait Obeid set for Tennenbaum was a large, lucrative drug deal. To this day the IDF's field security department does not know for sure what military secrets Tennenbaum gave to the enemy. Drug trafficking is a well-known means used by terror organizations, underground movements, and espionage and governmental agencies. It has been and is still used by Hezbollah, FARC in Columbia, the Taliban in Afghanistan, the CIA and others. Even if it is not Hezbollah's strategic goal, that organization can certainly enjoy the added value of drugging and weakening Israeli society. This phenomenon is of concern both to the Shin Bet security service and to the IDF. A number of the biggest drug barons in the Middle East, among them the Biro and the Nahara families, have had close connections to the authorities in Israel. Ramzi Nahara was a police informer and in the 1980s, Mohammed Biro, at least reportedly, hosted defense minister Moshe Arens when he toured southern Lebanon. Biro and Nahara also worked with Hezbollah during their eventful careers. Biro died in 2003 in Israeli prison, and his body was returned to Lebanon as part of the deal to release Tennenbaum. Nahara also did a stint in an Israeli jail before being released to Lebanon in the previous prisoner and body exchange in 1996. He died when his car exploded mysteriously in southern Lebanon in 2002, in an incident the Lebanese media chalked up to Israeli intelligence. Drug smuggling from Lebanon and the willingness of IDF officers such as Louai Balut, and of some officers in the Israel Police, to cooperate directly with drug traffickers and indirectly with Hezbollah, has blown up in our faces. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The gift of dignity T.A. charity provides female drug addicts with shower, meal and counseling. Sign of life Hamas leader says Gilad Shalit is still alive after two years in captivity.   1.   Duh! 11:19  |  Ramzi 31/03/08   2.   a universal problem afflicts israel 11:37  |  v hardman 31/03/08   3.   The weakness of a "liberal society" 12:30  |  Swiss (Dino) 31/03/08   4.   Demand & Supply 13:31  |  ProudArabDruzeMuslim 31/03/08   5.   This sounds reasonable, since drug dealers have connections to 13:33  |  Andreas 31/03/08   6.   #3more dinopeness from the swiss banker 13:42  |  v hardman 31/03/08   7.   Blow back 14:35  |  Ben Alofs 31/03/08   8.   Israel has introduced drugs to the Jerusalemites 14:48  |  Bandar Michaels 31/03/08   9.   Oh my god, I agree with V Hardman 23:37  |  newageblues 31/03/08   10.   agree with Hardman on drugs, not on Swiss D 23:41  |  newageblues 31/03/08

Today Online Jerusalem council okays 600 new Jewish homes in Arab area Responses: 202 Yishai: Israel must negotiate with Hamas over Shalit release Responses: 125 Editorial: Peace talks, even on Jerusalem, must be secret Responses: 43 MK Swaid: Demolition of Arab homes will lead to an explosion Responses: 44 More Headlines 21:34 Israeli kills Palestinian knifeman in attempted West Bank attack 01:40 Barak heeds Rice request, reverses course to back PA border proposal 21:54 Jerusalem council okays 600 new Jewish homes in Arab area 00:17 Abducted soldier's mother: PM must pay price to retrieve them 23:09 Amir Peretz to Ehud Barak: Who would want to vote for you? 23:51 IDF tracker charged with 'aiding Hezbollah in war against Israel' 16:30 Norway tries suspects in 2006 shooting at main Oslo synagogue 19:40 Clinton and Obama voters support Israel in similar numbers 20:06 Once a week, the gift of human dignity 21:28 Barak allots NIS 30M more for security in frontline communities 23:04 Law sets 3-year jail penalty for car-owners who go to mechanics in PA 18:52 Rights group demands gov't stop demolishing Bedouin homes 17:39 Mazuz rejects call to indict Netanyahu over London spending spree Previous Editions Select Day 31 mar 30 mar 28 mar 27 mar 26 mar 25 mar 24 mar 23 mar 21 mar 20 mar 19 mar 18 mar

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