The United States delivered the Lebanese armed forces 80 new High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWV) - more commonly known as humvees - as part of the US military assistance to Lebanon. This shipment increases the number of such vehicles to 100 that the Lebanese armed forces have received during this year. Lebanon is receiving $255 million in military equipment and training from the United States in 2007, a 550 percent increase compared with 2006. The overall 2007 US military assistance package for Lebanon is valued at $270 million, which includes emergency ammunition.
Source : The Daily Star
mercredi 8 août 2007
vendredi 3 août 2007
Israel delays release of report on cluster bombs
The Israeli Army said on Thursday it was delaying the release of an internal report on its use of cluster bombs during last year's summer war in Lebanon. "The investigation of cluster bomb usage was thorough and involved many different sections ... Due to the sensitivity of the matter, the process of submission was prolonged," a statement said.
"Furthermore, the investigating officer was asked to add several elements to the investigation, which further delayed the submission of the final conclusions," it added. An army spokeswoman said, nevertheless, that the probe "was in its final stages."
UN officials have said that as many as 4 million cluster bomblets were dropped by Israel during its devastating air war against Lebanon in the summer 2006 war, and many of the munitions failed to detonate on impact. The United Nations' humanitarian chief denounced the use of the weapons in civilian areas across South Lebanon as "completely immoral."
More than 30 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded by Israeli cluster bombs since the August 14, 2006, cease-fire.
Cluster munitions spread bomblets over a wide area from a single container. The bomblets often do not explode on impact, but can do so later at the slightest touch, making them as deadly as anti-personnel landmines.
Source : The Daily Star
"Furthermore, the investigating officer was asked to add several elements to the investigation, which further delayed the submission of the final conclusions," it added. An army spokeswoman said, nevertheless, that the probe "was in its final stages."
UN officials have said that as many as 4 million cluster bomblets were dropped by Israel during its devastating air war against Lebanon in the summer 2006 war, and many of the munitions failed to detonate on impact. The United Nations' humanitarian chief denounced the use of the weapons in civilian areas across South Lebanon as "completely immoral."
More than 30 people have been killed and hundreds more wounded by Israeli cluster bombs since the August 14, 2006, cease-fire.
Cluster munitions spread bomblets over a wide area from a single container. The bomblets often do not explode on impact, but can do so later at the slightest touch, making them as deadly as anti-personnel landmines.
Source : The Daily Star
lundi 30 juillet 2007
US boosts Israel's annual defense aid to $3 billion
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a new $30 billion US defense package to Israel Sunday and voiced satisfaction over Washington's plan to supply state-of-the-art weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states as a counterweight to Iranian influence. The aid boost to Israel has been widely seen as a US bid to help allay Israeli concerns over a package of arms sales, that could be worth some $20 billion over the next decade, which Washington is preparing for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
"We understand the need of the United States to support the Arab moderate states and there is a need for a united front between the US and us regarding Iran," Olmert told a weekly Cabinet meeting. The rare agreement reflects shared US and Israeli concern with the potential threat of an Iran with nuclear weapons.
He said he and US President George W. Bush, in talks at the White House last month, agreed Israel would receive $30 billion in military aid over the next decade, averaging $3 billion a year. Current US defense aid to Israel stands at $2.4 billion a year.
"This is an increase of 25 percent for the military aid to Israel from the United States. I think this is a significant and important improvement of the defense aid to Israel," Olmert later told reporters. "Other than the increase in aid, we received an explicit and detailed commitment to guarantee Israel's qualitative advantage over other Arab states," said Olmert.
A senior Israeli government source said that under the defense package, the United States agreed to sell the Jewish state the new generation F-35 fighter jet, advanced bombs and laser-guided missiles. A senior US defense official has said Washington is readying a major arms package for Saudi Arabia and the five other Gulf state with an eye to countering the changing threat from Tehran.
The proposed arms deal to Saudi Arabia would include advanced weaponry and air systems that would greatly enhance the striking ability of Saudi warplanes. It will also include new weapons for the United Arab Emirates.
One leading Israeli hard-liner warned that Saudi Arabia, although not belligerent at present, could be taken over by extremists. The western Saudi border is just a few kilometers from southern Israel. The Haaretz daily on Sunday cited US officials saying Saudi Arabia has asked that Congress be notified in advance of the planned sale, to avoid another showdown with Israel, while the Pentagon is asking the Saudis to accept restrictions on the range, size and location of the satellite-guided bombs, including a commitment not to store the weapons at air bases located nearby Israeli territory. Israel's southern tip is about 15 kilometers from Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba.
Meanwhile, Oman said on Sunday that Iran did not pose a threat to the Gulf region.
"We do not see that Iran poses a threat to the Gulf region," Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the Omani Foreign Minister, told reporters after meeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit. "Iran is a neighboring state and we have a common interest which is to maintain stability and security in the region," he said. Oman and Iran are co-guardians of the strategic Strait of Hormuz entrance to the Gulf, and the two have consistently maintained good relations.
Although the Israeli right voiced worries about the latest plan, it stopped short of outright calls to block it.
"I am very concerned." Yuval Steinitz, a key hawk on Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told The Associated Press. "I can understand the need to support moderate states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but on the other hand we have to remember that governments can be toppled, as in Iran."
Senior administration officials said Friday that Bush would seek congressional approval for additional military aid to Israel and also to Egypt, which currently gets $1.3 billion a year.
Source : The Daily Star
"We understand the need of the United States to support the Arab moderate states and there is a need for a united front between the US and us regarding Iran," Olmert told a weekly Cabinet meeting. The rare agreement reflects shared US and Israeli concern with the potential threat of an Iran with nuclear weapons.
He said he and US President George W. Bush, in talks at the White House last month, agreed Israel would receive $30 billion in military aid over the next decade, averaging $3 billion a year. Current US defense aid to Israel stands at $2.4 billion a year.
"This is an increase of 25 percent for the military aid to Israel from the United States. I think this is a significant and important improvement of the defense aid to Israel," Olmert later told reporters. "Other than the increase in aid, we received an explicit and detailed commitment to guarantee Israel's qualitative advantage over other Arab states," said Olmert.
A senior Israeli government source said that under the defense package, the United States agreed to sell the Jewish state the new generation F-35 fighter jet, advanced bombs and laser-guided missiles. A senior US defense official has said Washington is readying a major arms package for Saudi Arabia and the five other Gulf state with an eye to countering the changing threat from Tehran.
The proposed arms deal to Saudi Arabia would include advanced weaponry and air systems that would greatly enhance the striking ability of Saudi warplanes. It will also include new weapons for the United Arab Emirates.
One leading Israeli hard-liner warned that Saudi Arabia, although not belligerent at present, could be taken over by extremists. The western Saudi border is just a few kilometers from southern Israel. The Haaretz daily on Sunday cited US officials saying Saudi Arabia has asked that Congress be notified in advance of the planned sale, to avoid another showdown with Israel, while the Pentagon is asking the Saudis to accept restrictions on the range, size and location of the satellite-guided bombs, including a commitment not to store the weapons at air bases located nearby Israeli territory. Israel's southern tip is about 15 kilometers from Saudi Arabia across the Gulf of Aqaba.
Meanwhile, Oman said on Sunday that Iran did not pose a threat to the Gulf region.
"We do not see that Iran poses a threat to the Gulf region," Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the Omani Foreign Minister, told reporters after meeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu al-Gheit. "Iran is a neighboring state and we have a common interest which is to maintain stability and security in the region," he said. Oman and Iran are co-guardians of the strategic Strait of Hormuz entrance to the Gulf, and the two have consistently maintained good relations.
Although the Israeli right voiced worries about the latest plan, it stopped short of outright calls to block it.
"I am very concerned." Yuval Steinitz, a key hawk on Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, told The Associated Press. "I can understand the need to support moderate states like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, but on the other hand we have to remember that governments can be toppled, as in Iran."
Senior administration officials said Friday that Bush would seek congressional approval for additional military aid to Israel and also to Egypt, which currently gets $1.3 billion a year.
Source : The Daily Star
jeudi 26 juillet 2007
UN draft expresses concern over arms flow to Hizbullah
A French-US draft presidential statement presented to the UN Security Council on Wednesday afternoon expressed grave concern over "persistent reports" of breaches of the arms embargo along the Lebanese-Syrian border in violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
The draft statement, obtained by The Daily Star from the US and French missions in New York, follows UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's June 28 report on the implementation of Resolution 1701, which made detailed reference to violations of the arms embargo.
The draft statement expressed "deep concern about reports, which have not been refuted, that suspected armed Hizbullah elements are alleged to be constructing new facilities in the Bekaa Valley." The statement is dated July 23, the day Al-Jazeera aired the first part of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's interview, in which he declared his group possessed an arsenal of rockets that could reach any corner of Israel, including Tel Aviv.
The draft statement took note of "detailed informations" received from the Lebanese government concerning "dangerous activities of armed elements and groups, in particular the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah Intifada." It reiterated the council's call for the disbanding and disarmament of all militias and armed groups in Lebanon. (...)
The draft also underscored the obligation of all member states, mentioning Syria and Iran by name, to "take all necessary measures to implement paragraph 15 of Resolution 1701 to enforce the arms embargo."
Source : The Daily Star
The draft statement, obtained by The Daily Star from the US and French missions in New York, follows UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's June 28 report on the implementation of Resolution 1701, which made detailed reference to violations of the arms embargo.
The draft statement expressed "deep concern about reports, which have not been refuted, that suspected armed Hizbullah elements are alleged to be constructing new facilities in the Bekaa Valley." The statement is dated July 23, the day Al-Jazeera aired the first part of Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's interview, in which he declared his group possessed an arsenal of rockets that could reach any corner of Israel, including Tel Aviv.
The draft statement took note of "detailed informations" received from the Lebanese government concerning "dangerous activities of armed elements and groups, in particular the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and Fatah Intifada." It reiterated the council's call for the disbanding and disarmament of all militias and armed groups in Lebanon. (...)
The draft also underscored the obligation of all member states, mentioning Syria and Iran by name, to "take all necessary measures to implement paragraph 15 of Resolution 1701 to enforce the arms embargo."
Source : The Daily Star
mardi 24 juillet 2007
Nasrallah says Hizbullah's arsenal of rockets can hit 'any corner' in Israel
Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Monday the summer 2006 war with Israel did not succeed in diminishing Hizbullah's military potential, adding that his group possesses an arsenal of rockets that can reach "any corner" of Israel, including Tel Aviv.
"Every corner and any point in occupied Palestine are within our reach," Nasrallah said during the first part of an interview with the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite TV station. "Tel Aviv and other than cities were certainly within the reach of Hizbullah rockets during last summer's war with Israel," he added.
Hizbullah fired around 4,000 rockets into the Jewish state during the war with Israel last summer. Hizbullah's missiles reached Israel's third-largest city of Haifa.
Source : The Daily Star
"Every corner and any point in occupied Palestine are within our reach," Nasrallah said during the first part of an interview with the Qatar-based al-Jazeera satellite TV station. "Tel Aviv and other than cities were certainly within the reach of Hizbullah rockets during last summer's war with Israel," he added.
Hizbullah fired around 4,000 rockets into the Jewish state during the war with Israel last summer. Hizbullah's missiles reached Israel's third-largest city of Haifa.
Source : The Daily Star
lundi 23 juillet 2007
Commercials to warn children of danger of unexploded ordnance
Two animation television spots, produced by Save the Children, Sweden, and which will soon hit local television channels, will help South Lebanon's children stay away of millions of unexploded ordnances dropped by Israel. Children between the ages of 13 and 18 constitute the majority of dead and wounded. Six children have been killed and 68 injured since the end of last summer's war, according to the national demining office.
"Children are the most at risk of death or injury from unexploded cluster bombs because they are more curious and less caution than adults, that is why it is important for us to constantly remind children and their parents of this danger," said Mazen Haber, who is managing the Early Recovery Program at Save the Children Sweden, in a press release.
The two 40-second cartoon spots will be broadcast 100 times for weeks beginning on the 22nd of July on Spacetoon Kids and Lebanese channels. The campaign against explosive remnants of the war will also include 100 billboards to be posted around Lebanon.
The campaign was funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through Save the Children Canada in collaboration with the Lebanese demining office, the Landmine Resource Center at Balamand University and Spacetoon channel.
Israel dropped more than a million cluster bomb over Lebanon during the last 72 hours of the war, according to the UN and Lebanese officials. Most of these bombs are attractively shaped and brightly colored like toys, Save the Children Sweden said.
Source : The Daily Star
"Children are the most at risk of death or injury from unexploded cluster bombs because they are more curious and less caution than adults, that is why it is important for us to constantly remind children and their parents of this danger," said Mazen Haber, who is managing the Early Recovery Program at Save the Children Sweden, in a press release.
The two 40-second cartoon spots will be broadcast 100 times for weeks beginning on the 22nd of July on Spacetoon Kids and Lebanese channels. The campaign against explosive remnants of the war will also include 100 billboards to be posted around Lebanon.
The campaign was funded by the Canadian International Development Agency through Save the Children Canada in collaboration with the Lebanese demining office, the Landmine Resource Center at Balamand University and Spacetoon channel.
Israel dropped more than a million cluster bomb over Lebanon during the last 72 hours of the war, according to the UN and Lebanese officials. Most of these bombs are attractively shaped and brightly colored like toys, Save the Children Sweden said.
Source : The Daily Star
vendredi 20 juillet 2007
UN official warns that arms smuggling from Syria threatens Resolution 1701
Williams says lebanese security provided evidence of weapons flow
Syrian arms smuggling to militant groups in Lebanon threatens implementation of a peace deal that ended last year's war with Israel, a UN special envoy said late Wednesday.
Michael Williams, UN coordinator for the mIddle East peace process, talked to reporters after briefing the UN Security Council on progress implementing Resolution 1701, which halted the war with Israel in the summer of 2006. "A great deal has been achieved but I think we're entering a more difficult period," Williams said.
"The continuation of that arms smuggling is a serious challenge to 1701 implementation." After the Security Council's meeting, the United States accused Syrie and Iran of playing a negative role in Lebanon and said there is clear evidence of arms smuggling across the Syrian border to terrorist groups.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States had sent a clear message in the meeting on "the negative role that Syria and Iran are playing and called on them to cease and desist from their negative activities" in Lebanon. "We also made it clear that we condemn all efforts to destabilize Lebanon and expressed particular concern with regard to the arms transfers that are taking place particularly across the Syrian border," Khalilzad told reporters after the session.
Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari dismissed allegations that arms were being smuggled across his country's border with neighboring Lebanon. "We denied it many times and we are still denying it," he told reporters after the meeting.
A UN-appointed team that assessed the border reported late last month that security was too lax to prevent arms smuggling. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria and Iran to do more to prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon, citing Lebanese and Israeli government allegations of violations of the UN arms embargo.
Khalilzad said there was clear evidence of "arms transfers to terrorist groups" inside Lebanon's borders. "There is evidence of preparations by groups such as Fatah al-Islam, preparations by groups such as PFLP-General Command that is also carrying out some preparations for attacks. There are arms that are coming in for Hizbullah," he said. Weapons transfers to Hizbullah are banned under the UN resolution that ended the 34-day war.
Jaafari claimed the information about arms smuggling provided to the Security Council came only from Israeli intelligence and none of it was from Lebanese authorities. However, Williams said "virtually all" of the arms smuggling documented in the secretary general's report to the Security Council last month came from the Lebanese government or Lebanese security agencies. "I think the situation is very serious," he told reporters.
Source : The Daily Star
Syrian arms smuggling to militant groups in Lebanon threatens implementation of a peace deal that ended last year's war with Israel, a UN special envoy said late Wednesday.
Michael Williams, UN coordinator for the mIddle East peace process, talked to reporters after briefing the UN Security Council on progress implementing Resolution 1701, which halted the war with Israel in the summer of 2006. "A great deal has been achieved but I think we're entering a more difficult period," Williams said.
"The continuation of that arms smuggling is a serious challenge to 1701 implementation." After the Security Council's meeting, the United States accused Syrie and Iran of playing a negative role in Lebanon and said there is clear evidence of arms smuggling across the Syrian border to terrorist groups.
US Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the United States had sent a clear message in the meeting on "the negative role that Syria and Iran are playing and called on them to cease and desist from their negative activities" in Lebanon. "We also made it clear that we condemn all efforts to destabilize Lebanon and expressed particular concern with regard to the arms transfers that are taking place particularly across the Syrian border," Khalilzad told reporters after the session.
Syria's UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari dismissed allegations that arms were being smuggled across his country's border with neighboring Lebanon. "We denied it many times and we are still denying it," he told reporters after the meeting.
A UN-appointed team that assessed the border reported late last month that security was too lax to prevent arms smuggling. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon urged Syria and Iran to do more to prevent arms smuggling into Lebanon, citing Lebanese and Israeli government allegations of violations of the UN arms embargo.
Khalilzad said there was clear evidence of "arms transfers to terrorist groups" inside Lebanon's borders. "There is evidence of preparations by groups such as Fatah al-Islam, preparations by groups such as PFLP-General Command that is also carrying out some preparations for attacks. There are arms that are coming in for Hizbullah," he said. Weapons transfers to Hizbullah are banned under the UN resolution that ended the 34-day war.
Jaafari claimed the information about arms smuggling provided to the Security Council came only from Israeli intelligence and none of it was from Lebanese authorities. However, Williams said "virtually all" of the arms smuggling documented in the secretary general's report to the Security Council last month came from the Lebanese government or Lebanese security agencies. "I think the situation is very serious," he told reporters.
Source : The Daily Star
samedi 14 juillet 2007
Rate of cluster-bomb fatalities declines amid demining
Injuries and deaths caused by cluster bombs remaining from last summer's war with Israel have decreased from six incidents a month to only two or three, said Dahlia Farran, a media officer for the Center for the Coordination of De-mining Works in Southern Lebanon.
"We hope that there will come a time when no incidents due to cluster bombs will be recorded," Farran said Friday. "This is due to the efforts and the round the clock work of the Lebanese Army and all other de-mining organizations and teams operating in the South."
The 2007 demining projects focused on clearing all areas identified as being infested with cluster bombs and other unexploded ordinance, explained Farran, "especially those areas near homes or cultivated stretches of land, so as to have Southerners get back to their normal life."
Around 20 percent of infested land (37 million square meters) has been cleared. Israel dropped around 1 million cluster bomblets in the South three days before the end of hostilities.
"In 2008, our main focus will be the demining of heavily infested valleys, and locating infested spots," said Farran.
"However," she added, "we still face numerous difficulties because Israel still refuses to provide the United Nations with maps [of the] cluster bomb [sites]."
Source : The Daily Star
"We hope that there will come a time when no incidents due to cluster bombs will be recorded," Farran said Friday. "This is due to the efforts and the round the clock work of the Lebanese Army and all other de-mining organizations and teams operating in the South."
The 2007 demining projects focused on clearing all areas identified as being infested with cluster bombs and other unexploded ordinance, explained Farran, "especially those areas near homes or cultivated stretches of land, so as to have Southerners get back to their normal life."
Around 20 percent of infested land (37 million square meters) has been cleared. Israel dropped around 1 million cluster bomblets in the South three days before the end of hostilities.
"In 2008, our main focus will be the demining of heavily infested valleys, and locating infested spots," said Farran.
"However," she added, "we still face numerous difficulties because Israel still refuses to provide the United Nations with maps [of the] cluster bomb [sites]."
Source : The Daily Star
samedi 7 juillet 2007
Israeli cluster bombs and mines have killed 30, maimed 205
The number of people harmed while defusing bombs and extracting mines left by the Israelis following last summer's war has reached 205, including a reported 30 deaths.
The large number of casualties comes as a result of the massive volumes of unexploded ordinance and cluster bombs left behind by Israel across Southern Lebanon in the days immediately preceding a UN-sponsored cease-fire which brought hostilities to a halt.
Dalya Farran, the spokeswoman for the UN Mine Action Coordination Center, said that technicians continue to work in various sites.
"There are about 922 sites being currently worked on in various Southern areas," Farran said. "Some parts have already been covered. The 96 teams, which include about 1,300 experts and trainees, are doing all they can to finish up the mission as soon as possible," she added.
(...)
She also noted that 122,500 mines and unexploded cluster bombs have been defused and extracted due to the collaboration of the organizations, but also described various problems faced by technicians, including the refusal of Israel to identify locations of the remnants of an estimated 1 million cluster bomblets dropped during the war.
The technicians will be done with their mission by the end of this year and will have removed any direct danger, said Farran, adding that "all residential and agricultural areas will soon be ready for free use."
"Our priority lies in annihilating all possible dangers on the residents," said Farran. "All other areas not frequently used will be handled in a secondary stage. Residential and agricultural areas will be the focus of the year 2008."
Source : The Daily Star
The large number of casualties comes as a result of the massive volumes of unexploded ordinance and cluster bombs left behind by Israel across Southern Lebanon in the days immediately preceding a UN-sponsored cease-fire which brought hostilities to a halt.
Dalya Farran, the spokeswoman for the UN Mine Action Coordination Center, said that technicians continue to work in various sites.
"There are about 922 sites being currently worked on in various Southern areas," Farran said. "Some parts have already been covered. The 96 teams, which include about 1,300 experts and trainees, are doing all they can to finish up the mission as soon as possible," she added.
(...)
She also noted that 122,500 mines and unexploded cluster bombs have been defused and extracted due to the collaboration of the organizations, but also described various problems faced by technicians, including the refusal of Israel to identify locations of the remnants of an estimated 1 million cluster bomblets dropped during the war.
The technicians will be done with their mission by the end of this year and will have removed any direct danger, said Farran, adding that "all residential and agricultural areas will soon be ready for free use."
"Our priority lies in annihilating all possible dangers on the residents," said Farran. "All other areas not frequently used will be handled in a secondary stage. Residential and agricultural areas will be the focus of the year 2008."
Source : The Daily Star
jeudi 5 juillet 2007
Le nettoyage des engins non explosés à Nahr al-Bared prendra au moins un mois
L’agence de déminage chargée du désamorçage des engins non explosés (UXO) suite au conflit de six semaines entre les militants extrémistes du Fatah al-Islam et l’armée libanaise dans le camp palestinien de réfugiés de Nahr al-Bared, a affirmé que le nettoyage des UXO présentant une menace immédiate prendrait au moins un mois. Ceci n’a fait que raviver le spectre de futurs troubles parmi les réfugiés du camp déplacés par les combats, qui désespèrent de plus en plus de pouvoir rentrer chez eux. « L’opération d’élimination des menaces immédiates devrait durer environ quatre semaines, mais il y a une forte probabilité pour qu’il reste encore des UXO », a affirmé à IRIN David Horrocks, responsable des programmes du Liban pour le Groupe de renseignements sur les mines (MAG).
Source : IRIN News
Source : IRIN News
lundi 2 juillet 2007
Israel keeps pressure on Syria over alleged arms smuggling to Hizbullah
Israel has accused Syria of continuing to help re-arm Hizbullah in spite of the United Nations arms embargo imposed in Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended last summer's war - even as preparations to commemorate the first anniversary of the conflict take place on both sides of the border.
Isreli Defense Ministry adviser Amos Gilad told Israel Radio that Syria continues be a transit point for Iranian weapons and money to Hizbullah.
"Syria ... is allowing the Iranians, and is itself arming Hizbullah in a massive fashion, and is putting it [back] on its feet," said Gilad.
Gilad made the comments one day after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released his fourth report on 1701, urging both Syria and Iran to do more to prevent arms smuggling to Lebanon, and citing "disturbing reports" from the Lebanese and Israeli governments of alleged violations of the UN arms embargo.
Source : The Daily Star
Isreli Defense Ministry adviser Amos Gilad told Israel Radio that Syria continues be a transit point for Iranian weapons and money to Hizbullah.
"Syria ... is allowing the Iranians, and is itself arming Hizbullah in a massive fashion, and is putting it [back] on its feet," said Gilad.
Gilad made the comments one day after UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon released his fourth report on 1701, urging both Syria and Iran to do more to prevent arms smuggling to Lebanon, and citing "disturbing reports" from the Lebanese and Israeli governments of alleged violations of the UN arms embargo.
Source : The Daily Star
jeudi 28 juin 2007
UN team finds border security lacking
Security along the Lebanese-Syrian border is "insufficient" to prevent arms smuggling from Syria, a team of experts said in a report issued Wednesday and presented to the Security Council a day earlier. The team, led by Lasse Christensen of Denmark, recommended a radical overhaul of security measures along what the 46-page report called the "Green" border separating the countries.
"The present state of border security is insufficient to prevent smuggling, in particular of arms, to any significant extent," the report said.
Five international security experts known as the UN Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) spent three weeks in Lebanon probing allegations of arms smuggling across the border with Syria.
"Not a single on-border or near-border seizure of smuggled arms has been documented to the team," the team reported.
Neither the government nor the opposition issued an immediate reaction to the report.
The Security Council reiterated last month its "deep concern" at mounting reports of "illegal movements of arms" across the Lebanese Syrian-border, amid fears of escalating strife.
The concern was raised after the council was briefed by UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed Larsen, who drew an "alarming and deeply disturbing picture" of the border situation, citing Lebanese Army reports of "a steady flow of weapons and armed elements across the border from Syria."
The team's mandate was to probe Lebanon's monitoring system along its 320-kilometer border with Syria.
The team did not visit Syria, which has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Syria closed three of its northern border posts following the outbreak of clashes at Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli, preventing the team from witnessing operations at the crossings in questions.
The experts, who visited all four official land border points - Arida and Al-Aboudieh in the North and Qaa and Masnaa in the east - as well as Beirut's airport and seaport, acknowledged the difficulty of monitoring numerous unchecked cross-border trails and pathways that made large-scale smuggling easy.
"On the eastern border, inhabitants rely heavily on cross-border commerce, technically illegal but neither controlled nor prevented by the Lebanese or Syrian border authorities," said the report.
One of the major concerns expressed by the team was the presence of "heavily armed Palestinian military strongholds" on both sides of the border.
The report also said "political sympathies, family/clan connections or traditional corruption" were to blame for what it called a "worrying lack of performance" by border authorities.
In response, the team called for the deployment "of international border-security experts" to back up a new Lebanese "multi-agency mobile force" that would be tasked with doing a better job of stemming the arms smuggling.
The report said that current management of the border by four different Lebanese security agencies "was rather low," and recommended that the agencies get training to gain better skills at coordinating operations and sharing intelligence.
The report also said most of Lebanon's border posts are far from the border, are not fenced or secured by gates, and operate with no clear procedures to determine which goods to inspect - and which people to question.
"Therefore, the ingenious smuggler may find it quite easy to conceal not only explosives, light weapons and ammunition, but also assembled and unassembled heavy weaponry such as missiles and rockets into the country concealed in compartments and panels of cargo trucks and passenger vehicles," the team said.
The report by experts from Denmark, Algeria, Germany, Jamaica and Switzerland largely avoided comment on the touchy issue of Lebanese-Syrian ties, but suggested that Lebanese border officials set up currently lacking cooperation with Syrian counterparts.
Source : The Daily Star
"The present state of border security is insufficient to prevent smuggling, in particular of arms, to any significant extent," the report said.
Five international security experts known as the UN Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team (LIBAT) spent three weeks in Lebanon probing allegations of arms smuggling across the border with Syria.
"Not a single on-border or near-border seizure of smuggled arms has been documented to the team," the team reported.
Neither the government nor the opposition issued an immediate reaction to the report.
The Security Council reiterated last month its "deep concern" at mounting reports of "illegal movements of arms" across the Lebanese Syrian-border, amid fears of escalating strife.
The concern was raised after the council was briefed by UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed Larsen, who drew an "alarming and deeply disturbing picture" of the border situation, citing Lebanese Army reports of "a steady flow of weapons and armed elements across the border from Syria."
The team's mandate was to probe Lebanon's monitoring system along its 320-kilometer border with Syria.
The team did not visit Syria, which has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Syria closed three of its northern border posts following the outbreak of clashes at Nahr al-Bared refugee camp near Tripoli, preventing the team from witnessing operations at the crossings in questions.
The experts, who visited all four official land border points - Arida and Al-Aboudieh in the North and Qaa and Masnaa in the east - as well as Beirut's airport and seaport, acknowledged the difficulty of monitoring numerous unchecked cross-border trails and pathways that made large-scale smuggling easy.
"On the eastern border, inhabitants rely heavily on cross-border commerce, technically illegal but neither controlled nor prevented by the Lebanese or Syrian border authorities," said the report.
One of the major concerns expressed by the team was the presence of "heavily armed Palestinian military strongholds" on both sides of the border.
The report also said "political sympathies, family/clan connections or traditional corruption" were to blame for what it called a "worrying lack of performance" by border authorities.
In response, the team called for the deployment "of international border-security experts" to back up a new Lebanese "multi-agency mobile force" that would be tasked with doing a better job of stemming the arms smuggling.
The report said that current management of the border by four different Lebanese security agencies "was rather low," and recommended that the agencies get training to gain better skills at coordinating operations and sharing intelligence.
The report also said most of Lebanon's border posts are far from the border, are not fenced or secured by gates, and operate with no clear procedures to determine which goods to inspect - and which people to question.
"Therefore, the ingenious smuggler may find it quite easy to conceal not only explosives, light weapons and ammunition, but also assembled and unassembled heavy weaponry such as missiles and rockets into the country concealed in compartments and panels of cargo trucks and passenger vehicles," the team said.
The report by experts from Denmark, Algeria, Germany, Jamaica and Switzerland largely avoided comment on the touchy issue of Lebanese-Syrian ties, but suggested that Lebanese border officials set up currently lacking cooperation with Syrian counterparts.
Source : The Daily Star
Siniora accuses Syria of sending arms to camps
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora accused Syria on Wednesday of sending arms to Palestinian camps in Lebanon and threatened to raise the issue with the Arab League. Siniora was speaking from Paris the day after independent experts handed the UN Security Council a report saying that Lebanon was largely incapable of preventing arms smuggling from Syria.
The Lebanese premier, who met with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday, told reporters in France that he had not seen the report to the UN but that it was clear that Syria was sending weapons to two camps.
"In recent weeks these camps have been reinforced with munitions, arms and fighters," he said, adding that one of the outposts was controlled by the Fatah al-Intifada group and another by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. He did not identify the camps.
"Everyone knows that these groups are supported and armed by Syria," Siniora said, echoing allegations leveled earlier this month by UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen.
"This is something I will talk to the Arab League about," Siniora added.
The report's authors said that during a three-week stay in Lebanon they had not heard of any weapons being seized along the border, despite widespread talk of illegal shipments.
Asked whether the Lebanese government was planning to have borders with Syria monitored by Arab or international forces to put an end to the arms smuggling, Siniora said the issue was the responsibility of "both Syria and Lebanon."
"I haven't had a chance to read this report, but we will look at it today and we will certainly take a position that is in the interests of Lebanon," he said.
Source : The Daily Star
The Lebanese premier, who met with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Wednesday, told reporters in France that he had not seen the report to the UN but that it was clear that Syria was sending weapons to two camps.
"In recent weeks these camps have been reinforced with munitions, arms and fighters," he said, adding that one of the outposts was controlled by the Fatah al-Intifada group and another by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command. He did not identify the camps.
"Everyone knows that these groups are supported and armed by Syria," Siniora said, echoing allegations leveled earlier this month by UN Middle East envoy Terje Roed-Larsen.
"This is something I will talk to the Arab League about," Siniora added.
The report's authors said that during a three-week stay in Lebanon they had not heard of any weapons being seized along the border, despite widespread talk of illegal shipments.
Asked whether the Lebanese government was planning to have borders with Syria monitored by Arab or international forces to put an end to the arms smuggling, Siniora said the issue was the responsibility of "both Syria and Lebanon."
"I haven't had a chance to read this report, but we will look at it today and we will certainly take a position that is in the interests of Lebanon," he said.
Source : The Daily Star
mercredi 27 juin 2007
Safety message spreads slowly among refugees
Displaced Nahr al-bared residents call for details
While local and international groups have launched awareness campaigns on the dangers of munitions in the Northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared, refugees temporarily based in the Beddawi camp voiced concern Monday that the campaigns were failing to reach some residents.
"We definitely need more awareness on the issue," said Walid Awat, a philosophy teacher from Nahr al-Bared and one of many residents who chose to work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the United Nations Children's Fund to spread mine awareness.
"At the moment we are working inside schools and the Beddawi camp, but those not living in schools are not getting the information," he said.
The UN, alongside the International Committee for the Red Cross and other local non-governmental organizations, has begun training sessions inside Beddawi for residents of Nahr al-Bared to educate the refugees on the issue of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese Army.
Awat, having attended two sessions already, described what had been covered so far.
The first session, titled "Don't Get Near, Don't Touch, Tell Someone," explained what people should look out for and what to do [and not do] if they stumble across suspicious or strange-looking objects. The second session was more specific, dividing the camp into small sections and assigning certain individuals to be in charge of each area.
"I would say about 50 to 60 percent of the population is now aware of the situation and its seriousness, but there is always the concern that people will not take it seriously enough," Awat said. "We are telling people to stay away from the camp until it gets the 'all-clear' from the army once the fighting stops, so they have time to clear away the mines, but if it is not organized properly then there is the risk that there may be big problems with the residents who are determined to go back immediately."
In one school housing a number of Nahr al-Bared refugees, Mahmoud Khodor, 12, recited the instructions he had been given if he came across a mine.
"If I see one, I shouldn't go near it, and I should go and tell someone in authority," he said, proudly. "They are different from ordinary bombs and they are extremely dangerous."
But he says more should be done to teach the young about UXOs. "I've only heard about these things from my father, and from the posters I've noticed around," he said. "No one has sat us down and talked to us properly, which is what we need."
This sentiment was reiterated by his cousin, 21-year-old Mohammad Khodor. "We need so many more details about the mines and what is going on," said Mohammad. "We are the new generation, and we haven't really experienced any of this before, like our parents have."
The organizations dedicated to spreading awareness are attempting to do so through a variety of means - leaflets, posters, training sessions and television broadcasts. Yet even this dissemination of information reaches only a limited audience.
"The idea of doing broadcasts on television is a great one," said Awat. "But then again, schools and many homes don't have televisions ... And what about those refugees who are not even in the North anymore? Will they have access to all the necessary information?"
Coupled with the de-mining issue is that of the return to the camp once fighting is over. An army source confirmed that de-mining would take a certain period of time due to the excess of mines and booby-traps being discovered every day.
Awat added that while the camp remains under military control, no one will be allowed to return. Yet even the children were worried about a backlash within Beddawi if residents, many of whom already have been displaced for a month, were forced to remain for an extended period of time.
"We all understand how serious the issue of de-mining is, but at the same time we just want to go home," said Mohammad. "There is a concern of problems and confrontations erupting if people start to get more frustrated at the idea of having to wait."
Source : The Daily Star
While local and international groups have launched awareness campaigns on the dangers of munitions in the Northern refugee camp of Nahr al-Bared, refugees temporarily based in the Beddawi camp voiced concern Monday that the campaigns were failing to reach some residents.
"We definitely need more awareness on the issue," said Walid Awat, a philosophy teacher from Nahr al-Bared and one of many residents who chose to work with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the United Nations Children's Fund to spread mine awareness.
"At the moment we are working inside schools and the Beddawi camp, but those not living in schools are not getting the information," he said.
The UN, alongside the International Committee for the Red Cross and other local non-governmental organizations, has begun training sessions inside Beddawi for residents of Nahr al-Bared to educate the refugees on the issue of mines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by Fatah al-Islam and the Lebanese Army.
Awat, having attended two sessions already, described what had been covered so far.
The first session, titled "Don't Get Near, Don't Touch, Tell Someone," explained what people should look out for and what to do [and not do] if they stumble across suspicious or strange-looking objects. The second session was more specific, dividing the camp into small sections and assigning certain individuals to be in charge of each area.
"I would say about 50 to 60 percent of the population is now aware of the situation and its seriousness, but there is always the concern that people will not take it seriously enough," Awat said. "We are telling people to stay away from the camp until it gets the 'all-clear' from the army once the fighting stops, so they have time to clear away the mines, but if it is not organized properly then there is the risk that there may be big problems with the residents who are determined to go back immediately."
In one school housing a number of Nahr al-Bared refugees, Mahmoud Khodor, 12, recited the instructions he had been given if he came across a mine.
"If I see one, I shouldn't go near it, and I should go and tell someone in authority," he said, proudly. "They are different from ordinary bombs and they are extremely dangerous."
But he says more should be done to teach the young about UXOs. "I've only heard about these things from my father, and from the posters I've noticed around," he said. "No one has sat us down and talked to us properly, which is what we need."
This sentiment was reiterated by his cousin, 21-year-old Mohammad Khodor. "We need so many more details about the mines and what is going on," said Mohammad. "We are the new generation, and we haven't really experienced any of this before, like our parents have."
The organizations dedicated to spreading awareness are attempting to do so through a variety of means - leaflets, posters, training sessions and television broadcasts. Yet even this dissemination of information reaches only a limited audience.
"The idea of doing broadcasts on television is a great one," said Awat. "But then again, schools and many homes don't have televisions ... And what about those refugees who are not even in the North anymore? Will they have access to all the necessary information?"
Coupled with the de-mining issue is that of the return to the camp once fighting is over. An army source confirmed that de-mining would take a certain period of time due to the excess of mines and booby-traps being discovered every day.
Awat added that while the camp remains under military control, no one will be allowed to return. Yet even the children were worried about a backlash within Beddawi if residents, many of whom already have been displaced for a month, were forced to remain for an extended period of time.
"We all understand how serious the issue of de-mining is, but at the same time we just want to go home," said Mohammad. "There is a concern of problems and confrontations erupting if people start to get more frustrated at the idea of having to wait."
Source : The Daily Star
mercredi 20 juin 2007
Sept roquettes B7 trouvées à Rachaya (Békaa)
Sept roquettes B7 antichars, prêtes à l’utilisation, ont été découvertes hier près du commissariat d’al-Rafid, caza de Rachaya (Békaa), par les forces de l’ordre. Les services de sécurité, les renseignements de l’armée et des experts en explosifs ont été dépêchés sur les lieux pour neutraliser les roquettes et ouvrir une enquête. De tels incidents se sont multipliés au cours des derniers mois dans différentes régions libanaises.
Source : L'Orient Le Jour
Source : L'Orient Le Jour
mardi 19 juin 2007
Moscou reprend les livraisons d'armes au Proche-Orient
D'après les données de plusieurs sources proches du complexe militaro-industriel, la Russie a abordé la mise en oeuvre d'un contrat de livraison de cinq chasseurs intercepteurs MiG-31E à la Syrie conclu cette année par Rosoboronexport (agence russe d'exportation d'armes). Cela atteste du fait que Moscou reprend les livraisons d'armes au Proche-Orient, après une certaine pause provoquée par la guerre de l'année dernière au Liban. Cette transaction peut s'avérer avantageuse également pour l'Iran qui finance l'acquisition d'armes par Damas conformément au traité irano-syrien sur la défense commune.
Boris Aliochine, directeur de l'Agence fédérale pour l'industrie, a confirmé au quotidien Kommersant l'existence d'un contrat pour des MiG-31E, mais a refusé de citer l'acheteur. Selon les données dont dispose le quotidien, un lot de chasseurs Mig-29M/M2 a également été vendu à la Syrie. Exportés pour la première fois, ces avions ont des caractéristiques techniques semblables à celles du MiG-35 que la Russie propose à l'Inde. Le montant du contrat pour les MiG-31 et un lot de Mig-29M/M2 conclu avec la Syrie est estimé à un milliard de dollars.
La vente d'un lot de chasseurs russes à la Syrie peut évidemment susciter une immense résonance en Occident. D'ailleurs, en ce moment, une éventuelle critique américaine à ce sujet n'inquiétera probablement pas Moscou, car, dans le dialogue Russie-Etats-Unis, le système de défense antimissile reste le problème clé : à présent, tous ces problèmes seront probablement examinés ensemble.
La position occupée par Téhéran sur la défense antimissile confirme indirectement que l'Iran peut tirer un certain avantage de la transaction conclue. Ainsi, après que Vladimir Poutine a proposé à George W. Bush de lutter contre la menace iranienne en utilisant conjointement la station radar de Gabala en Azerbaïdjan, les autorités de Téhéran ont déclaré soudain qu'elles ne considéraient pas l'initiative de la Russie comme hostile et que la proposition de Vladimir Poutine ne se répercuterait nullement sur les rapports russo-iraniens.
La coopération militaire entre la Russie et la Syrie a été gelée au début des années 90 à cause de problèmes survenus dans le remboursement des dettes pour les livraisons soviétiques. Après le rétablissement des contacts en 1996, l'armée syrienne a reçu de la Russie des systèmes de missiles antichars Kornet-E et Metis-M, des lance-grenades RPG-29, des missiles antichars téléguidés Bastion, Cheksna et Reflex, ainsi que des armes d'infanterie. Les contrats signés en 2004 et 2005 portaient sur la fourniture de systèmes de DCA Strelets équipés de missiles Igla-S et d'une cinquantaine de systèmes antiaériens missiles-canons Pantsir-S1 pour 730 millions de dollars. Un contrat sur la modernisation par la Russie de 1.000 chars T-72 a été conclu en 2006. En outre, la Russie prévoit de perfectionner le système de DCA syrien.
Source : Libnanews
Boris Aliochine, directeur de l'Agence fédérale pour l'industrie, a confirmé au quotidien Kommersant l'existence d'un contrat pour des MiG-31E, mais a refusé de citer l'acheteur. Selon les données dont dispose le quotidien, un lot de chasseurs Mig-29M/M2 a également été vendu à la Syrie. Exportés pour la première fois, ces avions ont des caractéristiques techniques semblables à celles du MiG-35 que la Russie propose à l'Inde. Le montant du contrat pour les MiG-31 et un lot de Mig-29M/M2 conclu avec la Syrie est estimé à un milliard de dollars.
La vente d'un lot de chasseurs russes à la Syrie peut évidemment susciter une immense résonance en Occident. D'ailleurs, en ce moment, une éventuelle critique américaine à ce sujet n'inquiétera probablement pas Moscou, car, dans le dialogue Russie-Etats-Unis, le système de défense antimissile reste le problème clé : à présent, tous ces problèmes seront probablement examinés ensemble.
La position occupée par Téhéran sur la défense antimissile confirme indirectement que l'Iran peut tirer un certain avantage de la transaction conclue. Ainsi, après que Vladimir Poutine a proposé à George W. Bush de lutter contre la menace iranienne en utilisant conjointement la station radar de Gabala en Azerbaïdjan, les autorités de Téhéran ont déclaré soudain qu'elles ne considéraient pas l'initiative de la Russie comme hostile et que la proposition de Vladimir Poutine ne se répercuterait nullement sur les rapports russo-iraniens.
La coopération militaire entre la Russie et la Syrie a été gelée au début des années 90 à cause de problèmes survenus dans le remboursement des dettes pour les livraisons soviétiques. Après le rétablissement des contacts en 1996, l'armée syrienne a reçu de la Russie des systèmes de missiles antichars Kornet-E et Metis-M, des lance-grenades RPG-29, des missiles antichars téléguidés Bastion, Cheksna et Reflex, ainsi que des armes d'infanterie. Les contrats signés en 2004 et 2005 portaient sur la fourniture de systèmes de DCA Strelets équipés de missiles Igla-S et d'une cinquantaine de systèmes antiaériens missiles-canons Pantsir-S1 pour 730 millions de dollars. Un contrat sur la modernisation par la Russie de 1.000 chars T-72 a été conclu en 2006. En outre, la Russie prévoit de perfectionner le système de DCA syrien.
Source : Libnanews
mercredi 6 juin 2007
Deux syriens et un irakiens arrêtés en possession d'explosifs
Les forces de sécurité ont arrêté mercredi deux Syriens et un Irakien pour possession d’armes et d’explosifs au Liban, un pays secoué par les violences, selon une source policière.
Les trois hommes ont été arrêtés dans le village de Bar Elias, dans la vallée orientale de la Békaa, à quelque 10 km du point de passage libano-syrien de Masnaa, a-t-on ajouté.
Des armes, des explosifs, des cartes détaillées de villages et de villes libanaises, ainsi que des lunettes de vision nocturnes ont été saisies dans la maison où ont été arrêtées les trois personnes.
Les mesures de sécurité ont été considérablement renforcées au Liban depuis le début le 20 mai des affrontements entre l’armée et les islamistes du Fatah al-Islam, dans le nord du Liban.
Quatre attentats à l’explosif ont parallèlement secoué la capitale et ses environs depuis cette date.
Mercredi matin, des artificiers libanais ont désamorcé une bombe munie d’un système de minuterie dans la ville de Tyr, au Liban sud.
Source : iLoubnan
Les trois hommes ont été arrêtés dans le village de Bar Elias, dans la vallée orientale de la Békaa, à quelque 10 km du point de passage libano-syrien de Masnaa, a-t-on ajouté.
Des armes, des explosifs, des cartes détaillées de villages et de villes libanaises, ainsi que des lunettes de vision nocturnes ont été saisies dans la maison où ont été arrêtées les trois personnes.
Les mesures de sécurité ont été considérablement renforcées au Liban depuis le début le 20 mai des affrontements entre l’armée et les islamistes du Fatah al-Islam, dans le nord du Liban.
Quatre attentats à l’explosif ont parallèlement secoué la capitale et ses environs depuis cette date.
Mercredi matin, des artificiers libanais ont désamorcé une bombe munie d’un système de minuterie dans la ville de Tyr, au Liban sud.
Source : iLoubnan
Découvertes d’armement et arrestations en série au Liban
Alors que les combats se poursuivent dans le camp de Nahr el-Bared où sont retranchés les militants du groupe terroriste du Fatah al-Islam, les forces de l’ordre et l’armée libanaise ont découvert un dépôt d’armement, bloqué une contrebande d’armes, désamorcé une charge explosive, et procédé à l’arrestation des auteurs de ces délits ainsi qu’un journaliste d’al-Arabiya.
Une bombe désamorcée à Tyr
Vers les 8 heures du matin, des experts de l’armée libanaise ont réussi à désamorcer une bombe dans la localité portuaire de Tyr au sud Liban, qui était programmée pour exploser à 11h15 de l’avant-midi. Cette charge était placée dans une boîte de lait en poudre près d'une plage à Tyr, habituellement fréquentée par les casques bleus de la FINUL au sud du pays.
Interception d’une contrebande d’armes
Les troupes de l’armée libanaise ont intercepté durant la nuit un camion chargé d’armes en provenance de la Syrie au niveau d’un check-point militaire dans la localité de Doris dans la vallée de la Beqaa. Le chauffeur du camion qui a essayé de fuir a été arrêté par l’armée libanaise. Selon certaines sources, ces armes étaient destinées au ravitaillement des combattants à Nahr el-Bared.
Selon des sources sécuritaires, ce camion contenant des roquettes, des munitions d’armes à répétitions et des mitrailleuses, appartient aux guérilleros du Hezbollah dans la Beqaa. Six membres du Hezbollah se trouvaient à l’intérieur du camion. L’armée a confisqué les armes, mais a autorisé les hommes du Hezbollah à partir.
Découvertes d’un dépôt d’armes à Akkar
Un dépôt contenant 200 kg d’explosifs a été découvert par les forces de l’ordre dans le domicile d’un homme suspecté d’appartenir à l’organisation terroriste du Fatah al-Islam dans la province d’Akkar au nord du Liban.
Source : Libnanews
Une bombe désamorcée à Tyr
Vers les 8 heures du matin, des experts de l’armée libanaise ont réussi à désamorcer une bombe dans la localité portuaire de Tyr au sud Liban, qui était programmée pour exploser à 11h15 de l’avant-midi. Cette charge était placée dans une boîte de lait en poudre près d'une plage à Tyr, habituellement fréquentée par les casques bleus de la FINUL au sud du pays.
Interception d’une contrebande d’armes
Les troupes de l’armée libanaise ont intercepté durant la nuit un camion chargé d’armes en provenance de la Syrie au niveau d’un check-point militaire dans la localité de Doris dans la vallée de la Beqaa. Le chauffeur du camion qui a essayé de fuir a été arrêté par l’armée libanaise. Selon certaines sources, ces armes étaient destinées au ravitaillement des combattants à Nahr el-Bared.
Selon des sources sécuritaires, ce camion contenant des roquettes, des munitions d’armes à répétitions et des mitrailleuses, appartient aux guérilleros du Hezbollah dans la Beqaa. Six membres du Hezbollah se trouvaient à l’intérieur du camion. L’armée a confisqué les armes, mais a autorisé les hommes du Hezbollah à partir.
Découvertes d’un dépôt d’armes à Akkar
Un dépôt contenant 200 kg d’explosifs a été découvert par les forces de l’ordre dans le domicile d’un homme suspecté d’appartenir à l’organisation terroriste du Fatah al-Islam dans la province d’Akkar au nord du Liban.
Source : Libnanews
vendredi 1 juin 2007
Moscow warns sharp increase in military aid may 'destabilize' Lebanon
BERLIN: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Wednesday that the sharp increase in US military aid to Lebanon could "destabilize" the country. "We have always assumed that it is necessary for international agreements to be adhered to. We also know it is necessary to prevent the shipment of arms which might serve to destabilize the situation," he said after a meeting in Berlin of the international "Quartet" for Middle East peace. "Those who send arms know very well which actions could be destabilizing or not."
The United States sent several plane loads of military aid to Lebanon last week, including ammunition and other equipment, to help the Lebanese Army fight Fatah al-Islam militants in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp.
Lavrov's comments came after an earlier confrontation with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was representing Washington at the Quartet meeting. At a gathering of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) club of nations in nearby Potsdam, Moscow and Washington had been at odds over Kosovo and US plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe.
Rice told reporters the US was complying with Resolution 1701, which calls for reinforcing the Lebanese Army.
"This is not a matter of interfering in Lebanese affairs," Rice emphasized. "It is to help Lebanon be able to defend its own sovereignty.
"The United States is not the only country that is helping equip the Lebanese Army, which needs to have the modern capability to defend its sovereignty and defend its state. That is the only purpose of this [military aid]."
The US Congress approved a 2007 budget which includes $280 million in military aid to Lebanon, seven times more than the $40 million unblocked in 2006.
Initially, the administration of US President George W. Bush had asked for $5 million in aid, but the sum was dramatically increased after the 2006 summer war with Israel, with Rice requesting a total of $769.5 million for Lebanon.
Source : The Daily Star
The United States sent several plane loads of military aid to Lebanon last week, including ammunition and other equipment, to help the Lebanese Army fight Fatah al-Islam militants in the Nahr al-Bared Palestinian refugee camp.
Lavrov's comments came after an earlier confrontation with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was representing Washington at the Quartet meeting. At a gathering of foreign ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) club of nations in nearby Potsdam, Moscow and Washington had been at odds over Kosovo and US plans to deploy a missile shield in Europe.
Rice told reporters the US was complying with Resolution 1701, which calls for reinforcing the Lebanese Army.
"This is not a matter of interfering in Lebanese affairs," Rice emphasized. "It is to help Lebanon be able to defend its own sovereignty.
"The United States is not the only country that is helping equip the Lebanese Army, which needs to have the modern capability to defend its sovereignty and defend its state. That is the only purpose of this [military aid]."
The US Congress approved a 2007 budget which includes $280 million in military aid to Lebanon, seven times more than the $40 million unblocked in 2006.
Initially, the administration of US President George W. Bush had asked for $5 million in aid, but the sum was dramatically increased after the 2006 summer war with Israel, with Rice requesting a total of $769.5 million for Lebanon.
Source : The Daily Star
mardi 29 mai 2007
UN team set to assess security on Syrian border
The UN's Lebanon Independent Border Assessment Team arrived on Monday to evaluate reports of arms smuggling across the Syrian border in violation of UN Security Council resolutions. The team was dispatched following the council's presidential statement of April 17, in which the council asked UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to send an independent group to assess border-security arrangements along the Lebanese-Syrian border.
The team is led by Lasse Christensen of Denmark and is composed of experts from Algeria, Germany, Jamaica and Switzerland. The team will work closely with the local authorities and will recommend measures and strategies to improve the situation. During its two-week mission, the team will meet army and security officials responsible for the border, and submit a report of its findings to the secretary general, said a UN source.
Ban said last week the team "will review the roles of relevant agencies, with particular attention to customs and border-monitoring capacities, as well as progress made by security and customs agencies in strengthening their control of the border.”Earlier this month, Ban warned in a report that the alleged arms smuggling and the possible arming of various groups in Lebanon might deepen the country's political crisis. Syria has repeatedly denied that weapons are making their way over the border into Lebanon.
Source : The Daily Star
The team is led by Lasse Christensen of Denmark and is composed of experts from Algeria, Germany, Jamaica and Switzerland. The team will work closely with the local authorities and will recommend measures and strategies to improve the situation. During its two-week mission, the team will meet army and security officials responsible for the border, and submit a report of its findings to the secretary general, said a UN source.
Ban said last week the team "will review the roles of relevant agencies, with particular attention to customs and border-monitoring capacities, as well as progress made by security and customs agencies in strengthening their control of the border.”Earlier this month, Ban warned in a report that the alleged arms smuggling and the possible arming of various groups in Lebanon might deepen the country's political crisis. Syria has repeatedly denied that weapons are making their way over the border into Lebanon.
Source : The Daily Star
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