Expert: Firing rockets message for military, Congress, Syria and allies & related news

Lebanese Expert: Firing Rockets Message for Military, Congress, Syria and Allies

Al Manar

The Lebanese military expert and strategist retired Brigadier General Amin Hoteit said Tuesday that the joint Israel-American military force that has been formed on the sidelines of the NATO Navy forces.

A Zionist navy piece was attached to these forces without being the so-called ‘Israel’ a member of NATO,” Hotiet told Al-Manar website.

“This new attached force has tested today the rocket systems (Tomahawk and cruise missiles, as well as interceptors platform for missiles),” he added.

As for the regional and international messages behind firing the rockets, Hoteit believed that the operation holds a certain message to the military force that it is mobilized for a serious and imminent war.

“There is also a message to the U.S. Congress that the forces are ready and wait for the war approval.”

“Another message to Syria and its allies in the framework of intimidation and psychological warfare to say that the war is coming, the threat is serious and that there is no retreat from aggression,” he added.

In the final evaluation, the Lebanese expert said the rockets will not change the landscape and the balance of power, but if the United States wants to attack, it must prepare with its agents in the region for an open war.

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Israeli Army Launched Med Missiles as Part of Joint US-Israeli Drill

Al Manar

Missiles that Russia reported were launched in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday were part of a joint American-Israeli military exercise, Israeli media said.

A missile launch early Tuesday in the Mediterranean Sea was part of joint American-Israeli military exercises, Israel’s defence ministry said.

“The Israeli defence ministry and the American MDA (Missile Defence Agency) Tuesday morning at 9:15 (0615 GMT) successfully launched an Ankor-type radar missile,” it said in a statement.

The Zionist army said it was “not familiar” with any missiles being fired in the Mediterranean. It said it didn’t detected signs missiles were launched into Syria or had exploded in Damascus.

Russia on Tuesday announced that its missile early warning system had detected the launch of two missiles from the central part of the Mediterranean Sea fired towards the Sea’s eastern coastline.

The launches took place at 10:16 am Moscow time (0616 GMT) and were detected by the early warning system in Armavir in southern Russia, the defense ministry said in a statement quoted by Russian news agencies.

It said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu had already reported to President Vladimir Putin about the event, which comes amid growing expectations of Western military action in Syria.

“The launch was detected by the early warning radar in Armavir,” the Interfax news agency quoted the defense ministry as saying. “The trajectory of the targets in question was from the central part of the Mediterranean Sea towards the eastern part of the Mediterranean coastline,” it added.

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Miqdad to al-Manar: Saudi Arabia Wants to Eliminate Syria by Every Means

Al Manar

Syrian deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Miqdad stressed on Monday his country’s readiness to confront any aggression waged against it, underlying that any attack on Syria will set the whole region ablaze.

“We all know that the West cannot be trusted, because of this we are ready for confrontation and for anything that might happen,” Miqdad said.

“Any attack on Syria will set this region ablaze. When the first rocket got fired, no one can predict the resulted repercussions,” he added.

During an exclusive interview with Al-Manar TV, the Syrian deputy FM criticized Riyadh position of Syria, and pointed out that the Saudi regime wants to end Syria by every means, to serve the American and Zionist interests.

“The Saudi regime is fallen since long in its people’s eye, as well as in the Arab nation’s eye. They are facing now the battle of challenge and last downfall.”

Fielding a question about the Saudi hastening to attack Syria, Miqdad justified it as spite, hatred:
“This is the attitude of the salve who seeks to pacify his master and to present more services which have not been requested.”

Addressing the Lebanese file, the Syrian politician expressed beliefs that Lebanon is strong due to its will and diplomats.

“Lebanon is strong because it has the will and the foreign ministers who are able to be united and defend the Lebanese interest,” Miqdad stressed.

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Lawmakers Blast Obama’s Syria War Draft

Al Manar

American lawmakers have criticized the draft of President Barack Obama’s authorization for military action in Syria, saying it could open the door to attacks on other countries.US

Obama and other White House officials pressed lawmakers on Monday to approve military force against Syria.

However, there is deep disagreement on how to proceed, with some lawmakers saying the draft authorization is too broad in scope and duration.

The lawmakers are worried that the draft could let Obama attack other countries as well. They say although the authorization’s focus is on the use of chemicals in Syria, it has not set a time limit on military action, and has not confined it only to Syria.

The proposal authorizes the president to use the armed forces “as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in connection with the use of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in the conflict in Syria,” Reuters reported.

The proposal also explicitly allows military action to deter or prevent the transfer of those weapons into or out of Syria.

Congressional hesitancy reflects the overall weariness of war among Americans who oppose getting involved in Syria.

“People have become, it’s more than just war-weary, they’ve become skeptical of the effectiveness of these military involvements,” said Rep. James McGovern, a Democrat from Massachusetts.

“The resolution that they are presenting right now is so open-ended, I think even people who are sympathetic to the administration might have trouble supporting it,” he added.

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Human Shields Campaign: To Protect Syria from Potential Attack

by Ali Abdallah, Syria, Al Ahed news

A group of Syrians from all walks of life, including young artists and athletes, participated in the campaign called “Over our Dead Bodies” on Monday, to help protect the country from potential foreign military action.

The participants are shielding key facilities in the capital, Damascus, pledging to stand their ground until the US military threats are stopped or they are killed. The organizers of the campaign said they have received calls from all over the world asking for permission to join the movement. The campaign comes as amid threats of foreign military intervention in Syria.

The campaign was launched at Damascus’s Sheraton hotel through a press conference, in which Syrian artist Laura abu Asaad, Journalist Ogarit Dandash, and Swimmer Firas Maala took part. The campaign was welcomed by a vast audience, and the number of volunteers increased after a facebook page was established for the campaign.

Ghassan Najjar, the media coordinator of the campaign said “The goal of this campaign is to deliver a message to the world that says: The Syrians will not stand still before the US possible attack to be launched against their country. They will rather stand in face [of this attack] to protect Syria and its facilities with their bare bodies.”

In a statement to al-Ahed news, Najjar stated “The initiative started in Qasyoun Mount in Damascus, as it stands symbol to the capital Damascus and to all Syria. Tens of young men, women, and even children gathered in the tents that were set up for the campaign, while more volunteers arrive day after day.”

For her part, well-known Lebanese journalist Ogarit Dandash accentuated “Syrian expatriates, also some Arabs [Egyptians, Jordanians, Morrocan] and Westerners from Germany and the US have a strong desire to participate in the campaign, therefore they contact the organizers and ask about how they can support the movement, and what to do to contribute in prevent a military strike.”

According to the organizers, some young Syrians who do not belong to any party or political side have already started to execute the idea of human shields in other Syrian provinces. Also, striking it is that the campaign is not funded by any group or party.

The idea of human shields, according to Dandash, is not a similar to protests and rallies. Being a human shield means presenting oneself as armor to protect the civil and military facilities, and risk their safety.
On August 21, terrorist militants and the foreign-backed opposition in Syria claimed that 1,300 people had been killed in a chemical attack the Syrian government launched on militant strongholds in the Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

A number of Western countries, including the US, France, and the UK, were quick to adopt the rhetoric of war against Syria despite the fact that Damascus categorically rejected having had any role in the chemical attack.

The Syrian government announced later that the chemical attack had actually been carried out by the militants themselves as a false flag operation.

On August 29, the British parliament voted against participation by Britain, the United States’ closest ally, in any potential military intervention in Syria. While the British government had primarily sought a second vote in the parliament as well, it ruled out any such vote on September 2, saying that the parliament “has spoken,” and that the government “has absolutely no plans to go back to parliament.”

On Friday, August 30, NATO also distanced itself from participating in any military intervention in Syria, with the chief of the Western military coalition, Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, saying he did not “foresee any NATO role” in a war on Syria.

Syrian armed groups in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta admitted to Associated Press correspondent Dale Gavlak that they were responsible for last week’s chemical weapons incident which western powers have blamed on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces.

In a report published on Friday, the armed groups revealed that the casualties were the result of an accident caused by militants mishandling chemical weapons provided to them by Saudi Arabia.

“From numerous interviews with doctors, Ghouta residents, rebel fighters and their families….many believe that certain rebels received chemical weapons via the Saudi intelligence chief, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, and were responsible for carrying out the deadly gas attack,” wrote Gavlak.

Despite warnings from the UN, as well as Iran, Russia, and China against war, Washington has remained defiant, saying that it is willing to go ahead with its plans for a strike on Syria without the approval of the United Nations or even the support of its allies. However, US President Barack Obama said on Saturday, August 31 that his administration will first seek authorization from the Congress.

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Vatican renews calls against Syria strike

Source

A top Vatican official on Monday warned the war in Syria could escalate into a global conflict, a day after Pope Francis made an impassioned call for peace.

“The Syria conflict has all the ingredients to explode into a war of global dimensions,” Monsignor Mario Toso, head of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, told Vatican radio.

“The solution to Syria’s problems is not in armed intervention. Violence will not decrease and there is a risk of a conflagration that extends to other countries,” he said…

Francis called for a day of fasting and prayer on Saturday for peace in Syria, calling on Christians, believers of other religions and non-believers to take part.

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Two Thirds of British People Oppose Strikes on Syria

Al Ahed news

A poll published by The Independent British daily showed that “the Iraq War has turned the British public against any military intervention in the Middle East.”

According to a ComRes survey for the daily, “By a margin of two-to-one, the British people oppose President Barack Obama’s plan for military strikes against Syria and say that the UK should keep out of all conflicts in the region for the foreseeable future.”

The ComRes survey suggests that MPs were right, at least according to public opinion, to veto air strikes by Britain last Thursday.

It found that only 29 per cent of people agree that the US, without Britain, should launch air strikes against the Syrian regime, while 57 per cent disagree.

Four out of five people believe that any military strikes against Syria should first be sanctioned by the United Nations, while 15 per cent disagree with this statement.

Asked whether the experience of the 2003 Iraq war means that Britain should keep out of military conflicts in the Middle East for the foreseeable future, 62 per cent agree and 31 per cent disagree.

A majority of supporters of every party agree with this statement, with Labor and UK Independence Party voters more likely to believe Britain should “keep out” than Conservative and Liberal Democrat voters.

After his Commons rebuff, a majority of people 54 per cent agree that David Cameron showed he is “out of touch with Britain” in his handling of the Syria crisis, while 34 per cent disagree. Worryingly for the Prime Minister, a third of current Tory supporters (33 per cent) and almost half of voters overall (42 per cent) believe Cameron showed he is out of touch, as do 76 per cent of Ukip supporters.

Andrew Mitchell, the Tory former International Development Secretary, said: “It may be, after lengthy and careful consideration, [the US] Congress affirms its support for the President’s plans and, in the light of that, our Parliament may want to consider this matter further.”

But Cameron’s spokesman said: “Parliament has spoken and that is why the Government has absolutely no plans to go back to Parliament.”

Downing Street indicated that Britain does not expect its military bases – such as RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus, less than 200 miles from Syria – to be used in any air strikes.

Where is Hezbollah from Syria attack?

by Ibrahim Al-Amin (Al-Akhbar Newspaper), source

What is cute about the Americans and the Europeans is that when they get ready to commit a crime, they hurry to ask the victim about its reaction. In the past few days, they were active on the level of gaining information concerning Iran’s, Syria’s, and Hezbollah’s reactions towards any attack against Syria.

Hezbollah, AssadThose simpleminded sides want the victim to stand under the open sky, giving way to say: I am ready to be killed! But the attacker is even ill at ease when witnessing this reaction. He wants the victim’s family to catch up with him, cheer and thank him for having the chance of being one among its victims.

Then, someone appears within the decision-making circles in the west to say that the public opinion in Syria, the Arab World, and the west doesn’t accept our silence about a crime committed in Syria. And that any attempt to examination won’t enjoy any sort of media coverage. We mustn’t know that all opinion polls in the United States, Britain and France show that the majority opposes the attack. They also don’t want us to hear that the parliaments in most of those countries do not agree upon the decision of war, in addition to that some well-known experts and officials in the armies’ leaderships and intelligence apparatuses are warning from the risks of such an attack.

They only want us to listen to the voices of the great leaders, who, in a moment, decided, without any evidence or testimony, and without any need to examine, that there is a condemned criminal who must be punished, even without trial. Therefore, the side that issued the sentence is the same side that chooses the type of punishment. However, the side that wants to object must either write a statement of condemnation or deal with it if it wants.

Up till now, all the indicators of the decision making zone indicate an imminent military attack against Syria. But what was leaked from this zone, as well as the supposed sides to apply the decision, indicates the presence of confusion. It might just be an extra time-buying process to coordinate the strike. However, it might be at the same time an opportunity to revise a sort of different messages that were sent hastily to those who are concerned about it. The messages contain that every attack will witness a reaction. But in case the reaction was immediate, wide, and limited, there was no clear response in this regard. Among the confusing questions in various western milieus, there is a central question about Hezbollah’s reaction towards any strike against Syria, as well as the questions concerning Israel’s direct security on one level, in addition to the security of international forces in the region, and the political and military security of the western countries on another.

Hezbollah is completely silent. It is not obliged at the moment to announce a significant position. It is that any statement issued by it will condemn the strike in advance and warn against the dangerous repercussions of this attack on the region. Some words between the lines might imply the party’s readiness to support Syria in defending itself against any foreign attack. As for those who are waiting Hezbollah’s decision, let them wait, but there are some main points that are good to be clarified for those who are concerned:

Firstly: In a case similar to what we are facing today, it is good to pay attention that Hezbollah is a part of a huge alliance led by Iran. Besides the special relationship, the non-secret one, between Hezbollah and Iran, it is better to those who are concerned to well-read Khamenei’s expressions that warn from a “catastrophe that will hit the region” in case a strike was launched against Syria. This position was also represented by distinguished army leaders and armed forces commanders noting that Iran will not accept its Syrian ally being attacked without intervening.

Secondly: Hezbollah is totally involved in the Syrian crisis, particularly in the confrontation between the western-backed or Takfiri armed groups. The party sacrificed dozens of martyrs thereat. It is playing a major role and considers itself concerned with what is going on in relation with a whole vision indicating that the most significant goal of the war is attacking the axis of resistance and reaching it. The party also doesn’t need to know the reasons of any foreign intervention, Israeli, American or European. It has rather been waiting this since a long period of time. Consequently, to those who think that Hezbollah, when it decided to intervene, had studied the issue from all sides and will not retreat now; it is totally opposite because any western strike against Syria will represent an additional motive to the party not only to stand more strongly by the side of its ally President Bashar Assad, but also to be in the heart of the battle to defend Syria against this strike. As for its behavior, it is a question whose answer is still hidden within the party.

Report translated by: Zeinab Abdallah

Implicating Syrian government in a chemical attack, false flag…related news

Materials Implicating Syrian Government in Chemical Attack Prepared Before Incident – Russia

RT

Materials implicating the forces of Syrian president Bashar Assad in chemical weapons use near Damascus were prepared prior to the alleged incident on August 21, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Moscow continues to monitor closely the event surrounding the“alleged” chemical attack near Damascus, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aleksandr Lukashevich, said in a statement.

“We’re getting more new evidence that this criminal act was of a provocative nature,” he stressed. “In particular, there are reports circulating on the Internet, in particular that the materials of the incident and accusations against government troops had been posted for several hours before the so-called attack. Thus, it was a pre-planned action.”

The Damascus chemical attack accusations indicate the launch of “another anti-Syrian propaganda wave” and, in this context, the calls on the UN Security Council to immediately use force in Syria “heard from some EU capitals” are “unacceptable”, Lukashevich said.

The Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Assad’s government has demonstrated a “constructive approach” to the chemical weapons issue by allowing UN experts into the country.

But it’s alarming that the “same signals” aren’t coming from the Syrian opposition, which so far hasn’t displayed willingness to ensure the safety and efficient operations of UN investigators on the territory it controls, he said.

“This directly impedes the objective investigation of allegations of possible cases of chemical weapons use in Syria, which is called for by a number of countries and which the Russian side supports,”Lukashevich noted.

The Russian foreign ministry “strongly appeals to those who should put pressure on the opposition, making it take the necessary steps in order to ensure the full realization of the objectives of the international expert mission,” the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, the UK has put the blame for the Damascus chemical attack on Assad’s forces, saying it thought the Syrian government had “something to hide.”

“I know that some people in the world would like to say that this is some kind of conspiracy brought about by the opposition in Syria,” William Hague, British Foreign Secretary, is cited as saying by Reuters. “I think the chances of that are vanishingly small and so we do believe that this is a chemical attack by the Assad regime.”

The reports of a chemical weapons use in the suburbs of the Ghouta region on the outskirts Damascus appeared in the pro-opposition media on Wednesday, August 21, coinciding with the arrival of the UN investigators to the Syrian capital.

The – rebels claimed that over a 1,000 people, including many children, were killed in the attack, with the government saying that the accusations were fabricated in order to cover up the opposition’s battle losses and undermine the work of the UN mission.

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Syrian army finds chemicals in militants tunnels

Press TV

Syrian army soldiers have found chemical agents in tunnels dug by the foreign-backed militants in a northeastern suburb of the capital, Damascus, Syrian TV says.

The discovery came after the government forces surrounded a sector of militant-held district of Jobar on Saturday.

“Army heroes are entering the tunnels of the terrorists and saw chemical agents,” Syria television said, adding, “In some cases, soldiers are suffocating while entering Jobar.”

It added that ambulances arrived in the region to rescue the people who were suffocating in Jobar and the area is now controlled by Syrian army forces.

The Syrian government also stated that the foreign-backed militants had carried out the recent chemical attack in Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar.

On Wednesday, Syria’s opposition claimed that hundreds were killed in a government chemical attack on militants strongholds in Damascus suburbs of Ain Tarma, Zamalka and Jobar before dawn.

The Syrian army has vehemently denied allegations that it used chemical weapons against militants in the suburbs of the Ghouta region, saying the accusations were fabricated to distract the visiting team of UN chemical weapons experts and to cover up militants losses…

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Lebanon Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Captagon to Syria

Al Manar

Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau thwarted on Saturday an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of Captagon into the neighboring country Syria, the state-run National News Agency reported.

Six trailer trucks, heading to Syria, in the Bekaa town of Saadnayel, east of Lebanon, were seized by the intelligence bureau.

The trailer trucks were accompanied by a Nissan Sunny with license plate number 104982/T.

Three Syrian men were aboard the Nissan vehicle identified as 51-year-old Yehia Mahmoud al-Mkahal, Sabei Adnan Srour, 27, and Abdul Rahman Khaled Srour, 21.

On March 12, security forces seized more than one million Captagon pills in a valley in the Bekaa region, reportedly worth millions of U.S. dollars, Naharnet website said.

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US considers air war in Kosovo as precedent for Syria strikes: Report

Press TV

In an effort to bypass the United Nations, national security aides to President Barack Obama are looking at the war in Kosovo in the late 1990s as a possible blueprint for military action against Syria.

Faced with the possibility of a Russian veto at the UN Security Council, President Obama is considering whether to order military strikes against Syria without a UN mandate, according to The New York Times.

In 1999, former president Bill Clinton used the endorsement of NATO and the pretext of protecting a vulnerable population to justify 78 days of airstrikes against Kosovo without seeking approval from the UN.

Obama indicated on Friday that doing so in Syria would require a robust international coalition.

“If the US goes in and attacks another country without a UN mandate and without clear evidence that can be presented, then there are questions in terms of whether international law supports it, do we have the coalition to make it work?” Obama said in an interview with CNN.

In ongoing White House meetings, President Obama and senior officials from the Pentagon and the State Department are discussing a range of options, including airstrikes, for Syria after allegations emerged that the Syrian government was behind a recent chemical attack in the Damascus suburbs.

The Syrian government and the army categorically denied any role in Wednesday’s alleged chemical attack.

A senior administration official told the Times on condition of anonymity that the Kosovo precedent was one of many options being discussed in White House meetings on Syria.

“It’s a step too far to say we’re drawing up legal justifications for an action, given that the president hasn’t made a decision,” said the official. “But Kosovo, of course, is a precedent of something that is perhaps similar.”

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that Obama had asked the Pentagon to prepare military options for Syria and that naval forces were being positioned closer to Syria in anticipation of a possible order by the president.

Meanwhile, in a statement released on Friday, Russian Foreign Ministry said evidence was mounting that the chemical attack was “clearly provocative in nature” and that footage posted online seeking to incriminate the Syrian government had been posted before the chemical attack actually took place.

It also accused the insurgents of “directly impeding an objective investigation” of the incident.

UN Under-Secretary-General Angela Kane arrived in Damascus on Saturday for talks aimed at establishing an investigation into Wednesday’s attack.

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Iran Warns of Military Intervention in Syria

Al Manar

Iran stated on Saturday that there is “proof” that Syrian militants used chemical weapons in their war against the Syrian government, reassuring that “we are very concerned about information regarding the use of chemical weapons in Syria, and we strongly condemn the use of such weapons.”

Iran and Syria flagsIranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Abbas Araqchi, was quoted by ISNA news agency as saying that there is proof terrorist groups carried out this action,’ Araqchi said in reference to Wednesday’s allegedly deadly attacks in the Damascus area.

Iran also warned against any Western military intervention in the Syrian conflict, after the United States suggested it was weighing up such a possibility.

“There is no international authorization for a military intervention in Syria. We warn against any actions or statements that could create more tension in the region. I hope that White House officials show enough wisdom not to enter into such dangerous tumult,” Araqchi added.

He further considered that “the provocative words of American officials or sending warships do not help to solve the problem in any way, but make the situation in the region more dangerous.”

“Iran has declared on several occasions that the crisis in Syria did not have a military solution,” Araqchi was quoted as saying.

Twin blasts hit Lebanon’s Tripoli, kill tens, injure dozens

Twin blasts hit Lebanon’s Tripoli, kill 42, injure dozens

Press TV

At least 42 people have been killed and hundreds more injured in explosions near two mosques in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

The first blast happened near the al-Taqwa Mosque at the city’s Abu Ali Square as worshippers were leaving the mosque. The mosque is close to the home of outgoing Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati.

The second explosion, which occurred about five minutes later, struck the al-Salam Mosque in the Mina district of the city. The mosque is close to the home of former police chief, Ashraf Rifi, a security source said.

The explosions also destroyed many cars and damaged several buildings.

Heavy gunfire was also heard following the explosions…

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Hezbollah: Tripoli Blasts Reflect Int’l-Regional Scheme to Plant Sedition

Al Manar

Following the terrorist explosions that rocked the northern Lebanese city on Friday, Hezbollah said that “criminal terrorism refuses only to keep the Lebanese busy counting their martyrs and wounded, through targeting innocent citizens in all Lebanese regions.”

In a statement issued Friday, Hezbollah stressed that “these two terrorist bombings reflect the very criminal scheme aimed at sowing seeds of sedition among the Lebanese and dragging them to the internal fighting under sectarian and confessional titles, to serve the evil regional and international project that wants to break up our region and dump it in seas of blood and fire.”

Moreover, Hezbollah expressed “severe pain” for “our patient people in Tripoli.”
“The crime is continuation of the project to insert Lebanon into the chaos and destruction, as well as an implementation of the devil goals of the Zionist enemy and those who stand behind him,” the statement added.

Hezbollah voiced “the utmost solidarity and unity with our brothers and our people in the beloved city of Tripoli in these tragic moments, where innocent and pure blood is shed in the streets for no reason.”

Hezbollah also called upon the wise men to use the language of mind and consciousness, and “not to get caught behind the rumors and accusations that want to sabotage the country and its people,” expressing deepest condolences to the martyr’s families and praying to Allah Almighty to grant the wounded a speedy recovery.

Two terrorist explosions targeted the peaceful worshipers this afternoon after Friday prayers at Tripoli mosques, north Lebanon…

Zionist warplanes raid Popular front for Liberation of Palestine Naameh site

Al Manar

Israeli warplanes raided Friday at dawn the Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine military site in Naameh, south of Beirut, according to the National news Agency.

For his part, the Front’s chief in Lebanon, Ramez Moustafa, confirmed the news and clarified that the Zionist warplanes fired one rocket onto Naameh valley and that no losses or damages were recorded.

“We will not respond to this assault in the way that serves the Zionist plan to lure us, yet in the proper place and at the proper time,” Moustafa pointed out.

The spokesman of the Israeli army asserted that the assault responds to the rockets that were fired Thursday from the Lebanese territories into Nahariya and Akka, north of occupied Palestine.

From Boston to Beirut: A comparison of ’terror’

(Dahiyeh, Lebanon, 15-8-2013)

by Yazan al-Saadi, Al-Akhbar, source The Western media have double standards when it comes to “terrorism.” Within hours after two bombs were detonated at the Boston Marathon last April, many in the media had christened it a “terrorist attack.” Meanwhile, the August 15 bombing in Roueiss that killed at least two dozen is a “blast” that occurred in a “Hizbullah stronghold.” On 15 April 2013, in the middle of the afternoon, two pressure cooker bombs exploded 13 seconds apart near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three spectators were killed, including an 8-year-old boy, and 264 others suffered an array of injuries. The perpetrators were two young American citizens, brothers from a Chechen-Avar background, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. Days after the event, they were hunted down by the Boston police. Tamerlan was killed, while his younger brother Dzhokhar was captured and could now face the death penalty. Four months to the day, a car bomb exploded in the early evening at a busy intersection in the heavily populated residential neighborhood of Roueiss in the southern part of Beirut. So far, 27 [and counting] have died, and a further 355 have been injured. A video was posted about an hour after the explosion in which three white-hooded, armed men from the Aisha Brigades for External Missions claimed responsibility. But only of one of these tragic incidents was immediately defined as a “terror attack” by major media agencies in the United Kingdom and United States, while the other is a “car bomb blast”. But only of one of these tragic incidents was immediately defined as a “terror attack” by major media agencies in the United Kingdom and United States, while the other is a “car bomb blast” – represented sub-textually as an unfortunate, but somehow understandable, act of violence. The term “terrorism” is a fluid, politically-loaded term. Who uses it, when it is used, and who it is used against all come into play. Even the historical evolution of the word “terrorism” – born out of the bloodbath conducted by the French Republic after the French Revolution and now used today as a universally ambiguous categorization directed toward non-state actors – is reflective of how potent the term is. When it is used today, there are significant legal and military ramifications that give it compelling potency. There are a number of mostly similar, official definitions by various US governmental and military departments. The US Department of State defines “terrorism” as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.” In a similar vein, the US Department of War defines “terrorism” as “the unlawful use of violence or threat of violence to instill fear and coerce governments or societies. Terrorism is often motivated by religious, political, or other ideological beliefs and committed in the pursuit of goals that are usually political.” Across the Atlantic, the United Kingdom states that “terrorism,” as defined in its Terrorism Act 2000, “involves serious violence against a person; involves serious damage to property; endangers a person’s life, other than that of the person committing the action; creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or a section of the public; or is designed seriously to interfere with or seriously to disrupt an electronic system.” Understanding and being aware of these definitions by the government bodies is important because it informs and shapes how the media in such states categorize and discuss “acts of terror” whenever they occur. After the Boston Marathon bombing, nearly everyone within the major British and American media agencies instantaneously described the attack as an act of “terrorism.” Taking a brief look at the reports on April 15 and the following days is quite telling. As freelance journalist Tanveer Ali, writing for the Columbia Journalism Review, noted, both CNN International and the London-based The Guardian did not hesitate to call it a “terror attack” even before the smoke, rubble, and body parts were cleared, and more strikingly even prior to an official categorization of the attack. Other British and American outlets, when not directly calling the Boston bombing a moment of ‘terror’ in the first few days, were either trying to frame the act as part of an international conspiracy, bringing up the tiresome trope of linking Islam to terrorism, or were enraged over US President Barack Obama’s hesitancy in not using the words “act of terror” that day. But the truth of the matter is that the almost knee-jerk insistence by American and British media agencies and political commentators to call the Boston bombing a form of terrorism is a matter of the identity of those who committed it and the identity of the victims. In his critical analysis of the media coverage for The Guardian, Glenn Greenwald explained the crux of the matter succinctly: This is far more than a semantic question. Whether something is or is not ‘terrorism’ has very substantial political implications, and very significant legal consequences as well. The word ‘terrorism’ is, at this point, one of the most potent in our political lexicon: it single-handedly ends debates, ratchets up fear levels, and justifies almost anything the government wants to do in its name. It’s hard not to suspect that the only thing distinguishing the Boston attack from Tucson, Aurora, Sandy Hook and Columbine [to say nothing of the US “shock and awe” attack on Baghdad and the mass killings in Fallujah] is that the accused Boston attackers are Muslim and the other perpetrators are not. As usual, what terrorism really means in American discourse – its operational meaning – is: violence by Muslims against Americans and their allies.” These are the harsh facts, and they explain the nature of the foreign coverage of the tragedy in southern Beirut on August 15. To put it in perspective, it is akin to describing the Boston Marathon bombing as an attack on a “democrat strong-hold. Despite the fact that the perpetrators and the act itself snugly fit into the legal definition of “terrorism” by the US and UK authorities, the media coverage by British and American media outlets described it as a “bomb blast” from a possible “suicide attack.” More so, as media critic and former editor-at-large of al-Akhbar English Emily Dische-Becker in Berlin observed to the Institute of Public Accuracy, many of the foreign news agencies took great pains to add that the car bomb explosion occurred in a “Hizbullah stronghold.” Virtually all reports on the attack on the residential neighborhood of Roueiss noted the so-called Hizbullah’s military involvement in Syria, therefore subtly inferring that the attack was justifiable despite the fact that the victims were innocent civilians. Those killed will not have the leisure of being named and cared for by extensive human-oriented stories, slick infographics, painful photo galleries, and a barrage of follow-up tales of coping the day after. This “context” was not provided by the mainstream press when it came to the Boston bombing and other similar incidents over the past decade. To put it in perspective, it is akin to describing the Boston Marathon bombing as an attack on a “democrat strong-hold,” possibly linked to the brutal, destructive military invasions and bloody escapades of the Americans and their allies. In both incidents, people have died and been maimed by terrible acts. Yet it seems that only one is an “act of terror,” while the other is merely a fact-of-life. To buttress this point, one only has to read the statement posted on Facebook by the US embassy in Beirut: “US Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly strongly condemns today’s reported bombing in the southern suburbs of Beirut between the neighborhoods of Bir al-Abed and al-Ruwais. She extends the United States’ deepest condolences for the loss of innocent lives. Ambassador Connelly reaffirms the United States’ condemnation in the strongest terms of any violence in Lebanon and calls for all parties to exercise calm and restraint.”

Lebanon: ‘Hariri provides the murderers with political cover’

by Ibrahim al-Amin, Al-Akhbar

Future Party leader Saad Hariri commented on Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah’s speech on Twitter, accusing the party oharirif defining who is a terrorist according to its own interests.

Hariri appears to be calling for a national conference in order to designate what constitutes terrorism and to come to a consensus on the mechanism to fight it. In effect, he’s telling those who are being killed and those who are murdering them to wait a little longer in order for everyone to come to a common understanding.

More dangerously, Hariri is sending a message to the Lebanese authorities – and particularly those over which Future has influence, like some of the Internal Security Forces (ISF) – not to accede to calls for combating terrorism, for the matter requires national consensus.

Not only does Hariri provide radical – groups with political cover, in addition to funding and arming them, he is now declaring that they cannot be touched. This is after Future’s MPs have established a record of incitement against the Lebanese army, going so far as to openly defend Ahmad al-Assir’s gang in Saida after they killed over a dozen soldiers.

Contrary to Hariri’s attempts to portray the – terrorist attacks as a legitimate part of the Syrian conflict and against Hezbollah’s involvement it, such groups have been active in Lebanon for over a decade now and are benefitting from the daily dose of sectarian incitement that Hariri’s team feeds its supporters on a daily basis.

It’s clear that Hariri no longer has any connection with this country.On the point of national consensus, we have to ask Hariri the following:

– Based on what consensus was he able to rob property owners in downtown Beirut to create a real estate monster called Solidere?

– What about the privatization of the mobile phone sector and the embezzlement of millions in funds intended for national reconstruction after the civil war?

– And who was it that accused Syria – and then Hezbollah – of assassinating Rafik Hariri, then establishing an international tribunal partly funded from the national treasury? Did he have national consensus to do all this?

– Do Hariri’s current attempts to carry out Saudi wishes to form a government without Hezbollah and get an extension for President Michel Suleiman have the blessings of the Lebanese people?

It’s clear that Hariri no longer has any connection with this country. His extended presence outside Lebanon has turned him into little more than a subordinate, fulfilling the commands of the Kingdom of Darkness and the West.

The Resistance, for its part, is obligated to defend its people – particularly in those areas where the state is virtually absent. This is not a matter of choice for them.

Lebanon: Nasrallah ready for Yaalon, Bandar war & resistance stronger than ever

(Dahyeh, Lebanon-file photo)

Nasrallah Ready for Yaalon, Bandar War

by Nahed Hter- Al-Akhbar, source

“I, myself, will go to fight in Syria,” Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated.

Thus, it is the primary field of the resistance as well as for the top of the resistors, [Sayyed] Hassan Nasrallah.
This means that for all the this way supporters, the victory in Syria is a victory over “Israel”.

For its part, “Israel” has the same view. Its War Minister, Moshe Yaalon, publicly informed the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, that “it is not allowed that the axis of evil, from Tehran to Damascus passing through Beirut, wins the ongoing war in Syria.”

In comparison, Riyadh become closer to Tel Aviv than to Washington, which fears, that Syria turns to a new Afghanistan. It is, therefore, still hesitant.
Amid all this, the US suffers a lack of realism in accepting the new international balance of powers while Bandar bin Sultan succeeded in formulating an approach that unites Saudi and “Israeli” interests, and which is based on the Afghanization the whole Middle East.

However, this doesn’t absolve the United States of responsibility for the war in our region. It rather refers to the facts that must be acknowledged by the moderates, seeking to cooperate with Washington to reach the regional solutions.
The Americans have only Bandar, who in return has the only means of sectarian explosives, slaughters, and attacks.
This comes as the US is unable to strike Iran, “Israel” is incapable of breaking Hizbullah, and the Syrian armed “opposition” is ineffective in face of the Syrian regime.

In response, the Saudi- “Israeli” Coalition can do nothing but to destroy all the region through sectarian wars. They further seek to exhaust the Iranians and isolate them from the field of vital alliances as well as to stop the escalating Russian rising.
The terrorist bombing in the Dahyieh is of course painful and dangerous.
However, what the Dahyieh and Lebanon witnessed is merely an extension to the same criminal war Bandar is waging today against the Iraqis and Syrians.
In the same context, he works on agitating the Takfiri terrorist instincts of killing the Shiites, Alawites, Christians and Druze as well as the “ignorant” Sunnis, who refuse to bow to the logic of sectarian “Jihad”.

Nasrallah’s response came so clear: to prevent sedition at the level of civilians, which the Saudi Arabia seeks to achieve.

Based on the principles of national partnership and humanity, Sayyed Nasrallah urged the political isolation of the Takfiris , and the confrontation of terrorism.
However, the core of his words was accepting the challenge of the war with Ya’alon and Bandar.

The “Israelis” will not pass in the south, and the Takfiris will not pass in the North.

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Sayyed Nasrallah from Aita al-Shaab:Resistance stronger than ever,has equipment and fighters

by Nour Rida, Al Ahed news

Hizbullah held a central festival to commemorate the 7th anniversary of the Divine Victory, in celebrating the triumph of the Islamic Resistance in 2006 which defeated the vicious aggression “Israel” launched against Lebanon back then.

Hizbullah Secretary General His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah appeared via video-link on a giant screen to deliver his speech on the occasion.

Addressing thousands of Lebanese who arrived at Aita al-Shaab town in South Lebanon, near Palestinian borders, who took part in the celebration, Sayyed Nasrallah thanked the people who arrived to Aita al-Shaab, amid such an atmosphere and circumstances, particularly in a town near the border with the usurping [Israeli] entity.

He expressed consolations to families of the martyrs and wished the injured soon recovery.

“We pray for the souls of the martyrs who were killed in the terrorist blast in the Dahiyeh to rest in peace, and wish the injured a soon recovery. We consolidate the families of the martyrs and all those who were harmed physically, emotionally and else. We highly appreciate the respect and patience of the Dahiyeh people, for bearing responsibility, being wise, and self-restrained,” His Eminence expressed.

On Thursday, a terrorist explosion rocked Roweis area of the southern Suburb of Beirut, resulting in the martyrdom of 25 citizens, the injury of around 300 others in addition to major damage in buildings and cars.

Thanking all those who supported the Resistance and showed consolidation, Sayyed Nasrallah vehemently condemned the malicious attack and countries that remained silent on such murder and terrorism, stating “We condemn the silence of some countries regarding the explosion and coming days will prove their possible support and involvement in it.”

Divine Victory Defeated “Israeli” Great Project

In the first part of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah tackled the July victory memory. He emphasized the importance of the ceremony location noting “We held the celebration in the town of Aita, which overlooks occupied Palestine and enjoys the same scent, the same atmosphere.”

The town of Aita, as expressed Sayyed Nasrallah, “stands as a symbol for all the towns in the south as well as the Dahiyeh. It is a symbol for all the towns that fought [the July 2006 aggression] for 33 days without withdrawing or being defeated. What happened in Aita during the July aggression represents the humane values and morals of the Resistance and its people.”

Recalling the August 14 2006 Victory, Sayyed Nasrallah accentuated “The divine victory defeated the great “Israeli” project, and was a school to be taught in military schools. Today, we assure our adherence to the Resistance until the liberation of the rest of our occupied land, and preserving its sovereignty, land and sea. We adhere to the golden formula [Army-Resistance-People] and assure our determination to protect our people and country.”

Sayyed Nasrallah reminded “During the war, we told the fighters in Aita they do not have to stay in the town as it is a bordering town [with Occupied Palestine] and no one would blame them for leaving it. But they refused and insisted on fighting until the last bullet and the last drop of blood.”

His Eminence went on to say “The Resistance today is stronger than ever, and has more equipment and fighters than ever. I tell “Israel” that the era of military tourism inside the Lebanese territory and its waters has ended and will never return. We will cut the legs and heads of “Israeli” soldiers who will enter our land.”

Sayyed Nasrallah proudly declared that the relation between the people and the Resistance is an emotional and moral relation.”

Takfiri Group Responsible for Attack, Members Identified

Regarding the Dahiyeh terrorist attack, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that as long as there is a side that refuses to surrender to the “Israeli” will and remains to resist, also embraces and supports the Resistance, it will remain to pay the price.

He pointed out “Targeting the Dahiyeh and the supporters of the resistance is not something new,” adding “The goal of the Roweis explosion was to kill civilians, it did not target a certain Hizbullah cadre, official, center or institution.”

The Resistance leader assured the assailant wanted to cause a major loss of lives among the civilians, with a bomb that weighs more than even 100 kilograms. Hizbullah Secretary General guaranteed the state as well as the Resistance will support the civilians who were harmed by the attack.

Moreover, Sayyed Nasrallah stated that during the past months, rockets were launched towards the Hermel, Baalbeck and al-Nabi Sheet regions [in the Bekaa region] and it is known who is behind these attacks. “Also, bombings also took place in Hermel, and rockets were launched towards Dahieh, the Yarze region and the last attack was yesterday’s explosion. It is an armed group of Syria’s opposition,” he said.

Sayyed Nasrallah continued “The bombs targeted us in Hermel and Majdel Anjar, also rockets were launched against Dahiyeh and yesterday there was an explosion. Clearly the people are the target, but what did we do? We didn’t have any hasty reaction or accuse anyone.”

The Resistance leader underscored “You will not find anyone who loves the people of the Resistance more than Hizbullah.”

Takfiri Groups Have No Religion, Beware Sectarian Strife

Sayyed Nasrallah said there are two theories on the party behind the explosion: First one is “Israel” and the second is terrorist and takfiri groups. But there is a third hypothesis which stipulates that another group has interfered to escalate tension with “Israel” and to provoke internal strife.”

Launching an accusation based on information collected by the army’s intelligence and Hizbullah, Sayyed Nasrallah said “One member of the group responsible for the explosion in Hermel’s Majdal Anjar was arrested, and he revealed the names of the other members of the group and those who manage and finance them are very well known.”

Furthermore, he believed that those who targeted Dahiyeh with rockets and planted the bomb in Bir al-Abed have become renowned.

“Those are not spies for “Israel”, so far this has not been proved yet. What is proven for sure is that they belong to distinct Takfiri groups.”

More on the issue, Sayyed Nasrallah uncovered that “The takfiri and terrorist groups work for “Israel”, and that those who think the takfiri groups will only target Shiite areas are mistaken.”

“Those groups target Sunnis, Shiites and Christians. They send suicide attackers to Sunni mosques and to churches also. If these attacks continue, Lebanon will be on the edge of the abyss,” His Eminence warned.

Sayyed Nasrallah stressed that people are required to cooperate with the State apparatuses in order to stop these incidents. He declared that the state needs to work in two stages: Take precautionary measures [which are not enough] and more importantly work to reveal, arrest, and get rid of the groups that are committing these attacks.

According to Sayyed Nasrallah, those behind the attacks are not Sunnis. Those people are takfiris who have no religion and are murderers.

On this note, Sayyed Nasrallah warned that the people, especially who were affected on Thursday by the explosion, are requested to refrain from emotional and uncalculated reactions. “You must prevent dragging Lebanon into a civil war and stop sectarian incitement. The conflict should remain politically-oriented and should not become sectarian.”

His Eminence assured that the takfiris have a destructive project for the region, as their sole plan is to kill with no differentiation between sects.

“Killings and explosions will not affect our will-power and we will not fall in the strife trap. We are not a substitute for the state in defense or security, but if the state does not get you, we will.”

Sayyed Nasrallah added “If you are punishing Hizbullah for its interference in Syria I will tell you that Takfiri groups are far more evil towards the Syrian people, not only the supporters of the regime but also the opponents.”

Hence, on the Syrian level, Sayyed Nasrallah explained “We entered specific regions in Syria and when we fight, we fight with our values. We did not kill prisoners or civilians. Some of our fighters were martyred because we were avoiding killing civilians. On the contrary, the takfri groups kill and execute civilians and commit massacres.”

“We only fought against Takfiri groups,” Sayyed Nasrallah iterated.

Addressing the media role, Sayyed Nasrallah questioned the low standards adopted by Arab media such as al-Arabiya and al-Jazeera, as these fabricate and report false news.

Additionally, Sayyed Nasrallah declared “You idiots, you should read our 30-year experience with “Israel” well. If we want to respond to the Dahiyeh explosion, we would double the number of fighters in Syria, from 1000 to 2000, and if they were 5000 they would become 10,000. If one day came and required that Hizbullah and I go to Syria we will do so.”

Sayyed Nasrallah further said “No one should assume he would win a war if he starts it against us. We determine the battle, and just like we won all wars against “Israel”, I tell you all that we will triumph in our battle against terrorist takfirsm. True it is that the battle will be costly, but less costly than we be slaughtered like ewes and await the coming of murderers into our own homes.”

Lebanon: More than 21 martyrs, 336 wounded in Dahieh’s terrorist explosion

(Dahiyeh, Lebanon, 15-8-2013)

21 Martyrs, 336 Wounded in Dahieh’s Terrorist Explosion

Al Manar

Lebanese Minister of Health, Ali Hasan Khalil, said the final death toll from the terrorist attack which hit Rouwais – Bir Al-Abed road in the Southern Suburb of Beirut was 21 martyrs and 336 wounded.

For his part, Lebanese President, Michel Suleiman, called for a meeting for the Supreme Defense Council to be held at 10:30 am (Lebanese time) in the Presidential Palance in Baabda.

In the same context, PM Najib Miqati announced that Friday is a day of mourning over the martyrs who fell in the criminal blast, as work would stop from 10:00 am to 11:00 am in the morning.

He further called for five minutes of standing at 11:00 am, as an expression of mourning and condemnation to this crime and rejection to terrorists and terrorism.

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The People of the Resistance: An Unbreakable Will

by Fatima Salameh, Al Ahed news

Beirut’s Southern Suburbs Regain Stamina, its people fearless

Here the resistance’s people lies, addicted to the smell of dignity and pride. Here the Dahyieh people lies, filled with unbreakable determination and will. They are the most honorable of people that do not fear explosions nor terrorism. They are the sons of the Dahyieh, Mother of Life.

Beirut’s Southern Suburbs, also known as Dahyieh, was targeted on Thursday in parallel to the anniversary of the divine victory of the July war in 2006. However, the terrorists’ aim was foiled by the lively hearts that beat for the resistance and its leader. Here, in Dahyieh, life once again regained its health.

“Kill us, for our people will be more conscious”. These words uttered by the Leader of the Resistance years ago embedded in the spirit of this dynamic people. These words have become a school for all those who favor dignity over submission.

The impact of the blast that rocked the Roweiss district in the Dahyieh could never strike the faith and persistence of the people of dignity, for the blast only made them more committed to the resistance’s path.

A woman nicknamed Um Hassan quietly went to buy her groceries. This woman, who witnessed the moments of the explosion, stressed that the incident will not drift us from the resistance’s path, but rather makes us love it more.

“We are a people who brought victory, and we will not remain passive and wait for death. If dying in dignity is inevitable, then we welcome it. Our lives will go on,” she said.

“Every time you destroy, we will make the Dahyieh better than before,” Um Hassan proudly added.

Blood from the young Ayman Mohsen still showed in his shop near the site of the explosion, but he said, “We will not give up on the resistance to the last drop of blood.”

He further told al-Ahed News website of the force of the explosion that targeted the Dahyieh on Thursday, reiterating, “This aims at delivering a bloody message to turn the resistance’s people on its leader, but never will that happen.”

Um Ali, a woman in her sixties, stood in front of her damaged house in the explosion site, and said, “No matter how much they destroyed, we are here.”

“We will not fall and nothing will affect our support to the resistance. The leader of the resistance His Eminence Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah alone protects us,” she added.

“Our will is strong and firm. Some Arabs send us weapons so we fight each other, but we are strong. Hizbullah’s men defend the nation before they defend the South because we are all brothers,” Um Ali reiterated. “We demand the government to face all terrorists and control the borders.”

In the first floor of a building near the explosion site is Dr. Ahmad Safieddine’s dental clinic, who expressed his high spirit.

“We are used to destruction and killing, but we quickly shake off attacks and come back,” Dr. Safieddine stated.

“They want to sow strife and turn us on the resistance that protects us, but we have nothing but love for it,” he added.

As for the other building adjacent to the explosion site, a woman in her fifties that goes by the name of Um Youssef and her family come over and tell us what happened with her.

She highlighted that “our spirits are high and our will is strong. The Dahyieh will remain victorious over all the tyrants of the world.”

“I survived here in the July war despite the destruction and bombing. We are a nation that does not fear terrorism,” Um Youssef said.

In the second floor of the same building, Hajj Hussein recounted the moments of the explosion.

He questioned what guilt the children committed to deserve this explosion.
“My children were playing in the house,” he said.

The Dahyieh today was a landmark for visitors from every corner. Um Ali came to the capital of resistance although she is not from its residents.

“I came in solidarity with the people of this blessed place and its people,” Um Ali commented.

Indeed, these people proved yet again that they will stay in Dahyieh with their hearts beating with the love of the resistance and the slogan “Death to us is a habit, and our reward is martyrdom.”

Hezbollah’s ‘military wing’ listed as a ‘terrorist’ organization by EU: Canada plays major role

by Yves Engler, source

The one-sided extremism of the Conservative government’s support for Israel just keeps growing.

The latest example is Ottawa helping convince the European Union to list Hezbollah’s military wing as a “terrorist” organization. After that decision was taken, Foreign Minister John Baird declared, “We are thrilled that the European Union unanimously has agreed to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. We’ve been pushing for this.”

The National Post detailed Canada’s behind the scenes effort to get the EU to list Hezbollah as a “terrorist” organization. Despite opposition from the Lebanese government, a Foreign Affairs official told the paper that this was “a clear priority that was set out by the minister.” Canadian diplomats held bilateral talks with various European countries and also pushed for Hezbollah to be listed at numerous multilateral meetings. At both a recent United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime meeting and a UN conference on radicalization in Europe, Canadian officials pressed key EU officials to define Hezbollah as a “terrorist” group.

Canadian law enforcement and security officials were also part of the lobbying effort. Reportedly, they’ve been feeding their European counterparts information about the supposed threat Hezbollah poses to both Canada and Europe.

The Conservatives push to get the EU to list Hezbollah was given a boost when six Israelis were killed in Bulgaria last July. Within hours of the bus bombing Israel claimed Hezbollah was responsible, yet more than a year later it’s still unclear exactly who committed this crime.

With a Canadian passport holder allegedly implicated in the bombing, Ottawa jumped at the opportunity to get involved in the investigation. Presumably, Canadian investigators shared information with their Bulgarian counterparts designed to steer them towards the conclusion that Hezbollah was responsible.

In response to the EU listing Hezbollah’ s military wing as a terrorist group its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said:

Why are you not defining the State of Israel as a terrorist organization, why do not you define the military wing of Israel, ie. The IDF, as a terrorist organization, while you Europeans recognize that Israel occupies Arab land and has not implemented international resolutions for decades. The whole world is witness to the Israeli massacres.

Nasrallah raises an important point that Canadian foreign affairs professionals must be familiar with. It’s a simple fact that the IDF and other branches of the Israeli government have killed far more civilians than the military wing of Hezbollah.

The Israeli military and its allies in Lebanon alone have killed thousands of civilians. In fact, Hezbollah was created in large part to fight the Israeli occupation of that country. Israel has also conducted scores of targeted assassinations (Google “list of Israel assassinations”) in many countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Certainly Canadian foreign affairs officials must remember Gerald Bull, a Canadian engineer and designer of the “supergun” who was shot dead, allegedly by the Mossad, outside his residence in Belgium. And what about members of the current Israeli government who support illegal settlers and their killing of dozens of Palestinian civilians?

But apparently none of this “terrorism” bothers Stephen Harper’s government. The Conservatives are either ignorant or relish their hypocrisy.

Allowed to support the IDF (it’s even subsidized), Canadians can go to jail for sending money to a group operating a school or medical clinic in Lebanon “directly or indirectly” associated with Hezbollah, which comprises an important part of the Lebanese governmental and social service structure.

Dozens of Canadian companies sell to the Israeli army and many groups with charitable status promote the IDF. The Canadian Jewish News is full of advertisements for such groups: “Express your Zionism by serving as a civilian volunteer on an Israeli army supply base”, reads one ad while another calls itself “[the Libi Fund] For Strengthening Israel’s Defense.” Established in 1971 the Association for the Soldiers of Israel in Canada (ASI) provides financial and moral support to active duty soldiers. A June 2009 Canadian Jewish News ad explained “the Association for the soldiers of Israel invites you to show your support for the brave youth of the IDF at our gala dinner.”

Prominent Toronto couple Heather Reisman and Gerry Schwartz, who own or control more than two thirds of Chapters/Indigo/Coles bookstores, created the “Heseg Foundation for Lone Soldiers”. Reisman and Schwartz provide up to $3 million per year for post-military scholarships to individuals without family in Israel who join the IDF. After completing their military service these non-Israeli “lone soldiers” gain access to this scholarship money. For the IDF high command — the Heseg Board has included a number of generals and a former head of Mossad — “lone soldiers” are of value beyond their military capacities. Foreigners volunteering to fight for Israel are a powerful symbol to pressure Israelis weary of IDF behaviour. Schwartz and Reisman’s support for Heseg has spurred a campaign to boycott Chapters/Indigo/ Coles, which controls 70% of Canada’s retail book trade.

The Harper government is plowing full steam ahead with its support for Israel. Double standards and morality be damned.

S. Nasrallah: Resistance awake day and night, time to reveal facts of July War

Al Manar

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah revealed Wednesday that the two explosive devices which were detonated against the Zionist military force invading Lebanon in the Labbouneh southern town of Lebanon were of “deliberate operation.”

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah“The two bombed IEDs were new. They were not landmines of the Israeli army remains. The first has been exploded against the Special Israeli force. When the second force intervened, the second IED has been exploded,” Sayyed Nasrallah said.

“The second force has been fell and hit directly,” he stressed, noting that “the Israeli tried to undermine the incident, as well as some Lebanese. The story says that two Israeli divisions entered the Lebanese territory of Labbouneh. This area is in particular under the surveillance of the Resistance fighters and we had previous information stating that the Israelis will pass through it. Therefore, we planted IEDs and exploded them once they (the Zionist soldiers) came.”

During an exclusive interview with Al-Mayadeen TV Network broadcast live on Al-Manar Channel, in which he unfolded important facts of July war 2006 the Zionist entity launched on Lebanon, Sayyed Nasrallah pointed out that “Labbouneh violation by the Israeli occupation army was not the first. It is funny that after 65 years of experience with the Israelis, someone in Lebanon requests from the United Nations to deter Israeli.”

Hezbollah Secretary General declared that “We started recently to feel operational Israeli violations on the border, which might be targeting the Resistance and the people. The Labbouneh operation will not be the last, and we will not tolerate any land violations of our land. We will face them with the proper way at any time we know that the Israeli has entered our land. We will not accept those land violations. We will face the Israeli in any place he steps inside Lebanon. We won’t allow them to enter.”

Fielding a question on “the silence of the Lebanese political ranks regarding the Zionist breaching of borders and UN resolution 1701, his eminence indicated that “it is not surprising, since some forces in Lebanon do not consider Israel an enemy,” describing the Lebanese President Michel Sleiman’s demand to file a complaint to the United Nations as “weak position.”

“We agree that the International community equalizes between the victim and the executioner and to condemn Israel and us. It is our right not to keep silent after any violation of our land, and those Israeli violations are operational and have operational targets which cannot be tolerated, he explained, stating that “the Israeli was surprised by the amount of leaked information, as it was clear.”

Sayyed Nasrallah highlighted that “they won’t “leave us alone” as long as the Resistance is holding on to the central cause of Ummah and committed to protect Lebanon and defend its sovereignty. The greatest problem of the US and the West, even of great part of the Arab regimes – with us is that we are Resistance movement in particular. The problem is not related to domestic affairs.”

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah; August 14, 2013

He also revealed that “they were always offering to keep us armed in exchange for presenting a commitment – even if implicitly – to stay out of the Palestinian cause and the confrontation with the Israeli ambitions. The mediators were the US, the UK, France and others.”

Sayyed Nasrallah made it clear that the former vice-President of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, presented a great offer to us through an American man of Lebanese descent which provides for recognizing us internationally, keeping weapons in our possession and delisting Hezbollah from the list of terror, under the condition that we give a verbal commitment in a closed room. We rejected that. We can’t dive anyone such a commitment.”

“What is the value of those weapons if they weren’t for defending a cause and a country?” he asked.

“When we chose this path, we agreed upon it unanimously and offered the elite of our martyrs. Therefore, this matter is non-negotiable. The real problem they consider is that we are Resistance and we determined to remain Resistance. It is a matter of faith and principle,” Sayyed Nasrallah went on to say.

July War Facts: Revealed for the First Time

Moreover, the Lebanese head of Resistance recalled that “After May 25, 2000, people celebrated the liberation achievement. And since the second day (i.e. May 26, 2000), we believed that we should get prepared for a war Israeli might launch against Lebanon,” noting that the Zionists agree that the Lebanese Resistance inflicted them a historic and strategic defeat in 2000, and that the Zionists suffer a historic retaliation towards Resistance in Lebanon.

Regarding the kidnapping operation on July 12, 2006, later dubbed “The Truthful Pledge”, Sayyed Nasrallah stated that “Upon kidnapping the two Israeli soldiers, we were ready for any kind of war. We were waiting for it and believing it had been delayed. The Resistance was neither confused nor worried, but had clear strategy battle, because it had been prepared deliberately.”

“During the 2006 July war, our main objective was to inflict the enemy the most possible amount of casualties. In some fields, we left this evaluation for brothers, who decided to steadfast till the last drop of their blood in Maroun al-Ras. However, In Aita Ash-Sha’b, there were a large number of brothers with whom we had lost contact and thought they had been martyred. When we knew they were still alive, Hajj Imad Moughnieh talked to me and I told him “not to oblige them to stay in place to fight. But the brothers made up their minds to survive there till the last minute,” he narrated.

“While in Bent Jbeil, the decision was to remain and fight till the end, and to prevent the Israeli from entering the town,” his eminence went on to say, reiterating that Hezbollah was preparing itself for several-month long war at least.

Moreover, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the rockets launched by Resistance the July war were of a little number regarding what we were possessing. From a field capability point of view, we were able to fire large number of rockets, but we were considering a long war which we didn’t want to end just because our stock might become out of rockets,” adding that effective communication between the central operation room and the subordinate operation rooms in towns and regions was one of the elements of power.

His eminence elaborated that during the war “a number of spy agents had been arrested and handed over to the Lebanese security agencies,” noting that one points of the Israeli failure in July war related to the information weakness, i.e. when the Zionists carried out a military landing at Dar al-Hikma hospital in Baalbeck.

“I assure you that the two Israeli hostages hadn’t been taken to Baalbeck, thus the Israeli givens were wrong,” he told the interviewer, Ghassan Bin Jeddo.

Sayyed Nasrallah expressed beliefs that Beirut had been safeguarded through Resistance and not by the political decision:

“The Israeli does not care about any political pressure. Thus we put the “Dahiyeh for Tel Aviv” equation. We had the ability then to bomb Tel Aviv. If the Israeli had continued the war in the same way, we would have destroyed hundreds of tanks.”

Syria Offered Unlimited Weapons Stockpile for Hezbollah

Ghassan Bin Jeddo, head of Al-Mayadeen TV Network, interviewing Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah; August 14, 2013Turning to Hezbollah arsenal during 2006 war, Sayyed Nasrallah stressed: “We were assured that any Israeli tank, which would be facing the Kornet missiles, would be destroyed. Striking the Israeli warship was one of the surprises which we prepared for the Israelis. Hitting it during July war was a very complicated process.”

“It was possible then that I finished my telephone message before launching the rocket at the warship,” he added.

Answering a question on the destroyed building in Dahiyeh during the war, his eminence said that many of those were not rooming Hezbollah centers or leaders, but the random destruction might hurt us. The logic says that we, as Hezbollah leaders, not to gather in one place.”

The Secretary General made it clear that Hezbollah had received weapons directly from Syria before and during the July war, pointing out that “a great part of the Resistance readiness in Lebanon was depending on the arms coming from Syria.”

“Many of the weapons we used were Syrian-made. Since the beginning of July war, the Syrian army warehouse was open for the Lebanese Resistance.”

“We received our Kornet from Syria. We took more weapons for spare assuming that the war will drag on,” he added.

Sayyed Nasrallah also revealed that President Bashar al-Assad had expressed his readiness to get involved in the war against the Zionist entity.

“He (President Assad) was believing that the attack is regional and international against the Resistance, along with an internal conspiracy, and that had the Resistance been eliminated, the battle will drag to Syria,” the Sayyed said, explaining that the Zionist units were supposed to continue their path from Hassbaya towards al-Masna’ and Damascus, where the Syrian leadership was considering the deployment of a Syrian force to Hassbaya to fight the Zionist units.

“I told Assad then that our position is excellent and we are heading towards the victory, and that the Israelis will fail in achieving their goals. I’m not worried and I don’t think that Damascus is in danger. Therefore, I call for patience. We don’t want a regional war to be erupted in our region and we are able to win in this battle,” his eminence said.

“We didn’t receive weapons from Iran during the July war because we didn’t need them,” he declared.

Post July War Negotiations

Turning on to the negotiations that took place after the July war, Sayyed Nasrallah said:
“I wouldn’t authorize Fuad al-Siniora because he wasn’t trustworthy in this issue, and the battle of political negotiation took place against Siniora and his political bloc before taking place against the American and the European actors. If we had given them our necks, they would have beheaded us.”

Fielding a question on disarming the Resistance, his eminence stated that the main focus was on Resistance arms and that the main concern of March 14 bloc is to get rid of those weapons, underlying that “March 14 stance was clear during the July war, but when we entered the government, the Prime Minister and his allies adopted the goals of others that were prevailing during the war.

Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah; August 14, 2013“During the July war, this bloc had called us and demanded many conditions including the disarmament the approval on a multinational force to be deployed along the borders with Palestine and Syria, in addition to handing the two hostages over. But we rejected that,” Sayyed Nasrallah further elaborated.

“We didn’t feel during the war that we have a Premier or another political party that has even a humanitarian sympathy towards us,” he went on to say, adding that: “Siniora was the one who postponed the solution at the last days of the war. The government should file its decision of approval on 1701, but this had been delayed for two or three days.”

“There were Arab countries involved in the July war, and March 14 bloc was employing it to eliminate the Resistance. For this reason it kept on with this project, and still keeping on with it. I we had a loyal government, we would ended the war under Lebanon’s conditions, but the political battle was from the inside,” Sayyed Nasrallah continued.

As for Hezbollah main ally, the Free Patriotic movement, the Secretary General said that he wasn’t surprised by the stance of its leader, MP Gen. Michel Aoun, because both were tackling the same issues prior to July war.

“Gen. Aoun stance was historic. He had made up his choices alone,” the Sayyed said.

No Government to Be Formed without Hezbollah

Touching to the new Lebanese cabinet, Sayyed Nasrallah unfolded that when PM-designate Tammam Salam was appointed to form the government, he set conditions or conditions were set against him.

“He (Salam) said: I don’t want partisans, parliamentarian candidates or provocative figures, and that he wants rotation in portfolios. This means that doesn’t want to form a cabinet. All what we have said is that we want a national unity government in which all parliamentary blocs are represented according to its masses,” Sayyed Nasrallah made clear.

He also gave notice that the Americans and the Saudis don’t want Hezbollah to join the government, and don’t want the bloc – which we are part of – to enjoy a real partnership in the government.

He also gave notice that the Americans and the Saudis don’t want Hezbollah to join the government, and don’t want the bloc – which we are part of – to enjoy a real partnership in the government.

Talks on Neutral Government Hypocrisy

Nevertheless, Sayyed Nasrallah lashed out at talks on forming a neutral government, asking: “Where the neutrals in Lebanon are?”

“There is none,” he replied, adding that “a technocrat and neutral candidate does not exist in Lebanon. Talking about a government of neutrals is hypocrisy. The country’s situation requires a real national unity government. Hence we are still supporting Salam as a Prime Minister.”

Commenting on the Lebanese President Michel Sleiman quotes stating that a one-party cabinet was formed previously without any problems, his eminence said that this view is mistaken.

“When care taker Prime Minister was designated to form the cabinet, the majority who named him approved on the participation of the other party. Mikati then took his time to negotiate,” he explained.

“They will be sinning against this country if they form a fait accompli government, for they will be cancelling the half of the state,” Sayyed Nasrallah said, noting that “Our allies will not participate without us, and we will not do so without them.”

Answering a question whether he expects that Sleiman will ink a fait accompli cabinet, his eminence expressed beliefs that the former might do it, particularly after his latest speeches.

As for accusing Hezbollah of launching the rocket attack on Al-Yarzeh in retaliation against Sleiman’s position, the Sayyed described it as “ridiculous,” indicating that Saudi Arabia practices hostility against Hezbollah in everything.

In the meantime, Hezbollah Secretary General stressed that “Hezbollah hasn’t kidnapped the two Turkish pilots, and had no idea about the operation.

“Hezbollah does not accept it,” he said.

His eminence also underlined that “Hezbollah has nothing to do with releasing prisoners from Egypt jails.

“Today, we are very sorry for what is happening in Egypt and are concerned about it. We always hope that things will get resolved through dialogue and understanding,” Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah said.

Secretary General of Hezbollah didn’t forget to praise the people of Resistance for being one of its victory factors.

“If it weren’t for their sacrifices, the resistance wouldn’t keep on.”

At the end of the interview, His eminence reminded the foe, and the friend as well, that time of defeats has gone despite all the ongoing events in the region.

“This period will be crossed safely,” he said.

“Despite everything, I confirm that the Resistance is stronger than ever, and stronger than it was during the 33-day war,” leader of the Lebanese Resistance of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, concluded.

Lebanon-Labbouneh: A tactical operation with strategic goals

by Nasser Charara – Al-Akhbar newspaper, source

The fresh “Israeli” breach in the region of Labbouneh, in terms of the size and category of the partaking units, raised many questions about its goals, which are still as yet concealed. But what is in no doubt, is that it was a tactical operation with strategic goals, considering the aforementioned givens.

Reports set by concerned parties indicate that the “Israeli” military force that partook in the Labbouneh operation included an entire squad, comprising nearly a hundred soldiers. This enemy force is affiliated with the “Sayeret Mitkal” unit, which directly receive commands from the Prime Minister and the Chief of Staff. Its real name is Unit 269 or the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit that is responsible of special operations, like the elimination of Palestinian leader Khalil Wazir, AKA Abu Jihad. Information state that this squad is executing special operations in Syria, especially in tracking the Syrian chemical arsenal and quality weapons’ transferring operations.

The structure of the squadron which participated in the overall logistic operation is known in the military science as a “reinforced squadron.”

Indeed, the speedy mobilization of a support unit as bombs exploded in Labbouneh was quite remarkable.
The operation raised question about whether it included clashes between the Resistance and the “Israeli” soldiers or not; in fact, information confirmed that one of the two parties has fired nearly one hundred cartridges. Information also said it was likely that the enemy soldiers were behind the gunfire to secure the retreat of the violators, noting that nobody announced any fire.

Usually, it is the Resistance men who open fire first in similar cases, if they have the intention to catch “Israeli” soldiers. But the facts of the Labbouneh ambush were not sufficient to tell whether that was the case or not, even though it certainly entailed the “Israelis” to conclude that the Resistance is absolutely capable to do so if it wants to develop its targets during similar breaches.

The Region’s Characteristics

It is estimated that the ambush site in Labbouneh does not comply with the tactics of the Resistance, in terms of geography, to kick off a confrontation with the “Israeli” army. The nature of the widely stretched and flat prefecture makes it more suitable for the tactics of the “Israeli” army in its conflict with Hizbullah. Therefore, the importance of the military achievement scored by the Resistance in Labbouneh is almost limited to its capacity to make violators’ movement unsafe and hence to deprive the enemy from the chance to take advantage of the region’s military characteristic that is in its favor. And this is what exactly happened during Labbouneh ambush.

Moreover, the importance of this region for the enemy lies within “Israel’s” keen concern with it during Blue Line demarcation talks with Lebanon. At the time, “Israeli’ negotiators insisted for long on affiliating Labbnouneh with its borders’ scope, due to the region’s strategic operational salience, as it overlooks Tyre and Bass refugees’ camp from the north as well as UNIFIL’s key activity field. According to the “Israeli” army, Labbouneh is a region of defense guard.

Nonetheless, the goal the “Israeli” squadron got out to achieve in Labbouneh is still unearthed. Is it for reconnaissance, or for security reasons to hit a certain target? But this discretion cannot hide a very important truth that dealt “Israel” a blow: the secrets of the operation were previously known by the Resistance. Setting the ambush per se confirms that the Resistance knew about the operation since it was planned, and thus, it certainly knows the real goal behind it.

This goal is going to remain a secret for a long time in the hands of the Resistance, which alone would decide to keep it or uncover it amid the silent security war with “Israel.”

The Ambush and the Developments

Those concerned with the headway of developments between “Israel” and Hizbullah have remarks on Labbouneh operation, relevant to its upshot in the region, especially in Syria:

First of all, military-wise, the violation of the Blue Line by special “Israeli” units comes within a scope of operations the open military war between “Israel” and Hizbullah requires, entailing both parties on keeping to stage it, for reasons that are related to spying, information collect, and detection of preparations. It is within this frame that the planting of “Israeli’ spying devices in specific regions in South Lebanon comes. Besides, the Resistance does not always have the opportunity to catch enemy soldiers as planting the devices. It may not be farfetched that the Resistance is practicing the same without being discovered by the “Israeli” enemy.

Second, the implication of an entire squadron in Labbouneh operation makes the reconnaissance goal at best slim and hints an intention to aim at a special target. The question in what this target is.

The Resistance has the answer is sure, and it prefers to remain silent on it for the time being. But there are some related clarifications, on top of which “Israel’s” wish to sense the nerve of the Resistance’s readiness at a timing where it is preoccupied in a war in Syria, which makes it unable to show utmost vigilance on two fronts.

This kind of questions leads to define Labbouneh operation as an “‘Israeli’ tactical movement with major strategic goals.” This explains the nature of the confrontation the Resistance has designed against the enemy; the Resistance has actually proven vigilance in Syria and shown that its performance remains unanticipated for the enemy. Here lies a message for those seeking to change the content of the dialogue table in terms of the national defense strategy, considering the change of circumstances around us and in the country.

Nothing has changed, that is the message of the ambush indeed.

Turkey opposition blames Erdogan for abduction of pilots

Press TV

Turkey’s opposition parties have blamed Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the abduction of two Turkish pilots in Lebanon, Press TV reports.

“It was a policy of Turkey to have no problems with its neighbors, now we have a problem with Iraq, Iran, Syria and Lebanon. There is a serious problem with our foreign policy,” said opposition lawmaker, Faruk Bal.

On August 9, gunmen kidnapped the pilots in a pre-dawn ambush on a bus carrying members of a Turkish Airlines crew from Beirut airport to Beirut’s Radisson Martinez Hotel.

There are speculations that the abduction could be linked to the case of nine Lebanese – pilgrims who were kidnapped in Syria’s Aleppo in May 2012. Some of those pilgrims have been released, but most are still held captive.

Following the abduction, Turkish Foreign Ministry said, “Given the current situation, it is vital that our citizens avoid all travel to Lebanon.”

“We suggest that citizens who are still in Lebanon return to Turkey if they can, or if they have to remain, to take all measures to ensure their personal safety and be vigilant,” it added.

The ministry stated that Ankara expected the Lebanese government to take “all necessary measures” to ensure the safety of Turkish citizens in the country.

Turkey, along with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has been supporting militants fighting to topple the Syrian government since the Arab country plunged into unrest in March 2011…

Israeli troops set ablaze Oak forests in South Lebanon

(Lebanon)

Al Manar

Zionist soldiers have set ablaze the oak forests in the Lebanese southern town of Hulla on Wednesday, Al-Manar Website correspondent reported.

The unit was deploying in the Abbad checkpoint on the border between Lebanon and Palestine.

Al-Manar correspondent stated that an occupation military unit were on a security mission in the Lebanese territories at dawn on Wednesday, when an IED exploded near the Labbouneh road, around 500 meters away from the blue line.

Israeli patrol violates Lebanese border at Naqoura: 4 IOF soldiers injured

Al Manar

Four Israeli soldiers were injured in an explosion during the night after they violated the Lebanese border at the southern town of Naqoura.Lebanese army soldiers inspecting the explosion site

Al-Manar correspondent reported that the occupation soldiers were on a security mission in the Lebanese territories when an IED exploded near the Labbouneh road, around 500 meters away from the blue line.

Our correspondent quoted a security source as saying that it’s not the first time in which the Israeli soldiers violate the border and go on this road.
The source added that when UNIFIL forces asked an Israeli officer about the explosion he said there were “fireworks”.

Blood seen at the site of the explosionThe correspondent added that the Israeli enemy didn’t fire a single shot after the explosion. However the soldiers only turned on their flashlights, in an indication that the occupation troops were on a security mission.

For its part the Lebanese army command reported the incident, saying “an Israeli patrol violated Lebanon’s sovereignty.”

“An infantry patrol of the Israeli army penetrated 400 meters inside Lebanon in the Labbouneh area at 00:24 local time,” the army said in a statement.

“An explosion took place and the soldiers were wounded, with blood found at the scene. A military committee has opened an investigation in coordination with UNIFIL,” the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, it said.

On the other hand, an Israeli army spokesman said the occupation troops “carrying out nocturnal activities in the Lebanese border area when the explosion occurred.Lebanese army soldiers inspecting the explosion site in Labbouneh

He did not specify the cause of the blast or say whether it was inside Lebanese or occupied territories, adding that the wounded had been hospitalized.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned the incident during a visit to the south of occupied territories but gave no details.

“Our soldiers defend us and our borders, which is what they were doing last night. We will continue to react to defend Israel’s borders,” he was quoted by military radio as justifying the occupation troops’ breaching of the Lebanese border.