Security officials say Syria, Iran rearming Hezbollah terror group
Pastor Dale Morgan
Security officials say Syria, Iran rearming Hezbollah terror group
Posted: November 5, 2007
News From iIsrael
TEL AVIV – The Lebanese Hezbollah militia, aided by Iran and Syria, has
acquired a small number of missiles capable of targeting Tel Aviv's
international airport, according to security sources.
The sources said recent speeches in which Hezbollah chief Hassan
Nasrallah repeatedly warned Israel of a "colossal surprise" were
references to his group's purported new capability of striking Israel's
main airport.
"If you the Zionists are thinking of attacking Lebanon ... I promise
great surprises that could alter the fate of the war and the region, G-d
willing," said Nasrallah in a September speech.
In a speech two months prior, Nasrallah claimed his group would release
a "colossal surprise" that would target Israel by land similar to a
surprise attack his group launched during confrontations in the summer
of 2006 when Hezbollah successfully used Chinese-made C-802 missiles to
strike Israel's navy. The Jewish state had failed to calibrate its sea
vessels' anti-missile systems, reportedly unaware Hezbollah possessed
the Chinese missiles.
Security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, didn't specify
the exact missile they said Hezbollah acquired that can target Tel
Aviv's airport. They said the missiles were passed to Hezbollah by Iran
through the Syria-Lebanese border.
The Lebanese Army and a contingent of several thousand international
troops were deployed in South Lebanon to specifically ensure against
Hezbollah's rearming, but Israel says neither the international forces
nor the Lebanese army are taking concrete measures to stop Hezbollah
from rearming. Additionally, no troops have deployed along the
Syria-Lebanese border, where most of Hezbollah's rearming reportedly
takes place.
A United Nations cease-fire imposed after the 34-days of confrontations
in July and August of 2006 banned weapons transfers and called on
Hezbollah to disarm.
Israel is not alone in pointing out Hezbollah's rearmament. Last week,
the U.N. released a report quoting Israeli officials stating Hezbollah
acquired new long-range rockets capable of hitting Tel Aviv and tripled
their arsenal of land-to-sea missiles since last summer's war.
The U.N. report did not state Hezbollah acquired missiles that can
target Tel Aviv's airport, only rockets, which cannot be calibrated to
target a specific area.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called Hezbollah's purported rearming
a cause for great concern.
"Israel has stated that the nature and number of weapons in Hezbollah's
control constitutes a strategic threat to its security and the safety of
its citizens," he said.
The U.N. report said Hezbollah's long-range rocket force is stationed in
areas north of the Litani River, above the area at which international
forces are deployed, and that most of the new rockets, including
hundreds of Zilzal and Fajr rockets, have a range of 155 miles,
"enabling them to reach Tel Aviv and points further south," the report said.
"Israel also claims that Hezbollah has tripled its shore-to-sea C-802
missiles and have established an air-defense unit armed with
ground-to-air missiles," Ban said.
While Israel did not provided the U.N. with specific intelligence due to
the sensitivity of the sources, Ban said last week several speeches by
Nasrallah the past few months "seem to confirm these Israeli claims."