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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Assad smuggling weapons to Hizbullah |
| 2006-08-01 |
| Kinda an intelligence update Three weeks into the war with Hizbullah, the IDF's intelligence picture is growing clearer, although at the same time darker. According to new intelligence obtained by the defense establishment, Syrian President Bashar Assad, alongside senior military officials, is directly involved in the attempts to smuggle weapons and rockets to Hizbullah in Lebanon. On Monday, Assad called on his army to increase readiness to cope with "regional challenges." In addition, the extent of Iran's intimate involvement in Hizbullah attacks is also starting to emerge. According to the defense establishment, the reason Hizbullah has not fired long-range Iranian-made Fajr missiles at Israel is due to Teheran's opposition. Israel now understands that without direct orders from the ayatollahs, Hizbullah is not allowed to use Iranian missiles in attacks against Israel. The IDF also believes that it seriously damaged the long-range rocket array in the first night of air strikes almost three weeks ago and impaired Hizbullah's ability to fire the rockets. Nevertheless, Hizbullah is still believed to have 10,000 short-range Katyusha rockets, after 1,500 were fired at Israel and another 1,500 were destroyed by the air force. The longer-range Zelzal missiles, manufactured by Iran and capable of reaching Tel Aviv, have also not been fired at Israel, and the IDF believes this is because it destroyed almost two-thirds of these in the Hizbullah arsenal. In addition, Israel has identified the bodies of 200 Hizbullah operatives killed in fighting, out of the organization's total number of fighters estimated to stand at 1,000. Hizbullah fighters were also found to be using special thermal suits that retained their body heat and curtailed IDF attempts to discover them at night. Alongside the regular Hizbullah fighters, the defense establishment has identified two senior officials in the organization who were killed in IAF missile strikes: Jihad Atayeh, head logistic officer for Hizbullah in southern Lebanon and one of the planners of the cross-border attack in 2000 during which three IDF soldiers were kidnapped; and Nur Shilhav, responsible for coordinating the smuggling of weapons from Syria into Lebanon. Iran is also believed to have a strong presence in Lebanon, including dozens of members of the Revolutionary Guard that are instructing the Hizbullah how to use advanced weaponry similar to the Iranian-supplied C-802 missile which hit a navy missile ship two weeks ago. A special Military Intelligence unit, consisting of six professional profilers, has been established to profile Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. According to the unit, Nasrallah is scared of a massive ground incursion, which he understands could destroy his infrastructure in southern Lebanon. The bottom line is that in contrast to public perception that Hizbullah was winning the war, the defense establishment believes that the group has been dealt a fatal blow and while it still had the ability to shoot Katyushas at Israel, firing a record 150 Sunday, the fact that on Monday the group only fired two rockets demonstrated Nasrallah's interest in reaching a cease-fire with Israel. |
| Posted by:Sherry |
| #17 So far Hezbollah has fired 3,500 Katyushas. The IAF and the artillery have destroyed 2,500 more. In toto, from 40 percent to 50 percent of Hezbollah's rocket capability has been destroyed. In addition, at least a third of its launchers has been destroyed. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-08-01 22:55 |
| #16 DEBKAfile reports: A fleet of helicopters drops large Israeli special forces Tuesday night at the Shiite village of Shraifa west of HizballahÂ’s E. Lebanon stronghold of Baalbek August 2, 2006, 12:44 AM (GMT+02:00) The HizballahÂ’s Beqaa commander Muhammad Yazbek is reported by DEBKAfileÂ’s exclusive sources as having converted the Dar al Hikmeh Hospital in the village into the headquarters for his staff. Israel troops who made for this target are engaged in heavy clashes around the building. Lebanese witnesses report an unprecedented number of Israeli warplanes over the Beqaa valley Tuesday night and aerial strikes against five Hizballah positions near Baalbek. From the Mediterranean, Israel naval artillery pounded Hizballah rocket sites on the Lebanese shore. DEBKAfileÂ’s senior military sources report Israel is going all out Tuesday night in an effort to finally overwhelm Hizballah on all fronts and generate conditions for the deployment of a multinational force |
| Posted by: Legolas 2006-08-01 21:56 |
| #15 What? No Captain Obvious graphic for this one? |
| Posted by: Scott R 2006-08-01 20:39 |
| #14 Assad sez, in a blustery quote-choice of macho MSM/koffi retorts; cites "regional challenges." Wish I could say with some assurance that Assad's bodily spray would make the desert bloom. (neck juice is MOST fertile). |
| Posted by: at 2006-08-01 20:32 |
| #13 "Assad smuggling weapons to Hizbullah" In separate news, Bears Shit in the Woods. |
| Posted by: Tibor 2006-08-01 18:37 |
| #12 From the Jerusalem Post article; Tuesday's airstrikes meant that two of the four border crossings [Syria-Lebanon] are now closed because of damage. Repeated airstrikes have made the main Beirut-Damascus highway impassable |
| Posted by: Tony (UK) 2006-08-01 18:34 |
| #11 Very interesting summary, Sherry. Where did you find it? I like your emphasis on Hizbullah fighters were also found to be using special thermal suits that retained their body heat and curtailed IDF attempts to discover them at night. While making Israeli efforts more difficult, a man could easily overheat in such a thing -- and fried brains don't think effectively. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2006-08-01 18:06 |
| #10 crap hyperlink no worky just go to the jerusalem post |
| Posted by: Legolas 2006-08-01 18:05 |
| #9 emerging details on bekaa valley ops |
| Posted by: Legolas 2006-08-01 18:05 |
| #8 Hey Sheik, I was wondering where you've been lately. How about a morale boosting visit to your front-line troops? |
| Posted by: Xbalanke 2006-08-01 17:59 |
| #7 Yes, I was wondering about my assets... er...what is going on in the Bekka valley. |
| Posted by: Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah 2006-08-01 17:57 |
| #6 Any news about what is happening in Bekaa? Land troops? |
| Posted by: Clerert Uneamp2772 2006-08-01 17:45 |
| #5 'Tis but a scratch! I'll bite you! (Black Knight after decapitation) |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2006-08-01 17:27 |
| #4 Lose the war but then demand the unconditional surrender of the victor. |
| Posted by: Odysseus 2006-08-01 17:12 |
| #3 several news outlets reporting israeli troops active in NE lebanon, possibly in bekaa valley area |
| Posted by: Legolas 2006-08-01 17:00 |
| #2 When an Arab declares victory, it's a sure sign they are losing. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2006-08-01 16:48 |
| #1 Ah, yes, a cease fire, but on his terms. After all, he declared victory on Saturday! |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-08-01 16:02 |