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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Israel uproots trees as Lebanon vows to hit back |
| 2010-08-05 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] Israeli troops on Wednesday uprooted trees along the border with Lebanon where deadly clashes had erupted the previous day when the Jewish state tried to carry out the same operation, an AFP correspondent witnessed. The troops were seen using a crane that reached over a fence in a disputed border area near the village of Adaysseh and uprooting trees that were then thrown inside Israeli territory. The same operation on Tuesday sparked a deadly border battle that killed two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist as well as a senior Israeli officer. The Israelis apparently proceeded with the operation as the trees blocked their view into Lebanon. Following reports that Israeli troops are redeploying along the border after deadly clashes, a Lebanese army spokesman earlier said that Lebanon stands ready to retaliate in the event of any new "aggression." "The answer will be the same in the event of any aggression along the border," the spokesman, who requested anonymity, said. "Any aggression against Lebanon will have serious consequences." "We have been told that they are going to try and uproot the tree again today," he said. The Israeli army radio reported that Israeli troops were redeploying to the site of the gunbattle along the Lebanese border. It said an important security cordon and armored vehicles were deployed around the site. In a diplomatic boost for Israel, the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) said Israeli soldiers were inside Israeli territory when the border clashes erupted. "UNIFIL established ... that the trees being cut by the Israeli army are located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side," said a statement quoting UNIFIL military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Naresh Bhatt. He was referring to a border line drawn by the United Nations between Israel and Lebanon after an Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. Israel claims its troops were fired upon while conducting maintenance work along the border on Tuesday, while Lebanon said its troops opened fire after an Israel patrol crossed the border fence. Both sides blamed each other for the skirmish which killed two Lebanese soldiers, a Lebanese journalist and a senior Israeli officer. The United States and the United Nations urged both sides to show restraint. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #7 Maybe Israel should just Arclight them. |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-05 21:38 |
| #6 Napalm |
| Posted by: rammer 2010-08-05 21:30 |
| #5 So removing trees is aggression? Posted by: gorb Gorb, anything that makes it harder for Lebanon to attack Israel is "aggression" by definition. The next "northern border" of Israel will be the Litani, if Lebanon doesn't curb Hezbollocks. Of course, Lebanon CAN'T, so it loses. Too bad, so sad. If there IS another Lebanon/Israel war, both Beirut and Damascus may end up glowing at night. I think the Israelis are getting tired of this sh$$. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2010-08-05 14:36 |
| #4 Lebanon stands ready to retaliate in the event of any new "aggression." So removing trees is aggression? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-08-05 10:38 |
| #3 Earth First is heart broken over the destruction of the trees. |
| Posted by: tipper 2010-08-05 06:50 |
| #2 "We demand a shruberry!" |
| Posted by: Spearong Prince of the Bunions9034 2010-08-05 00:53 |
| #1 Uh, uh, THE TUHWEE, THE TUHWEE [Tree]! Gut nuthin. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-08-05 00:24 |