Hezbollah capitalizing on lack of unity among Lebanon’s Christians

Hizbullah Deputy Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem stressed that “Hizbullah is in full preparedness and capable of severely hurting Israel.”

Answering a question on whether the objective today is to corner March 14 Christians, Qassem said: “There is no need to corner March 14 Christians because they are cornering themselves with their own stances.” (more…)

Iran and Syria: United and ready for war

Syrian President Bashar Assad said Thursday that support for the resistance was a ‘moral and legal’ duty and expressed ’surprise’ at U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s call for Syria to distance itself from Iran.

“We thank them (the Americans) for their advice,” Assad said during a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Damascus. (more…)

Peres: No war with Lebanon

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Thursday ruled out war with the Lebanese-based resistance militia, stating “Hizbullah has changed from a religious movement into a military wing. It has changed from a Lebanese organization into an Iranian agent,” he said. (more…)

Israel working to surrender Ghajar to UNIFIL

Israel picked up negotiations over the future of the northern town of Ghajar on Tuesday with the new UNIFIL commander, Spanish Maj.-Gen Alberto Asarta Cuevas, following three rounds of talks over the matter with his predecessor, Italian Lt.-Gen Claudio Graziano, who left his post last month. According to a statement put out by the ministry, the negotiations centered on “civilian issues” that will need to be dealt with if Israel turns over the northern half of the village to UNIFIL. (more…)

Report: Israeli attack on Lebanon is imminent

A well-informed Lebanese source, who spoke on condition of anynomity, told As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri were reportedly informed during their trips abroad – referring to Sleiman’s trips to France and the US, and Hariri’s visit to Turkey– that Israel is planning to soon attack Lebanon.

The source said that France warned Hariri in 2006 before the July War that Israel was preparing to carry out a massive operation along Lebanon’s border. Hariri immediately conveyed the message to Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, added the source.

As-Sharq al-Awsat also cited other reports in the foreign media warning against an Israeli war on Lebanon. The new attack would be similar to the Gaza offensive when the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) launched a surprise attack and destroyed Palestinian police stations in the strip last year, said the source.

He added that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) would be Israel’s first target, especially since the LAF’s military bases’ locations are out in the open, unlike Hezbollah’s secret hideouts.

Meanwhile, Future bloc MP Ghazi Youssef told the daily that the Israeli threats are serious, adding that Tel Aviv wants to destabilize the region. “Israel’s goal is [to attack] Lebanon, not Hezbollah. The proof is that every time Lebanon has a real chance to prosper, an [Israeli] aggression [occurs]. Israel is exploiting the regional conflict with Iran,” adding that neither Hezbollah nor any other party should give Tel Aviv an excuse to launch a new war on Lebanon. (Now Lebanon)