[Marxism] Israeli army masses along Lebanon border

[Greg McDonald <sabocat59@xxxxxxx>]

Israeli army masses along Lebanon border


Global Research, January 15, 2009
Press TV - 2009-01-14

<http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=11806>

Israel deploys military units along the border with Lebanon amid  
growing concerns that the assault on Gaza was the onset of a multi- 
front war.

Nineteen days after the start of the Israeli offensive against the  
Gaza Strip, the Lebanese daily Al Safir reported Wednesday that  
southern Lebanon had witnessed the build-up of Israeli armored  
vehicles - tanks, military vessels and Apache helicopters - along the  
border.

"The Israeli army has mobilized its troops along the border from the  
western Lebanese village of Naqurah to the southern border village of  
Al Wazzani."

Citing military officials from Lebanon, the daily added that Israeli  
forces had also fired flares into the Lebanese territory.

While the report adds that the Lebanese army is on high alert,  
informed sources told Press TV's correspondent in Beirut that  
Hezbollah has also put its members on red alert.

Wednesday saw at least three rockets fired from the area of Habaniyeh  
in southern Lebanon into Israel. No casualties among the Israelis  
have been reported. Within minutes of the attack, Israel responded by  
firing eight rockets into southern Lebanon.

Following the rocket exchange, Israel sent telephone warnings to  
residents of southern Lebanon threatening to start a second front.

"People of Lebanon, launching rockets from southern Lebanon against  
innocents in northern Israel harms your own interests," one of the  
warnings said, according to AFP.

Israel's prime minister warned last week that no one in the region  
should "get the wrong impression" over Israel's determination "on any  
front."

"We are not afraid of any confrontation or threat. We truly hope that  
no one will put us to the test," Ehud Olmert said in a speech  
broadcast on army radio.

On the opening days of the war on Gaza, Former US ambassador to the  
UN John Bolton said the Israeli offensive would ignite a multi-front  
war which could lead to a US attack on Iran.

"So while our focus obviously is on Gaza right now, this could turn  
out to be a much larger conflict," the hawkish US official told  
FOXNews, adding, "We're looking at potentially a multi-front war."

Amid widespread speculation that the conflict in the Palestinian  
territory could spill over to other parts of the Middle East, Bolton  
added that there is "the possibility of the use of military force  
possibly by the United States, possibly by Israel," on Iran after the  
current war.

However, after Israel launched the ground phase of its operation last  
Saturday, Nadim Shehadi, a Lebanese political analyst said "It looks  
like Israel has enough trouble as it is, and there is no way (Israel)  
can come out of this saying it was a success."

On December 25, two days before the start of the Israeli offensive  
against Gaza, Lebanese soldiers found and dismantled eight Katyusha  
rockets equipped with timers pointed south toward Israel.

Ever since the rocket incident, there has been an escalation of  
tensions on the border between Israel and Lebanon.

Lebanese president Michel Suleiman suggested Israel was responsible  
for the eight rockets found in southern Lebanon, saying that he fears  
"it is an Israeli attack to implicate Lebanon," according to the NOW  
Lebanon news website.

As the Palestinian casualties from Israel's Operation Cast Lead have  
topped 1,000 on day 19, Israel refuses to respond to international  
calls for a ceasefire.

Israeli Defense Minister ruled out the possibility of halting the  
ongoing offensive against the impoverished Strip on Tuesday.

Ehud Barak said "We heard yesterday, and respect, UN Secretary- 
general Ban Ki-moon's appeal, and we are closely following the  
progress on the Egyptian truce initiative, but the fighting goes on  
and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] continues to operate our troops."


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