Saturday 28 August 2010

US Advisor Says Israel Can Destroy Lebanon Army within 4 Hours: Al-Liwa’a


27/08/2010 A senior advisor to US special envoy to the Middle East George Mitchell has threatened Lebanese army commander, Jean Qahwaji that should his army initiate additional fire exchanges with Israel, the Israeli occupation army would annihilate his military within four hours, Lebanese newspaper al-Liwa’a reported Friday.

According to the report, Frederick Hof spoke to Qahwaji on August 9, following the deadly border skirmish between Israel and Lebanon and informed him of the Israeli army contingency plan.

The report further quotes Mitchell's aide as telling the Lebanese commander that Israel had decided to carry out a plan "which would completely destroy the Lebanese army's bases, centers and offices within four hours."

Three Lebanese were martyred during the Israeli aggression on the Palestinian-Lebanese borders, two Lebanese soldiers and one journalist. An Israeli Lieutenant-Colonel was killed and another officer was seriously injured. Firing began when occupation army forces entered a border enclave in order to uproot a tree. Lebanon later blamed Israel for violating UN Resolution 1701.

Hof advised the Lebanese army chief to show restraint in any future border conflict with the Zionist entity.

UNIFIL’s report on investigations into the border clash, which was issued on Wednesday, reconfirmed previous conclusions reached by them.

The report reiterated that trees cut by the Israeli Army were located south of the Blue Line on the Israeli side.

It said UNIFIL sent the investigation report with findings, conclusions and recommendations to the UN Headquarters and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations on Tuesday and to other concerned parties on Wednesday.

The report also said that both the Lebanese Army and the Israeli Army “fully cooperated with the UNIFIL team during the investigation.”

River to Sea Uprooted Palestinian

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