[New York Sun] Benny Avni - When the war in Lebanon ended, pessimists said a beefed up UN force would need to maintain close ties and avoid confrontation with Shiite supporters of Hizballah if it were to succeed. Consequently, UNIFIL would hinder Israel's ability to carry out pinpoint operations across the border. Hizballah would gain an ally, while the Israeli army would face a new obstacle. Sure enough, top Paris officials and UNIFIL commanders said last week that UN troops have encountered no illegal weapons in the area along Israel's border. The French-led force was also unaware of any flow of illegal arms into Lebanon from across the Syrian border.
2006-10-23 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive