[Ha'aretz] Anshel Pfeffer - A senior Israel Defense Forces officer said Thursday that Hizbullah was in a weakened state as a result of activity of UNIFIL and the objection of many southern Lebanon residents to reconstruction of Hizbullah posts and weapons caches south of the Litani River. Hizbullah now operates freely only in Shiite villages and towns. He said all five incidents of rocket fire from southern Lebanon into Israel since the end of the 2006 Second Lebanon War were carried out in defiance of Hizbullah directives by al-Qaeda inspired Palestinian groups based in areas where Hizbullah holds no sway. IDF intelligence believes Iran's Revolutionary Guard has increased its control over Hizbullah in recent years due to Iran's displeasure over Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah's conduct during the Second Lebanon War. Many operational positions within Hizbullah are now held by Iranians.
2009-09-18 08:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive