[Washington Institute for Near East Policy] Andrew Exum - Hizbullah, a year after its last war, is making serious preparations for the next one. The most significant development in southern Lebanon since the end of the 2006 war is Hizbullah's construction of a defensive line north of the Litani River which is off-limits to UNIFIL. Even as Hizbullah continues to train village units south of the Litani in the hope that they could slow an Israeli ground invasion, the group has constructed its main defensive positions to the north, where the terrain favors the defender. Hizbullah positions north of the Litani include entrenched positions that can house medium- and long-range missiles. From positions north of the Litani, Hizbullah katyushas could comfortably reach major Israeli population centers, while its longer-range missiles could reach more distant potential targets such as Haifa and even Tel Aviv. All along the new Iranian-built road north of the Litani, new roads and trails are springing up, many leading to closed "military areas" patrolled by Hizbullah gunmen.
2007-08-22 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive