(Commentary) Gal Luft - When Israel pulled out of its security zone in southern Lebanon three years ago, it was widely predicted that the radical Shiite group Hizballah would close up military operations and henceforth focus solely on Lebanese domestic affairs. The exact opposite occurred: promptly declaring that its next objective was the liberation of the entire land of Palestine and the destruction of the "Zionist entity," Hizballah seized control of a 350-square-mile area - nearly 15% of Lebanon - turning it into a de-facto state within a state. In Hizballahland, the group has amassed 10,000 rockets and missiles capable of hitting a quarter of Israel’s population, and has continued to launch numerous armed attacks across the border.
2003-08-14 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive