(Spectator-UK) Gen. (ret.) Lord Richard Dannatt - On Thursday, the House of Commons will debate the proscription of Hizbullah in its entirety. Abandoning the false distinction between the organization's "political" and "terrorist" wings would go a long way toward assuring our national interest. A few months ago, I completed a study of Hizbullah's military capabilities with a number of senior colleagues drawn from across Western militaries. The terrorist group has gone to great lengths to expand and enhance its offensive capabilities, most notably through the acquisition of advanced rockets from Iran. Worse, in the south of the country, village after village has been turned into a permanent military compound, complete with tunnels, munitions holdings, and armed personnel. UNIFIL, the international peacekeeping force designed to prevent this outcome, is thoroughly outmatched. Moreover, the independence of the Lebanese Armed Forces has been eroded through infiltration by and co-operation with Hizbullah. The writer is a former Chief of the General Staff of the British Army.
2018-01-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive