[AP/Washington Post] Henry Meyer - In a political struggle between the Western-backed government and Hizballah, Lebanese Prime Minister Saniora on Thursday vowed to impose army control over the south, a day after Hizballah leader Nasrallah boasted that his armed fighters remained in villages and towns on the border with Israel. "We want this area to be under the army's and the Lebanese state's control," Saniora said. For years the government ignored the shipment of weapons to Hizballah, but is now heightening checks at the borders, while European warships are patrolling Lebanese waters. EU personnel are to monitor Beirut airport and Syria's border with Lebanon for weapons imports. The Lebanese army has been sending thousands of troops to the south, where it has been absent for decades, and has been taking over control of border areas as the Israeli forces withdraw.
2006-09-18 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive