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UNIFIL Peacekeepers Accuse Lebanese Army of Hindering Their Work
(Jerusalem Post) Anna Ahronheim - The UN force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has accused Hizbullah and the Lebanese Army of hampering their work, the French Le Journal du Dimanche reported Friday. A chief warrant officer for the French contingent said, "We are caught in the aggressor's grip. Doing the bare minimum has become a political choice." A former UNIFIL liaison officer said, "When we would detect military activities in our area, especially near the Blue Line [border with Israel], the Lebanese Army would prevent us from posting observers. It is as if those decisions did not come from them. Everyone knows that Hizbullah is using the area for the next war." Israel has repeatedly warned that the Lebanese Army has lost its independence and has become an integral part of Hizbullah's network. A Finnish commander noted that "Indonesian peacekeepers are constantly reporting Israeli movements to various Lebanese actors," and that some of UNIFIL's civilian employees "do not hide their Hizbullah membership."