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Suspicion of UN Troops Grows in South Lebanon

[Guardian-UK] Clancy Chassay - Six months after a UN-brokered ceasefire ended Israel's war with Hizbullah, skepticism about the role of 10,000 UN troops is growing in south Lebanon amid signs that the militant Shia group is retraining and re-equipping its forces. The international force is perceived by villagers to be favoring Israel. "They are not our guests any more," said Hajj Ali, a Hizbullah fighter from Bint Jbeil. "If they continue to help the Israelis we will have to take action against them." Hizbullah still dominates the south, its security men policing the Shia villages and its fighters patrolling the border, albeit with greater stealth than before. A senior UNIFIL official said operational bunkers had been found and that Hizbullah fighters had been seen on patrols. Some areas controlled by the Lebanese army were off limits to the UN. Hajj Ali said they were Hizbullah military zones protected under a deal between Hizbullah and the Lebanese army. The UN official also said there had been an increase in Hizbullah activity north of the Litani river, outside UNIFIL's jurisdiction. "There will be another war in the summer," Hajj Ali said. "It is the beginning of the end for Israel; we are preparing."
2007-02-23 01:00:00
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