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Israeli military prepares attack on Syrian-backed Hizbullah
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Thursday, February 3, 2000
TEL AVIV [MENL] -- Israeli military commanders continue to press for a
large-scale Hizbullah attack, saying this was required to restore deterrence
in south Lebanon.
The commanders said the military cannot be allowed to tolerate the
rising incidents of Hizbullah attacks. They said continued restraint would
only escalate tension in the area.
On Wednesday, Israeli air force jets completed several raids of
suspected Hizbullah strongholds in south Lebanon. Military sources said all
planes returned safely to base.
Military sources said that in discussions with both Chief of Staff Lt.
Gen. Shaul Mofaz and Prime Minister Ehud Barak, leading commanders ruled out
Israeli attacks on Lebanese infrastructure. They said such attacks proved
fruitless and only aroused international pressure.
The chief of staff on Wednesday denied any dispute with the government
over policy in Lebanon. "There is no tension," he said.
Instead, the sources said, the commanders want a widescale
counteroffensive against Hizbullah and its Syrian backers.
For his part, Barak does not want any attack to torpedo chances to
resume Israeli-Syrian negotiations. "Those who hit us will not go
unpunished," he said. "I do not think that, at this juncture, we should
relate it in any direct way to the negotiations with Syria."
Thursday, February 3, 2000
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