General: Iran coordinating threat on Israel's northern border

TEL AVIV - Israel's military is warning of a flareup on the northern border.

Military commanders said the Hizbullah militia is preparing to either resume attacks against Israel or foment unrest that will spark massive violence, Middle East Newsline reported. The commanders said the Lebanese army and the United Nations will not stop the Hizbullah.

"There is quiet on the northern border," Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, head of military operations, said. "But this is a deceitful quiet."

"There is a connection between several groups, Hizbullah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Bin Laden, which is a giant freelancer that can build by itself," Eiland said. "They are all in the direction of Iran. The connection of these efforts with similar ideology has placed us [on alert]."

Eiland said the Hizbullah is preserving the option of renewing attacks against Israel. He said the Shi'ite organization is maintaining daily violence along the border.

"Hizbullah, as a terrorist organization, with the capability to fulfill Iranian orders also has the capability and reasons to launch operations outside the Israeli-Lebanese border, whether it is inside Israel or operations abroad against Israeli and Jewish targets," the general said. "The more discomfort it feels operating along the border the more the chance that this could materialize."

Eiland said Syria remains in control of Hizbullah. But the general said Damascus does not order Hizbullah operations, rather restrains the Shi'ite activity when necessary.

"Currently, along the border, they are preventing Hizbullah from operating," Eisland said. "I am not sure this will continue. It could be in a few weeks, if they get the green light from Syria, Hizbullah could resume operations."

Military sources said Hizbullah is divided regarding its future. Some want Hizbullah to focus on increasing its political strength while a significant faction is clamoring for a resumption of attacks on Israel.

This includes a consolidation of Muslim militant groups that would coordinate attacks against Israel. The sources said Iran appears to be helping direct these efforts.