Report: Hizbullah preparing missile war on Israel as Iran braces for attack

Special to WorldTribune.com

JERUSALEM — The Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah is planning for
war with Israel, a report said.

Hizbullah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. /AGB/HGL

The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs asserted that Hizbullah
secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, in coordination with Teheran, has been
meeting senior commanders to plan for war with the Jewish state. The center,
in a report by Shimon Shapira, said Nasrallah has ordered his commanders to
prepare for long-range missile attacks that would target Tel Aviv and other
major Israeli cities.

“Nasrallah’s recent escalation of public statements stems from
heightened fear in Hizbullah that an Israeli and/or American attack on Iran
is drawing nearer,” the report said. “As a strategic arm of Iran, Hizbullah
sees itself as Iran’s first line of defense against Israel.”

“Hizbullah forces are being trained to fire at least 10,000 missiles,
right at the war’s outset, at military and strategic targets such as
airfields, military camps, and vital facilities including maritime ones,
followed by the firing of rockets from launch sites whose location will come
as a surprise to Israel,” the report, titled “Hizbullah Discusses Its
Operational Plan for War with Israel,” said.

The report, released on Nov. 2 and based on open Arab sources, said
Nasrallah has also ordered a ground force invasion of northern Israel.
Hizbullah, with at least 20,000 fighters, was said to be planning to deploy
5,000 special forces troops trained in Iran to capture Israel’s Galilee
region.

Shapira, a retired brigadier general from Israeli military intelligence,
said the Hizbullah plan was formulated with Iran. He said the Iranian Army
has already mined Lebanon’s eastern Bekaa Valley where Israeli special
forces were expected to land in any regional war.

The report said Hizbullah has also been equipped with so-called “smart”
anti-tank guided missiles from Iran. These missiles were said to have been
designed to knock out Israel’s fleet of Merkava-class main battle tanks,
which played a marginal role in the last war with Hizbullah in 2006.

“Hizbullah’s conclusion from the lessons of the Second Lebanon War [in
2006] is that, next time, Israel will have no red lines in waging all-out
war against Lebanon and Hizbullah,” the report said. “Hence, Hizbullah is
planning ‘many surprises’ that will change the force equation with Israel
both at the start of the conflict and during its operational phase.”

In February, Nasrallah announced Hizbullah plans to conquer
northern Israel. Since then, Hizbullah has been training for such a mission,
including deploying rocket and artillery in the Bekaa Valley as well as
mining possible landing sites by Israeli helicopters in southern Lebanon.

The preparations were said to have been overseen by Hizbullah
operational chief Mustafa Badr Eddin, who replaced Imad Mughniyeh,
assassinated in 2008. Badr Eddin was also said to have arranged for a
recently-completed special commando course by 727 fighters in Iran.

Hizbullah’s engineering units were also said to have reinforced
positions in Maydon in the western Bekaa. The report said Hizbullah has
formed five brigades, with each consisting of 1,000 troops, to invade
Israel.

Brigade 1 has been assigned the capture of the northern Israeli city of
Nahariya, located about five kilometers from the Lebanese border. The report
said Hizbullah was believed to be preparing 150 special forces troops
transported by speedboats to attack Nahariya from the Mediterranean Sea.

“This force’s mission is to take as many hostages as possible so as to
prevent Israel from bombing the Hizbullah forces in this sector,” the report
said.

Brigade 2 was said to have been assigned to capture the Israeli border
town of Shlomi and cut military supply lines. Brigade 3 was ordered to
conquer Carmiel and cut off the road to Safed, the headquarters of Israel’s
military Northern Command.

“Brigade 4 will take over the communities of Malkiya, Ramot Naftali and
Yiftach in order to prevent the IDF from firing from these areas into
southern Lebanon,” the report said. “Brigade 5 will serve as a strategic
reserve force for special missions.”

The report said Hizbullah was believed to have also discussed its war
strategy with Syria. On Oct. 27, the Lebanese daily Al Akhbar published a
detailed account of a visit by Nasrallah to President Bashar Assad in
Damascus. The following day, Al Akhbar, regarded as close to Hizbullah, said
the Assad-Nasrallah meeting never took place.

“It could be that, on second thought, Hizbullah decided the timing of
the article was unwise,” the report said. “As Assad kills his people,
Hizbullah faces bitter criticism for supporting him and is losing its
standing in the Arab street.”

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