As-Safir: Pellegrini Reveals US Attempt to Join July War

United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) commander Alain Pellegrini revealed US attempt to penetrate the leadership of UNIFIL during July 2006 war on Lebanon, in order to convert the force into a bridgehead for the intervention of international forces from NATO or the EU, without waiting until the ceasefire.

In a telephone interview with As-Safir newspaper on Tuesday, Pellegrini said "in case of launching a joint operation, I was offered to join American officers. The US had deployed (off the coast of Lebanon) the twenty-fourth marine intervention Unit which is capable to intervene in my operational area and is ready to provide me with reinforcements in case of launching any operation."

The information Pellegrini disclosed to As-Safir newspaper come as the French general will release his book "Summer of Fire in Lebanon" in which he talks about the July war as he witnessed from ‘inside' in Francophone Book Fair in Beirut on Thursday.

The U.S. offer "to assist UNIFIL", during the July war, came after meetings in Rome, which considered the possibility of sending international forces, under the flags of the United Nations.

Pellegrini continues his story about the United States, which was likely to militarily intervene in the July war, via NATO, after "Israel" stumbled in attack Hizbullah.

"The Western countries, except France, in their consultations in New York, agreed to blame UNIFIL for ineffectiveness and try, in particular, to bring other forces (a multinational force) without the blue berets, sent by the NATO or the European Union, which former US President George Bush would speedily conjoin, without waiting for the ceasefire ," the General revealed.

Pelligrini also speaks about the "Israeli" spying and ability to infiltrate the UNIFIL reports about Hizbullah. "We know many of Hizbullah positions, our leadership in New York are aware of their evolution of deployment, so everything is transparent and "Israeli" agents can get reports from Naqoura," the UNIFIL commander said.

He proved his saying by revealing that "every time I send my semi-annual report to the UNIFIL, attached by details for the leadership of United Nations forces alone, and despite the fact that the report is encrypted, I immediately receive after each report to New York, a letter from the "Israeli" Army, containing suggestions for writing the report, hoping to amend it!"

"The information goes to the "Israelis" either by tapping or at the time it reaches the United Nations in New York," the General uncovered.

Pelligrini also unveiled that "Israel" had killed four UNIFIL officers monitoring the truce in Khiyam plain during the July war.