Al-Akhbar Lists UNIFIL "Violations in Favor of "Israel""
Source: Al-Manar TV, 7-8-2008
Under the title "UNIFIL: a list of violations in favor of "Israel"," Lebanese editor Ibrahim Al-Amine wrote an article that aimed at proving that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) denial of giving order to save any "Israeli" pilot whose plane may be brought down was improper.
The article, published Thursday in the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, reiterated that UNIFIL Commander General Claudio Graziano had issued instructions to his troops to "rescue" any "Israeli" pilot who might land in UNIFIL's area of operations (north of the Litni River in south Lebanon) if his warplane was downed by Hizbullah.
Throughout the article, Al-Amine accused the UNIFIL of spying activities in favor of "Israel". He noted that Grazziano was cordial to "Israel" and accused him of seeking to protect "Israeli" warplanes' flights in Lebanese airspace instead of preventing them.
The Al-Akhbar editor quoted Grazziano as saying that he works to carry out the UNSC Resolution 1701 through making sure that no gunmen or weapons operate in the "demilitarized zone" south of the Litani River. But according to the article, Grazziano does "lots of things" in order to reach this goal.
First, those "things" start with exhausting the Lebanese Army command and keeping it in a "persisting state of alert by constantly reporting on what his (Graziano) forces label suspicious activities by vehicles, cars or individuals in villages and towns. The force asks the Lebanese army to verify such activities to make sure they are not related to gunmen. Lebanese Army officers are fed up with such strange requests."
Second, UNIFIL "patrols tail any civilian Lebanese car that is not familiar in southern villages and towns," al-Amine added. He said "informers are recruited by the international force" in some villages of the southern sector and "some of them have testified to what they have done and to having received money in return for their services." "The UNIFIL works according to a list of open "Israeli" requests," Al-Amine cautioned.
Third, UNIFIL "seeks the services of Lebanese citizens who hold European nationalities and who had served with the collaborating militia Antoine Lahd."
UNIFIL, according to al-Amine, also has proposed operating remote-controlled monitoring planes over its area of operations to gather information needed for safety of its troops and strip "Israel" of the pretext to fly reconnaissance missions over the region.
Al-Amine said UNIFIL also prevents any presence by Lebanese citizens close to the barbed wire fence that separates Lebanon from "Israel" in what is believed to be "an effort to prevent a new attempt to capture "Israeli" soldiers."
Moreover, and just after "Israel" launched a campaign to prevent Hizbullah from having antiaircraft missiles, the international forces started adopting a series of steps that led to Grazziano's order.
On Tuesday, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted western diplomatic sources in the United Nations as saying that "Israel" has notified the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as well as the governments of states participating in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of its concern that Hizbullah may receive efficient antiaircraft weaponry that may lead to downing fighter jets.
The sources noted that UNIFIL commander General Grazziano issued an order in conformity with "Israel's" wishes. Al-Akhbar said the order stipulates that "in case an "Israeli" warplane was shot down in UNIFIL's area of influence, the pilot should be rescued as soon as possible and taken to the closest UNIFIL post before any side manages to reach him."
"In case the pilot fell into the hands of 'gunmen', he also must be rescued, Grazziano's order added. "Only in the case that the pilot falls into the hands of Lebanese army troops there should be no intervention," it also said.
Al-Amin highlighted at the end of his article that the UNIFIL has more than 10,000 soldiers out of its 13,500-strong force from states topping the list of "Israel's" friends. "Would Grazziano tell us what he intends to do next?" the prominent journalist wondered.
Under the title "UNIFIL: a list of violations in favor of "Israel"," Lebanese editor Ibrahim Al-Amine wrote an article that aimed at proving that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) denial of giving order to save any "Israeli" pilot whose plane may be brought down was improper.
The article, published Thursday in the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, reiterated that UNIFIL Commander General Claudio Graziano had issued instructions to his troops to "rescue" any "Israeli" pilot who might land in UNIFIL's area of operations (north of the Litni River in south Lebanon) if his warplane was downed by Hizbullah.
Throughout the article, Al-Amine accused the UNIFIL of spying activities in favor of "Israel". He noted that Grazziano was cordial to "Israel" and accused him of seeking to protect "Israeli" warplanes' flights in Lebanese airspace instead of preventing them.
The Al-Akhbar editor quoted Grazziano as saying that he works to carry out the UNSC Resolution 1701 through making sure that no gunmen or weapons operate in the "demilitarized zone" south of the Litani River. But according to the article, Grazziano does "lots of things" in order to reach this goal.
First, those "things" start with exhausting the Lebanese Army command and keeping it in a "persisting state of alert by constantly reporting on what his (Graziano) forces label suspicious activities by vehicles, cars or individuals in villages and towns. The force asks the Lebanese army to verify such activities to make sure they are not related to gunmen. Lebanese Army officers are fed up with such strange requests."
Second, UNIFIL "patrols tail any civilian Lebanese car that is not familiar in southern villages and towns," al-Amine added. He said "informers are recruited by the international force" in some villages of the southern sector and "some of them have testified to what they have done and to having received money in return for their services." "The UNIFIL works according to a list of open "Israeli" requests," Al-Amine cautioned.
Third, UNIFIL "seeks the services of Lebanese citizens who hold European nationalities and who had served with the collaborating militia Antoine Lahd."
UNIFIL, according to al-Amine, also has proposed operating remote-controlled monitoring planes over its area of operations to gather information needed for safety of its troops and strip "Israel" of the pretext to fly reconnaissance missions over the region.
Al-Amine said UNIFIL also prevents any presence by Lebanese citizens close to the barbed wire fence that separates Lebanon from "Israel" in what is believed to be "an effort to prevent a new attempt to capture "Israeli" soldiers."
Moreover, and just after "Israel" launched a campaign to prevent Hizbullah from having antiaircraft missiles, the international forces started adopting a series of steps that led to Grazziano's order.
On Tuesday, Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar quoted western diplomatic sources in the United Nations as saying that "Israel" has notified the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as well as the governments of states participating in the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) of its concern that Hizbullah may receive efficient antiaircraft weaponry that may lead to downing fighter jets.
The sources noted that UNIFIL commander General Grazziano issued an order in conformity with "Israel's" wishes. Al-Akhbar said the order stipulates that "in case an "Israeli" warplane was shot down in UNIFIL's area of influence, the pilot should be rescued as soon as possible and taken to the closest UNIFIL post before any side manages to reach him."
"In case the pilot fell into the hands of 'gunmen', he also must be rescued, Grazziano's order added. "Only in the case that the pilot falls into the hands of Lebanese army troops there should be no intervention," it also said.
Al-Amin highlighted at the end of his article that the UNIFIL has more than 10,000 soldiers out of its 13,500-strong force from states topping the list of "Israel's" friends. "Would Grazziano tell us what he intends to do next?" the prominent journalist wondered.
