Daily Report  

Introduction
The Lebanese President Emile Lahoud was quoted as saying "the Resistance will not give up the Katyushas and it has complete and definite support of the Lebanese government.

Meanwhile, the April Understanding Monitoring Group (AUMG) posted its meeting previously scheduled for today until another notice.

Elsewhere, the Lebanese Army and private engineers completed a second temporary bridge over the Awali River and a crossing over the Litani on Monday, reopening in record time routes closed in "Israeli" air aggressions.

President Lahoud: complete support for Katyushas…(1)
"President Gen. Emile Lahoud during the weekend said the Resistance will not give up the Katyushas and it has the complete and definite support of the Lebanese government.

"Lebanon is more adhered to the Resistance and more determined to consider the Katyushas as a necessity to drive the ("Israeli") enemy out, the president stated.

"He described the latest "Israeli" aggression against the infrastructure as a plan to destroy Lebanese facilities to put pressure on Lebanon amid a delicate regional stage in order to amend the April Understanding which is supposed to protect civilians.

"The government and the Resistance, he continued, will not allow the enemy to impose such fait accompli and the Resistance will retaliate similarly to make the whole world see what is going on the south Lebanon.

"As long as ""Israeli"" is bombarding Lebanese civilians inside their houses, it will an "Israeli" soul for every Lebanese soul, each time the "Israelis" strike Lebanese civilians," Lahoud concluded.

AUMG meeting postponed until another notice…(2)
"The April Understanding Monitoring Group (AUMG) posted its meeting previously scheduled for today to another notice after the Group's Head, the French delegate, failed to meet with "Israeli" officials."

"The French stand towards last Thursday "Israeli" aggression against the Lebanese infrastructure triggered the enemy's foreign Minister Ariel Sharon to describe the French stand as taking sides with Lebanon and that France had corrupted the event when it described the "Israeli" aggression as "an unbalanced reprisal".

"AUMG will discuss during its meeting 25 complaints, 14 Lebanese related to the "Israeli" occupation's bombardment against towns, power substations, road and bridges which caused eight deaths and 84 injuries, in addition to destroying two power relay stations and three main bridges.

"The 11 "Israeli" complaints are related to the shelling of "Israeli" settlements which caused deaths and injuries.

"On the other hand, Head of the Middle East and Northern Africa Department at the French Foreign Ministry Ive Opain de al Siosiere met with Lebanese and Syrian official after the "Israeli" officials refused to meet with him".

"De la Siosiere's mission is to reactivate the role of the AUMG before its meeting".

Lebanon’s bridges of defiance…(3)
"After working flat-out for three days, army and private engineers completed a second temporary bridge over the Awali River and a crossing over the Litani on Monday, reopening in record time routes closed in the deadly "Israeli" air raids Thursday night.

"Officials and residents alike were visibly pleased with the speed of the recovery effort, which was prompted by a determination not to falter in the face of the "Israeli" attack, the most devastating in three years.

"Raising two fingers for victory from her car window, Suraya Qanawati crossed the bridge with a large smile on her face.

“I came today to express my joy. We’ve defied "Israel" and opened the bridge in no time and I’m off to see my sister in Beirut,” she said.

The temporary bridge is 50 meters west of the Awali bridge, which completely collapsed under the blow. A steel bridge to the east, which was set up by the army, opened Sunday night.

“We’ve risen to "Israel's" challenge and reconnected the link it destroyed. People have crossed in their cars to meet relatives and friends on the far side,” said Riad Asaad, chairman of Al-Janoub construction company.

Dubbing it “the bridge of defiance,” Asaad explained that the crossing was wide enough for four lanes of cars. “It can take up to 80 tons ­ enough to allow the Lebanese Army’s tanks to cross,” he boasted.

Speaking after a visit to the bridge, Public Works Minister Najib Mikati said that the speed of the repair work demonstrated Lebanon’s steadfastness in the face of "Israeli" threats.

“Yesterday, we had to use helicopters to get to the south. Today, we’re using cars to cross an 18-meter-wide bridge,” he said.
The minister confirmed that the government would do all it could to remove all signs of the raids, which destroyed roads and bridges and plunged much of the country into darkness by targeting power stations. “According to the instructions of President Emile Lahoud and Prime Minister Salim Hoss, we’re determined to rebuild what was destroyed,” he said. “No one can split this country apart.”

Asked whether Beirut had taken precautions against future air strikes, Mikati replied: “Everything will be discussed when the time is right".

"As for the collapsed bridge, which can only accommodate pedestrians at present, Mikati said that a study to assess the damage “should be ready by Wednesday.”

Also Monday, the Tyre-Nabatieh route was open as normal for the first time since the blitz after soldiers from the army’s Sixth Brigade finished a provisional bridge to replace the Zrarieh bridge. The opening met the deadline set by Mikati to “reconnect the south with Beirut.”

Ayman Nada, who was able to cross from Nabatieh to Tibnine to see relatives for the first time since Thursday, was visibly impressed by the speed of the repairs. “"Israel" tried to disconnect us from the rest of the country, but we didn’t surrender. In fact, the issue of the bridges gave us a further emotional link to our compatriots,” he said.

A team of engineers from Jabal Qasioun, the Syrian firm that built the Zrarieh crossing in 1992, was inspecting the damage. The company is expected to handle repair works to the old bridge across the Litani and should start next week.

“We’re simply overwhelmed” by the quick work, said Mohammed Dia, owner of the Valley Garden, a park on the banks of the Litani. He called on picnickers to return to the park now that the bridge has been finished.

"The new bridge, which was built about 30 meters east of the destroyed span, is positioned on two solid rocks on the river bed and held by a number of steel braces. Cars and pickup trucks started crossing the 10-meter-long bridge over the Litani in the morning, but the road was closed to heavy trucks".

"Israeli" Aggressions…(4)
The following are the aggressions that launched by the "Israeli" occupation troops as reported in a statement issued by the Islamic Resistance (IR):
Between 9:45 and 10:00, Mount Zaatar was shelled by four 155mm missiles.
10:00, one 155mm missile hit the peripheries of Aita El-Jabal village.
10:25, the outskirts of Haddatha town came under fifteen 155mm missiles, whereas the area of Beit Yahoun crossing subjected to six others.
11:30, three 120mm shells struck Jib Soweid area.
14:00, Mount Al-Rafih was targeted by three 120mm shells.
14:40, nine 155mm missiles slammed into the perimeters of Touline village.