January Monday 01 -2001:

Lebanese civilian shot dead by “Israeli” army at border…(1)

“ A 21-year-old Lebanese civilian from the southern Lebanon village of Wardiniye was shot dead Saturday by the “Israeli” army at the Fatima gate border post, Lebanese police said.

Hilal Ahmad Hajj was among a group throwing stones at an “Israeli” border post when a soldier fired a burst from his automatic weapon at them.

Hajj was hit in the head and taken by his friends to the Nabnatiyeh hospital, where he was declared dead, police said, quoting witnesses.

Five Lebanese civilians, including a five-year-old, were injured Thursday at another border post situated near a religious site claimed by both Muslims and Jews.

The “Israeli” army regularly fires on groups of stone-throwers who have turned the border into a pilgrimage site since May 24, when “Israel” ended its 22-year occupation of south Lebanon.

“Israeli” soldiers reportedly have orders to shoot on demonstrators if they feel they are in immediate danger.

At least 12 civilians have been killed, both Lebanese and other Arabs, and more than 40 have been injured by “Israeli” fire at the border over the past seven months.

“Israeli” army fires three shells on southern Lebanon…(2)

“ The “Israeli” army fired three shells on southern Lebanon early Saturday from the Shibaa farms area for the second time this month, Lebanese police said.

The shells were fired from an observation post on the western side of Mount Hermon and exploded in an uninhabited mountainous region two kilometres (1.3 miles) from the Lebanese border.

They were accompanied by bursts of heavy machine gun fire and flares, the police said.

As in the earlier incident on December 18, when three shells were also fired into the same area, nothing was reported that could have sparked the “Israeli” shooting.

“Israel” has warned Lebanon and Syria of firm retaliation if Hizbullah led one more attack on its troops in the Shibaa farms, an area “Israel” captured from Syria in 1967 and on which Beirut recently laid claim.

Since the May 24 withdrawal of “Israeli” troops from southern Lebanon after 22 years of occupation, Hizbullah has been leading military operations against the Shibaa farms.

On November 26, an “Israeli” soldier died in a bomb attack led by Hizbullah, and six weeks earlier, three were captured in the Shibaa farms.

1-     AFP, 30-12-2000.

2-     Same source.

  January Thursday 04 -2001:

“Israel” accused of staging Shibaa Farms mortar attack…(1)

Citing Hebrew inscriptions on shell casings, the Interior Ministry accused “Israel” of responsibility for a “provocative” mortar attack Wednesday that targeted the Shibaa Farms area.
The unclaimed bombardment ­ the first attack in over a month ­ comes amid increased tensions along the frontier after a spate of cross-border shootings.
The attack began at 7am, when around seven mortar shells were fired from a few hundred meters east of Halta, 2 kilometers north of the Shibaa Farms. The shells reportedly exploded harmlessly between two “Israeli” outposts.
The “Israelis” responded by firing 44 tank and mortar rounds north of the Farms. At least 60 goats were killed and 20-30 were wounded when two shells struck animal sheds in Bastara, UNIFIL said.
The shelling continued until about 8am. “Israeli” warplanes and pilotless reconnaissance planes also flew over the area.
An “Israeli” Army spokesman confirmed mortar bombs fell near “Israeli” positions on the border and that “Israeli” forces returned fire.
Veterinarians from UNIFIL’s Indian battalion traveled to Bastara to treat the injured animals. Women with crying children were standing by the dead animals.
Qassem Zohra, carrying the severed head of a goat, told an Agence France Presse correspondent that “the United Nations should protect us. You see how “Israel” bombards civilians.”
Fatima Zohra, 40, said that “all our lifetime savings” had been destroyed in a second.
Lebanese soldiers found a single 81mm mortar in an olive grove in Wadi Elias on the eastern outskirts of Halta which had been abandoned by the attackers. Empty mortar casings  were inscribed in Hebrew. The mortar and casings were transferred to Beirut.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the Hebrew markings “raise suspicion as regards who fired the shells with a view to accusing Lebanon and to justify aggressions against liberated land in the South.”
An army officer who requested anonymity said that the shelling was “under investigation” and said that ““Israel” or “Israeli” agents” were suspected of carrying out the attack.
A large number of weapons were abandoned by the “Israelis” and their allies during their withdrawal from Lebanon. Although the army was able to gather some weapons, many items fell into the hands of civilians and guerrillas. “Israeli” weapons have long been available in Lebanon.
US Ambassador David Satterfield called the mortar attack “provocative,” saying it violated the UN-delineated Blue Line of withdrawal and threatened stability in the area.
The Cabinet did not specifically address Satterfield’s comments in its weekly session, but Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said: “We always hope that the US will play a fair and just role in the search for a just and comprehensive settlement.”
The last attack in the Shibaa Farms occurred on Nov. 26, when Hizbullah ambushed an “Israeli” patrol, killing one and wounding another.
Hizbullah denied any responsibility for the latest incident.
A Hizbullah source said that the party was “uncomfortable” with recent developments along the border, beginning with the wounding of five demonstrators last Thursday. Another civilian was shot dead in Kfar Kila on Saturday and an “Israeli” civilian was shot and wounded Tuesday, reportedly by a sniper.
“These are very serious incidents on the border and we are studying them,” the source said. He also suggested that the period prior to the “Israeli” elections was one of uncertainty for Lebanon.
“The “Israelis” have committed stupid actions before,” he said, “and it’s not impossible that they will commit stupid actions again.” ­

UN vets rush to treat Lebanese goats hit by “Israeli” fire…(2)

“ United Nations peacekeepers, including a veterinary surgeon, rushed Wednesday to treat goats injured by an “Israeli” bombardment on southeastern Lebanon that killed more than 100 animals.

The team of the Indian battalion of the UN Interim Forces in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL), comprising a vet and eight relief workers, inspected the site of the bombardment in Bastara, in the Shibaa Farms.

They cleaned the goats' wounds and closed them with stitches with the help of the goatherds, an AFP correspondent saw.

"At least 100 animals died and another 100 were injured, and I do not think we can finish the treatment today," Teibre (eds: one name), the UN Indian veterinary, told AFP.

“Israeli” gunners pounded the isolated Bastara farm, where four families of goatherds live, after mortar bombs fired from southern Lebanon landed near a military post in northern “Israel” early Wednesday.

Women carrying children in tears were standing by the dead goats.

Goatherd Qassem Zahra, carrying the severed head of a goat, told AFP that "the United Nations should protect us, you see how “Israel” bombards civilians."

Meanwhile, UN observers toured the region to compile a report on the source of fire.

Lebanese police said more than 50 “Israeli” tank and artillery shells rained down on Bastara in an hour-long bombardment.

A helicopter and a pilotless reconnaissance drone had flown over the area before the bombardment, the heaviest since Lebanese Hizbullah guerrillas captured three “Israeli” soldiers in a raid on the Shibaa farms in October.

It was not immediately known who fired the mortar bombs, although Lebanese security forces said they had found an abandoned 81mm mortar and 11 casings at Halta, two kilometres (1.5 miles) from Shibaa.

They said they were hunting those responsible, said to have been travelling in a blue 1975 Mercedes.

Nearly 200 police and troops were scouring the roads in the area in the search for the car, Lebanese police said.

An official said it was not the work of the Hizbullah, adding that the mortar attack was "contrary to Lebanese policy."

1-     The Daily Star, 4-1-2001.

2-     AFP, 3-1-2001.

  January Monday 08-2001:

Man loses left foot to land mine…(1)

A land mine seriously wounded a man on Sunday in Tallet Shoumarieh, near a former “Israeli” post.
Samih Mohammed Nasser, 37, from Deir Sirian, Marjayoun, was collecting firewood when the mine exploded.
The Red Cross took Nasser to Nabatieh Public Hospital where he underwent surgery to amputate his left foot and to extract shrapnel from other parts of his body. Hospital sources said that Nasser, who heads a family of seven, was in a stable condition.

Russia to help Lebanon remove landmines…(2)

“ A delegation of Russian emergency ministry officials left for Beirut Sunday to determine whether Russia will join the UN-sponsored demining operations in Lebanon, the ITAR-TASS news agency reported.

During its eight-day visit, the Russian workgroup is expected to hold talks with both the Lebanese leadership and UN representatives, but no documents would be signed, Deputy Emergency Minister Yuri Brazhnikov said.

Officials from other countries such as Switzerland may join the discussions on how best to remove some 100,000 landmines and missiles that litter southern Lebanon, Brazhnikov said.

Russian specialists have already destroyed landmines in Kosovo and Bosnia, and plan to participate in similar operations in Libya and Iraq.

1-     The Daily Star, 8-1-2001.

2-     AFP, 8-1-2001.

  January Tuesday 09 -2001:

“Israeli” warplanes violate Lebanese airspace…(1)

“Israeli” occupation fighter jets once more violated Lebanese airspace, by flying over southern regions at low altitude. “Israeli” warplanes staged mock air raids over the southern region of Germouk, in the south, and reached the Bekaa area.

Meanwhile, occupation troops evacuated the main observation point at the Abad holy site on the Lebnaese-Palestinian border, continued fencing the roads along the borders.

1-     Manar TV, 8-1-2001.

  January Wednesday 10 -2001:

Russian team takes close look at mine situation in South
Experts consider training regimen to deal with deadly devices…(1)

A delegation of Russian emergency officials received a briefing from UNIFIL and a British de-mining group in Naqoura on Tuesday as part of an ongoing assessment prior to the training of Lebanese in landmine-clearing techniques.
The meeting came as the army called on former Lebanese militiamen to help locate and remove the thousands of landmines that they may have planted in the South and the rest of the country.
The Russian delegation met with both UNIFIL’s commander, Major General Seth Kofi Obeng, and senior adviser Timur Goksel, as well as representatives of the British government-funded Mine Advisory Group (MAG).
“The Russians are interested in training Lebanese national teams in de-mining,” Goksel told The Daily Star. “From us, they wanted to know the situation in the South.”
Before leaving Moscow Sunday, Russia’s deputy emergency minister, Yuri Brazhnikov, said that the delegation would hold talks with both the Lebanese leadership and UNIFIL representatives during its eight-day visit, but that no documents would be signed.
Officials from other countries such as Switzerland may join the discussions on how best to remove some 100,000 land mines and missiles that litter the South, Brazhnikov said.
The Russian delegation is due to discuss training Lebanese teams with the National De-Mining Office (NDO) on Friday.
Russian specialists have already destroyed land mines in Kosovo and Bosnia, and plan to participate in similar operations in Libya and Iraq.
MAG has been in Lebanon since September conducting an assessment of the land-mine situation in the country. The European Commission Humanitarian Office has provided funds for the assessment and the formation of a team of experts to assist the army’s  NDO.
Meanwhile, the army announced that it was organizing a “limited” program to rid the South of land mines. The program is being run in coordination with MAG.
“The army calls on civilians and former militia members wishing to volunteer in the program to visit the National De-Mining Office in Hazmieh,” the statement said.
It said that the NDO could also be reached at the following phone numbers: 05-956143 and 05-956 193.
UNIFIL estimates there are 130,000 land mines in the South. A contingent of Swedish military engineers cleared an estimated 1,250 mines from areas near the border with “Israel” before its departure last month. The road connecting Jbaa and Jezzine via Haitoura will be temporarily closed until further notice due to the presence of mines, the Ministry of Public Works announced on Tuesday.
“Security and specialized forces are currently undertaking all measures to remove these mines,” the ministry said in a statement. “The road will only open to pedestrians and traffic after all mines are cleared and people’s safety can be ensured.”
Two civilians were killed on the road in November when their vehicle detonated an anti-tank mine.

1-      The Daily Star, 10-1-2001.

  January Thursday 11 -2001:

Lebanese civilian wounded after driving over “Israeli” landmine…(1)

“ A Lebanese civilian was injured Wednesday after driving over an “Israeli” landmine in his village in the former “Israeli”-occupied border zone in southern Lebanon, police said.

Ali Saadeh, 24, was driving his tractor in Sujud, a village totally destroyed by the “Israeli” army, when he ran over the landmine, they said.

Saadeh was wounded in the blast and taken to hospital while his vehicle was damaged, they said.

On Sunday, another civilian of the same age lost both his feet when he stepped on an “Israeli” landmine in the formerly occupied border zone.

Nine Lebanese civilians have been killed and 63 injured by mines since the May 24 “Israeli” withdrawal from southern Lebanon. A dozen Lebanese troops were also injured during mine clearing operations.

The UN estimates that there are at least 130,000 “Israeli” mines and unexploded shells remaining in southern Lebanon.

On November 14, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon announced that its mine clearing units had removed 1,520 explosive devices.

Pakistan backs Beirut efforts to "regain" “Israeli”-occupied lands…(2)

“ Pakistan's Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said here Wednesday that Islamabad backed Lebanon's "diplomatic efforts" to "regain" territory still occupied by “Israel”.

Abdul Sattar said Lebanon's interim foreign minister Mohammad Baydoun "explained to me that despite “Israel’s” troop pullout from southern Lebanon (in May), there was still a lingering problem as part of Lebanon's territory is still occupied."

"We are now more sensitive to the issue and we back Lebanon's diplomatic efforts to regain its rights," Abdul Sattar told reporters after a meeting with Baydoun.

Since the “Israeli” withdrawal, Lebanon has laid claim to the Shibaa Farms area on the border with Syria, with Syrian consent, which “Israel” captured from Damascus in 1967.

Abdul Sattar arrived here as part of a large delegation accompanying Pakistani military ruler General Pervez Musharraf on a two day visit to Lebanon, the last leg of a regional tour.

Abdul Sattar also "denounced the excessive use of force by “Israel” against the Palestinians."

"Concerning the peace process, current views are not very good but we are sure that at the end truth will prevail and that the Palestinian people will have its state with the sacred city of Al-Quds as its capital," he said.

Musharraf held talks earlier Wednesday with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and was expected visit the southern village of Qana, with its mass grave of 105 civilians killed in an “Israeli” bombardment in 1996.

The Pakistani ruler met Tuesday with Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and oversaw the signature of two agreements, one calling for a reinforcement of bilateral trade and the other promising investment.

Lebanon imports some 11 million dollars in Pakistani products each year and sells about one million dollars worth to Pakistan.

Musharraf had also said that Islamabad was ready to help Lebanon with demining work in the south of the country, where the “Israeli” army left more than 130,000 mines during its 22-year occupation.

$50 million sought for mine-clearing…(3)

Energy and Water Minister Mohammed Abdel-Hamid Beydoun said Wednesday that Lebanon would request $50 million from Arab countries in financial assistance for its mine-clearing drive.
Beydoun said the request would be made by Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, who is in Tunisia for an Arab League follow-up committee meeting to support the Palestinian uprising.
Beydoun insisted on the country’s need for funding, saying, “Lebanon can’t just depend on humanitarian assistance provided by several countries only for such a massive project.”
The minister was addressing journalists following a meeting with a Russian government delegation that offered help to Lebanon for mine-clearing.
“The delegation has put Russia’s expertise in the field of mine-clearing at Lebanon’s disposal,” Beydoun said, adding it was impossible to determine the time needed to clear all mines before knowing the amount of aid it would have available.
Beydoun said the UN must ask “Israel” to hand over the maps for land mines it planted in Lebanon.

1-      AFP, 10-1-2001.

2-      Same source.

3-      The Daily Star, 11-1-2001.

  January Friday 12 -2001:

Asad, Hariri discuss “Israeli” aggressions…(1)

Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri held talks with Syrian President Hafez Asad in Damascus on the “Israeli” aggressions against the Palestinian people.

The Syrian presidency spokesman, Jubran Kourieh, said the meeting between Hariri and Asad dealt with the situation created by "Israel" in the region due to its stands concerning the settlement process, and its assaults on the Palestinians.

The Lebanese-Syrian bilateral ties were also discussed, said Khourieh.

The Syrian official daily al-Baath said that there is a common will between Beirut and Damascus to strengthen bilateral ties and that those who want to trade politically "their way is totally blocked."

1-     Manar TV, 11-1-2001.

  January Saturday 13 -2001:

Three Lebanese soldiers slightly injured during demining operation…(1)

“ Three Lebanese soldiers were slightly injured Friday in the south of the country when mines they were attempting to defuse exploded, hospital sources said.

The incident occurred at Arid-Debbine, near Marjayoun, in an area that had been occupied by “Israeli” troops until their withdrawal last May after a 22-year occupation.

The soldiers, who sustained injuries to their hands and arms, were taken for treatment to the public hospital in Marjayoun.

The Arid-Debbine area was infested with some 1,500 mines, of which 40 percent have been removed, the army has said.

Nine Lebanese civilians have been killed and 63 injured by mines since the “Israeli” withdrawal.

The latest injuries bring to 15 the number of Lebanese troops hurt during mine-clearing operations.

The UN estimates that there are at least 130,000 “Israeli” mines and unexploded shells remaining in southern Lebanon.

On November 14, the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon announced that its mine-clearing units had removed 1,520 explosive devices.

Russia recently sent a team of mine-clearing specialists for a week to advise their Lebanese counterparts, and Pakistan has announced its willingness to help in the operations.

“Israel” says it doesn’t have maps of mines…(2)

“Israel” has told the United Nations it does not have maps showing the location of a large number of land mines in south Lebanon, UNIFIL spokesman Timur Goksel said on Friday.
Goksel said “Israel” had given UNIFIL maps for about 70,000 mines planted along the Lebanese-”Israeli” border, but not inside the former occupation zone.
““Israel” said it does not have maps for the mines planted by their local militia,” he said.
Most of the mines inside the 1,000-square-kilometer zone were planted by “Israel” and its militia. The land mines maim or kill civilians in the area almost daily.
Hizbullah has demanded maps of the land mines in the area as part of a deal to hand back “Israeli” soldiers it holds.

1-     AFP, 12-1-2001.

2-     The Daily Star, 13-1-2001.

  January Monday 15 -2001:

“Israeli” warplanes again violate Lebanese air space (1)

“Israeli” warplanes broke the sound barrier over Beirut on Sunday after flying over southern Lebanon, a Lebanese aviation source said.

The planes dropped military observation balloons near the “Israeli”-held Shibaa Farms area and over Tyre and Sidon, the largest cities in southern Lebanon, according to reporters at the scene.  

Family returns to Bastara, despite danger (2)

The sickly odor of death hung over the Bastara farmstead. Swarms of flies and wasps were drawn to pools of congealing blood and melted fat from the rotting, partially burned corpses of tens of goats that were killed by “Israeli” shells last week. The sight brought tears to the eyes of Ghalia Zohra.
“God, I can’t bear the smell,” she said, sighing and dabbing her eyes with a handkerchief.
On Wednesday, Ghalia’s brother, Qassem, and the rest of their extended family returned to their ramshackle collection of goat pens and stone hovels perched on an isolated hilltop on the edge of the Shibaa Farms. They had collected the decomposing animal corpses and burned them in three separate pyres.
“We raised all these goats with the same affection as we raise our own children,” Ghalia said. “How can we but hold them dear?”
The goats were killed when an “Israeli” mortar shell exploded in their pen early Wednesday morning during a heavy bombardment of the Bastara farmstead. Estimates of the number of dead goats vary from “over 60,” according to UNIFIL, to “at least 200,” according to the Zohras.
Remarkably, all 13 members of the Zohra clan escaped the bombardment unhurt. But the Zohras decided that living on the frontline of the Shibaa Farms was simply no longer possible, and they began to look elsewhere to live and raise their goats.
Ghalia said that Qassem had searched for alternative grazing from Naqoura, on the coast, to Kfar Shuba, 5 kilometers north of Bastara.
“He couldn’t find anywhere for the goats. There was nowhere else for us to go, so we have no choice but to stay. We’re stuck here,” Ghalia said.
The traditional attachment of southerners to their land has been sorely tested in the Zohra’s case. While the rest of the South embraces the calm of a post-occupation existence, liberation has spelt disaster for the family.
Despite receiving routine harassment at the hands of “Israeli” troops stationed in the vicinity of Bastara during the occupation, the area was the quietest sector in the former enclave. But now they are caught in the middle of attack and counter-attack as the campaign over the Shibaa Farms plods on around them.
Their nearest neighbors ­ other than the “Israeli” troops in the Ramta outpost towering above Bastara ­ are in Kfar Shuba, a half hour’s drive away along a narrow rutted track.
Ghalia’s other brother, Hussein and her niece, Layali, were nearly killed a month ago when “Israeli” troops fired mortar rounds near them as they grazed their goats just south of Bastara.
“We don’t take our goats further than the farm anymore,” Ghalia said. “It’s too dangerous.”
Shepherding ­ that most pastoral of lifestyles ­ has become a dangerous occupation since the border heated up along the Shibaa Farms.
Saad Abdel-Aal, 18, from Halta, one of three villages facing the Shibaa Farms, said that if he approaches the border, “Israeli” troops open fire at him.
“The last time was two days ago,” he said pointing at the hilltop Jabal Summaq outpost.
The position was barely visible in the murky late afternoon light as a blanket of gray cloud slowly descended on the mountain peaks.
Abdel-Aal, who was tending his flock with the help of several siblings, said that he had lost 50 of the 800 goats in his care since military operations began in the Shibaa Farms in October.

1 – AFP 14-1-2001

2 – The Daily Star 15-1-200

  January Tuesday 16 -2001:

UN sappers clear over 2,000 mines left by “Israel” in south Lebanon…(3)

“ United Nations sappers have cleared more than 2,000 mines and other explosive devices left by “Israel” in southern Lebanon but have still covered less than a third of the former occupied territory, a UN spokesman said Monday.

Timour Goksel, spokesman of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon, told reporters that UNIFIL engineers cleared an area of 290.94 square kilometres (116.38 square miles), removing 2,159 explosive devices between June and December 20.

This compared with 1,520 devices dealt with up to mid-November over 251.64 square kilometres (100.65) square miles of the 850 square kilometre area held by “Israel” for 22 years until May.

The explosives included 1,833 anti-personnel landmines and 23 anti-tank landmines as well as 303 items of unexploded ordnance and bombs, Goksel said.

Goksel said that the “Israeli” army had given UNIFIL minefield maps covering 70,000 mines, most of which are anti-personnel devices along along the borders.

"But even though this helps UNIFIL in demining its area of operation it still doesn't cover the area deep up to" the enclave of Jezzine, a region formerly controlled by the now-disbanded former “Israeli”-allied South Lebanon Army (SLA) militia.

"Then we asked the “Israelis”, but the answer they gave was that they don't have reliable maps for the minefields left by the SLA. Nothing has changed since then," he said.

The UN estimates that “Israel” left at least 130,000 mines and unexploded shells in southern Lebanon.

Since the “Israeli” withdrawal nine Lebanese civilians have been killed and more than 60 others injured by mines. A dozen Lebanese army troops were also wounded during mine clearing operations.

2-     AFP, 15-1-2001.

  January Wednesday 17 -2001:

Strikes on Lebanon will face Katyushas on “Israel”: Hizbullah

“ Hizbullah said Tuesday its leadership still feared being targeted by “Israel” and warned that it will respond with Katyusha rockets on northern “Israeli” settlements to any strike against Lebanon.

"If the “Israelis” carry out an aggression against Lebanon, the Katyusha rockets will be ready to be launched on their northern settlements" said Sheikh Naim Kassem, Hizbullah’s Deputy Secretary General.

"They should understand this very clearly," said Kassem, whose group spearheaded a guerrilla war that led to “Israel” ending a 22-year occupation of southern Lebanon last May.

Kassem, at a conference at the state Lebanese University in this southern port city, warned that the Katyusha rockets had "a longer range" now that “Israel” had withdrawn from the former "security zone" it had maintained in southern Lebanon.

He also said Hizbullah maintained a state of alert among its ranks after hearing “Israeli” threats to target the group, particularly its leader and other senior officials.

"This issue can happen any time, and if the “Israelis” could have done any such thing in the recent past they would have done it," he said.

"We have to remain careful. We cannot deny the danger faced by Hizbullah officials, and chiefly Hizbullah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah," he said.

“Israeli” officials have threatened to strike Lebanon after Hizbullah captured four “Israeli” servicemen in October to carry out a prisoners swap.

Kassem also called for an "escalation of the intifada," or Palestinian uprising against “Israel” that broke out on September 28.

"The intifada should be escalated through armed resistance. We call for offering all the financial, political, cultural, media and military help" for it, he said.

"We are not convinced in peace negotiations with the enemy. In any case, we do not call them negotiations, we call them organized compromises," he said.

"The struggle with the “Israeli” enemy is not over a piece of land, but it is a struggle of existence, and we believe that the Zionist entity is an artificial entity which cannot live in this region," he said…(1)

Regarding Syria’s presence in Lebanon, he said it had helped the country recover its strength and face the “Israeli” “danger.”
“There are other aspects relating to this presence, and these should be discussed frankly by upper circles in the two states.”
He described relations with Syrian President Bashar Assad as “excellent.”
“We consider Syria as a basic supporter of the resistance in Lebanon and of the Palestinian people’s rights.”
Qassem also said there was little difference between America’s Republican and Democratic parties as far as their attitude towards “Israel” was concerned.
“Both administrations are committed to “Israel’s” security and military supremacy, and to defending the “Israeli” entity and interests,” he said.
Regarding the question of “Israeli” soldiers held captive by Hizbullah, Qassem said there was “nothing new so far,” and that his group was “still in the stage of exchanging messages”…(2)

1-      AFP, 16-1-2001.

2-      The Daily Star, 17-1-2001.

  January Tuesday 18 -2001:

Berri calls for immediate investigation into “Israel’s” possible use of depleted uranium in attacks on Lebanon; “Israeli” Mk accuses Jewish state of using depleted uranium in southern Lebanon…(1)

“House Speaker Nabih Berri has called for an immediate investigation into mounting reports that “Israel” has used depleted uranium shells in southern Lebanon. Berri urged all ministries to carry out scientific studies to determine whether “Israel” used depleted uranium weapons during its occupation of the south. The House Speaker said the reports only confirm long-standing suspicions that “Israel” had used Lebanon as a training field for its new and advanced weapons, accusing the Jewish state of committing war crimes. An “Israeli” Arab parliamentarian has also accused the “Israeli” military of using Depleted Uranium shells in southern Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories. The New York-based International Action Center called on the international community to investigate “Israel’s” use of the substance against civilians.

“ US-made “Israeli” Apache helicopters pound southern Lebanon. That was during “Israel’s” 22-year occupation of the region, which ended in May. The New York-based International Action Center headed by former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark issued a report saying “Israeli” Apache and Cobra helicopters, both used during “Israel’s” war against Lebanon, are equipped to fire Depleted Uranium shells. The anti-war group accused the “Israeli” military of having stocks of Uranium in its arsenal and cites proof of its use under US guidance in the 1973 Arab-”Israeli” war. “Israel’s” daily Maariv has reported that Arab-”Israeli” legislator Issam Makhoul has called for the convention of an urgent meeting of the Knesset's Foreign and Defense  (War) Committee to discuss the “Israeli” military's quote use of depleted uranium against southern Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories. An “Israeli” military spokesman admitted that uranium depleted weapons were used by its navy against quote marine targets but stopped using the dangerous arsenal about a year and a half ago. Depleted Uranium helps missiles penetrate steel, and is used in atomic bombs. But it is highly radioactive and toxic. It causes serious health problems. The chronic symptoms of its ailments range from sharp increases in cancers to memory loss, chronic pain, and birth defects. Even one particle can contaminate human miles away from its discharge. The radioactivity of DU is effectively eternal. A committee formed in Lebanon to assess damages from “Israel’s” 22-year occupation of the south was quoted in the daily Al-Mustaqbal newspaper as saying authorities in Beirut have been looking at mounting reports on the “Israeli” army's use of depleted uranium in the south seriously, adding investigations may be launched. If investigations prove “Israel” used the radioactive weapon in Lebanon, a fifty billion dollar bill, Beirut wants “Israel” to pay in compensation for damages it caused in the south, is certain to shoot up. Doctors at Beirut's Hotel Dieu Hospital and Hammoud Hospital in Sidon said they do not suspect they have treated any cancer cases that may have been caused by depleted uranium. They told Future Television, there have been no medicals tests into “Israel’s” possible use of the banned weapons in the south. Doctors said it is very difficult to detect whether cancers are caused by radioactivity from uranium or other reasons. A 1995 report from the US Army Environmental Policy Institute asserts that “Israel” is one of the countries with DU munitions in its arsenal. The International Action Center has called for international investigations into “Israel’s” use of depleted uranium. The group stressed that it obtained evidence confirming “Israel’s” use of radioactive missiles mounted on helicopter gunships against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and West Bank during the latest uprising. The think tank said Washington has shipped the newest versions of Apache and Cobra helicopters, which are capable of carrying DU missiles, to “Israel” recently. “Israeli” authorities confiscated shell casings gathered by an International Action Center investigative team during a tour of the occupied Palestinian territories in November and December. The group said that raised suspicions “Israel” was hiding its use of DU against Palestinian civilians.

Lebanese civilian injured by explosive device found in field…(2)

“ A Lebanese civilian in the south of the country was seriously injured Wednesday by an explosive device which he mistook for a radio battery, and picked up, police said.

Ali Raouf Ayoub, 30, was injured primarily in the hands and face, but suffered injuries from metal splinters over much of his body.

Witnesses said Ayoub found what "looked like a radio battery wrapped in casing painted in khaki color" in Houla, near the border with “Israel”.

After the explosion, Ayoub was taken to a nearby hospital but then transferred to one in Nabatiya, because of the seriousness of his injuries.

The incident occurred in an area that had been occupied by “Israeli” troops until their withdrawal last May after a 22-year occupation.

Nine Lebanese civilians have been killed and 65 injured by mines since the “Israeli” withdrawal.

The UN estimates that there are at least 130,000 “Israeli” mines and unexploded shells remaining in southern Lebanon.

Combating explosive legacy of occupation…(3)

Tucked away in the middle of the sprawling UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura is a simple, single-storey building that once housed meetings of the five-nation Monitoring Group. A sign reading “Monitoring Group Conference Room” still hangs on the front door and the table around which the delegates from Lebanon, Syria, France, “Israel” and the United States sat is still in place in the center of the room.
The group attempted to protect civilians on both sides of the border from violence between the resistance and the occupying forces in accordance with the 1996 April Understanding.
But today the room is used to combat a different violence that continues to kill and wound despite “Israel’s” troop withdrawal from the South last May.
UNIFIL estimates there are 130,000 land mines throughout the former border enclave ­ the deadly legacy of occupation that will take decades to eradicate.
But before mine-clearing operations can begin effectively, it is necessary to gather detailed information on the exact location and size of minefields as well as the variety of mines that might be uncovered.
The United Nations contracted the three-man Mine Action Coordination Cell (MACC) to gather and collate this data.
Piles of maps lie on tables, more large-scale maps of mine-infested areas in the South are pinned to the wall and a bank of computers hidden beneath dust covers wait for information to be punched in.
Lying open on the central table are four folders containing data on the 70,000 land mines and 288 booby-trapped devices that the “Israeli” Army admits having planted in Lebanon.
“We have two problems,” said Greg Lindstrom, a New Zealander who heads MACC. “The first problem is dealing with the “Israeli” mines and the second are the mines about which we have no information at all.”
Included in the latter category are mines planted by Palestinian and Lebanese militias, the Syrian Army and even the Vichy French Army during World War II.
The bulk of the “Israeli” mines are contained in 188 minefields along the border ­ a lethal uninterrupted cordon from Ras Naqoura on the coast to opposite Shibaa in the Mount Hermon foothills. Other “Israeli” mines surround former outposts.
The map references of each minefield is noted along with the date it was established and the quantity and type of mines planted. For example, between May and June 1994, the “Israelis” surrounded the Blat outpost in the western sector ­ one of Hizbullah’s favorite targets ­ with 2,012 No. 4a anti-personnel mines.
Accompanying the figures are simple sketch maps with penciled measurements showing the perimeter of the minefield and the direction of the rows of mines.
“Some of these maps are written in Hebrew which is causing a problem. Also we don’t have maps to accompany the statistics for all the minefields,” Lindstrom said.
Other than the conventional land mine data, the “Israelis” also listed the booby-trapped devices.
In most cases the booby-traps consisted of ammunition, such as artillery shells, rigged to hidden explosive charges. When the shell is picked up, the charge explodes, killing the victim. But the “Israelis” also used unconventional means to ensnare the unsuspecting, including booby-trapped flak jackets, radars and even an Amal flag. In the last few years of the occupation, cameras became a popular lure.
“Two cameras, in each one, two No. 4 demo block and two RDX sticks attached to a No. 16 igniter,” reads one laconic description of a booby-trap planted in June 1999.
On one of the wall maps, the locations of the booby-trapped weapons are indicated by a rash of red dots running along ­ and more often north of ­ the perimeter of the zone. The largest clusters are found in the dense undergrowth around Yater in the western sector and along Wadi Salouqi facing the central sector ­ both used by the resistance to launch attacks and for fighters to penetrate the zone.
Lindstrom explained that MACC has conducted what is known in mine clearing parlance as a Level One Survey. This entails collecting all available information to determine the whereabouts of minefields and unexploded ordinance, such as shells, bullets or hand grenades.
The team also assesses the socio-economic impact of a minefield. A minefield on agricultural property or in a populated area will receive swifter attention than one planted in a remote, unproductive location.
The MACC team is now waiting to begin the Level Two Survey which involves precisely delineating the perimeter of each minefield.
Lindstrom, a former munitions expert in the New Zealand Army, has worked in mine clearance in Cambodia and Mozambique, two of the worst mine-afflicted countries in the world.
“It’s important to realize the impact the fear of mines can have,” he said.
Lindstrom cited the example of an area in Mozambique which had become depopulated because the local residents believed it was infested with land mines. “But we discovered only one land mine there,” he recalled.
The result of the operation allowed some 5,000 people to return to their land and begin  rebuilding their communities while at the same time relieving the capital, Maputo, which had been forced to accommodate the refugees.
Lindstrom said he hoped to have the Level Two Survey completed by the end of March, “but it depends on funding.”
The information from the Level One and Two surveys is used to draw up detailed maps and entered into a computerized database for future reference.
Not only does such a system help in mine-clearing operations, it also assists in planning infrastructure work. For instance, the system will enable a map of the South containing all minefields to be superimposed over a similarly-scaled map of a proposed water irrigation network. Planners would be able to tell at a glance which areas required mine clearance in order for pipelines to be laid and ditches to be dug in safety.
Lindstrom said that the process was “slow and methodical” but would eventually help make the South a safer place to live and work.
“No one likes to see young people being killed and maimed after the hostilities have finished,” he said. “It’s a needless waste of life.” 

1-     Future TV, 17-1-2001.

2-     AFP, 17-1-2001.

3-     The Daily Star, 18-1-2001.

  January Friday 19 -2001:

Cabinet opens new chapter in suit vs. “Israel”
Inquiry will probe alleged use of depleted uranium in South…(1)

The government ordered an investigation on Thursday into “Israel’s” alleged use of depleted-uranium (DU) ammunition during its occupation of Lebanon.
If conclusive evidence emerges that the “Israelis” used DU weapons, it will be added to the list of grievances that forms the basis of a pending lawsuit to win reparations from “Israel”.
The Health and Environment ministries and the National Council for Scientific Research, in coordination with the army, have been charged to investigate allegations that the “Israeli” Army fired DU shells in the South, Information Minister Ghazi Aridi said after Thursday’s Cabinet meeting.
Michel Tueni, the government-appointed lawyer handling the lawsuit, said preliminary investigations suggest there is substance to speculation that DU ammunition was used in the South.
But “the presence of depleted uranium will definitely be taken into account in the suit, pending the final investigation,” he told The Daily Star. “It’s a very important part and will require modifying the suit.”
Tueni said he had raised the issue in Lebanon following the outcry in Europe over the use of DU rounds during NATO’s 1999 campaign in Kosovo and the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq.
According to the US-based International Action Center, an anti-war group, at least 272 tons of DU and uranium dust were left around Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia by US and British forces during the Gulf War. A symposium in Baghdad in December 1998 found higher rates of childhood leukemia and other cancers in people living around Basra, and attributed this to DU contamination.
Steffan de Mistura, the UN’s south Lebanon coordinator, said Thursday that the reported use of DU ammunition by “Israel” should be proven and publicized. Mistura, who met Speaker Nabih Berri, added that a “scientific analysis” should be conducted and its results compared with the findings in other countries.
British Ambassador Richard Kinchen told Berri that his government was willing to provide any “information or assistance” for an investigation.
The “Israeli” Army admitted last week for the first time that it has made use of DU shells for years, according to “Israel’s” Yediot Ahronot newspaper.
“Israel’s” Maariv daily has reported that Arab-”Israeli” MP Issam Makhoul has called for an urgent meeting of the Knesset’s
Foreign Affairs and Defense (War) Committee to discuss the “use of depleted uranium against south Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territories.”
A 1995 report from the US Army Environmental Policy Institute asserts that “Israel” is one of the countries with DU munitions in its arsenal. Given “Israel’s” own nuclear program and well-developed military industry, it is also suspected of manufacturing its own DU ammunition.
An “Israeli” military spokesman has admitted that DU weapons were used by its navy against  “marine targets” but had stopped using the ammunition about 18 months ago. On warships, DU ammunition is generally used by rapid-firing gatling guns, a defensive weapon against sea-skimming anti-ship missiles.
UNIFIL spokesman Timur Goksel said the peacekeeping force had no evidence of DU weapons having been fired in the South.
“We couldn’t tell. We’re talking of tens of thousands of rounds fired from the ground, the sea and the air. It’s not something we could possibly tell without a proper scientific investigation,” he said.
He added, however, that the low-intensity conflict fought in the South precluded the regular use of DU ammunition. Hizbullah’s lightly armed fighters adopted hit-and-run guerrilla tactics and had no need for armored vehicles.
But Goksel admitted that it was possible the “Israelis” made sporadic use of DU ammunition.
“South Lebanon has been a weapons laboratory for a long time,” he said.
The occupation zone allowed the “Israeli” Army to test-fire various weapons systems and conduct training exercises with virtual impunity.
“Israeli” air crews practiced their skills against wadis and buildings in the South with almost no risk of being shot down. “Israel’s” Spike anti-tank missile was secretly tested in the South for 16 months from the beginning of 1998.
One Lebanese civilian was killed and at least four others wounded before the “Israeli” Army declassified the weapon and placed it on the international arms market.
Christopher Foss of London-based Jane’s Defense Weekly said that there was little reason for the “Israelis” to have used DU ammunition in the South.
He said that “Israel’s” Merkava tanks were capable of firing DU shells but that the expensive ammunition was impractical against the targets normally found in the battlefields of the South, such as buildings or squads of resistance fighters.
“A DU round would go in one side of the building and out the other,” Foss explained. “It wouldn’t demolish the building, just punch a hole in it. It would have no effect against a group of people either.”
One of the most effective DU-firing anti-armor platforms is the US Air Force’s A-10 Thunderbolt II, a “tank-busting” warplane equipped with 30mm gatling guns.
“Israel” has no A-10s but the AH-64 Apache helicopter gunship, which is equipped with a 30mm machine gun, is in service with the “Israelis” and has been used regularly to attack targets in Lebanon.
The International Action Center has claimed that the Apache’s 30mm cannon can fire DU rounds. But Foss disagreed.
“I think the Apache has different ammunition. Its primary weapon (against tanks) is the Hellfire missile,” he said.
The 30mm single-barreled chain gun slung beneath the nose of the Apache is designed to fire three different types of bullet: a high-explosive dual-purpose round, a high-explosive incendiary round, and a target-practice round. None of them are tipped with DU.

“Israel” opens fire on Lebanon from Shibaa farms area…(2)

“ The “Israeli” army fired on southern Lebanon several times in less than 12 hours from the Shibaa farms area, Lebanese police said Thursday.

Around 6:00 a.m (0400 GMT), Lebanon's Bestra hill was hit by two shells fired by an “Israeli” Merkava tank from Ramta in the Shibaa farms area, and also came under heavy machine gun fire, the police said.

Two hours later an “Israeli” patrol backed by a tank was seen around Ramta and four explosions of unknown origin were heard.

The “Israeli” army had already fired on Lebanon Wednesday evening after it noticed movement along the border, near the Shibaa farms, an “Israeli” army source said.

“Israeli” troops captured the Shibaa farms from Syria in 1967 and still hold them, though Beirut now says they are Lebanese territory and should have been evacuated by the “Israelis” when they withdrew from southern Lebanon in May after 22 years of occupation.

The Lebanese guerrilla group Hizbullah, which spearheaded the struggle against “Israel’s” occupation of the region, kidnapped three “Israeli” soldiers during a raid in October in the area.

Backed by Damascus, Tehran and Beirut, the movement had warned it would pursue its anti-”Israeli” attacks as long as the sector was occupied.

South still far from effective recovery
Land mines and limited financial resources biggest concerns…(3)

Leftover land mines, poorly-staffed hospitals and limited financial resources are just some of the problems putting the South’s recovery on hold, conference participants said on Thursday.
Organizations involved with the South’s rehabilitation gave it poor marks on the first day of a two-day conference to assess development projects in the former occupied zone.
Ali Fayyad, director of the Consultative Center For Studies and Documentation, which sponsored the conference at Beirut’s Marriott Hotel, summed up the assessment in the opening ceremony by telling the 100 conference attendees that little progress has been made in the South and that plenty of problems were going untreated.
Most of the issues, he and others agreed, boiled down to insufficient funding.
“The people of the South,” he said, “are still surviving on (diaspora) money and on the little income that agriculture brings them. The problem is that development projects have hit the wall with regard to fund-raising.”
Representing President Emile Lahoud, Social Affairs Minister Assad Diab said 222 villages in the South, including 142 in the liberated areas, were in the “intensive care unit.”
He said the area’s reconstruction was one of the country’s biggest challenges. “This is a challenge against underdevelopment and deprivation.”
Healthcare problems are also hitting south Lebanon hard. Speaking on behalf of the Health Ministry, Bahij Arbid said since the liberation, the ministry has made health services for citizens its top priority in the South.
The ministry, according to Arbid, has provided support for the Marjayoun and Bint Jbeil government hospitals. He admitted, however, that healthcare in the South suffered financial difficulties, especially the Bint Jbeil Hospital, which had to shut down some of its departments.
Arbid said the Health Committee for the South and the Western Bekaa would soon be formed and would include private- and public-sector representatives who would closely study the needs of both regions.
He also said various healthcare studies were conducted and presented to potential international donors, including the European Union, the Arab League, France, and United Arab Emirates.
Another issue of major concern was land mines. UNIFIL Major Francis Afory called them the “hidden danger” facing civilians in the liberated areas and said clearing out land mines was a prerequisite for any serious infrastructure or development in the area.
Afory argued that the South needed a center to deal with the issue and that awareness campaigns needed to be designed for different audiences, such as students, seniors, and soldiers.
Afory said a study conducted by the United Nations found there were about 70,000 land mines and about 190 land mine fields, in addition to about 300 traps. UNIFIL has removed 2,200 mines. UNIFIL has cited figures of over 130,000 mines.
Afory cited financial difficulties as UNIFIL’s biggest stumbling block to clearing mines. Lack of information about the locations and types of land mines, in addition to the nature of the land, are also hindering the process, he said.
Naji Kodeih, who represented the Environment Ministry, said that the ministry’s strategy for the South was to rehabilitate environmental damage caused by military action, develop prevention measures in order to promote an environmentally-friendly area, and prevent future deterioration of natural and archaeological assets.
He said that the ministry contributed to many projects in coordination with different civic organizations such as the United Nations Environment Program and the Lebanese Environment and Development Observatory.
Education Ministry director-general Mtanios Halabi said the liberated South needed everything from new schools to equipment to teachers.
Building schools would not just help educate students, he argued. “Their more important roles are for social and national enforcement,” he said.
Halabi also said that most students needed therapy and special attention because of the long, traumatic experience of the “Israeli” occupation.
Public Works and Transportation Ministry director-general Fadi Nammar said his ministry has designed two projects to build roads and rehabilitate public buildings, and said that progress was made on both.
Nammar said workshops would be organized by his ministry as part of its “vital contribution to the development and reconstruction of the liberated areas.” The goal, he explained, was to “guarantee the return of normal life and enforce the resistance and survival of this part of the country.”

"Destination" attacked by “Israeli” hackers…(4)

Destination, the Internet network of ITX, an independently owned information technology company based in Beirut, Lebanon, issued a statement saying that it "has been attacked by hackers based in "“Israel”" through the “Israeli” Internet provider Net Vision. Destination's home page was defaced and replaced by the word MOSAD in large characters together with propaganda language."

"The attack appears to be reprisal for the role of ITX in the technical designing programming of http://www.manartv.com, the Internet site of Al-manar Television, a Beirut based TV station with national and international (satellite) coverage. What the Internet site does is provide information and news of the Al-Manar daily broadcasts for the benefit of its viewers worldwide," said ITX.

The company added, "ITX had electronically procured the Microsoft. Amazon.com and other international advertisements for the benefit of many of its client web sites including http://www.manartv.com. This was a purely business transaction with benefits directly related to the number of visits to the site which, in the case of Al-Manar, substantial and quite interesting from the point of view of the advertisers. To date, ITX has not received any cancellation from either Amazon or Microsoft. On its part, the management of Manar had already given its instructions to ITX to discontinue the banners of both Microsoft and Amazon.com."

Earlier General-Director of Al-Manar Channel Nayef Krayyem revealed that B-Central a system owned by Microsoft Corp. had few days ago sent a message to Al-Manar channel asking to take part in ads banner program using Al-Manar web site.

Footnotes:

1-      The Daily Star, 19-1-2001.

2-      AFP, 18-1-2001.

3-      The Daily Star, 19-1-2001.

4-     Manar TV, 18-1-2001.

  January Friday 25 -2001:

Syrian worker injured in south Lebanon mine blast…(4)

“ A Syrian worker was injured Thursday by a mine in south Lebanon left behind from “Israel’s” 22-year occupation of the area, police said.

Zakaria Mohammed Ibrahim, 30, suffered injuries all over his body when he stepped on a landmine near Arnoun, near Beaufort Castle, a ruined Crusaders' fortress the “Israeli” army used as a base.

Nine people have died and another 66 injured by mines since “Israel” withdrew from south Lebanon in May, according to an AFP tally.

According to the United Nations, “Israel” left behind more than 130,000 mines in south Lebanon and has not provided detailed maps for demining crews, apart from around the international border.

Mischief may be afoot in Ghajar…(5)

“Israeli” construction engineers were seen working north of the UN-delineated Blue Line on the Lebanese side of the village of Ghajar on Thursday.
Several civilian vehicles, including a truck with a crane on the back, inched along part of the former security fence which marked “Israel’s” de-facto border during the occupation. The fence is located 500 meters north of the Blue Line.
It was unclear exactly what the workers were up to in Ghajar, but the activity has aroused suspicions that “Israel” may have resurrected a plan to incorporate all of Ghajar inside the new border fence under construction to the east of the village.
Two-thirds of the Alawite village of Ghajar fall on Lebanese territory and the remainder in “Israeli”-occupied Syria. “Israeli” troops are permitted to patrol the southern ­ Syrian ­ end of the village, but they are forbidden from entering the northern two-thirds. The Lebanese side of the village is essentially cut off from Lebanon by minefields and the former security fence.
Ghajar poses a security dilemma for the “Israeli” Army, which is in the process of building a hi-tech border fence along the Blue Line from the coast to Mount Hermon. Ghajar’s residents oppose having their village split by the new fence. But the “Israeli” Army argues that the lack of a barrier in Ghajar is a security risk.
Last November, the “Israelis” attempted to solve the dilemma by running the new fence around the top of Lebanese Ghajar, annexing the entire village. But UNIFIL warned the “Israelis” that such a move would violate the Blue Line and would provoke unnecessary instability along the border.
The “Israelis” reportedly dropped the idea. Later, a new fence and accompanying patrol road was constructed across the open fields between Abbassieh and Ghajar.
The fence ends at the first buildings in the village.
A UNIFIL officer said that Thursday was the first day the “Israeli” construction vehicles had been seen beside the old security fence in Lebanese Ghajar. An armored patrol from the Finnish UNIFIL battalion inspected the vehicles from the hamlet of Arab Louaize on the other side of Ghajar.
UNIFIL spokesman Timur Goksel said he was unaware of any breach of the Blue Line at Ghajar but said the peacekeepers would take up the matter with the “Israelis” on Friday.

Footnotes:

4-       AFP, 25-1-2001.

5-       The Daily Star, 26-1-2001.

  January Saturday 27 -2001:

“Israel” makes moves to annex Ghajar
Construction would be clear violation of Blue Line…(4)

UNIFIL confirmed on Friday that “Israeli” engineers are working north of the Blue Line in Ghajar, fuelling suspicion that the “Israelis” plan to annex the divided village.
A UNIFIL officer, who requested anonymity, said that “something is in the air” regarding the sudden spate of construction activity along an old security fence erected by the “Israelis” during the occupation of the South. The fence runs 500 meters north of the Blue Line on the Lebanese side of Ghajar.
The Blue Line splits the Alawi village of Ghajar, leaving two-thirds inside Lebanon and the rest in “Israeli”-occupied Syria. “Lebanese” Ghajar is isolated from Lebanon by the old security fence and minefields.
Construction was first observed by The Daily Star and UNIFIL peacekeepers on Thursday, prompting speculation that the “Israelis” may have resurrected a plan to incorporate the village, including the Lebanese side, within the new security fence which is under construction to the east of the village.
The new fence presently stops at the first buildings in the village, leaving the “Israelis” with a choice of either continuing along the Blue Line and cutting the village in two or running the fence around the northern end of Ghajar, a move which would violate the Blue Line.
“The pace of construction in the past two days tells me that the “Israelis” have made a firm decision on which line (Blue Line or north of Ghajar) they’re going to take,” the UNIFIL officer said. UNIFIL is “closely monitoring” developments.
A senior security source said that the “Israelis” appeared to be “beefing up” the old fence north of Ghajar.
The source added that the “Israelis” had encouraged the residents in Ghajar to undertake reinforcing the fence.
“The residents originally agreed, then changed their minds. It looks like the “Israelis” will do it instead,” the source said.
The source added that the move would be a violation of the Blue Line.
“They have major problems in the area and they don’t care about small violations,” the source said.
Ghajar lies at the foot of the Shibaa Farms district.

There has been no comment from the “Israeli” Army on the construction work in Ghajar.

Civilian wounded in Bastara shelling…(5)

“Israeli” helicopters and tanks shelled the Bastara farmstead next to the Shibaa Farms region on Friday evening, wounding one civilian, Lebanese security sources said.
Mohammed Khalifeh was wounded by a bullet to the leg according to the hospital in Sidon where he was treated.
Security services said an “Israeli” Merkava tank fired 16 shells toward Bastara and the neighboring village of Halta.
“Israeli” helicopter gunships fired heavy machine guns on the sector and nearby wadis.
The shelling, which began at 5pm, continued in spurts for nearly two hours. “Israeli” troops in the Shibaa Farms regularly fire automatic weapons and heavy caliber arms to ward off actual or suspected attacks.

Footnotes:

4-       The Daily Star, 27-1-2001.

5-       Same source.

  January Monday 29 -2001:

“Israeli” planes break sound barrier over Beirut…(3)

“ The “Israeli” air force breached Lebanese airspace Sunday, breaking the sound barrier over several towns, including Beirut, police said.

Lebanon has lodged several complaints with the United Nations over recent months about “Israeli” plans breaching its airspace.

Bastara family packs it in again after latest shelling incident…(5)

The embattled Zohra family has once again abandoned their home in Bastara on the edge of the Shibaa Farms after “Israeli” tanks and helicopters pounded the vicinity on Friday night.
Qassem Zohra, a goatherd who lived with 11 relatives in a tiny stone hovel, packed the family’s meager belongings into the back of his truck on Saturday morning and drove 5 kilometers along a rutted track to the safety of Kfar Shuba.
“You could die there and no one would know. I don’t want this to happen to my children,” Zohra said.
Zohra is struggling to find alternative grazing for his 800 goats, as well as shelter from the bitter winter nights.
“It’s too cold for them to stay out at night. But I’m having trouble finding a place where I can keep them all together,” he said.
Zohra said that the shelling on Friday night finally persuaded him that living in Bastara had become too dangerous.
“The shells were exploding 300 meters from our house. We could hear the shrapnel hitting the roof. The children hid under the mattresses because they were so scared,” he said.
The Zohra family previously left their home earlier this month after “Israeli” mortar fire struck the farmstead, killing over 60 of their goats. The family returned a week later when Zohra was unable to find fresh grazing for his goats.
“I would rather die in Bastara that be told constantly ‘we have no room for you,’” he said. “But it has become too dangerous for the children to remain there. Everyday, the “Israelis” shoot at them.”
Zohra called on UNIFIL to set up a permanent observation post beside the farm.
“The main difficulty is finding someone to communicate with the “Israelis” to tell them to stop,” he said. “That’s the UN’s job but they’re not doing it. We really need a UN position in Bastara. Then the “Israelis” will think twice about shooting at us.”
UNIFIL spokesman Timur Goksel said orders had been given to the Indian battalion to increase patrols in the area. He added that UNIFIL’s commander, Major General Seth Kofi Obeng, discussed the latest shelling with the head of the “Israeli” Army’s northern command, Brigadier General Gaby Ashkenazi, on Sunday.
“We are discussing what can be done about this very dangerous situation,” Goksel said.
Obeng and Goksel are expected to raise the possibility of establishing a permanent post in Bastara with President Emile Lahoud on Monday.

Footnotes:

3-        AFP, 28-1-2001.

5-        The Daily Star, 29-1-2001.