July Wednesday 04-2001:

We destroyed “Israel’s” top radar: Hizbullah…(1)

Hizbullah said Tuesday that it had destroyed the most important radar station in the Middle East in weekend clashes with “Israel”.

"The radar position that the Islamic resistance has destroyed is the most important position in the Middle East," Sheikh Nabil Qawooq, Hizbullah's top official in southern Lebanon, told reporters.

Hizbullah bombarded “Israeli” positions in the occupied Shibaa Farms, including the radar facility, shortly after “Israeli” warplanes knocked out a Syrian radar station in eastern Lebanon, wounding two Syrian soldiers.

The attack on the radar station followed a Hizbullah attack on the Shibaa Farms on Friday.

Qawooq said Hizbullah had succeeded in "establishing a new equation, which is the response to any aggression on Lebanese sovereignty. Any raid on Lebanese territory whatever its target merits a response from the resistance."

Qaooq said "“Israel” was astonished by the speed of our retaliation and was shocked by the loss of the radar in the Shibaa area."

"The radar covers five countries, namely Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan and parts of Iraq and therefore “Israel’s” defeat in the latest round was very big," he said.

"According to our information, there are engineers working to rebuild surveillance equipment and radar there," he said.

“Israel” has not admitted any damage to the radar facility, though witnesses in southern Lebanon said they saw smoke rising from the buildings after the Hizbullah attack.

Qawooq said Hizbullah had "information that senior “Israeli” officers have advised (“Israeli” Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon of the necessity of withdrawing from the Shibaa Farms."

"But Sharon wants to withdraw from the area after winning political and security gains, and we insist that it remains a defeat and a pullout without any gains," he said.

Qawooq said "all possibilities remain open...and enemy forces on the hills of Shibaa ... are in a state of moral collapse."

He reiterated a warning that "if the enemy wants to enlarge the area of aggression, then it has to expect that the resistance will carry out its right in extending the area of retaliation."

Qaooq also said that "the “Israeli” enemy attempted through international mediators to differentiate between destructive operations that inflict casualties among their ranks and operations which do not inflict casualties."

He did not elaborate.

"We will continue our operations and we will not squander any opportunity to inflict the largest number of casualties in enemy ranks," he added.

Future television visits new battle front…(2)

Future Television has gone to the front-line in Shibaa Farms where low-intensity warfare threatens to spillover.

 (UNIFIL Captain Prakash saying: "Come here...Missiles were fired from here.. two from here"). Leftovers of laser-guided missiles used by Hizbullah to launch a fresh attack on “Israeli” troops dug-in at this post in the Shibaa Farms, a region “Israel” has been occupying since 1967. Hizbullah fires missiles from hideouts like this. They are close to “Israeli” positions, but “Israel” can rarely locate them. UN peacekeepers deployed here search for clues to determine who fired what. Hizbullah has vowed to keep up the resistance struggle until “Israel” withdraws from the region like it did when it vacated the south of Lebanon. Backed by the UN, “Israel” says the Shibaa Farms are Syrian land occupied alongside the Golan Heights. But Damascus and Beirut disagree and believe Hizbullah is carrying out a legitimate fight. Peacekeepers investigate attacks from both sides to determine who violated the border or the so-called Blue Line drawn by the UN to certify “Israel’s” withdrawal from southern Lebanon more than a year ago.
(Captain Prakesh, saying inside jeep: "They have been launching all the operations from this area..")
The shifting sands of Middle East politics and “Israel’s” withdrawal from southern Lebanon have brought “Israel” and Hizbullah to this new battle front. But there is more at stake here. The conflict could trigger a much wider regional war. “Israel” has been making good on threats to strike at Syrian positions in Lebanon every time Hizbullah attacks its posts here. It holds Damascus responsible for Hizbullah operations, a charge Syria rejects and warns could drive the entire region into warfare. Syria wants “Israel” to withdraw from the occupied Golan Heights, which is adjacent to this “Israeli” radar post and the Shibaa Farms.
(Captain Prakesh saying: "“Israelis” have been warning both Syria and Hizbullah that attacks may get out of hand. We are here to prevent it from happening").
(Mohalhel Fakih saying: "The only people you see on ground are UNIFIL...", Captain Prakesh responding: "It's again an irony for us because you don't see both of them but still they are warring.")
The border stretches along rough terrain and there is a lot to cover. Last October, Hizbullah captured three “Israeli” soldiers from here to swap them for Lebanese “Israel” has been detaining. “Israel” for its part frequently bombards hills and villages near Shibaa Farms, especially the war-devastated Kfar Chouba village. This old man brandishes shrapnel from fresh “Israeli” shelling. He said shrapnel fell like birds from the sky a few hours earlier. War is around the clock event here. People are deeply involved in the conflict. Most Kfar Chouba residents own land occupied by “Israel” in Shibaa Farms. They have been holding on to land certificates.
(Kfar Chouba resident saying: "It's my land since the days of my father, my grandfather and great grandfather... how can I leave it for them...").

Mofaz Blames Syria for Escalation, Zionist Settlers Fear More Hizbullah Attacks on Northern Palestine…(3)

In an interview with the Zionist Channel One TV in Washington Zionist chief of Staff General Shaul Mofaz said "“Israel”" is exerting self-restraint towards the Islamic Resistance operations in the Shibaa Farms. Mofaz considered that there are no reasons justifying Hizbullah's ongoing attacks against “Israeli” soldiers. Reiterating that the Syrians are those responsible for what is going on in Lebanon, Mofaz admitted the Zionist Entity can not open another front in the north. On the “Israeli” occupation soldiers held captives by Hizbullah, the Zionist chief of staff said he believed the Americans understand well "“Israel’s”" concern over the well-being of the captive soldiers, hoping that Washington will take part in the efforts to release the soldiers. Following Hizbullah Sunday's shelling of several occupation outposts in the occupied Shibaa Farms, including a listening post known as radar, Zionist settlers along the border with Lebanon fear that all “Israeli” army radars and antennas near the settlements might turn into targets for Hizbullah's missiles, according to a Zionist channel one reporter.

1-      AFP, 4-7-2001.

2-      Future TV, 3-7-2001.

3-      Manar TV, 3-7-2001.

July Thursday 05-2001:

Hizbullah Secretary-General Says More Resistance Operations Will Be Carried Out…(1)

Hizbullah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said more resistance operations will take place during the coming days, saying "we will seize the occasion to hit the “Israeli” occupation forces". He added, "The fact that Syrian positions are taken as targets by the “Israeli” occupation army will not affect our determination to pursue the resistance until the liberation of the Shibaa Farms". In an interview with As-Safir newspaper, Nasrallah stressed “We are ready for all possibilities. When we shelled the “Israeli” radar post on Mount Sheikh Sunday, we were aware that a large scale confrontation might occur, and we were all set for any “Israeli” aggression." Sayyed Nasrallah indicated that occupation outposts in the Farms were targeted like never before with 200 rockets, and mortar shells. On the other hand, Hizbullah Secretary-General accused Zionist government of complicating mediation efforts to arrange a prisoners swap between Hizbullah and the Zionist Entity. He said, "We await a response from the German mediator" who is to meet Thursday with Sharon in Germany. "In light of the response that we will be given, we will have to take an extraordinary position regarding this dossier."

Nasrallah: Hizbullah Fired 200 Missiles at “Israel’s” Mt. Hermon Radar…(2)

Hizbullah's leader Hassan Nasrallah says his warriors blasted “Israel’s” radar complex on Mount Hermon with 200 missiles inside of a few minutes to avenge the air assault on the Syrian radar base in the Bekaa Valley.
"This was the heaviest missile barrage ever unleashed by the resistance against an “Israeli” target. It hasn't been done before, not even during the height of the war of liberation," Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in an interview published by As-Safir Wednesday.
He said his fighters had standing orders to hit hard at “Israeli” positions in the Shibaa farms the moment “Israel” hits at a Lebanese or Syrian target. They do not have to wait for the leadership to meet and take a decision. They simply hit back automatically."
He said the Party of God was "poised to cope with any and all eventualities" and asserted that “Israel’s” attacks on Syrian targets would not force a discontinuation of Hizbullah's war to liberate the Shibaa farms.
"I think we will be having more frequent operations in the Shibaa sector and we are prepared for the worst. I also think Syria will not abstain from retaliating if “Israeli” strikes anew at another Syrian target in Lebanon," Nasrallah said

1-      Manar TV, 4-7-2001.

2-      Nahar Net, 4-7-2001.