Peretz signals step-up of attacks if talks fail

Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Monday he has ordered the army to step up the offensive against Hizbullah rocket launching sites in Lebanon if the diplomatic process remains inconclusive. Speaking to the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Peretz said in the absence of a diplomatic agreement, he has instructed the army to "take control" of launching sites "wherever they are to minimize the fire of Katyasha rockets and take the Israeli people out of the shelters."