IDF determined to keep arms pipeline shut

Report: Large amounts of rockets transferred from Iran to Syria en route to the Hizbullah.

By YAAKOV KATZ, JPOST.COM STAFF
Weapons 298.88 (photo credit: IDF)
Weapons 298.88
(photo credit: IDF)
Large amounts of rockets have been transferred from Iran to Syria en route to the Hizbullah in Lebanon, the London-based Arab daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat. Since the cease-fire went into effect last Monday, Military Intelligence has been keeping a careful eye on Lebanon and attempts by Hizbullah to rebuild itself. Sensitive intelligence information that reached the IDF recently indicated that Hizbullah was in the process of assessing the extent of the damage caused to it since war erupted on July 12 and was working to rehabilitate its armed wing. In addition, Hizbullah was allowing the Lebanese army to deploy in certain parts of southern Lebanon but not everywhere, especially in areas it wanted to keep under its sole control. In recent days, the IDF received information concerning a shipment of anti-tank missiles on its way from Russia to Damascus. The defense establishment obtained what it called solid proof indicating that the arms shipment was destined for Hizbullah, and the decision was made by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz and IDF Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Dan Halutz to thwart it. The shipment was being delivered despite the clear prohibition on supplying Hizbullah with arms. Syria and Iran have set up a mechanism for smuggling weapons into Lebanon for Hizbullah. During the month of fighting, that mechanism did not work effectively, because the IAF was successful in targeting dozens of vehicles carrying weaponry into Lebanon. Since the cease-fire, the mechanism has gone into high gear and the number of attempts has drastically increased. The smuggling focuses on long and short-range rockets.