IDF to employ s. Lebanon security zone

Peretz: "Israel was developing the north, Hizbullah was preparing for war."

By JPOST.COM STAFF
taleb a sanaa 224.88 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
taleb a sanaa 224.88
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski )
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Tuesday that Israel would maintain a security zone in southern Lebanon. The minister explained his reasoning to a group of IDF artillerymen, during a visit to the northern border. He met with commanders and soldiers to discuss the recent fighting they had taken part in. Peretz illustrated the future security zone's purpose, explaining that the zone would be "temporary", and would be maintained only until an international force gained enforcement capability, one that would "not only be present for the sake of being present." "If there is not a multinational force that will control the fences, a multinational force with an enforcement capability, we will continue to control (Hizbullah) with our fire toward any one who will get close to the security zone," he said. Peretz continued by saying that the IDF would continue its operations in the region. "Today, the main focus of the IDF is to create a security zone within our control, and until a multinational force is stationed we will continue to fight." Peretz warned that infiltrators of the zone would "not be tolerated." The new security zone's depth is presently unclear, but would be established during the current events, and upon the army's ability to gain control of the area. Furthermore, Peretz commented that Israel would not return to a similar, previous situation. "Those who have seen the level of Hizbullah's reinforcement should understand that while Israel was developing the north, Hizbullah was preparing for war." The minister of defense added that Hizbullah had many casualties, "many more than they report." He noted that taking out Hizbullah's leader Nasarallah was not the IDF's main objective, rather to push the terror group further back into Lebanon and put an end to the smuggling of weapons into the country. UAL MK Taleb A-Sanaa attacked the defense minister's statement regarding the new security zone, saying that he would be repeating the same mistakes made in the past. "The minister of defense, Amir Peretz, does not only make an effort to make as many mistakes as possible, but also attempts to adopt the same errors made by his predecessors." The MK emphasized that the citizens of Israel would not be prepared to pay the same price for such a mistake.