United Nations and emergency personnel gather at the site of a
roadside bomb attack on a U.N. peacekeepers’ vehicle in
Lebanon last Friday (Photo: AP/Mohammed Zaatari)
A suspicious incident happened near the border of Lebanon and Israel late last night, possibly connected to a recent bombing in Lebanon. Let’s look at the report and circumstances surrounding the incident and see if they shed light on what’s going on in the region.
It seems that a Katyusha rocket was launched from Wadi al-Qaissiya in Lebanon and crashed thru the roof of a house in Houla, also in Lebanon, wounding Naseera Ali Abbasher seriously as she lay in bed next to her child, who was not wounded.
This news is sweeping the MSM framed as”Rocket Fired From Lebanon at Israel Falls Short“. “Officials” (anonymous) inform us it was headed towards Israel. Afterwards, Israeli warplanes were seeing flying over southern and eastern Lebanon and “hovering in circles over the capital“ according to Beirut’s Daily Star. No one has taken any responsibility for the attack but Hezbollah will issue a statement once the probe has been completed. The military is also conducting an investigation.
By this morning MSNBC, WAPO, Time, ABC, CNN and countless other news sources from little local papers in Nevada to the Taiwan News were reporting this story. So what’s this all about, and what’s so special about this attack to warrant this kind of attention? According to UNIFIL Force Commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta, it is the third serious incident involving security breaches south of the Litani River in a period of two weeks.
WAPO:
It follows rising concerns that conflict in next-door Syria may spill into its neighbor, where Lebanese are deeply divided between supporters and opponents of the Syrian regime. Lebanese see regional powers including Syria as having sponsored violence in their country in the past, to send messages to each other or to settle accounts.
The Lebanese are divided between supporters of al-Assad so they initiate an attack against Israel? Something’s not quite adding up for me on this narrative. Syria’s been accused of sponsoring terror in Lebanon before– when other regional powers were likely behind the destabilization.
Let’s back up a few days and look at what happened in southern Lebanon before this rocket attack on Naseera Ali Abbas’s home last night.
The above photo is of the roadside bomb attack on U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon last Friday. It wasn’t big news here, although it was the third bombing this year targeting UNIFIL and it wounded five French soldiers and one Lebanese bystander. This attack was referenced in today’s AP article–sans mentioning Hezbollah condemned Friday’s bombing as well as that it put out a statement stressing ‘that such acts of violence “target Lebanon’s security and the stability of its south in particular.”‘
Reuter’s reports today:
France says it believes Syria was behind an attack on U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon. While Paris has no proof, Damascus has plenty of armed supporters who might try to destabilize Lebanon to divert attention from its own turmoil.
Syria and Hezbollah both denied the charge on Monday, but Syria’s Lebanese opponents have accused Damascus of trying to stir up trouble through proxies who also include Palestinian groups in refugee camps and pro-Syrian political groups.
Analysts said the French accusation was part of an escalating showdown between Western powers demanding President Bashar al-Assad halt the violence in his country, and Syria and its allies, including Iran and Hezbollah.
Syria’s Lebanese opponents, hmm. That sounds awfully familiar. I can think of a few more of Syria’s opponents who might be interested in stirring up crap in Lebanon, weakening Hezbollah and blaming Syria. I wonder how our intel is fairing now that the Lebanese government (which now includes Hezbollah in case anyone forgot) has routed so many of Israel’s spies out of Lebanon? Tsk Tsk.
This afternoon the Daily Star writes about some disinformation in the local press:
The Lebanese Army Monday denied reports that soldiers clashed with Israeli troops along the Lebanon-Israel border.
“We categorically deny these allegations,” a senior army source told The Daily Star.
He was commenting on some local media reports that said clashes took place Monday between the Lebanese and Israeli armies in the border town of Taibeh in the Marjayoun region.
UNIFIL Force Commander Maj. Gen. Alberto Asarta:
“These instances show that despite all our efforts there continue to be weapons and hostile armed elements ready to use them within our area of operations…”
“There is clearly a need for further enhancing security control in the area. Recent efforts by certain elements have been directed at destabilizing the area and we simply cannot allow such acts of violence that endanger the safety of the local population and the security of southern Lebanon.”
So… Is Lebanon next? Are these the new Lebanese ‘birthpangs’ ? Are we beginning to see a serious attempt to knock out Lebanon, get a civil war going with a little help from their ‘friends’? Or was the bombing of the French UNIFIL soldiers related to that missing Israeli drone French United Nations peacekeepers picked up on their radar screen last month before it vanished.
The timing is auspicious. Probably just a coincidence. However, the AP report that flooded the msm this morning, mentioned it was not clear if Israel’s flyovers were related to the rocket attack on Naseera Ali Abbas’s home. So maybe they weren’t, maybe the Israelis were just out looking for their missing drone.
A lot can change in a week can’t it?
Naseera Ali Abbas, 55, who was wounded when a rocket penetrated the ceiling of her house and landed in her bedroom, lies in hospital in the southern village of Mays al-Jabal, Lebanon, Monday, Dec. 12, 2011. (Mohammed Zaatari/The Daily Star)
(The Washington Post links have been scrubbed, it can be accessed here)
I can’t believe you let this blog pass your inspection Phil. Israel at fault for attacks in Lebanon? Please, utterly ridiculous.
— you lost your snark tag, my friend.
Who would have an interest in killing UNIFIL troops or in stupidly rocketting Israel? Certainly not the foxy leaders of Hizbullah. The last 2 or 3 rocket attacks on Israel were claimed by Salafist affiliates in Lebanon. Those are the same type of guys that are now in bed with the US in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Syria. There is nothing absurd in giving Israel some serious consideration in what’s been going on. The number of Israeli spies caught since 3 years by Lebanon is well over 100 and Israel has a false-flagging track record of bombing Jews to achieve its objectives.
I would like to congratulate Phil and his co-workers with a remarkable achievement.
This blog, upon the addition of Annie Robbins and continuous posts by Alex Kane and Max Ajl, who are deeply involved in developing the alternative or “truthful” version of the current events, particularly covering military, diplomatic and security aspects of them, has finally found its rightful place among the many conspiracy blogs, focused on blaming Israel and US for all the wrongs in the world.
From promoting political activism and self-defined liberal ideas to this.
What a pity.
But well, I guess Hasbara Central, me included, can now look for the additional targets.
I’m going to ask for a bonus for this Chanukah. Thanks.
Very Interesting analysis Annie. I have to admit i must have been away and missed the story about the lost Israeli drone which would explain all the activity in the border. One thing for sure, I doubt very much if Syria or Hizballah had anyhting to do with the UNFIL attacks. For one, Assad has enough on his hand that to pick a fight with Israel and France for that mater and Hizballah’s chief Nesrallah is way too smart to do this, there is absolutely no benefit to him in fighting with UNIFIL
So a good question is who ?. I also doubt if the salafists are organized enough to mount such an attack. Again, who benefits ?
All i can think of is the one who is making the most noise is Samir Geagea. He is definitley in Israel’s pocket and may be trying to hide some assets in the south or helping Israel locate the drone. This guy has more killings on his hands than any other group in the area, wouldn’t be surprised if he did the Hariri killing too.
With Geagea and Hariri Jr. trying to stir up Syria by sending arms across the border, and trying hard to get rid of Hizballah, I wouldn’t be surprised if they think by targeting UNIFIL they can get something going in Lebanon that would get the French and Israel to come to their aid. Syria is too busy fighting its own unrest, so maybe they figure its a good time to go after Hizballah. It wouldn’t surprise me if Israel is calculating that they can remove Hizballah with the help of France and count on Syria to stay put. Then, well we all know the scenario, target Iran now that the northern front is quiet.