20 February 2013

Israeli sub off Lebanese coast: and people are surprised?

According to The Algemeiner, "Israel has stepped up military activity in and around Lebanon as can be witnessed by the recent detection of a submarine off the country’s southern coast, reports the Lebanese newspaper Ad-Diyar." Why should anyone be surprised at this, given the more than suggestions that Syria is moving all sorts of weapons to Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, courtesy of Hezbollah's Iranian paymasters? Remember that recent arms convoy attacked by Israel (although Israel neither confirmed nor denied this) on its apparent way to Hezbollah?

Anyone who has visited Rosh Hanikra up on Israel's northernmost point on the Med will have seen, as well as the famous caves and the remnants of the railway that used to run from Haifa to Beirut, the line of buoys stretching out to sea marking the sea border between Israel and Lebanon and the permanently on-station gunboats keeping an eagle eye on any movements across that border, as well as the radar station stationed on the heights, looking deep into Lebanon.

So, again, why the apparent surprise that a country as militarily advanced as Israel, with decidedly unfriendly neighbours, should keep a very careful eye on those neighbours?

By: Brian Goldfarb  

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