1. The document discusses Israel's northern borders with Lebanon and Syria, and the threats posed by Hezbollah and Iran. Hezbollah maintains guerrilla positions in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border in violation of UN resolutions. Iran is the primary supporter of Hezbollah, providing weapons, funding, and training. Hezbollah has built up its arsenal to over 50,000 rockets that threaten all of Israel.
A letter to the senior diplomat in the State Department on behalf of a family facing persecution in Iraq. The Halabi family has served, and still serves, both the Government or Iraq and the United States Government in teaching, athletics training and refugee support.
The world is painfully aware of the horrific suffering in Syria and yet unable to find a way to end it. This consultation assembled by the Universal Peace Federation in Amman, Jordan, October 11-13, 2013, quickly doubled in size, eventually numbering more than 40 participants. This initial report takes a thematic approach, highlighting its strengths and special characteristics, which might be summarized as its diversity and the interdisciplinary approach; regional and international perspectives; religious/spiritual perspectives; NGO perspectives, and the points emphasized in the declaration.
The conflict in Syria has escalated at an alarming rate, leaving more than 100,000 people dead and more than 2 million internally displaced persons and refugees; in effect, spawning a human disaster of enormous magnitude. With recent news of the August 21 deaths of 1400 men, women, and children as a result of chemical weapons, the world's leading stakeholders, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, find themselves at a critical juncture. While a solution seems far away, there is at least movement in the direction of establishing some international control over Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons, a move that might avert a military intervention by the USA.
UPF appeals to the United Nations and the major powers to redouble their efforts for a diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, we call upon leaders of the world's great faith traditions, especially Muslims, Jews, and Christians, to come together in the search for a solution that brings an end to the bloodshed. Moreover, when we speak of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, we include all the diverse factions, sects, divisions, denominations, and subcultures within those great and esteemed traditions. After all, we know that the obstacles to the great dialogue among religions are not merely found at the borders that separate the major religions, but the fissures and battle-lines are drawn with equal strength within the sphere of each of the major religious traditions.
UPF applauds the efforts made by Pope Francis, calling for prayer, fasting, and an end to the violence in Syria, as well as other worthy and outstanding initiatives, such as King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz' International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Religions for Peace, UNESCO's Culture of Peace initiative, and the UN's Alliance of Civilizations. UPF supports these efforts and has itself been consistently advocating for the establishment of an interfaith council of spiritual elders within the United Nations system, along with promotion of ongoing dialogue, rapprochement, and trust-building between the USA, the European Union, and the Russian Federation.
We call upon leaders and believers from all the faith traditions, and sub-traditions, to come together in support of peace in Syria, offering humanitarian assistance, as well as a wide range of soft power initiatives.
A letter to the senior diplomat in the State Department on behalf of a family facing persecution in Iraq. The Halabi family has served, and still serves, both the Government or Iraq and the United States Government in teaching, athletics training and refugee support.
The world is painfully aware of the horrific suffering in Syria and yet unable to find a way to end it. This consultation assembled by the Universal Peace Federation in Amman, Jordan, October 11-13, 2013, quickly doubled in size, eventually numbering more than 40 participants. This initial report takes a thematic approach, highlighting its strengths and special characteristics, which might be summarized as its diversity and the interdisciplinary approach; regional and international perspectives; religious/spiritual perspectives; NGO perspectives, and the points emphasized in the declaration.
The conflict in Syria has escalated at an alarming rate, leaving more than 100,000 people dead and more than 2 million internally displaced persons and refugees; in effect, spawning a human disaster of enormous magnitude. With recent news of the August 21 deaths of 1400 men, women, and children as a result of chemical weapons, the world's leading stakeholders, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, find themselves at a critical juncture. While a solution seems far away, there is at least movement in the direction of establishing some international control over Syria's stockpiles of chemical weapons, a move that might avert a military intervention by the USA.
UPF appeals to the United Nations and the major powers to redouble their efforts for a diplomatic solution. Meanwhile, we call upon leaders of the world's great faith traditions, especially Muslims, Jews, and Christians, to come together in the search for a solution that brings an end to the bloodshed. Moreover, when we speak of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, we include all the diverse factions, sects, divisions, denominations, and subcultures within those great and esteemed traditions. After all, we know that the obstacles to the great dialogue among religions are not merely found at the borders that separate the major religions, but the fissures and battle-lines are drawn with equal strength within the sphere of each of the major religious traditions.
UPF applauds the efforts made by Pope Francis, calling for prayer, fasting, and an end to the violence in Syria, as well as other worthy and outstanding initiatives, such as King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz' International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, Religions for Peace, UNESCO's Culture of Peace initiative, and the UN's Alliance of Civilizations. UPF supports these efforts and has itself been consistently advocating for the establishment of an interfaith council of spiritual elders within the United Nations system, along with promotion of ongoing dialogue, rapprochement, and trust-building between the USA, the European Union, and the Russian Federation.
We call upon leaders and believers from all the faith traditions, and sub-traditions, to come together in support of peace in Syria, offering humanitarian assistance, as well as a wide range of soft power initiatives.
Source: Looking Glass Publications
By Linda Lavender, Writer / Robin Barnett, Editor
Understanding the past proxies is relevant to the recent unrest in the Middle East, which is often mischaracterized as a purely sectarian conflict. While clearly there is a sectarian component to ongoing unrest in the region, the conflicts, both latent and manifest within Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen are often reported as a struggle between opposing religious sects - Sunnis and Shiites. However, according to F. Gregory Gause of the Brookings Institution, the best way to understand regional politics and the current unrest in the Middle East is through a Cold War framework between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Iran where the central issue is that of regional hegemony.
IAI seminar on "The Fight against ISIS and the US Policy in the Middle East", with Daniel Serwer, Middle East Institute and School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Rome, 19 March 2015
Boko Haram - An Examination of Terrorist Resiliency and Adaptability 02 Novem...ChadCogan
Boko Haram has proven resilient and adaptive in the face of anti-terrorist measures. Though their goals and tactics have been forced to change, the group has survived, continuing to successfully carry out attacks in the region. Boko Haram serves as a case study in the difficulty of clearly defeating a terrorist group.
This ppt tends to describe what happened in Paris, and what can be its outcomes. it further goes on to discuss a topic that people shy out while in public, though it is a heated topic with varied opinions in private- the connection of terrorism with muslim youth.
Explains the nature and origins of present Syrian crises in the wider backdrop of the geopolitical and other faultlines of the Middle East..It then enumerates the stakes of the various global and regional powers and how they are reacting to the rapidly evolving situation.Ends with possible outcomes and suggests the best way forward.
This analysis has been made on what Media and individual say about ISIS on open platform like- Twitter, Blog, News & Forum. This is a Social Media monitoring and analysis report, not a Intelligence report. For creating the analysis report I have used historical data of the last one Year of Twitter, News, Blog, Forum & video conversations.
If you have any further question you can comment below.
More than 200,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State.
Management of over 4 million refugees is in itself a great challenge and is likely to affect world economy.
Explains background information on the volatile country of Syria, including conflicts within the Muslim groups and with Muslims and other religions in the country.
Source: Looking Glass Publications
By Linda Lavender, Writer / Robin Barnett, Editor
Understanding the past proxies is relevant to the recent unrest in the Middle East, which is often mischaracterized as a purely sectarian conflict. While clearly there is a sectarian component to ongoing unrest in the region, the conflicts, both latent and manifest within Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen are often reported as a struggle between opposing religious sects - Sunnis and Shiites. However, according to F. Gregory Gause of the Brookings Institution, the best way to understand regional politics and the current unrest in the Middle East is through a Cold War framework between Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Iran where the central issue is that of regional hegemony.
IAI seminar on "The Fight against ISIS and the US Policy in the Middle East", with Daniel Serwer, Middle East Institute and School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University
Rome, 19 March 2015
Boko Haram - An Examination of Terrorist Resiliency and Adaptability 02 Novem...ChadCogan
Boko Haram has proven resilient and adaptive in the face of anti-terrorist measures. Though their goals and tactics have been forced to change, the group has survived, continuing to successfully carry out attacks in the region. Boko Haram serves as a case study in the difficulty of clearly defeating a terrorist group.
This ppt tends to describe what happened in Paris, and what can be its outcomes. it further goes on to discuss a topic that people shy out while in public, though it is a heated topic with varied opinions in private- the connection of terrorism with muslim youth.
Explains the nature and origins of present Syrian crises in the wider backdrop of the geopolitical and other faultlines of the Middle East..It then enumerates the stakes of the various global and regional powers and how they are reacting to the rapidly evolving situation.Ends with possible outcomes and suggests the best way forward.
This analysis has been made on what Media and individual say about ISIS on open platform like- Twitter, Blog, News & Forum. This is a Social Media monitoring and analysis report, not a Intelligence report. For creating the analysis report I have used historical data of the last one Year of Twitter, News, Blog, Forum & video conversations.
If you have any further question you can comment below.
More than 200,000 Syrians have lost their lives in four years of armed conflict, which began with anti-government protests before escalating into a full-scale civil war. More than 11 million others have been forced from their homes as forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and those opposed to his rule battle each other - as well as jihadist militants from Islamic State.
Management of over 4 million refugees is in itself a great challenge and is likely to affect world economy.
Explains background information on the volatile country of Syria, including conflicts within the Muslim groups and with Muslims and other religions in the country.
Libya's postrevolutionary transition to democracy was not destined to fail. With the ninth largest oil reserves in the world, Libya was well positioned to develop along the lines of resource-rich Persian Gulf states with similarly small populations. But Libya has become a failed state in what could be a prolonged period of civil war. Fissures have emerged along ethnic, tribal, geographic, and ideological lines against the backdrop of an Islamist versus non-Islamist narrative. Is Libya destined to become a "Somalia on the Mediterranean"?
In this thoroughly documented Washington Institute study, Libya analyst Andrew Engel examines the causative factors of this failure and offers prescriptive recommendations for creating a coordinated, unified political and security strategy to prepare for a worst-case scenario in Libya.
A description of the projects and activities of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, a multidisciplinary, independent non-profit think tank for Israel policy research and education, bringing together the best minds in the political, strategic, diplomatic and legal arenas, in Israel and abroad.
Pinkwashing is a common propaganda device utilized by the state of Israel in an attempt to gain LGBTQ support for the Israeli state by painting Israel as a safe-haven for gays against the backdrop of a “backward” Middle-East. Israel’s mythologized acceptance of gays has been used on the international stage to take the focus away its ongoing and brutal oppression of Palestinians and the apartheid policies of the state.
Although it will be known forever as the backdrop of tribal wanderings, wars, and revelations thousands of years in the past, today Sinai is the scene of dramatic events laden with regional significance. This once sleepy land bridge connecting North Africa to the Middle East is now buzzing with activity that demands the attention of Israel, Egypt and all international actors interested in preserving the peace agreement between them. Terrorism and the smuggling of guns, drugs, white slaves, refugees and job seekers across the 61,000-square kilometer (23,500-square mile) patch of sand and mountains are straining resources on both sides of the border.
This is in stark contrast, however, to Sinai’s history. The peninsula has served as a major thoroughfare for traders and conquerors since ancient times, but it has rarely seen significant settlement, and in many ways it has stood on the sidelines of history. It was controlled by the various rulers of Egypt for centuries, until the Ottoman Empire took it over. In place of the Ottomans came the British, who held Egypt as a colony for 70 years, until revolution ended British rule in 1952. The British-delineated border, from Rafah in the Gaza Strip to present-day Eilat, is still recognized today.
In modern relations between Israel and Egypt, Sinai has been both a buffer zone and an area of contention. It was the path through which Egypt attacked Israel in 1948, 1967, and 1973, and via which Israel attacked Egypt, in a joint operation with Britain and France to restore international access to the Suez Canal, in 1956. Throughout, though, it remained remote, sparsely populated, and relatively undeveloped.
Israel’s unique position in the Middle East as a center of equality for all gets highlighted when the annual Gay Pride festivities kick off in Tel Aviv for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities.
Voted the world’s best gay travel destination1, Tel Aviv will host over one hundred thousand tourists with events co-sponsored and supported by Tel Aviv city hall. Known as Israel’s cultural and economic capital, Tel Aviv embodies much of Israel’s new and pioneering spirit while retaining its heritage.
Two Years Later: The real story on the Iran Nuclear DealThe Israel Project
Friday marked the second anniversary of the announcement of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the landmark nuclear agreement reached between a U.S.-led group of six world powers and Iran. On this anniversary, we ask: was the deal a success?
The answer is a resounding “no”. Iran is using the agreement as a domestic tool of oppression and as an instrument of terror abroad. Over the past two years, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly tested the limits of the deal and has also pursued a much more aggressive military campaign across the Middle East, confirming the worst fears of the JCPOA’s critics.
03062024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdfFIRST INDIA
Find Latest India News and Breaking News these days from India on Politics, Business, Entertainment, Technology, Sports, Lifestyle and Coronavirus News in India and the world over that you can't miss. For real time update Visit our social media handle. Read First India NewsPaper in your morning replace. Visit First India.
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हम आग्रह करते हैं कि जो भी सत्ता में आए, वह संविधान का पालन करे, उसकी रक्षा करे और उसे बनाए रखे।" प्रस्ताव में कुल तीन प्रमुख हस्तक्षेप और उनके तंत्र भी प्रस्तुत किए गए। पहला हस्तक्षेप स्वतंत्र मीडिया को प्रोत्साहित करके, वास्तविकता पर आधारित काउंटर नैरेटिव का निर्माण करके और सत्तारूढ़ सरकार द्वारा नियोजित मनोवैज्ञानिक हेरफेर की रणनीति का मुकाबला करके लोगों द्वारा निर्धारित कथा को बनाए रखना और उस पर कार्यकरना था।
role of women and girls in various terror groupssadiakorobi2
Women have three distinct types of involvement: direct involvement in terrorist acts; enabling of others to commit such acts; and facilitating the disengagement of others from violent or extremist groups.
‘वोटर्स विल मस्ट प्रीवेल’ (मतदाताओं को जीतना होगा) अभियान द्वारा जारी हेल्पलाइन नंबर, 4 जून को सुबह 7 बजे से दोपहर 12 बजे तक मतगणना प्रक्रिया में कहीं भी किसी भी तरह के उल्लंघन की रिपोर्ट करने के लिए खुला रहेगा।
01062024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdfFIRST INDIA
Find Latest India News and Breaking News these days from India on Politics, Business, Entertainment, Technology, Sports, Lifestyle and Coronavirus News in India and the world over that you can't miss. For real time update Visit our social media handle. Read First India NewsPaper in your morning replace. Visit First India.
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In a May 9, 2024 paper, Juri Opitz from the University of Zurich, along with Shira Wein and Nathan Schneider form Georgetown University, discussed the importance of linguistic expertise in natural language processing (NLP) in an era dominated by large language models (LLMs).
The authors explained that while machine translation (MT) previously relied heavily on linguists, the landscape has shifted. “Linguistics is no longer front and center in the way we build NLP systems,” they said. With the emergence of LLMs, which can generate fluent text without the need for specialized modules to handle grammar or semantic coherence, the need for linguistic expertise in NLP is being questioned.
31052024_First India Newspaper Jaipur.pdfFIRST INDIA
Find Latest India News and Breaking News these days from India on Politics, Business, Entertainment, Technology, Sports, Lifestyle and Coronavirus News in India and the world over that you can't miss. For real time update Visit our social media handle. Read First India NewsPaper in your morning replace. Visit First India.
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#First_India_NewsPaper
1. Northern Border Kit Updated: Mar. 11, 2013
C o n t e n t s
1 About TIP
3 Israel’s Northern Borders
3 Lebanon The Hezbollah Threat
4 Iran’s support for Hezbollah
6 Hezbollah’s guerrilla positions in South Lebanon
7 U.N. Resolution 1701
7 Hezbollah in Syria
8 Syria
9 Key events in 2012 in Syria
in relation to their weapons of mass destruction
9 The Golan Heights
2. ABOUT TIP
The Israel Project (TIP) is a non-profit educational organization that gets facts about Israel and the Middle East to
press, public officials and the public. The Israel Project is not affiliated with any government or government entity.
Our team of trusted Middle East multi-lingual experts and former reporters provides journalists and leaders with fact
sheets, backgrounders and sources. TIP regularly hosts press briefings featuring leading Israeli spokespeople and an-
alysts that give journalists and members of the diplomatic community an opportunity to get information and an-
swers to their questions face-to-face. By providing journalists with the facts, context and visuals they need, TIP ena-
bles hundreds of millions of people around the world to see a more positive public face of Israel. This helps protect
Israel,
The Jerusalem Office
The Israel Project’s (TIP) Jerusalem Office is a non-governmental resource working with foreign journalists and lead-
ers based in Israel. It provides reporters and members of the diplomatic community with needed facts and information
before they file their stories and reports. TIP’s Jerusalem team features several Middle East experts and former jour-
nalists. TIP’s Israel team, led by Marcus Sheff, includes experts who are fluent in numerous languages.
Contacts
Marcus Sheff
Executive Director
Tel: 972 2-623-6427
Cell: 972 54-807-9177
E-mail: marcuss@theisraelproject.org
David Harris
Director of Content
Tel: 972 2-623-6427
Cell: 972 54-807-9498
E-mail: davidh@theisraelproject.org
Eli Ovits
Director of Communications
Tel: 972 2 623-6427
Cell: 972 54-807-9093
E-mail: elio@theisraelproject.org
Shimrit Meir-Gilboa
Director of Arabic Media Program
Tel: 972 2-623-6427
Cell: 972 54-801-5982
E-mail: shimritm@theistraelproject.org
The Israel Project
Jerusalem Office
Tel: 972 2 623-6427
Fax: 972 2 623-6439
www.theisraelproject.org
@israelproject
theisraelproject
tipinfo
ISRAEL’S NORTHERN BORDERS
Israel’s northern border with Lebanon and Syria has long been a hotbed of confrontation. Syria and the Lebanese-
based terror organization Hezbollah backed by Iran, continue to threaten Israel’s fragile security.
3. In 1993 Israel and the PLO signed the Oslo Accords, which was followed by a peace treaty with Jordan. PLO attacks
from Lebanon ceased, although attacks continued by Hezbollah and other terrorist groups including Palestinians that
share Hezbollah’s opposition to the peace process.
In 2000, the government of Israel completed the withdrawal of its forces from the security zone in southern Lebanon to
the international border. UNIFIL forces remain to watch the violent threat from the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbol-
lah.
In December 2012, Israel filed a complaint with the U.N. Security Council concerning Hezbollah’s rearming in
Lebanon: “Hezbollah has built its arsenal to unprecedented levels, amassing 50,000 deadly missiles in Leba-
non - more missiles than many NATO members have in their possession. These missiles can reach all of Is-
rael and well beyond.”
1
Fighting from the Syrian civil war has spilled over into Israel several times during 2012
2
In 2011, Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and Palestinian factions within Syria orchestrated “protests” along the
border in May and June, sometimes successfully breaching and crossing the international line.
3
In July 2006, Hezbollah launched a combined military attack across the international border, targeting an Is-
raeli army border patrol also indiscriminately pounding Israeli towns and villages with rocket fire. Eight Israeli
soldiers were killed and two more kidnapped. It later transpired they were also dead. This unprovoked assault
by Hezbollah sparked the Second Lebanon War, which lasted four weeks until a U.N.-brokered ceasefire
came into effect under U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.
LEBANON: THE HEZBOLLAH THREAT
The Lebanon-Israel border predates the establishment of Israel in 1948. There are no territorial disputes between the
two countries and Lebanon did not participate in the 1967 or 1973 Arab-Israeli wars. The lush, rolling green hills of this
northern frontier mask a political pressure-cooker that could explode at any moment, as it has countless times since
Israel was established in 1948.
Hezbollah – Brief Background
Hezbollah (the Arabic for Party of God) is a Lebanese Shiite terrorist organization and political party.
The Lebanese-based organization is designated a terror organization in the Netherlands and the United King-
dom. Outside Europe, Australia, Canada, Israel and the U.S. have passed legislation labeling the Iranian
backed group as proliferators of local and global terrorism.
4
Born in Lebanon in 1982 but nurtured in Iran, Hezbollah has gone from a radical offshoot of the Shiite Amal
Party and militia to a major force in regional politics. It is now recognized as a highly skilled, worldwide terror-
ist network operating as far away as Africa and Latin America.
5
Since 1992, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has headed the terror organization and orchestrated world-wide terror attacks
as well as overseeing the group’s increased control of the Lebanese political and societal arenas.
In addition to an ongoing conflict with Israel, Hezbollah has been increasingly involved in Syria. According to docu-
ments from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, it is in fact Nasrallah who is in charge of coordinating Hezbollah’s
1
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/20/lebanon-un-israel-idUSL1E8NKCG620121220
2
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2012/11/11/israel-drawn-into-syria-fighting-for-first-time/1697233/
3
Lappin, Yaakov, “Syrian ‘Nakba’ protester arrested in Tel Aviv,” Jerusalem Post, May 16, 2011,
http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?ID=220850&R=R1
4
http://euobserver.com/justice/26754
5
TIP Briefing by Ely Karmon, March 1, 2012, Tel Aviv.
4. movements in Syria aiding President Bashar Al-Assad and his regime.
6
The U.S. Department of Defense in the spring
of 2012 detailed how “the Iranian military trains Hizballah and Palestinian extremist groups at camps throughout the
region.”
7
According to statements by Nasrallah in 2012, Iran has for years provided Hezbollah with training, weapons
and funding: “we received moral, and political and material support in all possible forms from the Islamic Re-
public of Iran since 1982.”
8
Nasrallah in February 2013 said: ”When we think deeply on Islamic and national levels we find that the most danger
threatening the nation is ˈIsraelˈ, and the only logic choice is the popular resistance.”
9
He added specifications of the
type of attacks he sees as part of his group’s holy mission: infrastructure and electricity stations in the Jewish state
“need only a few rockets” to leave the country paralyzed.
10
Iran’s support for Hezbollah
Iran and Syria have supplied Hezbollah with so much weaponry that they now possess 50,000 rockets
11
– some
35,000 more on the eve of the Second Lebanon War.
12
In addition to arms and technology, Iran supplies Hezbollah with funding, training, assistance and political support.
Counterterrorism expert Matthew Levitt summed up the close relationship between Tehran and Hezbollah
13
:
“What we see now is that Hezbollah is going to do things today that are in Iran’s interest even if they expressly
run counter to the interests of Lebanon and Hezbollah’s own interest there.”
“The relationship between Hezbollah and Iran, which has changed over time, is now extremely close. The
U.S. intelligence community has publicly described this as a “strategic partnership.” But people don’t fully ap-
preciate Hezbollah’s ideological commitment to the concept of velayat-e faqih, or guardianship of the jurists,
which holds that a Shiite Islamic cleric should also serve as supreme head of government. For Hezbollah, this
means the Iranian leadership is also their leader--not for every foot soldier, but for Hezbollah’s senior leaders
absolutely.”
Experts in 2011 said that “Iran is the chief financial supporter of Hezbollah, and Hezbollah survives on Iranian
support.”
14
It is estimated that the group receives as much as $200 million a year from Tehran.
15
Iranian General Ahmad Vahidi (Revolutionary Guard) confirmed that the drone Hezbollah launched into Israeli
air space in October 2012 belonged to Iran and “proves the Islamic Republic’s military capabilities.”
16
Iranian General Qassem Suleimani (Al-Quds force, the external operations branch of the Revolutionary
Guard) has increasingly directed Hezbollah since 2008.
17
Suleimani reports directly to Iran’s Supreme Leader
6
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/11/world/middleeast/us-officials-say-hezbollah-helps-syrias-
military.html?ref=hassannasrallah&_r=2&
7
http://www.fas.org/man/eprint/dod-iran.pdf
8
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/07/us-lebanon-hezbollah-idUSTRE81629H20120207
9
http://irna.ir/en/News/80547251/Politic/Nassrallah_firmly_warns_Zionist_regime_against_attacking_Lebanon
10
http://www.timesofisrael.com/nasrallah-israels-infrastructure-needs-just-a-few-rockets/
11
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/20/lebanon-un-israel-idUSL1E8NKCG620121220
12
Harel, Amos, “Defense officials: Renew diplomatic pressure on Syria as Hezbollah rearms,” Haaretz, July 13, 2008,
http://www.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/1001037.html
13
http://www.cfr.org/iran/hezbollah-connection-syria-iran/p30005
14
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-112hhrg70665/html/CHRG-112hhrg70665.htm
15
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/h/hezbollah/index.html
16
http://www.yalibnan.com/2012/10/14/iran-says-hezbollah-drone-is-proof-of-tehrans-capabilities/
17
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5651837/Iran-election-Tehran-backs-Hizbollah-operations-around-
world.html
5. the Ayatollah Khamenei, and said of Lebanon in 2012 that the region is in “one way or another subject to the
control of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its ideas.”
18
In 2008 alone, 3,000 Hezbollah soldiers underwent training led by the Quds Force.
19
In April 2012, American experts said “Iran has provided Lebanese Hizballah with increasingly sophisticated
weapons, including a wide array of missiles and rockets that allow Hizballah to launch weapons from deeper
in Lebanon or to strike Israel.”
20
Hezbollah now has a stock of 40,000 rockets near the Lebanese-Israeli border. The weapons are located in
hiding places in villages throughout southern Lebanon.
21
Hezbollah in Lebanese politics
In Lebanon’s June 2009 elections, the movement won 13 seats in the Lebanese parliament and the Hezbollah-led
alliance took 58 of the 128 parliamentary seats.
22
In June 2011, Hezbollah gained sweeping control of the Lebanese
government, gaining 18 out of 30 cabinet seats. Hezbollah’s pre-eminence in Lebanon is perceived as a major tilt to-
wards Iran and Syria and away from Western democracies and moderation.
23
Implicated in the 2005 murder of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, Hezbollah and its allies walked out of
Lebanon’s cabinet on Jan. 12, 2011.
24
This was only a few days before the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the U.N.
body tasked with investigating Hariri’s murder, submitted its recommendations about the Hariri assassins to a judge
on Jan. 17.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to “cut off the hands” of anyone who tried to link his group with the as-
sassination and paralyzed Lebanese politics in response to the indictments. In January, Nasrallah toppled the gov-
ernment of prime minister Sa’ad Hariri, son of the slain leader, and prevented incoming Prime Minister Najib Mikati
from forming a new administration.
Israel remains committed to preventing any renewal of Hezbollah aggression and also to the peaceful resolution of
any outstanding disputes with Lebanon.
Hezbollah’s guerilla positions in South Lebanon
Since the withdrawal of Israeli forces in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 425, Hezbollah has main-
tained positions directly opposite the Israeli border.
25
With Iran’s aid, Hezbollah has been actively building up its arse-
nal and guerilla-warfare capabilities since its war with Israel in 2006. Both are direct violations of U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1701, which calls for Hezbollah to disarm.
26
The quality and quantity of Israeli surveillance and UNIFIL patrols mean that if a Hezbollah unit has not found an in-
conspicuous hiding place, it moves continuously. As a result, the entire area of south Lebanon serves Hezbollah as a
18
http://www.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/20/189447.html
19
http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2008/122436.htm
20
http://www.fas.org/man/eprint/dod-iran.pdf
21
http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/10/07/0801.htm
22
Schenker, David, “What To Do With Hezbollah Now,” CBSNEWS, June 19, 2009,
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/18/opinion/main5096540.shtml
23
Fassihi, Farnaz, “Hezbollah Leads Lebanese Cabinet,” The Wall Street Journal, June 14, 2011,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304665904576383700197497280.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
24
“Lebanese government collapses,”, Al Jazeera, Jan. 13, 2011,
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/01/2011112151356430829.html
25
Norton, Augustus Richard, and Boston University. “Hezbollah Assessment.”FDCH Congressional Testimony (n.d.): Military &
Government Collection, EBSCOhost (accessed January 9, 2011).
26
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8808.doc.htm
6. base for terrorist activities.
The Litani River area is Hezbollah’s main base of operations. Using a combination of underground fortifica-
tions and hiding in the towns and villages of South Lebanon, Hezbollah has managed to keep a considerable
force within 25 miles (40 km) of the Israeli border.
27
There are two forward elements, mainly located in rural fortified positions and in the local populated areas.
The units are meant to delay and stall any Israeli advance, causing as many casualties as possible but not
meant to hold out indefinitely.
The Northern Unit is effectively a reserve force, ready for deployment. In addition, Hezbollah can count on fur-
ther reinforcements from the Beirut area and the Bekaa Valley on the Syrian border.
28
The bulk of Hezbollah’s forces still lie in the Litani area. Hezbollah concentrates its forces in the Shiite areas. As part
of its understanding with its Christian and Druze interests, Hezbollah reportedly does not place its forces or weapons
in or around Christian or Druze villages.
29
Hezbollah stores weapons and stations its forces in Shiite villages and towns. Hezbollah’s strategic policy is to
hide in populated areas, where any military exchange with Israel would result in significant civilian casualties.
An example of this can be seen in the village of Al-Khiam, located fewer than 4 miles (6 km) from the Israeli
border.
However, fixed positions are not the mainstay of Hezbollah tactics. Despite its high level of organization and commu-
nication, Hezbollah ground units continue to comprise small mobile squads of fewer than a dozen men, usually armed
with machine guns, some sort of assault rifle and a number of anti-tank weapons.
30
It was units like these that caused
the most casualties to the IDF in the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict in 2006, not the static defense posts which, once identi-
fied, are vulnerable to air-strikes.
31
U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 calling for ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006
states32
:
That there be no armed groups in Lebanon apart from the Lebanese army. This includes Hezbollah.
That no arms be supplied to any Lebanese militia or armed group other than the Lebanese army. This is to be
enforced by UNIFIL.
That Hezbollah withdraw all personnel, weapons and other assets from the territory between the Israel-
Lebanon border (Blue Line) up to the Litani River.
33
27
Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson. “Hezbollah Activity Four Years After Second Lebanon War – 2010.” IDF Blog. August 31,
2010. http://idfspokesperson.com/reports/hezbollah-activity-four-years-after-second-lebanon-war-2010/ (accessed January 9,
2011).
28
Norton, Augustus Richard, and Boston University. “Hezbollah Assessment.”FDCH Congressional Testimony (n.d.): Military &
Government Collection, EBSCOhost (accessed January 9, 2011).
29
Sharp, Jeremy M. Lebanon: The Israel-Hamas-Hezbollah Conflict. Congressional Report, Washington, D.C.: Congressional
Research Service, 2006.
30
Norton, Augustus Richard, and Boston University. “Hezbollah Assessment.”FDCH Congressional Testimony (n.d.): Military &
Government Collection, EBSCOhost (accessed January 9, 2011).
31
Alagha, Joseph. “THE ISRAELI-HIZBULLAH 34-DAY WAR: CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES.” Arab Studies Quarterly 30, no.
2 (Spring 2008): 1-22. Military & Government Collection, EBSCOhost (accessed January 9, 2011)
32
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8808.doc.htm
33
“Behind the Headlines: U.N. Security Resolution 1701,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Aug. 12, 2006,
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/About+the+Ministry/Behind+the+Headlines/Behind+the+Headlines-
+UN+Security+Council+Resolution+1701+12-Aug-2006.htm
7. That UNIFIL assist the Lebanese Government in protecting its borders and preventing the entry of illegal arms
and other material
Support the Lebanese armed forces in their deployment throughout the south and along the Blue Line (Israel-
Lebanon border)
Establish, together with the Lebanese armed forces, an area between the Litani River and the Blue Line free
of armed personnel or any weapons except for those of the Lebanon government or UNIFIL troops deployed
in the area.
34
Hezbollah in Syria
In February 2013, Free Syrian Army spokesman Louai Meqdad reported that the Lebanese-based group had "invaded
Syria and launched a war against the rebels," with over 1,000 operatives crossing over the shared border attacking
three villages held by the rebels.
35
Meqdad further said “Hezbollah’s invasion is the first of its kind in terms of organi-
sation, planning and coordination with the Syrian regime’s air force.”
36
In October 2012, senior Hezbollah official Ali Hussein Nassif was killed in Homs. The group praised him, stat-
ing he had died in carrying out “his jihadi duties.”
37
Hezbollah has been supporting Syrian President Assad and the regime in the violent campaign against the
Syrian civilians.
38
As the Syrian resistance started pressing the army, Hezbollah increased its support for As-
sad’s military.
39
The Free Syrian Army captured 12 Hezbollah fighters in October 2012
40
and it was reported that Hezbollah
over the summer of 2012 was preparing graves for its members in Lebanon should they die in battle.
41
Hezbollah’s attempt to save Assad is aligned with Iran’s need for maintaining a leadership in Syria loyal to
Tehran.
42
34
“UNIFIL,” United Nations Web site, accessed June 25, 2007, http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/mandate.html
35
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4346090,00.html
36
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21496735
37
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/02/hezbollah-operative-killed-syria
38
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Jul-19/181129-nasrallah-renews-support-for-assad.ashx#axzz2A7yDdrAU
39
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/18/world/middleeast/hezbollahs-hand-seen-backing-the-syrian-army.html?ref=world
40
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Politics/2012/Oct-10/190818-fsa-threatens-to-take-fight-to-hezbollah-stronghold-in-
beirut.ashx#axzz2A7yDdrAU
41
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/02/hezbollah-operative-killed-syria
42
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/01/world/middleeast/syria-and-iran-feel-pressure-of-sanctions.html?_r=1
8. SYRIA
The Syria-Israel border along the Golan Heights has been mostly quiet since the end of the 1973 war. Since then, Syr-
ia has been ruled by two ruthless leaders: Haffez Al-Assad and his son Bashar, both of whom expressed virulent anti-
Israel rhetoric, but for strategic reasons maintained stability along the mutual border.
This status quo is changing as the Syrian civil war escalates and the Assad regime loses control.
43
There are fears that Syria’s stockpiles of chemical and biological warfare weapons may fall into the hands of terrorists
– both the Iran-backed Hezbollah
44
in Lebanon and various Al-Qaeda-related groups
45
fighting in Syria. The Syrian
chemical-weapons arsenal
46
is primarily based on the deadly nerve agent sarin. It is estimated that Syria possesses
thousands of aerial bombs and more than 100 Scud missiles with warheads containing this lethal chemical warfare
agent in operable state. A smaller inventory of aerial bombs and ballistic warheads contain the more advanced persis-
tent nerve agent VX, mainly in the form of bomblet munitions. In addition, Syria possesses rockets filled with nerve
gases and mustard gas.
47
The International Institute for Strategic Studies wrote in 2012:
48
“The greatest danger is that external non-state actors could get their hands on Syria’s chemical weapons. In-
deed, groups like al-Qaeda with factions operating in Syria have shown an interest in acquiring them. The Syr-
ian elite has also hinted at the possibility of transferring some of their weapons to groups like Hizbullah,
should their survival be at risk and in order to destabilise the region.”
Key events in Syria in relation to their weapons of mass destruction
On July 23, 2012, Syria admitted it possesses chemical weapons of mass destruction and would use them in
case of a foreign attack.
49
Syria first developed chemical weapons in the 1970s and slowly amassed a sophisticated arsenal under the
close supervision of then-president Hafez Al-Assad and, later, his son Bashar, the current president.
50
Amid growing fears in Israel about Syrian chemical weapons use, Israel’s National Security Council head
Yaakov Amidror was dispatched to Moscow on Jan. 28, 2012 to convince the Kremlin to help prevent WMDs
from falling into the hands of terrorist groups.
51
Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite political and armed group, has ramped up its support for the Syrian govern-
ment, sending in military advisers to aid in the bloody struggle against the opposition.
52
Of all the Arab states, Syria has far and away the most extensive and sophisticated chemical weapons
program.
53
43
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/27/world/europe/russia-syria/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
44
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-09-26/world/35494328_1_lebanese-government-hezbollah-hasan-nasrallah
45
http://jcpa.org/article/the-day-after-scenario-in-syria/
46
http://www.biu.ac.il/Besa/perspectives177.html
47
http://www.biu.ac.il/Besa/perspectives177.html
48
http://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-comments/past-issues/volume-18-2012/august/unease-grows-over-syrias-chemical-
weapons/
49
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/23/syria-chemical-warfare-threat-assad
50
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/syrian-unrest-raises-fears-about-chemical-
arsenal/2011/08/26/gIQAFmfVlJ_story.html
51
http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-official-sent-to-moscow-over-syria-chemical-weapons-worries/
52
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-09-26/world/35494328_1_lebanese-government-hezbollah-hasan-nasrallah
53
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/05/2012513722345874.html
9.
Last summer an American defense official said: “This could set the precedent of WMD [weapons of mass de-
struction] being used under our watch. This is incredibly dangerous to our national security.”
54
“We’ve had concerns that Al-Nusra is little more than a front to Al-Qaida in Iraq, which has moved some of its
operations into Syria,” said U.S. State Department, spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.
55
The chemical arsenal is stored in numerous locations throughout Syria and is kept under vigilant watch, but
this is tenuous. The rebels have yet to capture one of these bases, though one can only imagine this scenario
is only a matter of time. The sites are monitored around the clock by Western surveillance, mainly by satel-
lite…to be able to spot…evidence of the Syrian military attempting to use the chemical weapons, and also
watching to see if any bases fall into the hands of the rebels.
56
Hezbollah has set up several bases in Syria, near known locations where Bashar Al-Assad is holding parts of
his chemical warfare arsenal.
57
The Golan Heights
The Golan Heights were captured from Syria in 1967 and are a valuable defensive asset. Prior to 1967, Israelis living
in the valleys below the Golan Heights suffered from years of artillery fire and terrorist attacks from Syria that killed
and wounded scores and made working in the fields a matter of life and death for Israeli farmers.
In the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Syrian forces overran much of the southern Golan before being pushed back by an Is-
raeli counterattack. Israel and Syria signed a ceasefire agreement in 1974 under which most of the Golan Heights re-
mained in Israeli hands, with a narrow demilitarized zone returned to Syrian control.
Since losing control of the territory, Syria has made clear that any peace negotiations with Israel would require a full
Israeli withdrawal from the territory to the pre-1967 lines.
58
The fact that U.N. peacekeepers were kidnapped by Syrian
rebels in March 2013 is of particular concern to Israel.
59
The significance of the Golan Heights to the security and welfare of Israel is outlined below:
The topography of the Golan serves as a natural defensive blockade against any military attack from Syria.
Advances in ballistic technology in recent years have increased the importance of keeping control of this strategic high
ground and maintaining geographic depth.
60
During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, control of the eastern mountain ridge of the Golan helped 177 Israeli tanks to repel
1,400 Syrian tanks.
61
The Golan is essentially one high-altitude plateau that overlooks southern Syria and serves as an excellent defensive
vantage point to track offensive Syrian military movements.
62
54
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303644004577523251596963194.html
55
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/12/10/166914797/u-s-to-add-syrian-rebel-group-to-terror-list
56
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=3004
57
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4337774,00.html
58
Gresh, Alan, “Israel and Syria on the brink of Peace,” Le Monde Diplomatique, Jan. 2000,
http://mondediplo.com/2000/01/02gresh
59
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2013/0308/UN-peacekeepers-pull-out-of-Syrian-Israeli-DMZ-as-civil-war-
edges-closer
60
Ettinger, Yoram, “The Golan Heights and the Facts,” Ariel Center for Policy Research, http://www.acpr.org.il/publications/policy-
papers/pp108-xs.html
61
Ibid.
62
“Regions and territories: The Golan Heights,” BBC News, Apr. 26, 2007,
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/3393813.stm
10. The Sea of Galilee borders the southwestern Golan and provides one-third of Israel’s fresh water supply. In 1964, the
Syrians attempted to impair Israeli access to fresh water through a damming project, which the Israel Defense Forces
ultimately thwarted.
63
63
“What is the history and current issues involving Syria and the Golan Heights?” Palestine Facts, 2007,
http://www.palestinefacts.org/pf_current_golan.php