General says forces along border may soon have to 'handle what enemy is scheming against homeland'

November 21, 2009

Lebanon's army chief, Jean Kahwaji, called on his soldiers to be wary and to prepare defenses along the border for a possible Israeli attack, the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported Saturday.

In a statement published in honor of Lebanon's Independence Day, the general said soldiers should prepare "to handle what the Israeli enemy is scheming against the homeland, and to continue the battle against its violations – in the air, water, and land – with all the tools at our disposal".

Last month reports said the Lebanese army and the UN force in southern Lebanon, UNIFIL, had bolstered security in the country's southern region following a Katyusha rocket attack on Israel.

According to the reports from Lebanon, the UN deployed armored cars in villages near the border.

A few days later, sources in Beirut told the A-Nahar daily that they had received warnings from an international security force saying Israel was planning an extensive attack on Lebanon.

IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi recently warned the Knesset that Hezbollah is currently armed with thousands of missiles, some of which could reach the southern city of Dimona.

"Some of them have a range of 300 km and some of them have a range of up to 325 km," Ashkenazi said, adding that the missiles were ready for use.

"There is a paradox – one hand there is calm, but when you peek over the fence you can see armament and empowerment. If Hezbollah carries out a retaliatory attack for (Imad) Mugniyah it will force Israel to respond and this will lead to deterioration," he said.