President Suleiman lauds army's performance during Tuesday's border clashes with Israel, says 'it's necessary to resist Israeli aggression.'
By DPA
Lebanese President Michel Suleiman toured Saturday the area where Lebanese and Israeli military forces clashed and vowed to arm the country's troops with advanced weaponry.
On Tuesday, while Israeli troops were trimming a tree on the border fence between Israel and Lebanon, Lebanese soldiers opened fire at an observation post some 300 meters from the fence in Israeli territory. A senior Israel Defense Forces officer was killed, and another was seriously wounded. Two Lebanese soldiers and a journalist were also killed in the ensuing clashes.
Speaking to Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) members in Adissyeh in southern Lebanon, where the clashes took place, Suleiman commended their performance during Tuesday's fighting, saying "it's necessary to resist Israeli aggression."
Speaking to Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) members in Adissyeh in southern Lebanon, where the clashes took place, Suleiman commended their performance during Tuesday's fighting, saying "it's necessary to resist Israeli aggression."
Suleiman said the cabinet will put forward a plan at its next session to arm the Lebanese military "with all that is necessary."
"Lebanon will work with friendly countries to provide it with more advanced equipment," Suleiman said. Arming the military is aimed at "protecting the dignity of the nation," he added.
Together with Defense Minister Elias al Murr, Suleiman inspected the army base in Adissyeh and met UN officers also present in the area.
Suleiman said Lebanon will "cooperate with UNIFIL in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701."
UN Resolution 1701 of August 17, 2006 ended a 33-day war between Israel and Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah during which some 1,200 people, mainly Lebanese civilians, died.
Suleiman said Lebanon will "cooperate with UNIFIL in the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701."
UN Resolution 1701 of August 17, 2006 ended a 33-day war between Israel and Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah during which some 1,200 people, mainly Lebanese civilians, died.
AND
Israel blames U.S., France for arming Lebanon
United States has given Lebanon approximately $400 million over the past year to purchase arms, despite Israel's objections.
By Barak Ravid and Shlomo Shamir
HAARETZ
Israel will launch a diplomatic campaign calling on the United States and France to stop their military assistance to Lebanon following Tuesday's exchange of fire on the northern border.
"Countries are providing the Lebanese army with advanced weaponry for it to fight Hezbollah, and instead the Lebanese army is using the weapons to fire on IDF soldiers," a senior official in Jerusalem said on Tuesday.
The United States has given Lebanon approximately $400 million over the past year to purchase arms, despite Israel's objections. France has also sent a great deal of weaponry to Lebanon, including advanced anti-tank missiles.
Israel is expected to ask the U.S. Congress to limit its approval of financial aid to Lebanon for arms purchases.
The United States and France issued sharply worded messages to Jerusalem and Beirut yesterday, calling for immediate de-escalation. Top White House Middle East adviser Dan Shapiro phoned Israel's ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, asking him to inform Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the administration expects him to act with restraint. A similar message was sent to Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Antoine Shadid.
Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner telephoned Defense Minister Ehud Barak, asking that Israel show restraint and "check the facts surrounding the events." Barak asked Kouchner to make it clear to Lebanon that any further baiting of Israel would lead to an even harsher response. Barak called the incident a "planned provocation."
The UN Security Council held a closed-door session on Tuesday after the event. The head of the UN peacekeeping forces, Alain Le Roy, presented the council with the results of UNIFIL's initial probe of the incident. Le Roy did not blame either side for the incident, nor did he accept Israel's claim that the Lebanese troops opened fire first.
The Security Council made do with issuing a short statement at the end of the meeting, calling on both sides to show restraint.
Senior officials in Israel were angry the Security Council had not found Lebanon responsible for the incident.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel's UN envoy Gabriela Shalev wrote to the UN secretary general and the president of the Security Council, saying that Israel had coordinated its work near the border fence with UNIFIL and that the Lebanese army opened fire first, in a flagrant violation of Security Council Resolution 1701.
The deputy chief of Israel's delegation to the United Nations, Ambassador Daniel Carmon, told Haaretz that "the two attacks yesterday on an Israeli patrol were not decided on by a single soldier or local commander."
