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Hezbollah supporters fixing the party flag atop their rocket models in Lebanon last July. (AP)
Israel fears Iran may ship Hezbollah arms via Beirut port
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: weapons, Iran, Hezbollah

Israel is concerned that Iran might start moving weapons to Hezbollah by means of ships that anchor in the Beirut port, government sources in Jerusalem said.

The sources said oversight of marine vessels by UNIFIL (the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) was not efficient enough to enforce an embargo on weapons shipments into Lebanon and to pinpoint such shipments.

A government source in Jerusalem said Saturday that a year ago Israel transmitted to Germany, which at that time commanded UNIFIL's marine forces, that it suspected Iran would transfer weapons to Hezbollah by sea. The source said Israel voiced its concerns over the marine forces' insufficient control over the coast, and that Germany promised to increase its supervision.
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"The problem is that UNIFIL's checks are not strict enough and are simply not serious," the source said. He said that UNIFIL soldiers do not physically examine the cargo in suspicious vessels, making do with comparing the vessel's name and registration number to the registration of the ships in the Beirut port.

"We are afraid that many ships registered in the port as carrying certain cargo are in fact carrying cargo of a totally different kind," the source said.

A response from UNIFIL could not be obtained over the weekend.

Iran concedes that it provides moral support and money to Hezbollah, but denies supplying it with weapons, which would be in violation of a UN resolution.

The Israel Defense Forces said last month that Iran is sending Hezbollah weapons by means of planes and trucks, passing through Turkish territory without the knowledge of the government in Ankara, and from there to Syria and Lebanon.

In the two years since the Second Lebanon War, Hezbollah has been working to rehabilitate itself and increase its strength. The organization has considerably increased the number of rockets in its possession, and it now has tens of thousands of them.

According to the Israeli government source, Hezbollah has placed two thirds of these rockets south of the Litani River in the area under UNIFIL control, where the organization is not allowed to operate.

Over the past month, Israel has been lobbying in the UN to promote the release of a presidential statement by the Security Council regarding the ongoing smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah despite the arms embargo. However, the lack of consensus among the countries on the Security Council, along with American and French concerns over a worsening of the political crisis in Lebanon, have impeded progress on the statement.

About a month ago, responsibility for UNIFIL's marine forces was transferred from Germany to Italy. The marine force has been operating since October 2006, when European gun boats began patroling Lebanon's territorial waters, allowing Israel to lift the sea blockade it had enforced upon the outbreak of the war.

When the force, which consists of 11 ships and works closely alongside the Lebanese navy, locates a suspicious vessel, it sends it to be checked by the Lebanese authorities, usually at the Beirut port. The force has so far preliminarily checked 13,000 vessels, but has sent only 70 suspicious ones for comprehensive examination by the Lebanese authorities.

Related articles:
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  • Iran rearming Hezbollah via Turkey, MI says
  • U.S. alleges Iran using Lebanese Hezbollah as 'proxy' in Iraq
  • Report: Nasrallah admits Iran supplies Hezbollah with arms
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      1.   Ha ha israel being outsmarted at every twist & turn! 03:04  |  lakshmi 13/04/08
      2.   UNIFIL has always been useless - nothing new! 03:48  |  Free Gilad Shalit 13/04/08
      3.   Iran 04:57  |  alan 13/04/08
      4.   well i certainly hope do 05:47  |  alarmist 13/04/08
      5.   The drums of war 05:49  |  Mark Lincoln 13/04/08
      6.   BOMB THE SHIPS 06:30  |  Mark 13/04/08
      7.   UNIFIL Does Not Patrol at Night 06:34  |  Straight Talk 13/04/08
      8.   #3 by Who? 06:37  |  Atoo 13/04/08
      9.   Quite Whinning, Israel!!! 06:39  |  Dr Dave 13/04/08
      10.   Lakshmi - The world is being outsmarted by Islam 06:52  |  William 13/04/08
      11.   Iran - "We only offer moral support, no weapons" 06:54  |  William 13/04/08
      12.   Iran 06:56  |  Jersey 13/04/08
      13.   What the World really Thinks 07:00  |  Indiana 13/04/08
      14.   Consider it another chance to excel 07:21  |  Natallie Durson 13/04/08
      15.   ha ha 07:25  |  a lebanese 13/04/08
      16.   Lakscmuck 07:30  |  Oddvark 13/04/08
      17.   Better off in Las Vegas.... 07:41  |  Webster 13/04/08
      18.   LIVNI,OLMERT INVITED UNIFIL TO PROTECT HIZBOLLA FROM ISRAEL)))) 07:42  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 13/04/08
      19.   not a day goes by 07:58  |  rm 13/04/08
      20.   Hezbollah does not accept international law 08:02  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      21.   MORE APPEASEMENT BY THE WEST 08:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      22.   Straight Talk - Make War on NATO? 08:29  |  Mark of Lewiston 13/04/08
      23.   6 Mark of Arad - Which ones are those? 08:37  |  Mark of Lewiston 13/04/08
      24.   UNIFIL 08:39  |  Papo 13/04/08
      25.   Hezbo will bring the end of Lebanon 08:59  |  Dan 13/04/08
      26.   rm Paranoia is defined as suspicion without cause 09:08  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/04/08
      27.   #20 Cipora Julianna Kohn 09:24  |  maoriboy 13/04/08
      28.   #22, Mark, straight talk sounds like a provocateur 09:27  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      29.   Israeli paranoia 09:32  |  Palestinian Brit 13/04/08
      30.   NUKES ON IRAN RIGHT NOW 09:51  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 13/04/08
      31.   THERE WILL NEVER BE Palestinian Brit 10:01  |  BOB KING THE ZIONIST 13/04/08
      32.   Clearly ridiculous propaganda 10:03  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      33.   It`s not paranoia - it`s brains 10:06  |  x-ray 13/04/08
      34.   #27, it is nothing like Israel 10:07  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      35.   We should not wait : tomorrow it might be too late. 10:12  |  Jean Van Daem 13/04/08
      36.   newest propaganda: say Israel is paranoid 10:12  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      37.   Why is Israel concerned...?? 10:13  |  Dutch Dirk 13/04/08
      38.   Another Zionist crackpot # 7 10:22  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      39.   #32, fool, you are not logical 10:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      40.   For Natallie Durson # 14 10:30  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      41.   #38, fool, how do you know the poster is a Zionist? 10:32  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      42.   Only 2 options left in order to guarantee Israels security...... 10:37  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/04/08
      43.   #30 BOB KING THE ZIONIST QUEEN 10:38  |  JoeMomma 13/04/08
      44.   I contend it, Cipora # 36 10:44  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      45.   Thanks for the useful link, Jean van Daem # 35 10:48  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      46.   Time To Finish Off Hezbolla 10:49  |  Khaled 13/04/08
      47.   I understand why u r so scared 10:51  |  Imad 13/04/08
      48.   ISRAEL, JUST SHUT UP FOR ONCE! 10:52  |  Mike McKenna 13/04/08
      49.   Ongoing Israeli propaganda and its purpose 10:58  |  Clickfool 13/04/08
      50.   Oh no! 11:07  |  Maureen Ann 13/04/08
      51.   #44, tell me, just how would the shipments reach Syria? 11:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 13/04/08
      52.   natalie: you`re happy to see lawless people heavily armed? 11:31  |  arthur 13/04/08
      53.   #34 Cipora Julianna Kohn 11:39  |  maoriboy 13/04/08
      54.   #49 - Clickfool, agree with you absolutely 11:45  |  Philip 13/04/08
      55.   Easier to ship missiles with a 6000 km range 11:48  |  Stephen of New York 13/04/08
      56.   to khaled 11:53  |  Imad 13/04/08
      57.   Swiss (Dino) How nice of you! 11:54  |  Gil 13/04/08
      58.   Swiss (Dino) How nice of you! 11:55  |  Gil 13/04/08
      59.   BOB KING THE ZIONIST 11:55  |  Imad 13/04/08
      60.   Yes Clickfool it is Propaganda of course 11:56  |  Gil 13/04/08
      61.   #49 boris the clucking fool and winston churchill 12:05  |  v hardman 13/04/08
      62.   dino: hezballah/hamas refuse saudi initiative, peace:impossible 12:10  |  arthur 13/04/08
      63.   Zionist dummies completely outclassed by superior culture 12:10  |  Chanalau, Tova 13/04/08
      64.   To Mark (#6) 12:14  |  Imad 13/04/08
      65.   A haunting Religious theme 12:15  |  allang 13/04/08
      66.   By the way, presumably you mean Tel Aviv is concerned. 12:16  |  Chanalau, Tova 13/04/08
      67.   clickfool: link is dead blog not found... 12:21  |  arthur 13/04/08
      68.   Clearly fabricated picture of rocket launcher 12:33  |  Michael 13/04/08
      69.   Is there ay DOUBT about it.......? 12:40  |  Dagma 13/04/08
      70.   #20, CIPORA J.K, like israel you mean? 12:49  |  VIPER 13/04/08
      71.   #21, CIPORA J.K, iran only threatens those that threaten it 12:5