IDF kills One at border to Lebanon

In der geteilten Grenzstadt Ghajar an der israelisch-libanesisischen Grenze wird nach israelischen Angaben bei einem Feuergefecht ein libanesischer Staatsbürger getötet und ein weiterer verletzt. Derzeit liegen nur israelische Angaben vor nach denen Grenztruppen unter Feuer genommen worden wären und zurück geschossen hätten. Es wird derzeit ein Drogen-Schmuggler-Hintergrund vermutet. Eine stark abweichende Version wird ebenso in Israel verbreitet: Grenztruppen hätten gegen bewaffnete Infiltratoren das Feuer eröffnet als diese die Grenze überschreiten wollten, was eher auf einen politischen Anschlag hinweisen würde. Ein IDF-Sprecher bleibt jedoch bei der Drogenschmuggler-Version. Die UNIFIL bestätigt: UNIFIL troops evacuated one of the Lebanese men to hospital in the southern town of Marjayoun, where he died from his wounds, UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmina Bouziane said. "UNIFIL has launched an immediate investigation to ascertain the facts, looking into initial allegations of smuggling," she said. "UNIFIL's force commander, Major General Claudio Graziano, is in contact with senior officers on both sides urging them to show maximum restraint," she added. Seit dem Libanonkrieg 2006 ist dies der erste Tote an der grenze und der dritte Zwischenfall in dem auf dem Boden geschossen wird.

Während in Baalbeck ein "Krimineller" von unidentifizierten Gunman erschossen wird wird über die Investigation der Vorfälle im Beruter Vorort Siyyah ein etwas vorhersehbarer Bericht geschrieben: The committee investigating Sunday's shootings which killed eight people and wounded scores more was due to issue its report to both Lebanese Armed Forces commander General Michel Suleiman and State Prosecutor Said Mirza late Friday, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) reported. Investigations have "all but ruled out" the presence of snipers in the Shiyyah-Mar Mikhael area, a judicial source told The Daily Star on Friday. "Neither military nor civilian" snipers were likely involved, as some parties have speculated, the source added. The source said investigators had concluded that it was "farfetched" that any gunfire emanated from Ain al-Rummaneh, adding that the shooting was in fact confined to the Shiyyah-Mar Mikhael-Sidon road area. "Investigations have shown that the army did not fire first at protestors, but that soldiers responded to shots fired at them by unknown gunmen from the direction where the protestors were standing," the source said. [Am Freitag Morgen kommt es in beirut im Vorort Corniche el Mazraa zu weiteren Zusammenstößen zwischen Hezbollah und der Polizei in deren Verlauf drei Polizisten durch Steinwürfe verletzt werden. In der Nacht zum Sonntag werden zwei Mitglieder von Walid Jumblatts PSP-Partei durch Unbekannte angeschossen.] Democratic Gathering leader MP Walid Jumblatt warned on Friday against exploiting last Sunday's riots to weaken the military and security establishments, which he said remain the last bastions for preserving civil peace and internal stability. He said the Winograd Commission's report on Israel's conduct during the 2006 war with Lebanon undermined charges of Lebanese complicity with the Jewish state during the war. "This report came to refute all previous accusations that spoke of complicity by some Lebanese parties with the Israeli enemy during the war - accusations on the basis of which political and media campaigns accused national leaders who have a long and illustrious history of resistance with treason and collaboration," Jumblatt said. He accused Hizbullah and opposition factions of "programmed blocking of all institutions, targeting the Constitution and prolonging the presidential void." He said such obstruction was tantamount to a "war of attrition" against the army and only deepened the political divide and escalated tensions. [...] Kommentar Michael Spyer. "Lebanon - a return to civil war?": The recent killing of Captain Wissam Eid of the Lebanese Internal Security Force, and the shooting deaths of eight Shi'ite rioters - including four Hizbullah supporters - at the Mar Mikhael intersection in southern Beirut last week offered the latest evidence of the potential of the political stalemate in Lebanon to spill over into renewed civil conflict. Substantive compromise on the issues dividing the country seems impossible. The overriding cause of the crisis is Syria's determination to prevent political stability in its smaller neighbor on any but its own terms.

Ein Hoffnungsträger? A Lebanese liberal politician from the Shiite community made a strong presentation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies forum in Washington, DC. He was introduced by Professor Walid Phares. Eher nicht. Ein westlich aufgebauter Gegenspieler den man gut verschleissen kann.

Die IAEA zeigt sich am Sonntag optimistisch: The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency said Sunday that he was not concerned about Arab countries using nuclear energy for power development, despite international controversy over Iran's atomic program. Many countries in the Mideast have expressed interest in developing peaceful atomic energy programs in response to rising domestic energy consumption and possibly to counter Iran's nuclear activities. "All the Arab countries' nuclear activities will be under agency safeguard systems, so I don't see a reason why anybody should be concerned about ... Arab countries using nuclear energy for power development," Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters after meeting with Arab League chief Amr Moussa in Cairo. Yuval Diskin pessimistisch: Hamas's breach of the security fence along the Egypt-Gaza border has resulted in the smuggling of a large amount of advanced weaponry, including long-range rockets, anti-tank missiles, and anti-aircraft missiles, Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Yuval Diskin said in his briefing to ministers during Sunday's cabinet meeting. Ehud Barak aktivistisch: During the weekly cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Ehud Barak also called for the immediate construction of a fence along Israel's border with Egypt. "The construction of a fence on the border with Egypt is an urgent need," the defense minister said. "We must immediately begin the prelimary stage [of construction], which would include two sections near Nitzana and in the Eilat area." "These sections are vital, and must be constructed in order to deal with hostile terrorist activity and infiltrators," he added.

Derweil wird eine etwas andere "Winograd"-Probe veröffentlicht: The deaths of four United Nations military observers during Israeli clashes with Hezbollah in Lebanon two years ago were the result of errors made by the Israel Defense Forces, a Canadian Forces board of inquiry found Friday. "The deaths of Canadian Maj. Paeta Hess-Von Kruedener and three other unarmed observers from China, Austria and Finland were tragic and preventable," the board said. The UN observers died when their compound was hit by a 500-kilo bomb dropped by an Israel Air Force aircraft. The compound was also hit by four 155-mm artillery shells fired by the Israelis during clashes with Hezbollah, the report said. As the shelling and bombing in the vicinity of Patrol Base Khiam increased in frequency and accuracy, the decision was made to evacuate, said the report. But the fatal bomb was dropped before the four observers could be withdrawn.

Und breaking news: Nac der Veröffentlichung dieses Videos werden zwei israelische Soldaten zu 21 Tagen Haft verurteilt.