Hezbollah leader alleges prior Israeli-US planning of current conflict

Saturday, July 29, 2006 

Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, claims that the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict is the result of an American-Israeli conspiracy to attack Lebanon and gain control over the state as a part of a "new Middle East". In the 28-minute speech on al-Manar television July 26 Nasrallah alleges that in the project for a new Middle East the United States seeks the removal of all resistance groups that pose a threat to its procurement and control of the area's wealth and resources.

In the June 2 edition of London-based magazine al-Watan al-Arabi it is claimed Hezbollah received intelligence that Olmert had obtained a green light from Bush in the event of an open confrontation between Hezbollah and Israel. That is alleged to have happened in May when Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert paid his first visit to Washington as head of the state of Israel and met President George W. Bush. Based on that knowledge Hassan Nasrallah delivered a "Strategic Defense Plan," to the National Dialogue Committee (al-Hiwar al-Watani). The plan outlined what Hezbollah should do in the event of an Israeli air, land, or sea assault on Lebanon. File:Flag of Hezbollah.svg

Flag of Hezbollah
(Image missing from Commons: image; log)

The Hezbollah leader claims in the al-Manar speech that both the United States and Israel planned using the element of surprise to invade Lebanon in late-September early-October. Nasrallah says they discovered this warplan and Hezbollah used the kidnapping of the Israeli soldiers to enter into the conflict directly and remove the surprise factor.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle an Israeli army officer, at an off-the-record briefing, presented a war plan last year to some Think Tanks in Washington. Several journalists and diplomats were told of Israel's plans for a three-week campaign in Lebanon. There was no plan, according to this scenario, to reoccupy southern Lebanon on a long-term basis. It is not clear if Hezbollah obtained this information.

Gerald Steinberg, professor of political science at Bar-Ilan University, says "Of all of Israel's wars since 1948, this was the one for which Israel was most prepared". Professor Steinberg continued "In a sense, the preparation began in May 2000, immediately after the Israeli withdrawal, when it became clear the international community was not going to prevent Hezbollah from stockpiling missiles and attacking Israel. By 2004, the military campaign scheduled to last about three weeks that we're seeing now had already been blocked out and, in the last year or two, it's been simulated and rehearsed across the board."

According to La nouvelle république, a french speaking Algerian newpsaper, Dick Cheney and Benjamin Netanyahu, head of Likud, met secretly the 17 and 18 of June at the Beaver Creek 's Conférence of the American Enterprise Institute. Dick Cheney give his agreement to Israel to destroy Hamas and Hezbollah. Netanyahu reported to Ehud Olmert.

Sources

• Jean-Philippe Miginiac. "Le piège israélien ?" — La nouvelle république, July 31, 2006

• "A Speech from Hassan Nasrallah, Leader of Hezbollah, Speaking of a New Middle East Project and Attacks of Greater Intensity than in Haifa" — SITE Institute, July 26, 2006

• Sam F. Ghattas. "Hezbollah Vows Rockets Deeper Into Israel" — Santa Cruz Sentinel, July 25, 2006

• Claude Salhani. "Analysis: Chronology of a war" — United Press International, July 24, 2006

• Matthew Kalman. "Israel set war plan more than a year ago" — San Francisco Chronicle, July 24, 2006