Protect the UNIFIL by strenghtening LAF Military Intelligence!

Hezbollah's Fadlallah, UNIFIL's Graziano, AMAL's Bazzi & .... Army Intelligence, Abbas Ibrahim!

Bilal Saab in the Daily Star/ here

"...... These terrorist cells, some of which are remnants of Fatah al-Islam while others continue to arrive from several regional battlefronts, are scattered across the country but with heavy concentration in its northern region, specifically in places like Tripoli, Akkar, Qaroun, Majdar Anjar, and al Koura (there are also some pockets in the Bekaa Valley and around the Palestinian camps in the southern suburbs of Beirut). Today, there exists a dangerous terrorist axis that links, by land and sea, these northern areas to the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein al-Hilweh in the southern city of Sidon, where arguably most major terrorist planning and coordination takes place.

Under-funded, poorly equipped, and largely inexperienced in the counter-terrorism business, the Lebanese military intelligence services have surprisingly done a superb job in making life difficult for Al-Qaeda in the country. However, despite their commendable effort, the threat is now too big for a tiny country like Lebanon to handle on its own. The Lebanese government has a legal responsibility to protect UNIFIL but it cannot do this crucial job alone. What is needed is a concerted effort by nations that are contributing troops to UNIFIL and by those countries that have a vested interest in preserving the fragile calm along the Lebanese-Israeli borders to provide immediate technical and financial assistance to the Lebanese security and counter-terrorism apparatus, specifically to the military intelligence services.

Washington has a strong interest in leading this effort for three important reasons: one, uphold Lebanese stability and help the country in its campaign against salafi jihadism; two, safeguard UNIFIL so that it can do its critical job of keeping the Israeli-Lebanese peace, and three, protect its close ally Israel from further attacks by Al-Qaeda elements in southern Lebanon..... While Israeli and Hizbullah officials often complain about UNIFIL, in private, they do appreciate its important deterrent role.

Indeed, the truth of the matter is that UNIFIL is the only thing standing in the way of another large-scale military conflict in the Middle East. Let us help Lebanon better protect it from Al-Qaeda before it is too late. "