And on the northern front...

Hizballah training in full and flagrant violation of UN resolution
Nov. 24

While Gaza is heating up again in the South, Hizballah apparently conducted military maneuvers north and south of the Litani River this past weekend. Their military ops coincided with a military parade by Lebanese armed forces in downtown Beirut marking Independence Day.

Al-Arabiya TV reported that Hizballah didn't use weapons, but trained in mountain deployments and other military actions. The television network pointed that the Shiite movement was conducting its maneuvers despite UNSCR 1701, a resolution that bans Hizballah from south of the Litani River. (Reported at www.albawaba.com)

UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War in summer '06, calls for a UN patrol between the Litani River in southern Lebanon and Israel's northern border. Hizballah is supposed to stay north of the river. The resolution has been completely ineffective.

Hizballah has also been said to have amassed more weapons than it had when it started the war against Israel 2.5 years ago and abducted two soldiers in a cross-border raid. Intelligence experts say that the smuggling over the Syrian border is unchecked. The terrorist movement (Hizballah means Party of Allah) also has seats in government as of this year's elections. Why would they need to conduct military operations completely disconnected from the national army?

Rhetorical question, I know.