Falcon29
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'Hezbollah smuggles advanced guided-missile systems into Lebanon' - Israel News, Ynetnews
WASHINGTON – Hezbollah are smuggling components of advanced guided-missile systems into Lebanon; however the organization is yet to hold enough parts in order to make the systems operational – according to US security officials.
As stated by a Wall Street Journal report Friday morning, US officials believe members of Hezbollah are smuggling the systems piece by piece to evade a secretive Israeli air campaign designed to stop them.
The report reads that according to US intelligence, as many as 12 anti-ship guided-missile systems may now be in Hezbollah's possession inside Syria. "Israel targeted those Russian-made systems in July and again in October with mixed results," according to US damage assessments.
The news report claims Israel struck inside Syria at least five times in 2013, seeking to take out systems bound for Hezbollah without provoking a direct confrontation.
'Hezbollah is patient'
The American paper adds more details about the Israeli efforts against the smuggling of weapons into Lebanon. According to the report, in late 2012, American and Israeli intelligence agencies received information that Iranian leaders, including the commander of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, were increasingly concerned that the Syrian Bashar Assad regime was in danger of being overrun by rebels.
Satellite image of Latakia base after attack (Photo: Google Maps)
That meant Iran's window might have been closing to supply advanced weaponry to Hezbollah, General Soleimani argued, according to officials briefed on the intelligence. From Tehran's perspective, Hezbollah's rockets were their first line of defense against an Israeli strike.
Israeli sources, which according to the paper are "familiar with the security deliberations", claimed that in that period of time, "senior Israeli Air Force generals pushed for action to block the transfers."
In its report, the Wall Street Journal greatly relies on American sources that were briefed on the operations, who said that to take out these systems without crossing into Syrian airspace, commanders directed Israeli pilots to perform a "lofting" maneuver designed to extend how far their bombs would travel.
The officials further added that with a burst of speed and altitude, the pilots fling their GPS-guided bombs from ejector racks in a sweeping arc into Syria. In each case, the targets would have to be stationary.
.............
In conclusion, the Wall Street Journal notes that American security sources believe Hezbollah is trying to disrupt the Israeli surveillance attempts by intermittently switching on and off communication systems and power lines in the vicinity of the border. "Hezbollah is pretty damn good," said a senior US official. "And they are patient."
.................
WASHINGTON – Hezbollah are smuggling components of advanced guided-missile systems into Lebanon; however the organization is yet to hold enough parts in order to make the systems operational – according to US security officials.
As stated by a Wall Street Journal report Friday morning, US officials believe members of Hezbollah are smuggling the systems piece by piece to evade a secretive Israeli air campaign designed to stop them.
The report reads that according to US intelligence, as many as 12 anti-ship guided-missile systems may now be in Hezbollah's possession inside Syria. "Israel targeted those Russian-made systems in July and again in October with mixed results," according to US damage assessments.
The news report claims Israel struck inside Syria at least five times in 2013, seeking to take out systems bound for Hezbollah without provoking a direct confrontation.
'Hezbollah is patient'
The American paper adds more details about the Israeli efforts against the smuggling of weapons into Lebanon. According to the report, in late 2012, American and Israeli intelligence agencies received information that Iranian leaders, including the commander of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, were increasingly concerned that the Syrian Bashar Assad regime was in danger of being overrun by rebels.
Satellite image of Latakia base after attack (Photo: Google Maps)
That meant Iran's window might have been closing to supply advanced weaponry to Hezbollah, General Soleimani argued, according to officials briefed on the intelligence. From Tehran's perspective, Hezbollah's rockets were their first line of defense against an Israeli strike.
Israeli sources, which according to the paper are "familiar with the security deliberations", claimed that in that period of time, "senior Israeli Air Force generals pushed for action to block the transfers."
In its report, the Wall Street Journal greatly relies on American sources that were briefed on the operations, who said that to take out these systems without crossing into Syrian airspace, commanders directed Israeli pilots to perform a "lofting" maneuver designed to extend how far their bombs would travel.
The officials further added that with a burst of speed and altitude, the pilots fling their GPS-guided bombs from ejector racks in a sweeping arc into Syria. In each case, the targets would have to be stationary.
.............
In conclusion, the Wall Street Journal notes that American security sources believe Hezbollah is trying to disrupt the Israeli surveillance attempts by intermittently switching on and off communication systems and power lines in the vicinity of the border. "Hezbollah is pretty damn good," said a senior US official. "And they are patient."
.................
