Hezbollah Expands in North Lebanon, Away From UN Peacekeepers

Oct. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Gunshots echo from nearby valleys as a convoy of black sedans and SUVs carrying bearded men sweeps through the mountains north of Lebanon's Litani River. A sign on a road warns: ``Entry to This Area Forbidden. Hezbollah.''

The Lebanese Shiite movement, designated a terrorist group by the U.S., is expanding its reach north in the country by buying land to build villages and military camps, Lebanese government and Hezbollah officials say in interviews. The new land marks a new frontier for the group, whose military wing waged war with Israel for 33 days in the summer of 2006.

The Litani was once the informal boundary for Hezbollah- dominated territory in the south, next to Israel. By purchasing real estate, constructing villages and setting up hidden military zones in the mountains north of the river, Hezbollah is able to avoid the attention of 14,000 United Nations peacekeepers, who are stationed only south of the river and whose job it is to prevent Hezbollah rearming.

Government officials say Hezbollah is establishing a fortified defensive line along the Litani's north bank toward the Bekaa Valley, in eastern Lebanon. The Bekaa is a supply area for the militia and gateway for potential arms transfers from Syria.  

Complete article: Hezbollah Expands in North Lebanon, Away From UN Peacekeepers

 

Thomas Braun, Lima, Peru