Lebanese Army Chief: Prepare for Possible Israeli Attack

source: http://www.almanar.com.lb/NewsSite/NewsDetails.aspx?id=112172&language=en

Israel media continued to circulate news about a  possible new war with Lebanon. On Wednesday, Haaretz pointed Thursday that  Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was devising a scheme to wage war on Lebanon, Iran  and Syria in the coming spring. And on Friday, Amos Harel, Haaretz’s military  correspondent related the coming Israeli war on Lebanon to a broader regional  war that reaches Tehran. Harel said that the situation on the border with  Lebanon was complicated; on the one hand there is Hezbollah’s missile arsenal  but on the other hand there is no Hezbollah activity against Israel on the  border.

Meanwhile Lebanon's army chief, Jean Qahwaji, called on  soldiers to be on high alert and to prepare defenses along the border for a  possible Israeli attack.
In a statement published in honor of Lebanon's  Independence Day, Qahwaji said soldiers should prepare "to handle what the  Israeli enemy is scheming against the homeland, and to continue the battle  against its violations – in the air, water, and land – with all the tools at our  disposal".

Israeli occupation forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi  recently warned the Knesset that Hezbollah is currently armed with thousands of  missiles, some of which could reach Dimona, south of the occupied  territories.
"Some of them have a range of 300 km and some of them have a  range of up to 325 km," Ashkenazi said, adding that the missiles were ready for  use.
"There is a paradox – one hand there is calm, but when you peek over the  fence you can see armament and empowerment. If Hezbollah carries out a  retaliatory attack for (Imad) Mugniyah it will force Israel to respond and this  will lead to deterioration," he said.

"Lebanon will continue to work to  free the land that is still under Israeli occupation including the Shaba Farms  and part of the village of Rajar," Qahwaji said.

The Army Chief urged  the military to "make the utmost possible to reassure the citizens to their  lives and livelihoods and continue in pursuit of terrorists, criminals and all  those who undermine the country's security."
“You are also called to prohibit  the spies from tampering with the country’s stability from time to time,” he  said.

A Lebanese military court last week sentenced to death a man  charged with spying for Israel and arrested another individual suspected of the  same charge.
Last spring, Lebanon arrested close to 20 members of six  espionage cells suspected of transmitting intelligence information to Israel. 

Lebanese sources attributed last weeks arrests to improved cooperation  between Lebanon's many security agencies, saying that with the help of  better-trained personnel and access to more sophisticated equipment, the  Internal Security Forces have been intensifying their efforts to uncover  espionage networks as part of an attempt to develop a pan-Lebanese image. 
“You are also called to strengthen your efforts in order to track  terrorists, criminals and perpetrators regardless of their affiliations. In this  regard, you have achieved stunning exploits in this field during the last couple  of months through efforts which were certified by local and international  sides.”

“All the eyes are looking up to you, and the people is hailing  you, therefore, do not hesitate to respond to the country’s call and spare no  efforts for the sake of our land and thus you shall be preserving the precious  legacy of your martyrs and drawing bright pages in the book of independence.”  Qahwaji concluded his order of the day on the Independence Day.