MGLE01: UNIFIL COMMANDER SEES HIZBALLAH IMPROVING

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 001576

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2016
TAGS: PTER KPAL PBTS PREL LE IS
SUBJECT: MGLE01: UNIFIL COMMANDER SEES HIZBALLAH IMPROVING
BORDER SITES


Classified By: Jeffrey Feltman, Ambassador. Reason: Section 1.4 (b).


1. Summary: UNIFIL commander Major-General Alain Pellegrini
briefed the Ambassador on increased Hizballah construction
activity along the Blue Line, a rise in the number of Israeli
overflights, and plans to enhance contacts between UNIFIL and
the LAF. The General was uncertain about the reasons behind
Hizballah's construction activity. But he linked Israeli
overflights to that construction. He also noted significant
construction and infrastructure improvement by the Israelis
on their side of Ghajar. By contrast, Pellegrini noted there
was no significant recent construction activity in or around
Ghajar by Hizballah. End summary.


2. (C) General Pellegrini, accompanied by Milos Strugar and
a military aide, visited the Ambassador, DATT, and Polchief
on May 18 to brief him on UNIFIL plans and activities.
Strugar provided the briefing, outlining recent developments
and plans for greater liaison between UNIFIL and the LAF in
the border area. Strugar said that there has been a dramatic
increase in Hizballah construction activity since January

2006. Hizballah is fortifying old positions and building new
positions, some within a few meters of UNIFIL positions. The
new positions are hardened and appear to be permanent. These
structures contrast with the more temporary facilities that
Hizballah has favored in the past.


3. (C) The new Hizballah construction runs from the
Mediterranean to Ghajar, but not beyond it, thus covering the
undisputed part of the border area once covered by the 1949
Armistice Agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Pellegrini's
assessment is that these new structures are professionally
designed and constructed to provide Hizballah with defensive
observation posts. He said that the construction is very
visible, with heavy equipment used for much of the work.
Under those circumstances, he believes the Lebanese
authorities must know about the Hizballah activity. He was
unwilling to assign complicity to the Lebanese Armed Forces
(LAF),but he said he could not rule out LAF involvement or
cooperation. He declared that he does not think Hizballah
has the technical capacity to complete the work alone.
(Note: Post has noted that the LAF is traditionally careful
to steer clear of material support for Hizballah. Although
we need to consider possible LAF cooperation with Hizballah,
we note that fortification engineering is not beyond
Hizballah or its Iranian patrons. End note.). Pellegrini
has informed the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about
the Hizballah activity.


4. (C) Pellegrini said he could only speculate about
Hizballah intentions. Hizballah might be building up the
positions so that they will be prepared for a handover if
forced by international pressure to disarm or merge with the
LAF. He also admitted that Hizballah might be preparing to
become a purely defensive, border guard for Lebanon. The
Ambassador pointed out that there were signs that Hizballah
and its agents were also buying land in the border region.
The hardened post could be a sign that Hizballah means to
strengthen its control of the south and turn it into a
Hizballah "canton." Pellegrini said UNIFIL would continue to
observe and report on Hizballah's activities along the border
area. (Note: Walid Jumblatt has in several meetings raised
alarm bells about a Hizballah "canton." See Beirut 1575 for
his most recent comments along these lines. End note.)


5. (C) Pellegrini said UNIFIL has noted a dramatic increase
in Israeli overflights of Lebanese territory since the end of
April 2006. The highest frequency occurred in early May when
there were four violations by 10 aircraft in just one week.
Prior to April, Pellegrini said Israel's operations were
always clearly linked to action on the Lebanese side of the
border. But the recent overflights were not obviously
justified by that measure. Other violations that were not
within UNIFIL's area of operations were also observed. In
February 2006, the killing of a sheherd by the Israeli forces
triggered an exchange between Hizballah and the IDF that
Pellegrini described as "restrained." Since March 2006, the
Israelis are on high alert, worried about Hizballah
operations to kill or capture IDF soldiers. The IDF reported
to UNIFIL that UNIFIL activity probably aborted a Hizballah
kidnap operation. Pellegrini also noted significant
construction and improvement of facilities by the Israelis on
their side of the village of Ghajar. By contrast, he noted
there was no significant recent construction activity in or
around Ghajar by Hizballah.


6. (C) In general, Pellegrini found the situation on the

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border to be calm. He and UNIFIL are working to improve
UNIFIL coordination with the Lebanese Joint Security Force
(JSF) made up of LAF, the Internal Security Forces and
police. Strugar said the JSF was not yet up to its full
strength of 1,000 members. Approximately 400 JSF troops are
presently deployed at two posts along the Blue Line. The
Force will begin operations at a third post with 100 troops,
near the Naquora-Karba area, where Palestinian groups have
launched anti-Israeli operations. UNIFIL expects this new
position to improve reaction time, as well as enhance
coordination with UNIFIL, and deal with local fishermen who
cross into Israeli territory from time to time. It was
unclear to General Pellegrini whether the JSF will add an
additional 100 personnel to their roster or just transfer
personnel from existing forces already in the south.


7. (C) Increased cooperation with the Lebanese Army Liaison
(LAL),is another goal for Pellegrini. Pellegrini said that
the commander of the LAL in Naqoura was willing to work with
UNIFIL, but LAF HQ stuck to the liaison mission only
according to the LAL terms of reference. In the past, the
LAL, which is deployed with each UNIFIL field battalion, has
been useful in field operations. Pellegrini told the story
of a LAL patrol that responded to a call that Palestinians
had attached a cable to the Israeli fence behind the Blue
Line. The LAL, directed by the IDF, moved to the site and
dismantled the cable. Pellegrini hoped that this type of
on-the-ground assistance would continue even if the liaison
unit withheld formal agreement to such missions. Pellegrini
said he would also be meeting with Lebanese authorities in
the near future to push for a joint policy planning staff.
The Ambassador told Pellegrini that the Security Council may
want to include additional requirements in any UNIFIL
rollover, to have verifiable benchmarks that the GOL is
assuming its responsibility for the south.
FELTMAN