Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TELAVIV671
2008-03-21 15:35:00
SECRET
Embassy Tel Aviv
Cable title:
ISRAEL BRACING FOR HIZBALLAH "RETALIATION" FOR
how-toVZCZCXRO1525 OO RUEHROV DE RUEHTV #0671 0811535 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 211535Z MAR 08 FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5966 INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
S E C R E T TEL AVIV 000671
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2018
TAGS: PTER MOPS LE IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL BRACING FOR HIZBALLAH "RETALIATION" FOR
MUGHNIYA, READY TO HIT BACK HARD
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
S E C R E T TEL AVIV 000671
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2018
TAGS: PTER MOPS LE IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL BRACING FOR HIZBALLAH "RETALIATION" FOR
MUGHNIYA, READY TO HIT BACK HARD
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (S) Israel's security services are on high alert this
weekend as March 22 will mark the end of the 40-day mourning
period for Hizballah's operations chief Imad Mughniya.
Israeli military and security officials are taking Hizballah
leader Nasrallah's threat of an "open war" seriously, and
have taken steps ranging from warning Israelis traveling
abroad, increasing the protection provided to senior
officials, and holding a combined large ground-air combined
exercise in northern Israel intended to send a message to
Hizballah. The Israeli leadership is making it very clear
that a Hizballah attack will be met with a punishing
response. What is less clear is where are the limits of
Israeli restraint, since much depends on what kind of attack
Hizballah launches, how effective it is, and perhaps how easy
it is to link the attack to Hizballah, especially if it
occurs in a third country.
2. (S) In this context, the Israeli Air Force appears to be
stepping up the pace and range of its overflights of Lebanon.
As the IDF and GOI have repeatedly told us, they consider
the intelligence developed through overflights to be
essential to their monitoring of Hizballah's military
activities, particularly in light of the failure to enforce
arms embargo provisions of UNSCR 1701. In the current
"waiting game" for Hizballah's promised retaliation, there
may be an additional point to the overflights -- Israel
wants Hizballah and the GOL to understand clearly that any
Hizballah attack on Israel from Lebanese territory will
elicit a sharp response. We therefore anticipate not only a
possible increased tempo of overflights, but also more
incidents of sonic booms in an effort to deter Hizballah.
********************************************* ********************
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
You can also access this site through the State Department's
Classified SIPRNET website.
********************************************* ********************
JONES
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/21/2018
TAGS: PTER MOPS LE IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL BRACING FOR HIZBALLAH "RETALIATION" FOR
MUGHNIYA, READY TO HIT BACK HARD
Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones, Reason 1.4 (b) (d)
1. (S) Israel's security services are on high alert this
weekend as March 22 will mark the end of the 40-day mourning
period for Hizballah's operations chief Imad Mughniya.
Israeli military and security officials are taking Hizballah
leader Nasrallah's threat of an "open war" seriously, and
have taken steps ranging from warning Israelis traveling
abroad, increasing the protection provided to senior
officials, and holding a combined large ground-air combined
exercise in northern Israel intended to send a message to
Hizballah. The Israeli leadership is making it very clear
that a Hizballah attack will be met with a punishing
response. What is less clear is where are the limits of
Israeli restraint, since much depends on what kind of attack
Hizballah launches, how effective it is, and perhaps how easy
it is to link the attack to Hizballah, especially if it
occurs in a third country.
2. (S) In this context, the Israeli Air Force appears to be
stepping up the pace and range of its overflights of Lebanon.
As the IDF and GOI have repeatedly told us, they consider
the intelligence developed through overflights to be
essential to their monitoring of Hizballah's military
activities, particularly in light of the failure to enforce
arms embargo provisions of UNSCR 1701. In the current
"waiting game" for Hizballah's promised retaliation, there
may be an additional point to the overflights -- Israel
wants Hizballah and the GOL to understand clearly that any
Hizballah attack on Israel from Lebanese territory will
elicit a sharp response. We therefore anticipate not only a
possible increased tempo of overflights, but also more
incidents of sonic booms in an effort to deter Hizballah.
********************************************* ********************
Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website:
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv
You can also access this site through the State Department's
Classified SIPRNET website.
********************************************* ********************
JONES