RECENT SECURITY INCIDENTS IN SOUTH LEBANON REMAIN

C O N F I D E N T I A L BEIRUT 001153 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/19/2019 TAGS: PREL PTER MOPS KPKO UNSC LE SUBJECT: RECENT SECURITY INCIDENTS IN SOUTH LEBANON REMAIN MURKY REF: BEIRUT 1022 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Security incidents in southern Lebanon have dominated the press for the last week, obscured by a haze of rumors, contradictory information and propaganda. On the evening of October 12, a mysterious incident occurred in or near the house of an alleged Hizballah official in the village of Tayr Felsayh, near Tyre. Despite suspicious evidence and contradictory videos from the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Hizballah, UNIFIL has yet to accuse either side of violating UNSCR 1701. In a second series of incidents, between October 18 and October 19, three alleged Israeli espionage devices were destroyed between Houla and Meiss al-Jabal, approximately two kilometers inside Lebanon. LAF and UNIFIL investigations into these events are ongoing. Meanwhile, UN staff assess that neither incident has led to a rise in tensions in south Lebanon. End Summary. TAYR FELSAYH: NO CLARITY ON INCIDENT -------------- ¶2. (C) On the evening of October 12, an incident shrouded in confusion occurred in or near the garage of alleged Hizballah official Abdul Nasser Issa in the village of Tayr Felsayh, near Tyre. UNIFIL commander General Claudio Graziano briefed the P-5 ambassadors on October 15 about the investigation. UNIFIL forces received the first report of the incident at 2040 hours and arrived on the scene at 2300 hours, according to Graziano, who ascribed the delay to communication and travel time, not/not to any attempt to prevent UNIFIL's access to the site. Although early press reports indicated that an explosion had taken place in the house, Graziano reported that UNIFIL found no evidence in the house's garage of an explosion, although small, managed fires appeared to have been set. In addition, the garage door was missing, and kerosene residue was found throughout the garage, as well as paint cans which appeared not to have been present in the garage before the fire. A blood stain was found in the driveway of the adjoining house, but no weapons were located in the house. ¶3. (C) The investigation took a new turn on October 13 when the IDF released video shot by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of what it alleged were Hizballah members carrying weapons or rockets from the house and trucking them to a second building in the nearby village of Dir Qanoun an-Nahr. Graziano reported that when UNIFIL forces opened and searched the second building, near which armed men were observed, they found the truck shown in the video with the missing garage door on its bed. No weapons were found in the second building, but the truck and its cargo -- which also bore traces of kerosene -- were taken for investigation. Hizballah, eager to show that the Israeli claims of an explosion in a weapons cache were unfounded, released a video of UNIFIL opening the second building and finding no weapons there. ¶4. (C) UNIFIL has been unable to draw conclusions on what happened in Tayr Felsayh from the physical evidence, Rami Shehadeh of the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL) told polchief on August 20. In order to continue its investigation, UNIFIL is seeking Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) assistance in interviewing those reported injured at the house, neighbors, and ambulance drivers who reported to the scene before UNIFIL arrived. Shehadeh reported that UNIFIL has assigned four liaison officers to work with the LAF, since it considers the fires to be a "smokescreen" obscuring what really happened. MYSTERIOUS EXPLOSIONS ON THE BORDER -------------- ¶5. (C) The Lebanese media reported that between the night of October 17 and midday October 18, three Israeli espionage devices were destroyed in the Wadi al- Unq between Houla and Meiss al-Jabal, approximately two kilometers inside Lebanon. Press stories asserted that two devices were exploded remotely by the IDF via charges buried under them, and the LAF claimed to have destroyed the third device. Accounts conflict as to whether the devices were tapping into Hizballah's internal telecommunications network or merely ambient eavesdropping devices. The LAF G-2 liaison asserted to us on October 19 that the devices were Israeli, and claimed that wires ran from them across the frontier into Israel. ¶6. (C) The UNSCOL office has been in touch with the IDF since the night of October 18, Shehadeh reported. He described the site of the explosions as "very close" to a nearby UNIFIL post, although UNIFIL Deputy Director of Political and Civil Affairs Franscesco Manca told POLOFF on Oct 20 that the explosions were not near a UNIFIL post but merely within an area "cordoned-off" by UNIFIL. UNIFIL informed the LAF of the first explosion, and UNSCOL then contacted the IDF, which Shehadeh described as "caught off guard by the explosion." Although Hizballah claimed to have alerted the LAF to the devices, Shehadeh said that no activity had been noted in the area before the explosion. ¶7. (C) According to Shehadeh, the IDF claimed to UNSCOL that the devices had been planted in Lebanese territory before the passage of UNSCR 1701. Shehadeh nonetheless speculated that the incidents would likely be considered violations of UNSCR 1701 on the basis of the devices being unauthorized military equipment and assets. The IDF flew a UAV over the site of the explosions. It withdrew after the LAF fired on it and UNIFIL called for its withdrawal because it was a violating Lebanese airspace and preventing UNIFIL from carrying out its duties, Shehadeh added. UN: NO SENSE THAT TENSIONS RISING -------------- ¶8. (C) Despite media attention to the incidents, UN staff assess that they have not led to a rise in tensions in south Lebanon. UNIFIL's Manca emphasized that community relations between UNIFIL and the local civilian authorities were good, and he believed the two incidents would not lead to any deterioration. Shehadeh assessed that Hizballah has no desire to escalate tensions on the ground. Although the Israeli overflights and the explosions on the border were "great" opportunities to escalate the situation, he pointed out, Hizballah has confined itself to boasting about the discovery of Israeli spy networks in Lebanon and berating Israel for the overflights. Nevertheless, Shehadeh said that UNIFIL is on high alert for additional rocket launches from Lebanon into Israel -- like that on September 11 (reftel) -- since "other players" might take advantage of the situation for their own ends. ¶9. (C) COMMENT: Our UN and LAF contacts emphasize that it is not yet possible to assess the true nature of these incidents given the ongoing investigations. UNIFIL's Manca suggested that the tripartite meeting scheduled for October 21 may shed more light. We also intend to follow up with LAF commander Kahwagi and UNIFIL commander Graziano in scheduled appointments later this week. SISON