Livni: We Must Disarm Hezbollah Now

Al-Manar

"09/07/2008 As eyes are fixed on the swap deal between Israel and Hezbollah, Israeli military and political commands are still uneasy about the what they call “Hezbollah’s regained strength in south Lebanon.”

According to Haaretz, two years after the Second Lebanon War, the ministerial team constituting Israel’s National Security Cabinet is expected to discuss “regenerating Hezbollah” and the “gnawing at the UN Resolution 1701.” Urgent summons for the special cabinet meeting, previously postponed several times, have been issued to ministers recently.

During the discussion the ministers will be presented with an assessment of the situation in Lebanon, Hezbollah’s military activity and its missile stock – currently estimated at almost three times the amount present before the war.......

LIVNI: DISARM HEZBOLLAH

Earlier on Tuesday Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni toured the north of occupied Palestine along with her Italian counterpart, Franco Frattini. During the tour, Livni displayed before Frattini the reality Israel must face when dealing with the border. Brig.-Gen. Amir Eshel, who heads the Israeli army's Planning Branch, explained to the Italian foreign minister about the military ramifications of Hezbollah’s armament.

Eshel and Livni stressed that the expansion of UNIFIL's mandate, its personnel, and its weapons may put an end to the disconcerting phenomenon. "Unfortunately Resolution 1701 was not completed by the Lebanese side and I hope that during the next few days it will be implemented with the return of the kidnapped soldiers," Livni claimed.

"Hezbollah must be disarmed," she said. "We now have an opportunity to disarm Hezbollah, and we must not lose it...if we do not do it now, it will be much more difficult later on."........"