Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator
On Tuesday afternoon, thousands of pagers exploded in Lebanon killing at least nine and injuring 2,800, including Iran’s Ambassador to Lebanon, Mojtaba Amani.
More details will emerge in time, but it appears Israel, through their intelligence services, had planted explosives in the hand held communication devices used by the Lebanon resistance group Hezbollah.
Some experts feel this may be Israel’s response to Hezbollah’s attack on August 25, which targeted the elite ‘cyber-spy’ unit 8200 in Glilot, which killed 22 operatives and wounded 74, according to a Lebanese news agency, which was confirmed by European security sources.
The Israeli Intelligence Corps Unit 8220 of the Israel Defense Forces is responsible for spy operations, including collecting signal intelligence.
Israel refuses to publically address the attack at their most sensitive spy center. However, in a telling public announcement, the commander of 8200, Yossi Sariel, resigned on September 10. He will be the scapegoat needed for the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who have valued killing Hamas and Palestinian civilians in Gaza, over the safe return of Israeli civilians and soldiers.
Steven Sahiounie of MidEastDiscourse interviewed Dr. Ali Hamie, a strategic analyst, concerning various issues facing Lebanon today.
Dr. Hamie mentioned the destruction of Israel’s unit 8200, and the fact that since Hezbollah makes their own weapons, the old land route through Syria is no longer necessary, although the Israeli airstrikes on Syria continue. Hamie also exposed how the US has prevented Lebanon from recovering from the worst economic crisis in the world, by standing in the way of Lebanon’s development of their rich off-shore oil resources.
Steven Sahiounie (SS): Lebanon is in one of the worst economic crisis in modern history. In your opinion, would a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have a role in recovering the Lebanese economy?
Ali Hamie (AH): The whole world is heading towards recession and economic depression, and Lebanon is subject to a devastating economy as a result of mismanagement and internal corruption; however, the greater devastation comes by means of American sanctions by penal laws. This means the internal corruption is backed by American policy that protects the corrupt up to the point they no longer serve their purpose before exposing their corruption and plays the part of ‘protector against the corrupt’. The direct imposition of sanctions on some Lebanese figures and indirect sanctions, are suffocating Lebanon. Such as those imposed on Syria through the Caesar Act which harms Lebanon more than it does Syria. Just as the United States prevents Lebanon from benefiting from international donations regarding oil and food, the foolish American control of economic policies against most countries that reject it, it’s as if the United States crossed into the sea borders and oil-rich Lebanese beaches, and placed obstacles to stall Lebanon from extracting their oil.
Today we have an additional, sensitive, and essential factor that has entered the economic equation. War and offensive by the Zionist entity against the occupied Gaza Strip. This factor, however, has an impact on both sides of the conflict, and everyone wants to get out of it. Even as an achievement, it comes after the Israeli economy has been devastated just as our economy has endured. Therefore, call for a ceasefire, withdrawal from Gaza, and stopping the fighting to call for a temporary truce may give breathing space to restore the collapsed economy for everyone.
SS: Israeli is threatening a full-scale war against the resistance in South Lebanon. In your opinion, will Benjamin Netanyahu take this kind of action, even though he is unable to achieve military victory in Gaza?
AH: Until now, the Israeli enemy has not been able to achieve any goal or military objective on the Gaza front, apart from the destruction of the infrastructure of hospitals, schools, retirement homes. So, how can they open a new expanded front with Lebanon while they are aware that the Northern front has been tried with some of the most powerful air force in the Middle East, with the largest squadron of 100 fighter jets, and carried out sixty raids, but could not destroy any major targets? Meanwhile, Hezbollah has responded to the Israelis and destroyed unit 8200 Security Division Serial Mektel North of Tel Aviv. Therefore, despite the military might of the Israeli forces, they have proven unable to expand the circle of war on the Northern front except by foolish strategies that could cost them the demise of their entity.
SS: Amos Hochstein visited the Middle East on Monday. In your opinion, was his visit to pressure Benjamin Netanyahu to not start a war with Lebanon?
AH: As usual, Hochstein visits the region once again bearing ideas and conditions of the Israeli enemies to impose on us. But, that is no longer useful because the superiority of the military security of the Israelis is no longer as it was, now 12 months since the war began.
SS: According to Israeli media, the IDF is planning to do a military operation to cut the road between Lebanon and Syria, to prevent Hezbollah from getting weapons. In your opinion, is that possible, and what would be the consequences?
AH: It’s the same old story of offensives against Syria with the excuse of transporting weapons and ammunition to Hezbollah, and Israel knows that the resistance in Lebanon develops their own weapons and does not need to use that route to obtain them. And, in the case that there was a need for arms, after the announcement of the facility ‘Imad 4’ and that ‘our mountains are our storage’, then perhaps there are enough routes through the tunnels.
SS: Media reports say that the UNIFIL troops in south Lebanon are giving information to the Israelis. In your point of view, is this accusation correct, and if so, what is the response of the Lebanese military and government?
AH: Many of the eyewitnesses have reported suspicious cases in areas where some UNIFIL units have entered and exited, and a few minutes afterwards the areas have been targeted and bombed by the Israelis which has given some people the impression that some of those UNIFIL units had provided the enemy with coordinates for areas that drones could not reach. But, this report remains under speculation, it could be true or not.
Steven Sahiounie is a two-time award-winning journalist
This article is originally published at Profile News