[AP/Washington Post] Scheherezade Faramarzi - More than a year after the Israel-Hizbullah war, Hizbullah appears to be solidly entrenched across Lebanon's south - looking, in fact, as if its fighters never really left but merely went underground. The Shiite militia's banners hang everywhere, boasting of the "divine victory" over Israel and thanking its chief sponsor, Iran, for helping with post-war reconstruction. Villagers report Hizbullah's recruitment of young men is booming and its popularity is firm. While UN peacekeepers maintain a buffer zone between the Litani River and the Israeli border, Hizbullah appears to be in a strong position both north and south of the Litani, both politically and militarily. Villagers across the south point to various places they say are arms depots for Hizbullah.
2007-10-05 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive