Israel warns of sleeper units
2006-07-24 22:52
Jerusalem - Hezbollah has begun activating dormant units overseas to prepare attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, the Israeli military intelligence chief has warned.
"The Hezbollah attack units abroad have been woken up," General Amos Yadlin told reporters in a briefing on Sunday.
The Lebanese Shi'ite militant group has been accused of carrying out the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, where 29 people were killed, and the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community centre in the Argentinian capital that killed dozens.
Efraim Inbar from the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies said overseas units could be used as Hezbollah fighters battle Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon and Israeli jets bombard targets across Lebanon.
"The Hezbollah does have the capability to operate outside Lebanon," he told AFP.
"They have operatives across the world, especially in the Argentina-Brazil- Paraguay border, where there is a large concentration of Arab immigrants.
"They have drawn up plans with intelligence reports on Jewish and Israeli targets that can be carried out immediately," Inbar said.
Although Hezbollah is not expected to carry out attacks overseas in the coming days, "if they felt they are being squeezed by Israel in Lebanon, they will want to show their capabilities elsewhere", he said.
"(Hezbollah leader Hassan) Nasrallah will want to show Israel and the entire Arab and Muslim world that they are continuing the struggle."
Immediately after the fighting began on July 12, Israel warned its citizens to avoid visiting Arab and Muslim countries and to stay vigilant while abroad, fearing Hezbollah would try to abduct Israelis overseas.
Israel's counter-terrorism division issued the travel warning in light of the "struggle with Hezbollah" and its "desire to kidnap Israelis abroad".
- AFP