Syria, Iran intelligence services aided Hezbollah during war

[Behind the Aegis]

During the fighting in Lebanon Hezbollah received direct intelligence support from Syria, using data collected by listening posts jointly manned by Russian and Syrian crews. Hezbollah was also fed intelligence from new listening posts built on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, which are operated jointly with Iran.

This information was confirmed in recent reports by the defense journal Jane's.

Syria's centrality to the collection and transfer of intelligence to Hezbollah is based on separate agreements Damascus signed with Moscow and Tehran on intelligence cooperation.

The agreement with Russia is much older than the one with Iran, which was signed earlier this year.


more...

[tocqueville]

1. As if the US didn't provide all its monitoring resources,

satellite data etc...

what's not said in the article is that the Irani cracked completely the Israeli codes

How hi-tech Hezbollah called the shots
By Iason Athanasiadis

BEIRUT - Hezbollah's ability to repel the Israel Defense Forces during the recent conflict was largely due to its use of intelligence techniques gleaned from allies Iran and Syria that allowed it to monitor encoded Israeli communications relating to battlefield actions, according to Israeli officials, whose claims have been independently corroborated by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

"Israeli EW systems were unable to jam the systems at the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, they proved unable to jam Hezbollah's command and control links from Lebanon to Iranian facilities in Syria, they blocked the Barak ship anti-missile systems, and they hacked into Israeli operations communications in the field," Richard Sale, the longtime intelligence editor for United Press International, who was alerted to this intelligence failure by current and former CIA officials, told Asia Times Online.

The ability to hack into Israel's military communications gave Hezbollah a decisive battlefield advantage, aside from allowing it to dominate the media war by repeatedly intercepting reports of the casualties it had inflicted and announcing them through its television station, Al-Manar. Al-Manar's general director, Abdallah Kassir, would not comment on the information-gathering methods that had allowed it to preempt Israel's casualty announcements, but he admitted he was in constant contact with Hezbollah's military wing.

When Israeli troops invaded southern Lebanon, they found themselves bogged down in stronger-than-expected Hezbollah resistance. The story of the handful of Hezbollah militants who single-handedly defended the border village of Aita Shaab has already become legend. Ultimately, Israel decided that the only way to neutralize them was to carpet-bomb the village, reducing it to rubble in the process.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/HI09Ak01.html

[Matilda]

10. An interesting article,

I hadn't heard that before.

It does explain how Hezbollah were able to be everywhere and dug in before the Israelis got there.

No wonder the Israeli troops were taken by surprise.

[LeftistGorilla]

14. Not a real surprise....

[Behind the Aegis]

15. nor are some of the comments. n/t

[aquart]

16. Little thing you don't seem to notice...

Israel is a nation state. Hezbullah is NOT a nation state. Hezbullah is a parasite sucking the life out of Lebanon. It also appears to be an occupying force under the command and/or sponsorship of Syria. But perhaps that's just my imagination.

Let me know when you want Hezbullah to move next door to you.

[tocqueville]

20. demagogery doesn't impress me

the fact about what is a nation or not isn't relevant in that case. What I know of the Hezbollah is a pure Lebanese construction (initiated in the eighties by the CIA to counter Arafat) and the claim that it is an "occupying force" is ridiculous. So you're right it's only your imagination. Then that the Hezbollah is seeking help from abroad is not more "immoral" than what the IRA was doing some years ago. The interesting fact is that a great part of the funds came from the US and were used to kill ... Brits...

If there is an occupying force in the region, it's Israel, in breach against all internatiol rules

[Behind the Aegis]

24. neither does misinformation...

"What I know of the Hezbollah is a pure Lebanese construction (initiated in the eighties by the CIA to counter Arafat) and the claim that it is an "occupying force" is ridiculous."

Huh? Are you mixing up groups?

As for it being an occupying force, it very much is. They do not follow the desires of the Lebanese, but of their Syrian masters. Considering that Syria is another nation, Hizb'allah is a proxy for Syrian occupation.

[tocqueville]

43. who is misinforming who ?

President George W. Bush says, “Syria has been a primary sponsor of Hezbollah and it has helped provide Hezbollah with shipments of Iranian made weapons… threaten the entire Middle East.”

This month marks the twenty-first anniversary of a shipment of 508 anti-tank missiles to Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini in support of Hezbollah. Who approved that shipment?

Need a hint? The shipments were approved by a group which calls itself, “The Party of God.”

That’s right, Republican President Ronald Reagan sent the Ayatollah the weapons (and a birthday cake — no kidding) in return for loot to fund the illegal war against the elected government of Nicaragua. As part of the deal, Iran’s operatives in Hezbollah would release the two dozen hostages they’d taken, including a Presbyterian minister, a Catholic priest, a librarian and US reporter Terry Anderson. After the arms shipment, Hezbollah released three of the hostages and over time, executed several others. With Iran’s funding, the US supplied its own terrorist group, the “contras,” with weapons used in the killing of 30,000 Nicaraguans.

http://www.gregpalast.com/party-of-god-and-reagan-a-hezbollah-history-lesson

the Hezbollah was founded IN Lebanon as a result of the Israeli war of 1982. It's true that it got Irani backing but the Syrian involvement is later. It's still primarily a Lebanese shiite movement.

the myth of a proxy is classic. It has been used before for the FNL in Algeria (Nasser), the Palestinians etc....

Hezbollah was formed primarily to combat the Israeli occupation following the 1982 invasion of Lebanon.<7><78> It was officially founded on February 16, 1985 when Sheik Ibrahim al-Amin declared the group's manifesto. The publication of the manifesto was timed to coincide with the anniversary of Ragheb Harb's death.<79>

Scholars differ as to when Hezbollah came to be a distinct entity. Some organizations list the official formation of the group as early as 1982 <80> whereas Diaz and Newman maintain that Hezbollah remained an amalgamation of various violent Shi’a extremists until as late as 1985.<81> Another version states that it was formed by supporters of Sheikh Ragheb Harb, a leader of the southern Shiite resistance killed by Israel in 1984.<82> Regardless of when the name came into official use, a number of Shi’a groups were slowly assimilated into the organization, such as Islamic Jihad, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth and the Revolutionary Justice Organization. These designations are considered to be synonymous with Hezbollah by the US,<83> Israel<3> and Canada.<84>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah

so the talk of "occupation" is as said ridiculous.

[jpak]

33. US neocons take note - Iran won't be a "cakewalk"

and there will be some nasty surprises in store for US forces when we attack them...

[Hardrada]

2. Not my problem.

[WCGreen]

3. Oh my god...

The sworn enemies of Israel helped one another...

Wringing hands....

We have to save poor Israel....

Let's bomb Iran.....

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Russia is a "sworn enemy" of Israel?

Did not know this.

I love the sarcasm when it is attacks against Israel, but any attacks by Israel are met with harsh rhetoric and propaganda.

[WCGreen]

7. I was making reference to Iran and Syria...

[Behind the Aegis]

8. But Russia was also involved...

[WCGreen]

37. I understand that....

But Russia is helping their long term allies...

They want to keep Israel around for a while....

[MsKandice01]

4. Hark! Are those war drums I hear??? n/t

[Behind the Aegis]

6. I doubt it.

More like the "clarinet of apathy" because it involves attacks on Israel.

[MsKandice01]

9. I am hardly apathetic when it comes to Israel..

However, can you at least agree that us getting into a military conflict with Iran right now would be a really bad idea?

[Behind the Aegis]

11. What I said was...

"More like the "clarinet of apathy" because it involves attacks on Israel." However, I am not familiar with your posts on the subject so, perhaps, you also protest unjustified attacks on Israel.

I do agree any action against Iran, besides sanctions, would be unwise (a gross understatement). There is no need for military action against Iran at this time. However, reporting what has happened isn't always about "beating the war drums."

[HuffleClaw]

12. so?

is it only the US that is permitted to interfere in the affairs of other nations?

[Behind the Aegis]

13. I don't think that comment was anywhere in the article.

It was a report. No different than the articles posted here about US/Israeli relations.

[aquart]

17. Of course not.

Let's all applaud the Hezbullah occupation of Lebanon. It would be extremely inconvenient for Syria to have an independent nation next door, at peace with Israel. It is important to do whatever can be done to prevent such a horror.

That is what you're saying, isn't it?

[wholetruth00]

18. Hey, they live in the region and have self-interests there.

What the hell do we expect?

[The Stranger]

19. That was the war in which Israel murdered 1200 innocent Lebanse, right?

I thought so. So, in actuality, these other nations were helping to end that massacre, which is what the U.S. should have been doing as well.

Thanks for posting this.

[cali]

21. What an absurd comment.

Yes, Israel's decision to invade Lebanon was totally wrong and misbegotten. That doesn't mean that it wasn't just a tad more complex than your silly and simplistic comment. And making Syria and Iran out to be ministering angels to the poor Lebanese, while totally ignoring the politics involved is nothing short of idiotic.

[The Stranger]

22. I am glad that you can at least admit how "totally wrong and mis-

begotten" Israel's little disastrous war was.

And it is necessary to continue to be confronted with the truth -- even succinctly, as here -- lest the hyped-up, trumped up spectres of Syria and Iran will become a fever pitch of hysteria supposedly requiring yet another "totally wrong and misbegotten" "decision to invade."

[jaybeat]

23. I agree

No one is claiming that Syria, Iran or Hezbolla are paragons of virtue, here.

BUT, neither are the United States and Israel.

These "reports," whether intended this way or not, do have the effect of sending a message of "See, Israel was right to invade" or "See, Syria and Iran are really bad guys--we should take them out like we did Saddam."

[cali]

40. "admit"?

What an interesting choice of words- as if I was guilty of something. I do find your language quite intruiging. You could have said "I'm glad we agree", but no, not you. Let me be clear: I have nothing to admit too. I'm one of the very few reasonable critics of Israel. Far too many of you are so obsessed with Israel as the epicenter of all the world's evils, that you have little credibility. And with me, you have none.

[The Stranger]

45. Interesting choice of words?

Let's review yours: "silly," "simplistic," "obssessed," "hav(ing) little (or no) credibility," and "nothing short of idiotic."

And you are hung up on my use of "admit"?

The fact of the matter is that you agree with me more than you care to admit. (Oops, sorry -- there I go again -- I used the word "admit.")

[Behind the Aegis]

25. Suuuure...that's what happened.

:eyes:

[jaybeat]

30. That may not be *all* that happened, but it *did* happen (nt)

[Behind the Aegis]

34. Not the way he wrote it. n/t

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

26. Therefore, Iran and/or Syria should be invaded/bombed, right? -nt

[Behind the Aegis]

27. Sure, that is what it means.

:eyes:

[jaybeat]

31. That *is* what it means to the neocon nut-jobs

To ignore that is naive and dangerous.

:nuke:

[Behind the Aegis]

35. Sounds as if we have our own "drummers of war" here.

I posted an article about involvement of other nations. It is no different than our involvement, yet the way the two are handled are vastly different!

[jaybeat]

36. Huh?

Authors with documented neocon ties point out Syrian and Iranian assistance to Hezbollah, and yet we are criticized for pointing out the bias of the source? Then, the US Gov and the MSM refuse/deny/minimize US support and involvement in the genocide of innocent Lebanese civilians, yet when some of us point out this double standard, *we* are accused of having one?

As I've said before, pot, meet kettle.

At the very least.

:eyes:

[Behind the Aegis]

39. you have got to be kidding?

Really! :eyes:

[AlienGirl]

42. Please define genocide. nt

[IChing]

28. This guy who wrote this "story" works for the WINEP

WINEP's Board of Advisers includes:

Warren Christopher,
Lawrence S. Eagleburger,
Alexander Haig,
Max M. Kampelman,
Jeane Kirkpatrick,
Samuel W. Lewis,
Edward Luttwak
Michael Mandelbaum,
Robert McFarlane,
Martin Peretz,
Richard Perle,
James Roche,
George P. Shultz,
Paul Wolfowitz,
James Woolsey
and Mortimer Zuckerman.

Wolfowitz and Roche resigned from the board when they entered the Bush administration in 2001, although WINEP still proudly lists them.

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC11.php?CID=101

http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1568

[jaybeat]

29. But, of course, there's no agenda behind this "report"...(nt)

[oblivious]

41. Notice the AP photo at the top to make it look like an AP article?

[bamacrat]

32. PNAC in full force.

[0007]

38. ....and the US arms Israel so what else is news?

[shadowknows69]

44. And we sold Israel bombs to kill children with.

Monster meet monster.