Conducts 'Mock Air Strikes' On Hezbollah

Israeli warplanes are flying over Lebanon -- to the annoyance of France and the European Union. It says the overflights are intended to pressure the international community to take action to stop arms smuggling to terrorists, and to release two abducted Israeli soldiers.

The Jerusalem Post reports that an internal Israel Defense Forces (IDF) document says "the Army must continue overflights to secure international pressure."

Last Tuesday, Israeli F-16s buzzed Hezbollah strongholds in south Beirut but the IDF refused to confirm or deny it conducted mock air raids on the terrorist positions.

Lebanese witnesses, many of whom watched the airshow from their apartment balconies, said the fighter-bombers executed six separate mock attacks. The maneuvers came just hours after a United Nations envoy admitted what virtually everyone in the Middle-East already knows -- that arms are being smuggled into the country from Syria.

The Lebanese Army issued a statement saying its anti-aircraft batteries fired at the planes, evidently without effect.

In the meantime, the Middle East Times says Iran has promised to supply advanced anti-aircraft weapons to Lebanon, including surface-to-air missiles. While the US has accused Iran of supplying weapons directly to the Hezbollah terrorists, Iran says the arms would go only to the Lebanese army.

The Lebanese Army stayed mainly on the sidelines during this summer's battles between the IDF and Hezbollah. The United Nations was brought in to prevent the re-arming of the Muslim terrorist group, but Israel is unconvinced the UN is up to the job.

The Jewish state appears to be preparing for a "real" air attack... as Hezbollah continues to regain strength.

FMI: www.iaf.org/il, www.lebarmy.gov.lb/?ln=en