INTERNATIONAL SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017 Lebanon’s Hezbollah: ‘Israel boosting border defenses’ NAQURA, Lebanon: Lebanon’s Hezbollah sought advance on it, they have constructed a cliff and addi- and under its authority.” There have been periodic skir- Thursday to show that Israel is building up defenses in tional earth berms and put up concrete blocks,” he said. mishes along the UN-monitored demarcation line anticipation of another conflict, after a string of state- “The Israeli enemy is undertaking these fortifica- between Israel and Lebanon, longtime adversaries ments from Israeli officials warning of a potential con- tions and building these obstacles in fear of an which are technically still at war with each other. frontation. The powerful Shiite group, which fought a advance” by Hezbollah, he said. As he spoke, an Israeli devastating war with the Jewish state in 2006, brought military patrol of two armored cars and a white bus ‘We don’t fear war’ dozens of journalists on a rare and highly-choreographed wended their way along a road behind a fence, as two Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon in trip to the demarcation line between Lebanon and Israel. yellow bulldozers moved earth nearby. There has been 2000, after an 22-year occupation. Thursday’s tour “This tour is to show the defensive measures that the rising speculation about the possibility of a new war sought to paint Israel as afraid of a new conflict, while enemy is taking,” said Hezbollah spokesman Mohamed between Israel and Hezbollah, a powerful Lebanese depicting Hezbollah as ready for war despite having Afif, on a hilltop along the so-called Blue Line. A military paramilitary organization, more than a decade after committed thousands of its fighters to bolstering Syria’s commander identified as Haj Ihab, dressed in digital their last direct confrontation. President Bashar al-Assad. Journalists were taken from camouflage and sunglasses, said the Israeli army was The 34-day conflict in 2006 led to the deaths of 1,200 the southern Lebanese town of Naqura, with Hezbollah erecting earth berms up to 10 meters high, as well as people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, fighters in full military regalia stationed along the route reinforcing a military position near the Israeli border mostly soldiers. Israel’s army chief warned recently that alongside the group’s yellow flag-despite an official ban town of Hanita. “Because their position is directly by the in a “future war, there will be a clear address: the state of on any armed paramilitary presence in southern border and the enemy fears that the resistance will Lebanon and the terror groups operating in its territory Lebanon. —AFP Ahmadinejad barred as Iran Guardians pick vote candidates TEHRAN: Former Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was barred from running in next month’s election Thursday while President Hassan Rouhani was among six candidates approved by Iran’s conservative-controlled Guardian Council, state media reported. The other candidates selected were hardliners Ebrahim Raisi and Mostafa Mirsalim, Tehran mayor Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, moderate Mostafa Hashemitaba and Rouhani’s ally and vice-president Eshaq Jahangiri. Former hardline president Ahmadinejad, who ruled from 2005 to 2013, was barred along with his close ally Hamid Baghaie. Ahmadinejad shocked everyone by registering as a candidate last week against the advice of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei-a move which many described as political suicide. More than 1,600 candidates registered to run in the May 19 election, but the Guardian Council only ever selects around half a dozen. More than 130 women registered but none has ever been allowed to stand. “In Iran, it’s not only an election, it’s also a JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, delivers brief remarks as he welcomes US Defense selection,” said Clement Therme, Iran research fellow for the Secretary James Mattis in his office in Jerusalem. — AP International Institute for Strategic Studies. Pentagon chief warns Syria Campaign starts now Although campaigning was not due to start until April 28, the Guardian Council announced that it could begin immedi- against using chemical weapons ately. Rouhani, a politically moderate cleric, has won praise since his landslide win in 2013 for taming inflation and reach- JERUSALEM: US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in Israel Israel and the United States have long had close strategic ties, ing a groundbreaking nuclear deal with world powers that yesterday that there can be “no doubt” Syria has retained with Washington providing Israel more than $3 billion per year ended many sanctions. But disappointment over Iran’s contin- some chemical weapons and warned President Bashar al- in defense aid and Trump pledging unstinting support for the ued economic stagnation is palpable on the streets, creating Assad’s regime not to use them. Mattis made the comments country. Despite tensions over Israeli settlement building, an opening for conservative opponents. during a one-day visit for talks with Israeli leaders, who strong- Barack Obama’s administration signed a new agreement with Unemployment is stuck at 12 percent, the promised bil- ly supported a recent US strike against a Syrian airbase in retali- Israel before he left office increasing the amount to $3.8 billion lions in foreign investment have not materialized, and ation for an alleged chemical attack on a rebel-held town. for a 10-year period beginning in 2018. Rouhani has failed to release political prisoners, including “The bottom line is there can be no doubt in the interna- Mattis sought to hear directly from Israeli leaders on their reformist leaders under house arrest for their part in 2009 tional community’s mind that Syria has retained chemical concerns and what they expect from the Trump administra- protests. “The problem has been the nature of Rouhani’s eco- weapons in violation of its agreement and its statement that it tion, a US defense official said. Iran’s influence is at the top of nomic agenda. His administration has a discourse of social jus- had removed them all,” Mattis said during a press conference the list for Israel, a worry shared by the United States. Mattis tice but they are ultimately neoliberal, and this has provoked with Israeli counterpart Avigdor Lieberman. “It’s a violation of accused Iran of “destabilizing activities,” including threatening disappointment,” said Therme. The aggressive stance of US the United Nations Security Council resolutions, and it’s going Israel and other nations in the Middle East with ballistic mis- President Donald Trump, who has slapped new sanctions on to have to be taken up diplomatically, and they’d be ill-advised siles, cyber activities and proxy groups. Netanyahu welcomed Iran and threatened to tear up the nuclear deal, has bolstered to try to use any again. We’ve made that very clear with our Mattis’s comments on Iran and Syria, calling the Trump admin- conservative claims that Rouhani’s outreach to the West has strike.” Mattis added that Syria had “dispersed their aircraft in istrations approach a “welcome change.” been misguided. —AFP recent days.” An Israeli military assessment has found that “We sense a great change in the direction of American poli- Assad’s regime was still in possession of “a few tons” of cy,” he said. Israel is closely watching Iran’s presence in Syria, chemical weapons, an army official confirmed. Some Israeli where it is backing Assad. Israeli enemy Hezbollah is also fight- media reports put the number at between one and three ing with Assad in Syria. Israel fought a devastating war against tons. Lieberman declined to comment on the assessment at the Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite movement in 2006. Israel has Friday’s press conference in Tel Aviv. sought to avoid being dragged into the six-year civil war in Assad, backed by his ally Russia, has strongly denied the Syria, but acknowledges carrying out air strikes there to stop allegation that his forces used chemical weapons against the what it says are deliveries of advanced weapons to Hezbollah. rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun on April 4, describing it as a “100 percent fabrication”. He has said repeatedly that his Iran nuclear deal forces turned over all chemical weapons stockpiles in 2013, Testy relations between Obama and Netanyahu reached a under a deal brokered by Russia to avoid threatened US mili- low point over a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world tary action. The agreement was later enshrined in a UN powers, led by Washington. Obama pushed hard for the agree- Security Council resolution. ment, but Netanyahu fiercely opposed it, arguing it will not prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and that the lift- Talks with Netanyahu ing of sanctions would allow it to support proxy groups. Trump TEHRAN: In this picture, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Mattis, the first member of President Donald Trump’s cabi- also harshly criticized the deal, and on Thursday said Iran was smiles as he attends at the Interior Ministry to register his net to visit Israel, later held talks with Prime Minister Benjamin “not living up to the spirit” of the agreement, adding that the candidacy for the May 19 presidential elections, in Netanyahu in Jerusalem, followed by President Reuven Rivlin. United States would set out its position on it soon. —AFP Tehran, Iran. — AP.