LebaneseForces.com: Fighting for Freedom

The Corner Shot

Corner Shot is about as gadgety a firearm as we've ever seen. Designed so that it can be shot at a right angle, the Corner Shot has a swiveling barrel with a color camera attached to it and an LCD screen so you can see exactly what it is you're taking out without you actually having to stick your head out around the corner. click here for more info

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 31, 2003 | Permalink

L-F.org Editorial: The Olive Pit which Turned Green

Darkness and silence became his friends as the nights grew longer and the daylight grew fainter. His books are his companions and knowledge, not of current events, seemed to share his tiny cell. He now knows how many holes the ceiling has and became familiar with the dark corners of his cell and of his mind. He closes his eyes to see and shuts his ears to hear what goes on around him. He alone knows the man inside and learned how to fight the forces, which turned the olive pit green.

The dark forces are there to steal away his breath and turn his frail body into dust. As he sat down to have his dinner, the olive pit took a brave decision to share his cell. Little did it know of the dark forces and that if it remained behind while its brothers journeyed into the light, the end would be near.

Samir Geagea lives in a cell damped with humidity, three stories under ground in the Lebanese Defense Ministry. For seven years and half, his refusal to break down resonated throughout the country and gave courage to those who chose his path. His words: "I choose freedom in jail over slavery out in the world," are a lesson in resistance and in loving Lebanon.

Dr. Geagea, we dedicate our first editorial to you and to your bravery. We salute you and assure you that we will remain faithful to the cause.

[This editorial is inspired by the story told by a member of Dr. Samir Geagea's family. In less than 12 hours, the olive pit that he dropped on his floor cell after eating his diner, turned green due to humidity]

Editorial by Micha and taken from the official site Lebanese-Forces.org

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 31, 2003 | Permalink

U.S. Says Flatly Syria Should Quit Lebanon 'Shortly'

The Bush administration says Syria will have to withdraw from Lebanon in a short time, asserting that the Damascus government "has to be taken to account and will be taken to account." "Lebanon needs at an early point in the future to be free and to have an opportunity to build a Lebanese society for the Lebanese," Bush's National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice told a news conference in New York Thursday night.

The remark, made in response to a question about the connection to Lebanon of the Syria Accountability Act currently debated at the U.S. Congress, is seen as one of the most direct U.S. declarations that Syria has to end it 27-year-old tutelage over its tiny neighbor. "The Bush administration does not object to the Syria Accountability bill because we believe Syria hasn't been taken to account and because we believe Syria has to be taken to account," Rice said amid journalists' laughter.

"The U.S. is very keen that all in the Middle East should realize that the region is changing. This covers those who oppose change or those who stand as obstacles in the way of change and those who are in Lebanon, Hizbullah for example," she said. "They have to stop doing so." Rice spoke of the need to confront "those who reject peace and support terrorism," adding: "We have all to reject the rejectionists … and any country supporting their determinations to destroy peace."

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 31, 2003 | Permalink

Official LF Site Redesigned

Lebanese-Forces.org has been redesigned. Please check it out.
http://www.Lebanese-Forces.org

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 | Permalink

Patriarch Openly Resents Hizbullah's Cross-Border Attacks

Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has expressed open resentment of Hizbullah's latest cross-border attacks that heightened tensions between Lebanon and Israel, saying from Germany that the Lebanese people "are fed up" with border hostilities. "The people want to rest. They want to live in peace," the head of the Maronite church told reporters after a meeting he held with German President Johannes Rau in Berlin on Tuesday. The remark was highlighted by An Nahar and other Beirut newspapers on Wednesday.

Sfeir also criticized the ongoing clash between President Lahoud and Premier Hariri over Lebanon's 2004 fiscal budget. "No country can stand on its own feet if disputes rock its top-echelon leadership." Sfeir is on a pan-European tour that has already taken him to France, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Sweden before flying to Berlin. He is due to go to Frankfurt for a meeting with the Lebanese community there.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, October 29, 2003 | Permalink

Mountain War Massacre

Lebanese-Forces.org have some pictures online the massacres that happened during the Mountain War (7arb el Jabal). click here to view the pictures (L-F.org)

Posted by 40-Tactical on Sunday, October 26, 2003 | Permalink

LF BCU

Note to all the LF Students at BCU University in Sin El Fil. To become a member of LF BCU, send an email to LFBCU@ouwet.com

Posted by 40-Tactical on Sunday, October 26, 2003 | Permalink

Prayer for prisoners and MIA's

Almighty Father Who suffers in the affliction of your children, we call upon you now from the depths of our anxiety and great concern for our countrymen and loved ones who have fallen into the hands of the Nations foes, in the face of the evils that these brave men endure and before the grim burdens they are forced to bear, give them courage and hope, and a never failing confidence in You. But most of all, God, we ask that the day will soon come when we can all celebrate their release and safe return to their homes and kindred. Give to all of us who wait and hope in the face of every disappointment the will to persevere in the cause of peace and the wisdom to conquer hate with love and every doubt with a renewed Faith in you.
Amen.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 24, 2003 | Permalink

Resistance Priorities

Dear rife’
This site has been under attack for the past two days from everyone… Lebanese Forces officials, members, and partisans. And other persons from different political affiliations.

For what? Because we posted a funny link about the aounieh. Well what can I say? We hate aounieh, we hate syrians, we hate palestinians, we hate muslim fanatics, and we hate people that call them selves “neutral” and refuse to deal with any side of Lebanese politics. And we like to show it by any way or mean possible. Now people will tell me that the aounieh or the fpm or clao or mur or whatever they call themselves these days cannot be included in the same category as the people mentioned above. They are Christians like us, fighting for the same cause, and having the same principles. Well are they? I don’t think…

Out of our own experience with them, they would prefer dealing with the devil rather than dealing with us, and they always have been against us, in schools, universities, on the street, everywhere. They give us different labels, and they don’t consider us as resistance fighters, or as Lebanese fighting for a cause. Well they know that we have been here since their general was still a lieutenant, and we will stay, for a long time after them.

When did they stand by us, or support us, or when did they rally with us in a demonstration, or in a political event we organized? When? Can some of the people that attacked us these two days tell me?

Before the 90’s they attacked us on 2 occasions, they killed us, they put us in concentration camps worse than the infamous mazzeh, and their drones insulted our mothers and sisters and wrecked havoc in our houses. And if any of you are ready to forget the blood of Akram, Tony el Zghir, Salim, Dib, Maroun, Kamil, Georges, and all the others, we are not ready yet to forget, and we will never forget, until they present public apologies, and seek forgiveness from the mothers of our martyrs. We tried to, believe us, and we showed good intentions, and we considered them like brothers, but they never did, and they never held the hand reaching for them. We tried to think that after the war, we will be on the same side again, against a shared enemy, but all of you know how they allied with syrian baathists and syrian nationalists against us in universities, and how they sought help from their old friends in the army moukhabarat and amn dawleh and the list is very long… they would rather ally with anyone against us, this has been the case, and it will always be like this, until they reach political maturity and until they organize their priorities and know who is their enemy!

Did michel aoun ever say that El Hakim is innocent, did he ever ask for his release? All he said was that other parties ruling were not better than he was and they had to be in prison too… Ya rife’, please, please, do not ask us to be moderate, cause we will never be. Do not ask us to be polite, and considerate, cause we will never have any kind of consideration for any of the people that attack us every day. We are Lebanese Forces fanatics, and we are proud to be! We will keep on attacking everyone, as long as they don’t know who we are and what we represent. The Lebanese Forces were not elitists and will never be. We represent everyone and we are the word of everyone. And we are soldiers. We know who our enemy is, and like 100 of our guys threw out the syrians from eastern Beirut in 1979, we still believe it is feasible, and we will keep the fight till the bitter end, or we will be betraying the memories of all those whom had fallen before us, and we will be throwing away the sacrifices and heroism of many of our rife’. Ya rife’, this site will always be an independent site, the site of the Lebanese Forces Soldiers, call us fanatics, call us radicals, call us whatever you want, but do not tell us what to do.

Linabka,
Dragunov

Posted by Dragunov on Friday, October 24, 2003 | Permalink

LF AUT Event: A Welcome Party

Tomorrow Friday the 24th, the LF at AUT are holding a welcome party for AUT and non-AUT students. The Student Council in collaboration with the Social Club (LF) invite all the Lebanese Forces Students to come. The party will be held at the AUT Campus - Halat Byblos highway.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 23, 2003 | Permalink

Fight at NDU between LF and FPM

A huge fight broke out between the LF Debate Club and the Aounieh Social Club at NDU today. The Aounieh are creating problems at university before next months university elections. The LF of course over powered the FPM members and were able to deliver some devestating blows before students were able to stop the fight.

For more info on the LF at NDU visit www.LFNDU.com

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 | Permalink

Poll Highlights Lahoud's Eroded Popularity

An overwhelming 83 percent majority of the Lebanese support Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir's rejection of any Constitution amendment to keep President Lahoud in power, according to a poll that exposed the head of state's waning popularity as he begins the 6th and last year of his term.

The poll, conducted by the prestigious regional research firm Ipsos-Stat and published in An Nahar, revealed that Lahoud was most unpopular among his own Maronite community in the Metn and Kesrouan areas of Mount Lebanon, where 93 percent rejected an extension or renewal of his mandate. Moreover, in his native Baabdat, the statistics showed that 83 percent of the population did not support him. Opposition to Lahoud was particularly stark among the upper and middle classes and the age bracket group of 40 to 60, An Nahar observed. Only 15 percent of those polled supported another, full term for Lahoud and 18 percent would not oppose a limited extension. But the overwhelming population agrees with the Maronite patriarch that nothing short of an "earthquake" or a "global war" would serve as an emergency that would require keeping Lahoud in power.

A separate research firm, Information International, released counter-statistics, claiming that Lahoud still enjoyed more than 40 percent support among the population. According to Al-Mustaqbal newspaper, which is owned by Prime Minister Hariri, the study had been solicited by "one of the apparatuses of the regime." Efforts to contact the owners of the local firm for clarification on the samples of their research went unanswered, Al-Mustaqbal said. Information International's poll made the banner headline of Al-Bayraq, a pro-Lahoud newspaper, ushering in a war of polls as the Lebanese gear up for change or stagnation in November 2004.

Taken from Naharnet

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 | Permalink

LF AUB Event: Conference on Taef

The Back To Roots is organizing a conference on Wednesday the 22nd of October at 2 pm in the American university of Beirut, West Hall building , Auditorim B second floor entitled:

"Al 2inkilab 3ala el Taef "

The lecture will be held by Dr. Toufic el Hindi, Political Advisor of the outlawed Lebanese Forces and Nassir el Ass3ad, journalist in Mustakbal newspaper.

Taken from LFaub.com

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 | Permalink

Note to Students

If you are an active member in the LF and attend a school or university in Lebanon then please contact us and tell us where you attend. We are looking for new contacts for a new project. Send all mail to webmaster@lebaneseforces.com

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, October 20, 2003 | Permalink

Islamic activist arrested for attack on Dora McDonald’s

Security forces arrested on Sunday Moammar Awami, a Yemeni Islamic activist, for his alleged involvement in planning the bomb attacks against restaurant chains associated with the United States, including the attack on the Dora branch of McDonald’s, which injured five people. A statement said the Lebanese Army arrested Awami, known as “Ibn Shaheed,” at a checkpoint near the Palestinian Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon, where he lives. Awami had fake identity cards, in addition to a large sum of money. He was attempting to escape from the camp to a more secure place when he was detained, the statement added.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, October 20, 2003 | Permalink

Weapons Section

The weapons section will be completed in a few days. We have 2 weapon experts who have been helping us for the past 2 weeks. We have removed and added weapons to create a more accurate list plus we are providing images of every weapon so you will be able to know how the weapon looked like. All this should be completed by Monday hopefully. Will keep you posted.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, October 18, 2003 | Permalink

Syria Goes on Highest Alert for War with Israel

Syria has placed its armed forces at home and in Lebanon on the highest state of alert to standby for a possible Israeli war offensive at U.S. behest as part of President Bush's drive to squeeze the Assad regime down on its knees. The alert orders by Syrian army chief of Staff Gen. Hassan Turkmani coincided with President Assad's open denunciation of the Bush administration "fanatics," who turned the global war against terrorism into a war against Islam. more..

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 17, 2003 | Permalink

MSN Pictures

Added a ton of new MSN pictures. click here to see them

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 16, 2003 | Permalink

Phone Logos

Updated the phone logos page. Added a couple of new logos plus added the phone models so you can know which logos were made for your phone. click here to go to the phone logos page.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 16, 2003 | Permalink

Delta Logo

Just updated the meaning of the LF Delta.
You can check it by clicking here

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 16, 2003 | Permalink

U.S. wants Syria out of Lebanon

Legislation that would require President Bush to impose sanctions on the government of Syria has been overwhelmingly approved (398-5) Wednesday by the House of Representatives. The "Syria Accountability Act" will be debated later this month in the Senate where it also have strong bipartisan support.

After initially opposing the legislation, saying Syria was providing valuable help in the war on terror, the Bush administration dropped its opposition amid growing criticism of Syria on Capitol Hill.

House majority leader Republican Congressman Tom DeLay played a key role in bringing about that change in the administration's position. In this statement on the House floor, he reflected congressional frustration with Damascus. "We have tried everything. The president has tried everything. But despite every olive branch and carrot that we have offered, Syria has chosen to side with the terrorists," he says. "Therefore, we in the House have no choice but to begin identifying ways to change their leaders minds."

Under the legislation, which still must be approved by the Senate and signed by the President, Syria would face a range of possible sanctions. These include a prohibition on U.S. exports to and investment in Syria, freezing of Syrian government assets in the United States, and reducing diplomatic contacts with Damascus.

Syria could avoid these steps if it ends support for armed fighters in Iraq, withdraws troops from Lebanon, ends production or procurement of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles, and shuts down offices of terrorist groups in Damascus.

Democrats and Republicans rose to say Syria has failed to recognize what they called a new reality in the Middle East. All mentioned Syrian support for Palestinian terrorist groups staging attacks in Israel.

Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said Syria had a "clear choice" in the war on terror, but decided to come down on the wrong side. "Syria continues to harbor Hezbollah, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the PFLP-GC, and Hamas, including permitting the operation of offices and terrorist camps in Syrian territory and in Syrian-occupied Lebanon," she says.

When the bill was debated at committee level, some lawmakers argued that it would weaken U.S. leverage with Damascus. However, by the time it passed the House it had overwhelming support from Democrats and Republicans.

Mr. DeLay said that should send an unmistakable message to Syria. " We will send a very clear message to President Assad and his fellow travelers along the "axis of evil." The United States will not tolerate terrorism, its perpretrators or its sponsors," he says. "And our warnings are not to be ignored."

The White House has said it is waiting to see the final language of the Syria Accountability Act once it emerges from Congress. But the administration is clearly on board now in support of the legislation, a White House spokesman saying again just last week that Syria "remains on the wrong side of the war on terror."

Taken from Voice of America

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 16, 2003 | Permalink

The Passion of Christ

Wow, just finished watching one of the best movie trailers I have ever watched. The trailer I just watched is for the upcoming movie called "The Passion" which is about the last 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life. It looks like it will be a really great movie. You can download the trailer by clicking here.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 | Permalink

LF Office in Belgium meets Patriarch Sfeir

Pictures of Patriarch Sfeir Mass in Belgium as well as Pictures of his meeting with LF Belgium office delegation is now available on Lebanese-Forces.org. click here to view them

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, October 14, 2003 | Permalink

New Song: Ya 3adra el Ma3ouni (Live)

Probably the most requested song ever, Ya 3adra el Ma3ouni (Live) is now available for you to download. This song was played at the Elige mass on September 21st, 2003. Just right click over the link below and choose Save As.

ya 3adra el ma3ouni (live).mp3

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, October 13, 2003 | Permalink

Lebanon: from Israel to Damascus

Someone brought it to my attention that Amazon.com is now selling the book "Lebanon: from Israel to Damascus". As we mentioned a while back they are also selling used copies of the book "The Covenant: Love and Death in Beirut". Both these books are interesting to read but you should keep in mind that you shouldn't believe everything you read.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, October 13, 2003 | Permalink

New Song: Nashid el Shouhada

Just uploaded a new LF song called "Nashid el Shouhada". Its 1.78MB and you can download it by right clicking on the link below and choose Save As.

Nashid el Shouhada.mp3

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, October 11, 2003 | Permalink

Lebanese Forces Prayer

Just added the Lebanese Forces Prayer under the LF Information section. Here it is in english:

Dear Lord,
May Thy Name be glorified and Thy Will achieved.

Grant me the courage, the strength, and the knowledge to testify for the truth and walk on Thy path and deserve Thee

Stay in my heart, forgive my weaknesses, protect me from temptation, and if anger haunts me, overwhelm me with Thy love, so that hatred does not fill my heart.

Remind me Dear Lord of those who became martyrs after Thee and before me And Make their pure blood a light to guide me, or if I ever forget, a fire to burn me.

Keep me strong so that I love and commit myself to Thy love till martyrdom, and increase my confidence and faith so that I uphold the Cause and free Lebanon.

And let the cross be a sign standing on Lebanon's mountains forever,
Amen

Posted by 40-Tactical on Saturday, October 11, 2003 | Permalink

Sfeir asks France to help end Syrian military presence

Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has urged France to help make Syria terminate its military presence and political hegemony in Lebanon, asserting at the same time that Lebanon should never be turned into a hotbed for anti-Syria groupings that pose threats to Syria's security, the Beirut media reported on Friday. An Nahar and Premier Hariri's Al Mustaqbal daily focused on a lecture the Patriarch gave about his demands Wednesday in the French town of Metz in the course of his ongoing official visit to France. He repeated his demands during a visit to the European Parliament in Strasburg on Thursday.

The patriarch said France and Europe were called upon to help bring about a Syrian military withdrawal from Lebanon in conformity with U.N. resolution 520 and to ensure the termination of Syria's 27-year-old tutelage over Lebanon in conformity with the Taif Accord.

He spoke of "selective application of Taif" that tipped the balance of power in favor of Syria's political allies in Lebanon at the expense of Christians, which prompted a mass exodus of young Lebanese to seek a new living abroad.

The head of the Maronite church expressed the hope that a new relationship be established between Lebanon and Syria "based on the respect of sovereignty of each of them without any form of hegemony." He added: "We do believe that such a relationship can be attained."

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 10, 2003 | Permalink

U.N. Says Lebanese Boy Killed by Hezbullah, Not Israeli Missile

The United Nations has ascertained that an explosion at the Yassin family home in Kfar Kila, which killed four-year-old Ali and seriously wounded his twin brother, Ahmed, was caused by a Katyusha missile apparently aimed at the Israeli border, but falling short of its target. An Nahar on Thursday reported the results of the independent inquiry led by Maj. Gen. Mohan Lalit Tewari, commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), who inspected the site on Wednesday, several hours after the overnight attack. The Katyushas are the key tools used by Hizbullah and Palestinian groups against Israel. Tewari's findings have puzzled the Lebanese government, which had blamed Israel for the Yassin family tragedy. The report highlighted the need to identify the group responsible for two firing incidents on the border, the first of which on Monday night killed an Israeli sergeant. Israel accused Hizbullah, but the group has denied any involvement, which suggests that rogue elements are operating in the volatile region.

The incident was put on the agenda of Thursday's Cabinet meeting in both its aspects: the identity of the gunners, and accusations that the wounded boy almost lost his life because Beirut hospitals allegedly failed to promptly offer him first-aid treatment without a money guarantee. The American University Medical Center denied in a statement that it had rejected Ahmed Yassin, saying he was offered prompt care on arrival Tuesday at its emergency ward. He was kept in the emergency ward under observation for several hours until a bed was secured for him at the Intensive Care Unit, which was full at the time of his arrival at the hospital.

But the family and Kfar Kila's Mayor Rafik Nasrallah disagreed, saying the hospital had refused him entry until a cash deposit was secured.

The mayor asked the government why southerners, who still endure Israeli harassment, have no adequate medical facilities in their region, and noted that in the case of young Ahmed, he had to endure a 45-minute drive to Beirut while bleeding profusely. "He almost joined his brother in the other life at the emergency ward's entrance because of inadequate attention," Nasrallah protested.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 10, 2003 | Permalink

Cold Weather Gear

IDF COLD WEATHER PARKA: Cold weather jacket with lined hood, one inner and two side pockets zipper and snaps, double front closure retains the body temperature, patched elbows, knitted, stretch cuffs, waist and hood drawstrings. This jacket is available at israelmilitary.com for $80.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Friday, October 10, 2003 | Permalink

US Supports Sanctions Against Syria

A House panel yesterday endorsed weapons sanctions and other penalties against Syria after fresh allegations that the country sponsors terrorists.

"The time has come to hold Syria accountable for its actions," said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), as the International Relations Committee voted 33 to 2 to recommend the sanctions to the full House. The bill would ban the export to Syria of weapons and items that can be used in weapons programs.

The president also would have to choose two of the following sanctions: a ban on all U.S. exports to Syria except food or medicine; a ban of all U.S. business investment in Syria; restriction of Syrian diplomats in Washington and at the United Nations in New York City to a 25-mile radius; a ban on all Syrian-owned or -controlled aircraft from taking off, landing or flying over the United States; reduction of diplomatic contact with Syria; or freezing Syrian assets in the United States.

From the WashingtonPost

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 09, 2003 | Permalink

Site Statistics

Last months statistics are online now. Due to the masses that occurred last month and our full coverage of them, LebaneseForces.com received over 1.6 million hits (1,656,420) last month. To check out the statistics in detail, click here.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Tuesday, October 07, 2003 | Permalink

Israel Bombs Syria

Israeli warplanes bombed a target just miles from the Syrian capital yesterday, in the first Israeli military attack inside Syria in 30 years. Israel said the site was a training camp used by Palestinian militants responsible for deadly attacks against Israelis, but Syria said it was a civilian area and warned of a "grave escalation" in violence.

The air strike - in apparent retaliation for a Palestinian suicide bombing Saturday that killed 19 Israelis, came on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, in which Israel held off Arab armies. The attack brought condemnation from many Arab governments and heightened fears that Israeli-Palestinian fighting could spread to neighboring countries. The Bush administration appeared to have been taken by surprise, with officials saying that Israel did not give Washington any advance warning of the attack.

The administration urged both countries to show restraint, but added a pointed criticism of Syria, saying Damascus "must cease harboring terrorists and make a clean break from those responsible for planning and directing terrorist action from Syrian soil." Washington has been pressuring Syria for months to cease its support for Palestinian militant groups and to seal its borders with Iraq, where Syrians have slipped in to fight U.S. troops. Last month, administration officials suggested that they might impose sanctions on Syria.

With Israel's far superior military, Syria has little option for retaliation. Instead, Syrian leaders looked for international support yesterday, calling for emergency meetings of the United Nations Security Council and the 22-member Arab League. In a letter to the UN, Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al- Sharaa said the attack "threatens security and peace in the region and could aggravate the situation into dire consequences that would be hard to control."

Israeli officials said they would pursue Palestinian militants wherever they are. "Any country who harbors terrorists, who trains them, supports and encourages them, will be responsible to answer for their actions," said Israeli government spokesman Avi Pazner.

Even if Syria does not retaliate directly, the raid signals a dramatic shift in Israel's response to Palestinian suicide attacks. Since the start of the current Palestinian uprising three years ago, Israel has confined its retaliation to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Now, analysts say, Israel could expand its strikes into Syria and Lebanon, where Palestinian groups operate.

"This is the beginning of a new phase of retaliation, because now nothing can stop Israel from hitting Palestinian targets inside Syria or Lebanon," said Farid el-Khazen, a political science professor at the American University of Beirut. "There is no military deterrence to Israel in the region. The only deterrence is the United States, and it does not seem to object strongly to this new Israeli strategy."

Syrian analysts said Damascus would not abandon the Palestinian groups, which are one of its last potential bargaining chips with Israel.

"Israel's message to Syria today was that Damascus will pay for anything that happens inside Israel and the occupied territories," said Imad Shueibi, a politics professor at the University of Damascus whose views often reflect the government's position. "But Syria cannot be intimidated into withdrawing its support for the Palestinian resistance groups."

By making such a dramatic raid, analysts said, the Israeli government might have forestalled public demands for the expulsion of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, a move strongly opposed by the United States.Israeli officials said the targeted camp - about 12 miles northwest of Damascus - was used by Islamic Jihad, the group that claimed responsibility for Saturday's suicide bombing in the Israeli port city of Haifa. While several leaders of Islamic Jihad, Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups are based in Damascus, they all deny having any training camps on Syrian territory. Villagers near the targeted site told reporters that Palestinian guerrillas had used it in the 1970s but that it had been abandoned for many years. Syrian officials quickly closed off the area yesterday and prevented journalists from photographing it.

To buttress its case, Israel distributed undated video footage said to have been taken at the camp by Iranian TV. The footage shows a man in a camouflage uniform conducting a tour of underground tunnels packed with arms and ammunition. In one room, dozens of pistols, machine guns and grenades were displayed on a table.

A small, radical Palestinian group based in Damascus said it once used the area but that it had been deserted for years. The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command said two civilian guards were injured in the air strike.

The last time Israel struck inside Syrian territory was during the October 1973 war.

During the past 30 years, military confrontations between Israel and Syria have taken place in neighboring Lebanon, which is politically dominated by Damascus. Syria has more than 20,000 troops in Lebanon. In April 2001, Israeli warplanes destroyed a Syrian radar station in Lebanon, killing three Syrian soldiers. That strike came in retaliation for an attack on Israeli troops by Hezbollah, a Lebanese guerrilla group backed by Syria and Iran.

Yesterday's attack prompted speculation that Syria would retaliate indirectly by having Hezbollah launch attacks from Lebanon's southern border with Israel. A senior Hezbollah official said the group, which fought an 18-year guerrilla battle that drove Israel out of south Lebanon in 2000, has taken steps to fortify its positions along the border. But the official hinted at Hezbollah restraint, saying the group "would not take any steps to enable further Israeli aggression."

In recent months, Syrians have been worried about becoming Washington's next target for "regime change."

Syrian leaders are convinced that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will not negotiate a return of the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Middle East War, and that the Bush administration will not broker a peace deal between the two countries. That is why Damascus sees little incentive to entirely cut its support to Palestinian militant groups and to Hezbollah.

Taken from Newsday

Posted by 40-Tactical on Monday, October 06, 2003 | Permalink

Thank You Al-Massira

In Its 934th issue, Al-Massira stated its position in regards to the recent internal strife that is effecting the Lebanese Forces in a clear and simple manner. The following paragraph was taken and translated from arabic to english written by Al-Massira.

-->>

The Sign
We tell anyone that throws a stone, or even a rose towards Al-Massira, that it will not be intimated by animosity or seduced by appraisal. We tell anyone whom accuses Al-Massira of adopting a side or another, writes for a side or another, Al-Massira is as always holding strong over one path, the Lebanese Forces Path. Al-Massira is leaning on one shoulder, the shoulder of Dr. Samir Geagea, and writing with one pen, the pen of our martyrs whom wrote the glory of the Lebanese Forces in red ink. We tell anyone shooting at any rafi' here or there, Al-Massira was never, and will never be a barricade for anyone, and was never a party, partner, or belligerent in any LF internal disaccord or differences, and will never be.

Al-Massira believes that the Lebanese Forces are ONE, still in perfect shape, and all the masses that prayed for all martyrs are a proof of that. Al-Massira believes that any allegiance to Samir Geagea is a healthy sign, and that Al-Massira's choice in being committed to all those who believe in the future of Lebanon and the dignity of its Christians is another proof that the Cause is still in perfect condition, and all the agitators and dissidents will vanish...

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From behalf of all the Lebanese Forces members and from behalf of the staff of LebaneseForces.com, we would like to thank Al-Massira for defining its position and stand on the internal strife. We fully support this position and we have already adopted this guideline, refusing to take any side on this issue. Matters of great importance are to be treated lightly. We would like to thank Al-Massira for putting in writing what we have been trying to say and we would like to encourage everyone to purchase Al-Massira magazine each week and help support it for it is the last standing LF media.

click here to view a scanned clip of the original article

Posted by Dragunov on Friday, October 03, 2003 | Permalink

Surefire M6 Millennium Flashlight

I will from now on be posting and linking to gear which I find interesting. A few days ago I posted on the Authentic Alpha MA-1 Jacket and today I will be posting on the Surefire M6 Millennium flashlight.

The Millennium Assault Light is Type 3 Hard Anodized Grey, and has an internal battery magazine that holds six 123A size lithium batteries for quick in the field replacement. There is nothing quite like the M6 with its 2.5 inch size head for long range applications and true force option capability. The M6 comes with two lamp assemblies, MN20 with 250 lumens for one hour or the devastating MN21 with 500 lumens for twenty minutes of awesome light power. The M6 has parts-compatibility with a “B” series Millennium WeaponLights for rifles, carbines, and SMG’s. SureFire Millennium Lights have the raw power and beam intensity to provide more than just the ability to see. They light up an area in a way that no other flashlight can. Perhaps even more importantly, they have the capability of impairing the vision of anyone looking directly into their beam... an impairment that lasts for those critical moments that give you the edge.

Price is $349.00 and its available at AFMO

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 02, 2003 | Permalink

Patriarch Vetoes a Lahoud Extension

Patriarch Sfeir has come out publicly against extending or renewing President Lahoud's term in office, saying the constitution must be respected and should not be "bent for this or that purpose at will." Sfeir revealed his position at a news conference in Paris Wednesday, which grabbed the headlines of Beirut's 12 daily newspapers Thursday morning. His stance was described as the bluntest by the head of the Maronite Church against an extension for Gen. Lahoud.

"I am against amending the constitution. The constitution is not an ordinary law to modify it or tamper with it at will. It must be respected for the sake of Lebanon's stability," Sfeir said. An extension of a presidential term needs an amendment of the constitution that requires an endorsement by a two thirds majority at the 30-man council of ministers and the 128-member parliament. Such a majority cannot possibly be arranged without enormous Syrian pressure.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Thursday, October 02, 2003 | Permalink

FPM Transvestites Link Removed

The Lebanese Forces Paris Chapter informed me that I have to remove the link to the Aounieh transvestites site. Although the site was very humorous, sadly I can not share it with you anymore.

Posted by 40-Tactical on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 | Permalink