Barak goes bananas over Shiite threat
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Barak: US arms may reach Hizbullah
Defense minister expresses concern over American weapon transfers to Lebanon
Israel is displeased with American weapon transfers to Lebanon and fears US arms may end up in Hizbullah's hands, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday.
The defense minister added that while Israel is pleased by the Lebanese election results and the moderate camp's victory, the Jewish state is not overly excited by Hizbullah's loss.
"All matters pertaining to Lebanon require a sense of responsibility and sound judgment," Barak told the Council for Peace and Security. "We really don't like the supply of American weapons to Lebanon in recent months. We are still concerned and think that some of these means may ultimately reach Hizbullah's hands."
Lebanon Elections
Eyal Zisser
Pro-western camp’s elections win in Lebanon to provide Obama with backwind, Eyal Zisser says
"All of us have extensive experience with Lebanon," he said. "It would be better not to delude ourselves."
'The Shiite banana'
While lauding the election results as a "positive direction," Barak made it clear that "Hizbullah is still active.""I can't see the new government…restraining it as is necessary," he said, adding that the radical axis which he referred to as the "Shiite banana" is growing stronger and has not been fully curbed yet.
Turning his attention to the Iranian threat, the defense minister said: "Israel is not removing any option from the table regarding Iran, and we recommend that that other countries act similarly."
