Hezbollah Chief Nasrallah, Syrian President Assad
Photo: AP
French paper tracks Hezbollah arms trail
Le Figaro reveals well oiled machine focused on Syrian weapon deliveries to Shiite group
French newspaper Le Figaro published a special in-depth report Tuesday, revealing how Syria and Lebanon are both allowing and aiding Hezbollah in building up its arsenal.
The report unveils three Hezbollah logistical units based in Syria and Lebanon, which oversee the safe delivery of Iranian-sponsored weapons to the Shiite group.
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Le Figaro maintains that "Unit 108" heads weapon shipments form warehouses on the Syria-Lebanon border to Hezbollah bases. The unit, whose headquarters are located just outside Damascus, has both regular servicemen as well as a reserve forces.
Another distribution unit is "Unit 112,' whose men handle the actual delivery of weapons to various Hezbollah strongholds. Deliveries are restricted to night time.
The third link in the supply chain in "Unit 100": The unit comprises of Hezbollah weapons specialists and their Iranian counterparts, who travel between the militia's various bases in Lebanon and Iran.
The paper said that both sides consider Hezbollah training in Iran as crucial, since the topography of south Lebanon prevents the true training needed for missile launching systems.
Le Figaro further maintains that since the end of the Second Lebanon War Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Guards have become closer than ever.
The assassination of Imad Mugniyah, and Israel's assertion that Syria has been supplying Hezbollah with Scud missiles, has prompted the group to tighten security around its senior operatives, and its weapons delivery array.
The complexity of this system, said the French paper, illustrates Hezbollah's importance to Syria. A senior security source in Paris told Le Figaro that "a targeted Israel action against Unit 108 sites under is still possible."
The security source maintained that since the end of the 2006 war, "Hezbollah has been able to completely rehabilitate its weapons cashes, tunneling under the Syrian-Lebanese border, in an effort to create escape route for its operative, in case of another altercation with Israel."
Hezbollah, according to the report, has recently gained naval capabilities, as it "Unit 87" is now training divers.
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