July 14, 2006

CROWN PRINCE SULTAN IBN ABDUL AZIZ IS REASSURED ABOUT SAUDIS IN LEBANON AND ISSUES HIS DIRECTIVES TO EXERT EFFORTS TO HELP THEM AND PROVIDE THEM WITH THEIR REQUIREMENTS. ISRAEL PUTS LEBANON UNDER SIEGE, ISOLATE IT AND DESTROY ITS INFRASTRUCTURE IN RESPONSE TO THE CAPTURE OF TWO OF ITS SOLDIERS. THE ISRAELI AIR FORCES DESTROY AIRPORTS, BRIDGES, CUT ROADS, BLOCKADE PORTS AND BOMB POWER PLANTS. THE ISRAELI AGGRESSIONS ADDRESS A BLOW TO THE TOURISM SEASON AND THE ECONOMIC SITUATION. Israel has intensified its attacks on Lebanon as jets launched fresh strikes on Beirut airport, the road to the Syrian capital and a power plant. The Israelis concentrated on the southern suburbs of the city. The offensive, which has killed more than 50 Lebanese civilians since Wednesday, follows the capture of two Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah. The escalation has sparked international calls for restraint. Israel says it struck 18 Hezbollah targets in the latest sea and air attacks, killing three civilians and wounding at least 50. Ground forces responded with anti-aircraft fire, as planes flew over the city. Israel had warned that the south of the city could be targeted telling residents by leaflet to stay away from Hezbollah locations. Residents said two of the victims were crushed to death in their car following the collapse of a bridge on the road to the airport. The Israelis also struck a fuel storage tank at the Jiyyeh power plant. For their part, Hezbollah continued to fire rockets into Israel. At least two Israelis have been killed and dozens injured in such attacks over the past two days. The Israeli offensive follows a day of heavy fighting on Wednesday in which the Israelis suffered their worst losses on the border for several years. Eight soldiers were killed and two were injured, in addition to the two captured in a Hezbollah ambush. Israel is continuing to subject Lebanon to strikes by land, sea and air a power plant was also hit and Lebanon's road to Damascus - the main arterial route - was closed by Israeli jet attacks in the central mountains region, Lebanese officials said. Israel intensified its attacks against Lebanon on Thursady, blasting Beirut's airport and army bases in its heaviest air campaign against its neighbour in 24 years. Scores of civilians died in the violence following Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers. Israeli forces hit hundreds of targets, including Hezbollah weapons stores and transportation infrastructure. Warplanes punched holes in the runways of Beirut's international airport and two Lebanese military air bases. Israel's Army chief Brig. Gen. Dan Halutz warned that "nothing is safe" in Lebanon and said Beirut itself particularly Hezbollah offices and residences would be a target. Hezbollah responded by firing new, more advanced rockets into northern Israeli towns, killing two Israelis and wounding 12 others. Also, Israeli helicopter gun ships late on Thursday unleashed missiles on Beirut airport, setting fuel storage tanks ablaze in the second attack on Lebanon's only international air facility, Lebanese security officials said. One helicopter gunship raked the fuel depots with machine-gun fire while three others fired air-to-surface missiles, the officials added. Officials said about a dozen projectiles struck the tanks on the eastern edge of the airport premises, and that several others missed. Sustained air strikes in South Lebanon killed at least 55 civilians, including more than 15 children, and wounded 100 people, security sources said. Israeli warplanes also struck a Shiite prayer house in the eastern Bekaa Valley near Baalbek, another Hezbollah stronghold, police said. The bodies of 12 members of the same family were retrieved from under the rubble of a house destroyed in an Israeli air strike on the village of Zibqine, southeast of the main coastal city of Tyre, police also said. A Lebanese Army soldier was also killed while Israeli air strikes Wednesday night killed two civilians and a Hezbollah fighter. Along the Blue Line, sources said Israeli gunboats fired at Ras al-Naqoura and al-Labouneh areas, as well as at Biyadah and Mansouri. They added that Israeli troops blockaded border villages in Tyre and Bint Jbeil, including Ramia, Mrouhin and Aita Shaab. Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it struck the airports of Kyriat Shmona and Roshbina in the north of Israel and fired Raad rockets at a military base in Mount Mayroun. Earlier Thursday, an Israeli military spokesman announced a naval blockade of Lebanese ports, saying the waterways were used to transfer "terrorists and weapons to the terror organizations operating in Lebanon." Israeli naval vessels were visible from the shore. Israel pounded "hundreds of sites" in Lebanon Thursday, leaving at least 55 dead and over 100 wounded, including children, mostly in villages across the South. Zibqin, southeast of Tyre, suffered the heaviest casualties with 15 deaths, including a teenage girl, her two brothers, and 12 members of the family of former Mayor Naim Bazii, whose house was hit early Thursday by Israeli shellfire. Among the dead were 10-year-old Naim Wael Bazii; Khouloud, Amal and Farah Bazii, as well as an elderly woman named Fatmeh Bazii. To the west, Deir Qanoun al-Nahr lost three of its residents, identified as Ibrahim Hassan Zalzali, Hassan Riad Kassir and Abbas Ali Alama. In the Baflieh area seven people from the Al-Zein family, died including a 10-month-old baby. An unidentified 35-year-old woman from Naqoura was killed and seven other civilians injured late in the day in an Israeli helicopter strike on the border town. A Shiite sheikh, Adel Akkash, his wife and 10 children were killed when an Israeli missile struck their home in the village of Dweir near Nabatieh. Air strikes also killed two civilians in Baraashit, five in Shour and three in Srifa. Israel carried out air strikes over Bazourieh, Omran, Tayr Dibba, Shahour and Srifa, killing and wounding civilians and causing damage to Mansouri, Shehabieh and Kfardounina. Israeli warplanes have carried out more air strikes in Lebanon targeting gas depots, the main Beirut-Damascus highway and Hezbollah targets in Beirut's southern suburbs. Israeli forces also carried out air strikes in the Gaza Strip early on Friday. Israel continues to strike at Hezbollah's infrastructure, targeting several buildings in southern Beirut, as well as roads and bridges near Hezbollah-controlled areas. Israeli Air Force General Ido Nehushtan says anything that helps Hezbollah will be targeted. Israeli naval vessels hit Beirut airport for a second time and planes dropped leaflets on southern Beirut warning residents to keep clear of Hizbullah positions. A 40-year-old woman sitting on her balcony was killed on Thursday morning when a rocket slammed into her apartment building in the northern Israeli town of Nahariya. Another civilian was killed in a rocket attack in the town of Safed. The army ordered Israelis in the north into bomb shelters or special reinforced rooms in their homes. Israel's Cabinet has approved military action in Lebanon in response to an attack by Islamic Hezbollah guerillas in which two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped. The Israeli Cabinet held an emergency meeting after the most serious attack by Hezbollah since Israel pulled out Lebanon six years ago. Hezbollah guerillas ambushed an Israeli patrol on the Lebanese border and then an Israeli tank was blown up as it crossed into Lebanon to search for the two soldiers taken hostage. Eight soldiers were killed and Israel is furious. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the attack was an act of war and there would be a painful response. Sources say the Cabinet approved air strikes against Hezbollah facilities and Lebanese infrastructure, with the stated aim of removing the Hezbollah threat from the northern border. "It must be clear, Hezbollah is part of the Lebanese government, they are part of the ruling coalition there, and the government of Lebanon is both responsible and accountable for what has happened," said Mark Regev. "This is an act of international aggression by one state against another," said Israeli spokesman Mark Regev. Israeli war planes on Thursday launched several missiles targeting the transmission aerial of Hezbollah's television station Al-Manar and a Shiite meeting hall (Husainiya) in eastern Lebanon used by Hezbollah for medical purposes. Al-Manar issued a statement confirming that three of its employees were wounded during the Israeli attack against the television on Thursday. The southern areas, the coast and Beirut are under an air and costal siege, where Israeli planes are hovering over the Lebanese airspace and Israeli ships are positioned along the coast. These developments are considered the most serious Israeli escalation against Lebanon since the withdrawal of the Israeli forces from the south in 2000. Lebanon urged the U.N. Security Council on Thursday to adopt a resolution calling for a cease-fire and an end to Israeli attacks on its territory, rejecting Israel's insistence it was acting in self-defence. The 15-nation council planned to meet in an emergency session on Friday after Israel, responding to the capture of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah guerrillas, launched a wave of military strikes on Lebanon. "The Lebanese government calls upon the United Nations Security Council to issue a firm, comprehensive and immediate resolution to establish a cease-fire and to lift the siege on Lebanon in all its forms," Beirut's U.N. Mission said. "The government calls for an end to Israel's aggressions, which have killed civilians and destroyed vital civilian and economic institutions," it said in a statement. Israel told the United Nations on Wednesday it held Lebanon responsible for the capture of two of its soldiers by Hezbollah guerrillas, which it termed an act of war. Past Security Council resolutions have pressed Lebanon to disarm militias operating on its territory, and to extend its authority to the parts of southern Lebanon now under Hezbollah control. In its statement, Beirut said it was "not responsible for these events and does not endorse them." In Israel, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered more intense strikes on Lebanon on Friday after blockading Lebanese ports, bombing the Beirut airport and striking two military air bases on Thursday. Israeli airstrikes and shelling have killed at least 55 Lebanese civilians since the two soldiers were captured on Wednesday. The Lebanese government called on the U.N. Security Council Thursday to demand a ceasefire after Israeli air strikes left at least 46 civilians killed. "The cabinet calls on the U.N. Security Council to adopt a complete and immediate position for a ceasefire and lift the siege," Information Minister Ghazi Aridi told reporters after a cabinet meeting. France's ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, whose country holds the rotating council presidency, said a Security Council meeting had been called for Friday at the urgent request of the Lebanese government. The government also called on the Security Council to help "put an end to the Israeli aggression which kills civilians and destroys vital infrastructure," Aridi said. "It also calls on the international community to work immediately for a comprehensive settlement of the current crisis," he said. "Lebanon's main demand is a complete and immediate ceasefire and a halt to this open Israeli aggression." Aridi said Prime Minister Fouad Saniora had met with ambassadors from permanent member states of the U.N. Security Council and a number of Arab countries to seek help to end the Israeli offensive. It was the second government meeting since Hizbullah's capture of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of another eight on Wednesday, triggering the massive Israeli retaliation. The Lebanese government denied responsibility for the capture of the soldiers in what Israel said was an "act of war." Meantime Israel said it has information that Hezbollah is planning to transfer two abducted Israeli soldiers to Iran, a senior foreign ministry official said Thursday. "We... have specific information that Hezbollah is planning to transfer the kidnapped soldiers to Iran," foreign ministry deputy director general for public affairs ambassador Gideon Meir told a news conference. Iran's foreign ministry denied any involvement in the alleged plan to transfer into Iran the two soldiers. "We categorically deny" Israeli information on an alleged plan to transfer into Iran the two soldiers who were snatched on Wednesday, foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said. Thousands of tourists, mostly Gulf Arab nationals, fled Lebanon to Syria after Israeli air attacks shut down Beirut airport and dealt a heavy blow to the country's resurgent tourist industry. The violence, the deadliest in a decade, forced the cancellation of summer festivals and threatened to aggravate a dire economic crisis in a country still gradually rebuilding after a 15 year civil war. More than 12,000 Gulf nationals have quit Lebanon through the Masnaa main crossing point leading to Syria since Israel launched an offensive into Lebanon after Hezbollah captured two Israeli soldiers on Wednesday. A Masnaa customs official told Agence France Presse that besides the 12,000 Gulf nationals, many other foreign tourists -- mostly Jordanians, Syrians and Iranians -- also fled to Syria through the borders. Meantime two Kuwaiti national were killed in the attacks, along with their Asian helper. The Kuwaitis are 70 years old Abdullah Ahmad bin Nakhi and his son 30 years old Haidar. Israel continued to pummel Lebanon for the third consecutive day launching early morning raids on Beirut's southern suburbs where Hezbollah has its strongholds and raising to 50 the number of killed in the massive offensive. Friday's raids on the southern suburbs killed three people and wounded another 55, Lebanese police said. They appeared to target Hezbollah's leadership, which is based in the densely populated mainly-Shiite neighbourhood. The Israeli army said it had attacked 15 targets including: a gas depot south of the port town of Sidon, several spots on the highway linking Beirut to the Syrian capital of Damascus, bridges in Beirut and Hezbollah's headquarters in the southern suburbs. During the night, Hezbollah also fired rockets at northern Israel, causing no damage and no casualties, the Israeli military said. In Beirut, the impact of at least seven missiles were heard before dawn on Friday, according to witnesses. Anti-aircraft fire from the ground echoed in other suburbs of Beirut as the planes roared over the Lebanese capital. The bombs and missiles knocked down a bridge, badly damaged another, sheered off the facades of buildings, blew up windows of apartments and sent walls and balconies crashing on cars parked on the streets. Lebanese TV footage showed that a bomb had ploughed a hole in a main crossroad in south Beirut at Mar Mikhail, on the road that leads out of the capital to the mountains and to Syria. Firemen were seen struggling to put out several fires as glass, aluminium siding and stones littered the streets. A fuel storage tank hit Thursday night at Beirut's airport was still burning. Another fuel tank at the power plant in the town of Jiyeh 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of the Lebanese capital was also in flames, hours after the Israeli air force bombed it Friday morning. Some news reports said a playground where Hezbollah leaders hold rallies for thousands of supporters was also hit. Israeli officials had warned that south Beirut could be targeted. Leaflets dropped Thursday evening told people to stay away from Hezbollah-held areas. Hezbollah had warned Israel against attacking south Beirut or the capital itself, saying it would retaliate with rockets against Haifa, Israel's third-largest city. However, it denied responsibility for a rocket attack late Thursday on Haifa, saying it would only fire on the Israeli coastal city if the Lebanese capital or its southern suburbs were hit. On the other hand Crown Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul Aziz, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General has contacted the Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Lebanon Dr Abdul Aziz Ibn Mohyeddine Khoja to be reassured about Saudi citizens in Lebanon. The Crown Prince issued his directives to take all necessary measures to facilitate matters for the Saudi citizens and provide them with all their requirements. Implementing the royal directives, the Saudi embassy in Beirut has concluded necessary measures to help Saudi citizens wishing to leave Lebanon . Efforts have been exerted to facilitate transport of citizens into Syria to be able to leave to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Kingdom doubled up efforts to fly out Saudi nationals holidaying in Lebanon from Damascus, according to statements made by a senior Saudi official. "We made preparations for evacuating Saudis, especially for those who have no official business or nowhere safe to stay like families, and women and children," the Kingdom's Ambassador to Lebanon, was quoted as saying on Al Arabiya News Channel. The Saudi embassy in Beirut has made buses available for Saudi nationals wishing to leave Lebanon. The buses take Saudi nationals from Beirut to Damascus, where Saudi Arabian Airlines planes fly them home to the Kingdom. He said a request to double flights from the Syrian capital to the Kingdom had been made to make sure that all Saudis got home safe and sound. There are an estimated 20,000 Saudis holidaying in Lebanon, according to Khojah. In his statements to Al Arabiya, Khojah said hearts of Saudis go out to Kuwaitis, two of whom were reported dead after an Israeli bombing of Beirut International Airport. Khojah said no Saudi nationals in Lebanon were reported injured or dead and that the embassy had knowledge of where they were staying. He said embassy officials would stay to serve the interests of the Kingdom in Lebanon. Travel agents in Riyadh reported that tourism to Lebanon screeched to a halt following the news of Israeli attack there. "All our reservations to Lebanon were canceled after the airport was attacked by the Israelis," said Rashed Al-Muqeet, manager of Al-Mawsim travel agency, referring to the Israeli airstrikes on Beirut airport and other places in Lebanon. "The peak tourism season in Lebanon is August." As many as 2,500 Saudis a day leave for Lebanon to enjoy the mild, scenic climate of the Arabian Mediterranean region beginning around this time of year. Now, it seems that whoever is already vacationing in Lebanon is trying to hightail it up to Syria before figuring out what to do next. Cancellations went into overdrive yesterday after news of the Israeli attack. Travel agents say that Saudis have been scrambling to find alternative destinations for their summer retreats. Naser Al-Tayyar, a manager of Al-Tayyar Travel Group, said that many Saudis have properties in Lebanon, and tourism there had been on the rise for the past three years. Now, he said, tourism to Lebanon a country whose economy relies in part to summertime tourism would be interrupted for at least this year. He said that he has been receiving requests for alternative destinations in Europe and Southeast Asia. Mutaz Kayyal, president of Elaf Tourism Group, said that the Lebanese economy would be hit hard because of what is happening, pointing out that Saudis book about SR50 million worth of hotel and airline reservations to Lebanon every summer. "Currently it is difficult to refund the money to travellers because of the situation in Lebanon," said Kayyal. "All the money was paid to hotels and tourism offices in Lebanon and it is difficult to talk about the financial matters at this time given the fact that the Israeli raids have done considerable damage there. "Saudi families are also bound to suffer because there is the condition that some percentage would be deducted if a reservation is cancelled. "It is unfortunate that the crises happened at a time when the flow of tourists to Lebanon is at its peak," Kayyal added. OIL prices surged to record highs, as tensions in the Middle East and supply problems in Nigeria fuelled the rise and offered the prospect of further increases. US light crude initially surged to $78.40 but settled back to $78.10, a rise of $1.40 on yesterday. In London, Brent crude jumped $1.34 to $78.03. Providing much of the bolster to prices was the escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon, with Israeli jets continuing to bomb southern Beirut, a day after blockading Lebanese ports and bombing Beirut's airport in reprisal for Hezbollah's capture of two Israeli soldiers. In London the Foreign Office is now advising against "all but essential" travel to Lebanon, in the wake of Israeli air strikes on the country. The FCO is also advising against "all travel to areas of southern Lebanon, south of a line between Tyre and Marjayoun", following the kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers on the border with Israel, and the exchange of fire across the border. The revised advice goes on: "Both runways of Beirut airport are currently closed as a result of Israeli air strikes. "If you are currently in Lebanon you should exercise caution, keep in touch with the Embassy and heed local advice. We are keeping the situation under close review." the statement said.