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Viewing cable 06BEIRUT362, MGLE01: PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE PROVIDES ITS

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06BEIRUT362 2006-02-08 13:45 2011-08-24 01:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Beirut
VZCZCXRO9919
PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHKUK RUEHLZ RUEHMOS
DE RUEHLB #0362 0391345
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 081345Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY BEIRUT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1883
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
UNCLAS BEIRUT 000362 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WERNER/SINGH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: IS KPKO LE MOPS PREL PTER
SUBJECT: MGLE01:  PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE PROVIDES ITS 
STATISTICS ON ISRAELI AIR, SEA, AND LAND VIOLATIONS 
 
1.  (SBU)  On February 6, the Office of Prime Minister Fouad 
Siniora provided the Embassy with official GOL statistics on 
Israeli air, sea, and land violations of Lebanese territory 
since 2000.  According to the PM's Office's statistics, 2005 
was the year with the most Israeli air violations.  The 
statistics were compiled by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) 
and are detailed below. 
 
2.  (SBU)  The PM's Office broke down the number of air 
violations by type of aircraft: warplane, reconnaissance, or 
helicopter.  It counted sea violations as those incidents in 
which Israeli vessels entered Lebanese territorial waters. 
Land violations were divided into air strikes (air raids that 
resulted in bombing), ground strikes (firing of tank rounds, 
infiltration, or constructing military posts on Lebanese 
territory), and "aggressions" (military non-building 
construction on Lebanese territory and threatening with 
weapons).  (Comment:  Most of the ground violations against 
"military posts" are presumably Israeli strikes on Hizballah 
and Palestinian positions.  The military construction 
"aggressions" would include Israeli construction in the 
Shebaa Farms, since GOL considers that area to be Lebanese 
territory.  End comment.) 
 
3.  (SBU)  For 2000, the PM's Office claimed 149 air 
violations (87 warplane, 34 reconnaissance, and 28 
helicopter), 11 sea violations, and 57 ground violations (24 
air strikes, 21 ground strikes, and 12 "aggressions").  The 
numbers for 2001 were 459 air violations (346 warplane, 68 
reconnaissance, 45 helicopter), 39 sea violations, and 51 
ground violations (10 air strikes, 19 ground strikes, and 22 
"aggressions").  In 2002, the statistics were: 378 air 
violations (212 warplane, 128 reconnaissance, and 38 
helicopter), 49 sea violations, and 65 ground violations (19 
air strikes, 30 ground strikes, and 16 "aggressions").  In 
2003, there were: 534 air violations (237 warplane, 210 
reconnaissance, and 87 helicopter), 157 sea violations, and 
153 ground violations (21 air strikes, 85 ground strikes, and 
47 "aggressions").  In 2004: 529 air violations (195 
warplane, 236 reconnaissance, and 98 helicopter), 288 sea 
violations, and 234 ground violations (22 air strikes, 154 
ground strikes, and 58 "aggressions").  For 2005, the PM's 
Office counts 696 air violations (171 warplane, 445 
reconnaissance, and 80 helicopter), 215 sea violations, and 
226 ground violations (42 air strikes, 141 ground strikes, 
and 43 "aggressions"). In the month of January 2006, the 
office counted 37 air violations (13 warplane, 17 
reconnaissance, and 7 helicopter), 10 sea violations, and 14 
ground violations (0 air strikes, 11 ground strikes, and 3 
"aggressions"). 
 
4.  (SBU)  COMMENT.  It is difficult to verify the numbers 
provided to us by Siniora's office.  MFA North Americas Desk 
Officer Ghady el-Khoury, assured us that only air violations 
confirmed by the LAF were noted.  Civilian sightings were not 
included.  UNIFIL only tracks air violations in its area of 
responsibility in southern Lebanon, so its numbers are 
incomplete, if perhaps more authoritative for the area UNIFIL 
monitors.  End comment. 
FELTMAN