Threatening Whom?

The Jerusalem Post reports that the IDF threatened to destroy the Lebanese Armed Forces if Israel is attacked from the north:

The US warned Lebanon that if it did not prevent any recurrence of the border-fire incident that occurred earlier this month, the IDF would destroy the Lebanese Armed Forces within four hours, Israel Radio cited a report by Lebanese newspaper A-Liwaa on Friday.

According to the report, Frederick Hoff, assistant to US Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell, told Lebanese Army chief of staff Jean Kahwaji that Israel was ready to implement a plan to destroy within four hours all Lebanese military infrastructure, including army bases and offices, should a similar confrontation occur in the future.

Some might wonder why the Israelis are threatening the Lebanese Army, rather than Hezbollah . . . .

Meanwhile, la République Française is getting ready to arm Lebanon with war helicopters and missiles:

Lebanon has signed an agreement with the French company Euro Tech --specialized in revamping and equipping planes -- to revamp 13 Gazelle-type helicopters owned by Lebanon and equip the Puma helicopters granted by the UAE to Lebanon, according to the Central News Agency. The agreement implies revamping the helicopters and training Lebanese pilots on flying the French-manufactured Puma helicopters.

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France has expressed willingness to provide the Lebanese army with helicopter missiles as part of a deal which has yet to be signed, the London-based Arabic-language al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Thursday, quoting an official French source.

Maybe George Mitchell should carry a message to Nicolas Sarkozy: if Israel is attacked from Lebanon, the I.D.F. will within four hours destroy the French armed forces.