He added that a letter was sent from the head of the unconstitutional government Fouad Saniora to the United Nations, requesting a new and unilateral delineation of the border, knowing that the most recent delineation was made only four years ago. MP Fadlallah showed maps and pictures showing the extent of Israel's incursion, in collusion with the UNIFIL, into more than a southern village like Rmeish, Yaroun and Aytaroun in Bint Jbeil. He demanded these unilateral measures be immediately stopped and called on authorities to eliminate transgressions and return properties to their owners. The Hezbollah MP held the ruling bloc responsible for manipulating the border and neglecting the right of the Lebanese

***Hezbollah unveils Israeli plot to create buffer zone in south Lebanon in collusion with UN***

Al-Manar special report ? Mohamad Kazan ? Translation/
Member of the Loyalty to the Resistance Parliamentary Bloc MP Hasan Fadlallah, unveiled an Israeli plot to create a buffer zone in south Lebanon in collusion with the United Nations. In a press conference, MP Fadlallah also renewed Hezbollah's demand to redeem the arms which were confiscated by security forces, according to the Ministerial Statement which recognizes the right to resist. MP Fadlallah said that Israel is seeking to create the buffer zone after it failed in its July war against Lebanon.

UNIFIL is a peacekeeping force deployed to assist the Lebanese army patrol southern Lebanon to enforce the cease-fire.

About 15,000 Lebanese troops deployed to south Lebanon under the U.N. resolution that included the cease-fire which ended the fighting. More than 1,000 people have died in Lebanon and about 150 in Israel in the 34-day war. Also, 34 Lebanese soldiers were killed, many in Israeli air strikes against army positions and radar installations. Israel has accused the Lebanese army of aiding Hizbullah.

Hizbullah still maintains a presence in southern Lebanon, along the border, its leaders say. But it has largely gone underground, hiding weapons and keeping a low profile. The Lebanese army, which deployed to the area for the first time in three decades, and the 28-nation UNIFIL, now numbering 12,000, are in charge of security.

Wednesday's incident was not expected to undermine the overall cease fire, which has also faced other difficulties since taking effect.

It was the first time that shooting erupted across the border since Israeli troops withdrew from Lebanon in October in the aftermath of the Aug. 14 cease-fire that ended the 34-day war between Israeli forces and Hizbullah fighters.

In Jerusalem, the Israelis said the army was clearing land, searching for bombs near where explosive devices were planted by Hizbullah on Monday, under the cover of bad weather -- meaning Hizbullah had violated the cease-fire.

Hizbullah has denied the allegation, saying the explosives were planted before the summer war.

The Israeli army said troops operating in Israeli territory along the frontier came under fire, and that the source of the shooting was apparently Lebanese troops nearby. When the attackers refused to quit firing, the Israeli troops opened fire at them, the army said.

The shooting lasted for a few minutes, military officials said. McDowell said the clash ended before midnight.

Lebanese officials said their troops opened fire on an Israeli army bulldozer that had crossed the frontier near the border village of Maroun al-Rass, scene of heavy fighting in the summer. The bulldozer crossed the so-called Blue Line -- the U.N.-demarcated boundary -- and entered about 20 meters (22 yards) into Lebanon, Lebanese military officials said.

The officials said the army fired volleys of .5 caliber machine guns toward the bulldozer, drawing Israeli forces to return with five anti-tank grenades that targeted an army armored vehicle and a transport jeep.

Lebanese troops did not suffer any injuries. There was no immediate word of any Israeli casualties.

Israel confirmed the exchange -- with security officials saying Israel's army returned fire with tanks and light weapons -- but denied its troops had entered Lebanon.

***Lebanese Army Responds to an Israeli Violation***

U.N. Says Lebanese, Israeli Shootout 'Serious Incident'.

Lebanese troops and Israeli soldiers exchanged fire on the border late Wednesday in the first such incident since the end of the war last summer between the Jewish state and Hizbullah.
U.N. peacekeepers in south Lebanon described the nighttime shootout which was sparked by an Israeli bulldozer crossing a fence, as a "serious incident."

Peacekeepers contacted both sides, "urging them to cease hostilities with immediate effect," said Liam McDowell, a spokesman for the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon.

He said the exchange was "initiated by the Lebanese army" and that the Israeli bulldozer crossed the "technical fence" to clear mines. His statement did not clearly define whether the Israelis had crossed the border, but indicated the Israelis were still on their side when the shooting erupted.

sad but true

Most of the world will ignore this, of course.

"The UNIFIL is not entitled to create buffer zones in south Lebanon because this is a political concept that should be included in UN resolution 1701, which eventually did not commission the UNIFIL with creating buffer zones or zones of engagement. Moreover, the United Nations cannot take any unilateral step on the border. But what's more dangerous is that the move made by the UNIFIL is mere digestion and waste of Lebanese rights."

The retired Brigadier General asked the unconstitutional government of Saniora: "Is there any new position by this government by which it commissioned the UNIFIL to modify the border? Unfortunately, more than 24 hours have passed on the UNIFIL's transgression of its jurisdiction, and we still haven't heard any condemnation by Saniora or by his ministers."

Hoteit praised the Lebanese army for the role it is undertaking, "but the problem is with the political agreements that are being made behind its back, that is direct agreements between Saniora's ruling bloc and the United Nations," he added

***UN not entitled to cut Lebanese land and give it to Israel***

Al-Manar special report ? Fatima Mussawi ? Translated/

Retired Lebanese army Brigadier General Amin Hoteit stressed the UN Interim Forces in southern Lebanon are not entitled to cut parts of Lebanese territories and give them to the Israelis, adding that this would constitute a call to enemy into Lebanon. Hoteit criticized the unconstitutional government of Fouad Saniora for keeping silent at cutting lands in the town of Aytaroun near the border with occupied Palestine.

The retired Brigadier General played a key role in delineating the border in southern Lebanon in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal in the year 2000, in order to gain back the occupied lands and had made reservations regarding four points on the border. He told AL-Manar TV station that the move made recently by the UNIFIL is utterly not the jurisdiction of the UN and constitutes a perilous case if opened. Hoteit questioned whether the role of the UNIFIL in Lebanon is to establish peace or to bring sedition to the south.