Hizbullah denies planting new bombs near border with israel

Oh well, there goes that pretext.

The Hezbollah guerrilla group denied Tuesday that four bombs uncovered by the Israeli army on the volatile border were new, saying they were planted before this summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Israeli army announced Monday that it uncovered the bombs on the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon and accused the Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah of planting the explosives in recent days. If true, it would mark a violation of a U.N.-brokered cease-fire by Hezbollah and indicate a failure by international peacekeepers to prevent new attacks on Israel.

Since it's NOT true, there was no violation.

Both Hezbollah and U.N. officials said Monday they were looking into the report.

But in a statement issued Tuesday and faxed to The Associated Press, Hezbollah said the bombs were planted before the July-August war and were part of "defense measures taken by the group to protect against Israeli aggression and land violations."

So, much for that effort. Nothing will stop israeli expansionism and belligerence short of a universal boycott of israel - including all AID from US.

Lt. Col. Guy Hazoot, the operations officer of Israel's northern division, said an Israeli patrol Monday discovered and detonated all of the explosives, which were hidden in containers that looked like boulders. He said the explosives were designed to target Israeli military patrols on the border and had the potential to kill.

Hazoot said the bombs were planted as recently as Sunday night, under the cover of the stormy weather, but gave no evidence to back the allegation.

Do they ever?

Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz had instructed his office Monday to convey an "urgent message" to the U.N. peacekeepers in Lebanon following the " severe incident," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

israelis are just itching for an excuse to finish off Lebanon.

Look for one in the next few weeks -BEFORE - not after an attack on Iran.