Israel-Lebanon border clash

Dick Taffe — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 19:24:07 +0000

In the first serious clash since their 2006 war, Lebanese and Israeli troops exchanged fire on the border in an exchange that killed four people, including two Lebanese soldiers and an Israeli army officer. It apparently was sparked when Israeli soldiers cut down a tree along the fence dividing the two countries. International relations Professor Augustus Richard Norton, author of “Hezbollah: A Short History,” says it likely was an isolated incident.

“The Lebanon-Israel border has been quiet since the 2006 war, and for that matter it was nearly as quiet between 2000 and 2006. Today’s clash therefore an isolated incident. It is instructive to keep in mind that the Israeli security forces routinely shoot people who encroach on Israeli territory (or even approach it, as in Gaza), and my hunch is that the Lebanese army meted out the same response.”

Contact Augustus Richard Norton, 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu

BU professor tells Congress

Dick Taffe — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 21:02:39 +0000

International relations Professor Augustus Richard Norton, a former U.N. peacekeeper in Lebanon and author of “Hezbollah: A Short History,” testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs about assessing the strength of Hezbollah. In his testimony, Norton made clear that Hezbollah remains a major influence in Lebanon because it’s the only military force see as capable of repelling the Israeli army.

“One key to reducing Hezbollah’s mass appeal may be to reduce the threat of war, rather than heighten it. So long as the threat prevails, Hezbollah will be a prime beneficiary.”

Contact Augustus Richard Norton, 617-353-7808, arn@bu.edu

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Israel-Lebanon border clash

BU professor tells Congress