Barak, 2 ministers empowered to strike Lebanese civilian targets

February 16, 2000
Web posted at: 10:11 p.m. EST (0311 GMT)

In this story: Committee would make decision Guerrilla leader's death marked RELATED STORIES, SITES

From staff and wire reports

JERUSALEM -- Israel's Cabinet on Wednesday gave Prime Minister Ehud Barak, acting with his defense and foreign ministers, power to order immediate retaliatory strikes against Hezbollah guerrillas fighting Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, even in predominantly civilian areas.

The decision came as Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah warned of more Israeli losses if Israel continues to occupy the border strip it has controlled since 1985.

VIDEO CNN's Brent Sadler reports on rallies in Lebanon denouncing both the United States and Israel. Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K    TRANSCRIPT Text of Albright interview on CNN's World View     ALSO     MESSAGE BOARD Airstrikes in Lebanon

"The resistance is committed to killing more of the Israeli occupation's officers, soldiers and militia allies," Nasrallah said in the Hezbollah stronghold of Nabi Sheet, Lebanon.

Nasrallah also denounced the United States for statements supporting Israel during the latest conflict.

Israel accuses Hezbollah of striking at its troops and villages on its northern frontier from civilian areas, violating a 1996 agreement that those areas would not be attacked or used to mount attacks.

On Wednesday, Israel's government granted a committee made up of Barak, Foreign Minister David Levy and Defense Minister Yitzhak Mordechai the authority to retaliate if Hezbollah fires from within villages and other populated areas.

Renewed clashes with Hezbollah forces in southern Lebanon have killed seven Israeli soldiers this month. Israel has bombed targets across Lebanon in return, including three civilian power stations. Approval for those Israeli strikes came only aftern lengthy negotiations.

About 3,000 people rallied in Nabi Sheet on Wednesday to condemn both Israel and the United States, which blames Hezbollah for the current outbreak of violence. The rally marked the anniversary of the 1992 killing of Hezbollah leader Abbas Musawi, who died along with his wife and son when an Israeli helicopter gunship attacked his motorcade.

The Israeli raids and comments by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who accused Hezbollah of violating the 1996 Grapes of Wrath accords, have antagonized many Lebanese. Students in Beirut, Lebanon, protested Washington's stance on the conflict as well.

In Nabi Sheet, Nasrallah urged Barak to meet his pledge to withdraw Israeli troops from Lebanon by July -- or sooner.

Beirut Bureau Chief Brent Sadler, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

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