The Lebanese Army is Deploying ... in the Bekaa

The Lebanese Army is deploying in eastern Lebanon:

UN envoy Terje Roed-Larsen on Sunday praised the deployment of the Lebanese army on the country's border with Israel and said the UN was seeking "a diplomatic solution" concerning Hizbullah's weapons smuggling.

Roed-Larsen said 2,000 Lebanese soldiers have been deployed so far along Lebanon's eastern border near Syria with the goal of eventually having 8,600 along the border. Some 1,000 Lebanese soldiers also have been deployed along Lebanon's coastline, he said.

Let us do the math. 8,600 to the Syrian border, 1,000 on the coast. That leaves 5,400 for South Lebann. Obviously the Lebanese consider Syria the big danger. Besides why should Syria get all the smuggling profits? Or any?

When gangsters fall out there is sometimes a gang war if there is no controlling mob boss.

And what is smuggled in Bekaa? Money, weapons, drugs, people. This is the life blood of Hizbollah. The Lebanese Army is going for the throat. The lines of supply. Israel has at minimum spotters for bombing runs and special forces in the area. Maybe the broo ha ha over Israel's Bekaa attack was not about the attack but the lack of promised back channel co-ordination. It is in the interest of Israel and the Lebanese not controlled by Syria to have such co-operation. We probably won't know for years unless such co-operation is forced into the open. Which, at least at this point is only in Hezbollah's interest.