Al Qaeda Deepens Presence Around Israel

Al Qaeda is increasing its presence in 3 of the 4 states neighboring Israel – Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, according to Maj. Gen. Amos Yadlin, Head of the Directorate of Military Intelligence ('Aman'). "Dozens, perhaps hundreds of Al Qaeda men have reached Lebanon," said Yadlin. "The men are trained and possess terrorist knowledge," said Yadlin, adding that the assumption was that Aiman Al-Zwahiri, Al Qaeda's no. 2 person, had given the order for the terror organization's men to spread out in the three Arab countries.Yadlin said the Al Qaeda terrorists in Lebanon posed a threat mostly to UNIFIL and western interests in Lebanon. He added that a small number of Al Qaeda men had reached Gaza, and that the IDF had arrested several Al Qaeda terrorists in the Shechem area in Samaria. He was speaking before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee.