Al-Qaida linked to activity in Lebanon

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 27 (UPI) -- Al-Qaida in a video claims responsibility for rocket attacks on Israeli targets, blaming the Lebanese Hezbollah for failing to deter Israeli aggression.

A video reviewed by the Lebanese Daily Star has al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden calling for further attacks from inside Lebanon to deter "Zionist" aggression.

It lashes out at Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah, calling the Shiite leader a "big impostor" who was cooperating with U.N. peacekeepers, who al-Qaida claims are "crusaders."

The video goes on to blame Hezbollah for not doing enough to thwart Israeli ambitions in the region, saying the al-Qaida "mujahedin were able to intercept Zionist and crusader fortifications in south Lebanon and were able to launch a number of attacks at several times and (in several) places."

The video also features footage of hooded militants positioning rockets that are later claimed to have targeted Israeli military interests from southern Lebanon.

Border tensions between Israeli and Lebanon escalated in recent weeks following a raid on a weapons depot.

Israel claims the weapons depot was evidence that Hezbollah had violated the terms of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought an end to the 2006 conflict with the Shiite militia. Beirut, for its part, claims Israel is violating Resolution 1701 by entering Lebanese territory.

U.N. officials have weighed in on the border tensions, saying the situation showed signs of relaxing.