Israel tests emergency response to Lebanon attack

  The Israeli army carried out contingency maneuvers on its border with Lebanon Tuesday in case of an attack on the area during its construction a 6-meter-high separation wall. Tens of Israeli soldiers were deployed in the area and were visible from the border town of Kfar Kila along with several Hummers after Israel asked the construction company to evacuate the vicinity. The Israeli army could be seen transferring pretend wounded army personnel to an ambulance as part of an emergency scenario, while soldiers assembled in groups at different points along the fence.  Israel notified the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon earlier Tuesday of the maneuvers, which in turn notified the Lebanese army which also deployed tens of soldiers along the border. The Lebanese army told UNIFIL that Israel should not violate the border coordinates during the construction process. Meanwhile, Hezbollah members have placed pictures of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad along the border road connecting Fatima Gate to Adaysseh. Israel began construction of the separation wall Monday. The wire fence currently in use will eventually be replaced with 4-meter-high concrete blocks topped by fencing and barbed wire, resulting in an overall height of some 6 meters. Israeli officials say the wall, stretching from the former Jidar al-Tayyib Gate to the Fatima Gate crossing, is intended to protect residents of the border town of Metula, which faces Kfar Kila. Lebanese officers were given topographical maps to follow the construction as it happened and ensure that it met the prearranged conditions. Members of the UN Disengagement Observer Force worked with the Israeli army to ensure that the wall was erected within Israeli territory.