Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Assad smuggling weapons to Hizbullah
Jerusalem Post ^ | 2006-08-01 | Yaakov Katz

Posted on 08/01/2006 5:01:44 AM PDT by Clive

Three weeks into the war with Hizbullah, the IDF's intelligence picture is growing clearer, although at the same time darker. According to new intelligence obtained by the defense establishment, Syrian President Bashar Assad, alongside senior military officials, is directly involved in the attempts to smuggle weapons and rockets to Hizbullah in Lebanon.

On Monday, Assad called on his army to increase readiness to cope with "regional challenges."

In addition, the extent of Iran's intimate involvement in Hizbullah attacks is also starting to emerge. According to the defense establishment, the reason Hizbullah has not fired long-range Iranian-made Fajr missiles at Israel is due to Teheran's opposition. Israel now understands that without direct orders from the ayatollahs, Hizbullah is not allowed to use Iranian missiles in attacks against Israel.

The IDF also believes that it seriously damaged the long-range rocket array in the first night of air strikes almost three weeks ago and impaired Hizbullah's ability to fire the rockets.

Nevertheless, Hizbullah is still believed to have 10,000 short-range Katyusha rockets, after 1,500 were fired at Israel and another 1,500 were destroyed by the air force.

The longer-range Zelzal missiles, manufactured by Iran and capable of reaching Tel Aviv, have also not been fired at Israel, and the IDF believes this is because it destroyed almost two-thirds of these in the Hizbullah arsenal.

In addition, Israel has identified the bodies of 200 Hizbullah operatives killed in fighting, out of the organization's total number of fighters estimated to stand at 1,000. Hizbullah fighters were also found to be using special thermal suits that retained their body heat and curtailed IDF attempts to discover them at night.

Alongside the regular Hizbullah fighters, the defense establishment has identified two senior officials in the organization who were killed in IAF missile strikes: Jihad Atayeh, head logistic officer for Hizbullah in southern Lebanon and one of the planners of the cross-border attack in 2000 during which three IDF soldiers were kidnapped; and Nur Shilhav, responsible for coordinating the smuggling of weapons from Syria into Lebanon.

Iran is also believed to have a strong presence in Lebanon, including dozens of members of the Revolutionary Guard that are instructing the Hizbullah how to use advanced weaponry similar to the Iranian-supplied C-802 missile which hit a navy missile ship two weeks ago.

A special Military Intelligence unit, consisting of six professional profilers, has been established to profile Hizbullah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah. According to the unit, Nasrallah is scared of a massive ground incursion, which he understands could destroy his infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

The bottom line is that in contrast to public perception that Hizbullah was winning the war, the defense establishment believes that the group has been dealt a fatal blow and while it still had the ability to shoot Katyushas at Israel, firing a record 150 Sunday, the fact that on Monday the group only fired two rockets demonstrated Nasrallah's interest in reaching a cease-fire with Israel.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Israel; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: armssmuggling; syria
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 08/01/2006 5:01:45 AM PDT by Clive
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SJackson

Israel ping


2 posted on 08/01/2006 5:02:13 AM PDT by Clive
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive

Knowledgeable Israelis detailed a plan for Israel and the US to obtain Syria’s abdication from involvement with Hezbollah and Iran, prospects for success seemed dim. Syria wants Israel to return the Golan Heights—an event most observers see as extremely unlikely.

http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20060731-085006-8134r.htm

Syria is now starting to show (again) that it still belongs in the axis of evil...

http://extendedremarks.blogspot.com/

http://peace-and-freedom.blogspot.com/


3 posted on 08/01/2006 5:06:18 AM PDT by John Carey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive
We're going to have to introduce baby assad to our little friends eventually....

Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

4 posted on 08/01/2006 5:06:19 AM PDT by AdvisorB (For a terrorist bodycount in hamistan, let the smoke clear then count the ears and divide by 2.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Clive

So..Iran is holding back. Are they going to let Syria do any dirty work while they appear distanced?


5 posted on 08/01/2006 5:06:45 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet-pray for Israel))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive
another impossible collaboration between a secular sunni and a radical shia. /sarc
6 posted on 08/01/2006 5:06:57 AM PDT by Perdogg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #7 Removed by Moderator

To: Clive
Assad smuggling weapons to Hizbullah

I hate to say it, but:

THANK YOU CAPTAIN OBVIOUS!

Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us

8 posted on 08/01/2006 5:08:44 AM PDT by Personal Responsibility (Amnesia is a train of thought.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive

Does water run downhill?
Do Terror Sponsors make sure their puppets get weapons?


9 posted on 08/01/2006 5:09:03 AM PDT by radar101 (The two hallmarks of Liberals: Fantasy and Hypocrisy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive

***Hizbullah fighters were also found to be using special thermal suits that retained their body heat and curtailed IDF attempts to discover them at night. ***

I bet those things are really comfortable in the desert.


10 posted on 08/01/2006 5:15:24 AM PDT by sgtbono2002 (The fourth estate is a fifth column.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive
Yeah, really a long known truth with plenty of documentation.

So, where is the critical response of the MSM and Koughin' Anus and the EU and other Islamofacist as to this very fact causing Israel to be under the gun constantly from Huzziebullus???

Personally, I hope Israel eradicates Hezzhullah completely to get the message out loud and clear.

11 posted on 08/01/2006 5:20:08 AM PDT by RSmithOpt (Liberalism: Highway to Hell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive
Hizbullah fighters were also found to be using special thermal suits that retained their body heat and curtailed IDF attempts to discover them at night.

Wow. This is shocking --and not good.

12 posted on 08/01/2006 5:23:11 AM PDT by Lurking in Kansas (Nothing witty here… move on.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: sgtbono2002

would they keep a corpse warm too?


14 posted on 08/01/2006 5:29:38 AM PDT by sure_fine (*not one to over kill the thought process*)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Clive
Assad smuggling weapons to Hizbullah

Gee, this is such an unexpected surprise.






/sarc
15 posted on 08/01/2006 5:33:22 AM PDT by DustyMoment (FloriDUH - proud inventors of pregnant/hanging chads and judicide!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive

To: President AssHat
Re: Isaiah 17

You've been warned, ya skinny Cap'n Kangaroo look-alike.

Take a good look at Damascus, all you're going to have are memories, sooner rather than later.


16 posted on 08/01/2006 5:34:38 AM PDT by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Clive
Assad helps the terrorists in Iraq too. He's immune to the consequences. He gives safe haven to terrorists, finances and allows other financiers to operate in Syria, he provides for their transport to Iraq or allows others to do it; he is one of our biggest impediments to peace in Iraq. But still nothing happens to him and his family-owned dictatorship.
17 posted on 08/01/2006 5:41:14 AM PDT by elhombrelibre (Knowledge is power, so the MSM makes sure the terrorists have our classified info.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dennisw; Cachelot; Nix 2; veronica; Catspaw; knighthawk; Alouette; Optimist; weikel; Lent; GregB; ..
If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel.

also Keywords 2006israelwar or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

18 posted on 08/01/2006 5:52:32 AM PDT by SJackson (The Pilgrims—Doing the jobs Native Americans wouldn't do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SJackson

Assad smuggling weapons to Hizbullah

In other shocking news
Water is discovered to be WET!
Keith Richards has done drugs
Scientists today claim that fire is hot
Pamala Anderson has large breasts
EX-president Bill Clinton has cheated on his wife


19 posted on 08/01/2006 6:27:55 AM PDT by Valin (http://www.irey.com/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Clive

How about a United States Airforce *ping*??!!

It's long past time to stop dicking around with the Syrians. Syria has been a festering sore for decades, and it's time to launch whatever strike(s) it takes to turn every military target in Syria into a smoking hole in the sand.

What are we waiting for??!!


20 posted on 08/01/2006 7:17:57 AM PDT by Bean Counter (Stout hearts!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson