Posted on 08/01/2006 10:02:06 AM PDT by Mount Athos
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has told the Syrian military to raise its readiness, pledging not to abandon support for Lebanese resistance against Israel.
In an annual address on the anniversary of the foundation of the Syria Arab Army, Assad called on the military to "work on more preparedness and raise readiness of all units".
"We are facing international circumstances and regional challenges that require caution, alertness, readiness and preparedness," Assad said in the written address.
Diplomats in Damascus say the Syrian army has been on alert since the Israeli onslaught on Lebanon began on July 12 after Hizbollah fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.
Assad said Israel's war on Lebanon was an attempt by Israel to settle scores with Hizbollah, whose war of attrition forced Israel to pull out of southern Lebanon in 2000 after a 22-year occupation.
"The barbaric war of annihilation the Israeli aggression is waging on our people in Lebanon and Palestine is increasing in ferocity," the 40-year-old president said.
"All these threats by the powers supporting the aggression will not stop us from the liberation march and from supporting the resistance."
Over the last three weeks Israel has raided targets just inside the Lebanese side of the border with Syria, but it has not attacked Syria proper since 2003, when it raided installations belonging to a pro-Syrian Palestinian group near Damascus.
The Israeli army, which has forces in the occupied Golan Heights, 35km from Damascus, has repeatedly said it has no intention of attacking Syria.
An Israeli official said a Syrian-made bomb was detonated next to an Israeli army patrol in the Golan Heights, causing no casualties.
Israel's Channel Two television quoted military sources as saying the blast in the Golan, which Israel occupied in 1967, was believed to be an act of solidarity with Hizbollah.
Syrian officials have occasionally said they could consider activating the Golan front, which has been quiet since a 1974 ceasefire with Israel.
The crack Syrian army is loading up with its tennis balls and plywood tanks!
"Citizens: Get ready to run out and try to catch the MOABs"
AGAIN? WTH?
Bet he really, really means it this time.
And then kiss his assets goodbye!
"I'm trying to think but nothin's happening!"
-Curly
Good one.
Yeah, get ready to die or surrender.
thank you....makes perfect sense for bashar al-assad to do just that.....LOL
He told them to get ready two weeks ago. Did they ignore him?
He probably has less respect among his soldiers than Saddam did among his.
no doubt....when bashar al-assad was buzzed; his generals told him "they were our planes"
LOL! I resemble, I mean I remember that.
Lots of talk as usual. But, resistance against what, really, maybe there is a translation issue; what are the "resistance" fighters supposed to be resisting? The Israeli Withdrawals from Lebanon? I guess if you speak enough BS, you can't keep track of it.
Syria better watch it, Damascus is not far from Golan.
Make my day. Trashing the Syrian army will take about two weeks max. We should have trashed Syria when were moving north in Iraq. These silly UN resolutions are really just non-sense. We didn't invade Iraq in Gulf I because of a UN resolution. We didn't invade Syria in Iraqi Freedom because of UN resolution. All the while the UN is embezzling money and raping little girls. Shoosh, lets just play it out our way and get er done.
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