You mean this guy?
Posted on 08/15/2007 6:58:08 PM PDT by Fennie
Diplomats say head of Syrian military intelligence has convinced Assad that only war will bring Israel to negotiation table.
In Damascus, it is forbidden to photograph him and diffuse pictures that can identify him. He has tight security around him at all times and avoids attending public events. General Asef Shawkat, the head of Syrian military intelligence, has good reasons to be in hiding.
"If military confrontations break out between Syria and Israel, that would be the fulfillment of the general's plan," a Lebanese official told Yediot Ahronoth.
Having opened the doors of the Syrian Army to Iranian experts, now he is seeking to relocate hundreds of young Syrians eligible for army service to the Golan Heights.
"In any case," he recently told President Bashar Assad, "there is no chance of a political channel to return the Golan Heights."
That was Shawkat's pretext to sideline the old guard within the ruling Baath Party, most of whom are well-versed in peace negotiations with Israel.
Former foreign minister and Vice President Farouk al-Shara has been marginalized and Foreign Minister Walid Moallem has been banned from hosting American, Arab and European officials.
Arab officials believe Shawkat, Assad's brother-in-law, wants to drag Israel into a conflict in Lebanon, and possibly Syria, next month.
Shawkat told Assad that in a future war with Israel, rocket attacks on Israeli cities would force Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak to hold peace talks with Syria.
"Olmert is weak and unpopular; Barak proved that he gives in to pressure with the withdrawal from Lebanon," Shawkat reportedly told Assad.
"The general is controlling the president by sidelining his aides, and is exploiting Bashar's unstable moods," said a senior Syrian official who fled to the UAE upon learning of Shawkat's plan to throw him in jail.
Last summer’s brawl between Israel and Hezbollah appears to have given Syria a false sense of confidence. ....false because Israel, like the U.S., wages war against terrorist organizations far differently than she does against nations with traditional armies. Syria would be annihilated in short order.
That may well be true, but have they ever heard about "false positives" in the wrong diagnosis or estimate of situation?
In an "army vs army" and "state vs state" not "state vs militia" or "army vs civilians" - this would be a quick and inglorious end of Syria's military. We just might have some bases north of Iran then, as well as east and west.
They wake up every day of their lives mulling war with Israel.
Those who refuse to learn from the past, are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past...
Here’s another indicator.
MI Ping
True. Israeli tanks parked in Damascus would result in Israel pulling out a negotiation table for the Syrians.
With a quisling bastard like Ehud Olmert in charge of Israel, he is probably right.
Syria is going to have the Islam knocked out of it.
Bump
“Diplomats say head of Syrian military intelligence has convinced Assad that only war will bring Israel to negotiation table.”.....what idiots! Israel will never negotiate their freedom!
BiBi will give Syria just what it deserves.....
The Golan Heights were originally part of the British Palestine mandate. In the 1920s they traded it to the French in Syria in exchange for French recognition of some British claims (I think in Iraq).
For Syria to claim the Golan as ‘ancestral Syrian territory’ is nonsense, just as it is for Syria to claim that it is only going to war to bring Israel to the negotiating table.
Syria wants to destroy Israel (and Jews); the rest is just
so much babble designed to blind those who want to be blinded.
You mean this guy?
Syria knows that if Israel gets too close to Damascus, Russia will step in along with the UN. It will be the same song and dance that stopped Israel in Lebanon last year.
After a recieving a massive asskicking, muslims will spin this into a victory and the NY Times and Arab Media will promote this.
Pity Joe-mal apartment dwelling Damascus as far as Syrian confidence goes. Israel did some effective landscaping in Hezbolabanon last year with 500 and 1000 lb steel bombs. Your average Joe-mal Damascus should find a new place to live and new religion for that matter. No replay of last summer any time soon me thinks. They’ll need something better than full-frontal attack and hostage negotiations to score points against Israel.
Golan Heights, Syria
http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=TsEr6mHCm9c
Any chance that Benjamin Netanyahu will take Ehud Ohlmert’s place soon? That might give the Arabs and Iranians some pause...
If the Hilldebea$T and Obammie get elected, we will face worse threats from the minute they are sworn in.
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