Fears grow in Lebanon as 10,000 Syrian troops arrive on the border (massed at the border)

Times of London ^ | 09/24/08 | Nicholas Blanford

[TigerLikesRooster]

Fears grow in Lebanon as 10,000 Syrian troops arrive on the border

Syrian troops deploy on the northern side of the Syrian-Lebanese borders

Syrian troops deploy on the northern side of the Syrian-Lebanese borders

Nicholas Blanford in Hekr Janin

Syria has massed thousands of troops along its border with northern Lebanon in what officials in Beirut fear is a prelude to the first incursion since Syrian forces pulled out three years ago.

Although Damascus insists that its forces are conducting an antismuggling operation, the Lebanese Government is eyeing the moves with unease, believing that the unusual scale of the deployment has more to do with tensions between the two countries over recent sectarian clashes in northern Lebanon.

“People around here are worried. We don’t know why the Syrians have arrived like this,” said Ali, 18, a farmer in the tiny hillside hamlet of Hekr Janin overlooking the border.

Much of Lebanon’s northern border with Syria follows the Kabir, or Great river, which despite its name, is little more than a trickle after the hot summer months. Lined by trees and bamboo thickets, the river meanders through a narrow floodplain of meadows and crop fields flanked by steep hills of black basalt.

The Lebanese media report that between 8,000 and 10,000 Syrian special forces have taken up positions along some of the hills overlooking the Kabir.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Trick or Treat...

[omega4179]

This helps McCain

[txhurl]

bttt

[JimSEA]

With all the market turmoil, they figure no one is watching . . . Except Israel.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Right.

[G8 Diplomat]

I saw this on Middle East Newsline this morning. Not good.

10,000 Syrian troops....makes me think of the 10,000 orcs at the batte of Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings...lol

[omega4179]

I hope they have 10,000 bodybags for after the IAF is done with them.

[Perdogg]

One more week of Ramadan.

[JerseyDvl]

This nation is going to be a mess if we don’t finish off the ObaMessiah soon.
There’s no doubt that panty waste will ignore FP Issues altogether.

[samadams2000]

Man, what a tremendous opportunity....

[fishergirl]

An anti-smuggling operation?! Smuggling what? They’re trying to catch Syrians smuggling weapons to Hezbolla in Lebanon? (sarcasm) I doubt it!

[Michael Barnes]

Candy Gram!.....

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

10,000 targets

[cmsgop]

500 of our Eagle Scouts could take out 10,000 of their “Special Forces”

[cmsgop]

DEBKAfile’s military sources, is deployed for war operations, not anti-smuggling policing.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Of course, it is for invasion.

[Shqipo]

Sounds hugh and syrian. We should have started with Syria and just continued rolling east.

[Chaguito]

And with Russian warships in port in Syria. Something’s afoot, and it doesn’t look happy.

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

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