Posted on 04/16/2010 6:48:05 AM PDT by jhpigott
By Anshel Pfeffer, April 15, 2010
Syria smuggled long-range missiles to Hizbollah in Lebanon earlier this year, leading to Israeli threats to attack the weapons convoys, it has emerged. Such an attack could have escalated into another war on Israel’s northern border.
According to a report on Monday in a Kuwaiti newspaper, Israeli and other Western intelligence agencies received information that Hizbollah members were being trained in Syria in the use of Scud missiles. These missiles, which have a range of over 300 kilometres, were used by Iraq in 1991 to attack Israeli cities and are much larger than the missiles Hizbollah currently holds. They would allow the Lebanese movement to attack almost any site in Israel.
Israel passed on messages through third parties that it would not stand by if Syria supplied Scuds to Hizbollah. According to the Kuwaiti report, the Americans also warned Syria that its actions could lead to an Israeli attack that may escalate into a full war. Syria seems to have ignored the warnings and this is the reason that the US has decided to postpone indefinitely returning its ambassador to Damascus.
The Israeli military’s working assumption is that Syria and Iran have agreed to supply Hizbollah with all types of weapons, including chemical warfare bombs and advanced anti-aircraft missiles.
Over the past two months, the threat of imminent war on Israel’s northern border has receded somewhat, although senior Israeli soldiers have said that Syria has not slowed down the transfer of arms to Hizbollah.
Hizbollah is estimated to be holding between 30-40,000 missiles obtained through Syria and Iran over the past few years, despite UN Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War and forbids arms shipments to Hizbollah.
Aside from the increase in the number and quality of these missiles, Israeli sources say that the main difference since 2006 is that Hizbollah’s missile forces are now under the direct control of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and their firing can only take place under direct orders from Tehran.
ping
It strikes me that the Syrians should be on their knees thanking their god that Israel was just “close” to war this winter.
So basically Israel did nothing? Syria delivered the missiles (largely on behalf of Iran) and their only punishment was the non-return of the US ambassador?
Huh. UN Resolutions should come in 300-foot rolls; neatly perforated for your tear-off convenience.
I don’t think they are out of the woods yet by any stretch of the imagination, particularly with this news coming out this week that they are supplying Hezbollah with SCUDs.
If I were israel I would announce that if the syrian do not bring back every missile and destroy them where they sit Israel will destroy a dam per hour in syria. Believe me when water is flooding every street they will be very motivated.....
In Israel, war close or not close is the difference between safties off and on
Their loyal frontman named Obama is spearheading it as we speak.
We can only guess what Bibi told the Joker in their private meeting. I would bet Obama has never been dresssed down like that in hie entire life.
Was close? Which means what? I hope they don’t just let all of this go by...
“Was close? Which means what?”
Probably either had F-15, 16s on tarmac or in the air on the way to bomb the Syrian convoy transferring the SCUDs
“Was”?
LOL!
Good thing that’s all over now.
Hillary’s ongoing, relentless ultimatums, insults and threats must have calmed Israel down.
Great posts. True, too.
I was railed against some months ago for suggesting this. It’s just running late.
“I would bet Obama has never been dresssed down like that in hie entire life.”
That conversation would be worth its weight in plutonium.
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