Posted on 07/28/2006 11:31:22 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Israel has struck Hizbullah positions near the border of Syria as forces in Syria were placed on high alert.
On Thursday, Israeli F-15Is struck a suspected Hizbullah training camp in the Bekaa Valley near the Syrian border. The Syrian military, deployed several kilometers away, did not respond.
Israeli officials and intelligence sources said Iran and Syria have accelerated the flow of weapons and combatants into Lebanon. They said Damascus and Teheran have also been bolstering forces to prepare for a war from Syrian territory.
"They [Syrians] are operating along the border and we can't ignore this," Israeli Cabinet minister Eli Yishai said on Friday.
Officials said Syria has placed its forces on the highest alert in years and deployed missile batteries along the border with Lebanon. They said Israel, which has ordered the mobilization of three reserve divisions, plans to station Arrow-2 and PAC-2 missile defense systems to protect Tel Aviv from Syrian rockets and missiles.
The focus of Israeli concern has been the deployment of Zelzal-2 rockets in southwestern Syria along the Lebanese border. They said Syria has transferred Zelzal-2 batteries, with a range of more than 200 kilometers, to Hizbullah's Nasser Brigade.
"The most likely scenario is that Hizbullah would bring these mobile launchers into Lebanon, fire them and return to Syria," an Israeli intelligence source said.
"Syria is in one of its weakest moments -- from the point of view of its air power and tank capabilities," Israeli Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said on Friday. "It is true that Syria has focused on its missile and commando capabilities. But overall I don't feel that Syria wants to become entangled in war. I don't assess that it will initiate [a war]."
The U.S. intelligence community was said to have assessed that Iran has been expanding its military presence in Lebanon and Syria. U.S. intelligence sources said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has overseen a weapons airlift to Damascus as well as the arrival of more than 1,000 fighters from Iran and Iraq.
"Damascus will likely run many risks trying to manipulate the situation to its advantage," said Jeffrey White, a former government intelligence analyst and today a researcher at the Washington Institute. "But the Assad regime has proven itself a poor player at this sort of game, making Syria the most likely source of actions that carry the fighting beyond Lebanon and northern Israel."
Maybe Assad likes getting abused. He's well on his way to receiving some.
Get 'em!
"more than 1,000 fighters from Iran and Iraq." Iraq???? What the hell???
One guy in theat pick hates Israel. The other guy hates the USA.
"The most likely scenario is that Hizbullah would bring these mobile launchers into Lebanon, fire them and return to Syria," an Israeli intelligence source said.Another possible scenario is that Hizbullah will bring these mobile launchers into Lebanon and die, on the spot, in Lebanon, because they were standing too close to their launchers when the Israelis destroyed them.
I'm thinking it's a little late for "initiating" anything. Assembly of long-range rocket batteries on the Syrian side of the border and placing them into the hands of combatants to be moved into Lebanon and used is an act of war.
one guy in that pic...
Uhh....Which is which?.......It's hard to tell.....
Where is theat pick? Up near the Bakka valley or further west?
Airlift how? Iran expanding military presence how? No airports, no roads, bridges? How can this be?
Lurch promises to use his long face and boring monotonous tone to make them both fall asleep and forget their hatred of each other?
Anyone notice the faces of Assad vs Kerry?
Assad's face/chin is unusually short while Lurch's face is unusually long which more than compensates for Assad's shortfall!!
If we (W) knows exaclty where the WDM components are in Syria and it's publically known we are shipping smart bombs to Israel, dang if I wouldn't fire up 4 B2's for some 5000 lb. JDAM practice and let Isreal take the heat. Would be nice if the Israelis have already agreed to it. Take the threat out for good.
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