Syria still transferring supply of rockets, missiles to Hezbollah

Haaretz ^ | 08/13/2006 | By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

[garbageseeker]

Syria continues its efforts to transfer large quantities of war materiel, including rockets, to Lebanon, in an effort to assist Hezbollah in its war against Israel, a senior Israel Defense Forces source told Haaretz on Saturday.

According to the IDF source, the air force has succeeded in partially stemming the arms transfers, but intelligence shows that supply convoys have managed to cross into Lebanon from Syria.

Senior Syrian army and intelligence officers are involved in the arms smuggling, according to the senior IDF source, who says it is unlikely this continues without the explicit support of the regime in Damascus.

Two specific types of weapons - anti-tank missiles and rockets used to target Israeli civilians - are of concern.

The alert levels of the Syrian army, especially on the Golan Heights, is at its highest levels since the Lebanon War in 1982. The Syrian preparedness is mostly defensive, but the IDF is not excluding the possibility that Damascus will initiate a limited ground operation during the closing stages of the war.

Such an act, from a Syrian point of view, would aim at improving its position toward the end of the current confrontation and force Israel to begin negotiations on a broader diplomatic initiative that would include the return of the Golan Heights.

Part of the IDF's defensive deployment is meant to counter such a threat, including the deployment of anti-aircraft missiles in Haifa and the Sharon to intercept possible launches of Syrian Scud surface-to-surface ballistic missiles targetting Israeli cities.

In another development, in recent fighting, IDF forces uncovered the bodies of a number of fighters who appear to belong to Iran's Revolutionary Guard. No identifying documents were discovered on the bodies but tattoos suggest they belong to the Iranian force

[kinoxi]

Planning ahead for the cease fire no doubt.

[Tax Government]

Israel should continue to interdict anything moving from Syria to Lebanon.

[garbageseeker]

I agree. Its amazing, that the Syrian government also supports the UN resolution.

[garbageseeker]

I agree. I have been advocating this since the the beginning of the war.

[Neidermeyer]

The cease fire only pertains to Lebanon doesn't it?

[mosquewatch.com]

If President Bush and Condi Rice ask for a cease fire with hizbollah against Israel ,

WHY DON'T THEY ASK FOR A CEASE FIRE WITH BIN LADEN TOWARDS AMERICA?

[goldstategop]

This is one ceasefire that will be honored more in the breach than in the observance. The Middle East has more rotten apples than all of Denmark.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[garbageseeker]

Syria would be in violation of UN Resolution 1559.

[Diogenesis]

There is NO punishment to either Syria, Russia, or Iran
to stop the shipments of their terrorist missiles.

So why would they stop?

[MinorityRepublican]

This is the lone purpose of the cease fire. To rearm.

[Carry_Okie]

There is NO punishment to either Syria, Russia, or Iran to stop the shipments of their terrorist missiles.

Gotta find some way to help 'em pay off their bonds.

After all, we need to keep what's important in perspective.

[garbageseeker]

The reason why these countries can't be punished,France has a veto and China has a veto in the Security Council as permanent members of thee Security Council. China or France has the ability to kill a resolution to punish these countries from exporting arms. France has economic ties with Syria and China sells military equipent with Syria and Iran.

[goldstategop]

Exactly! I got a kick out of reading Barry Rubin in the Jerusalem Post this afternoon. Yesterday he called the ceasefire "not half so bad." 24 hours later he thinks it empowered Syria and Iran. That's what happens when bright people rush to snap judgments.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[garbageseeker]

I agree.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. That's the only reason Hezbollah wanted it and they may just stop firing while they get continued arms shipments through Syria and laugh their arses off as Israel sits still, unable to respond the Hezbollah's rearmament.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[TheRobb7]

Is there any way we (or somebody) can "accidentally" drop a few bombs on these shipments.

"OOOPS, sorry about that, gents...."

[garbageseeker]

I agree.

[starsandstrips]

Israel Intelligence reported thirty Syrian tanks entering Lebanon on this day. Anyone hear any more about that? I read it on the text ticker of FOX News.

[goldstategop]

If that's true, that's a casus belli. Its means Syria is intervening to protect Hezbollah.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)