Syria still preparing for war (against Israel)

Israel Today Magazine ^ | Thursday, May 03, 2007 | Staff Writer

[Fred]

Syria is conducting the largest military buildup along its border with Israel since the outbreak of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, warned Israeli Ambassador to the US Salai Meridor on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press event in Washington, Meridor said that Syria has missiles aimed at every part of Israel, and that its forces are deploying near the Golan Heights in numbers "that we have not seen since 1973."

Earlier in the week, Israel's Yediot Ahronot newspaper cited unnamed "foreign experts" as saying that Syria had constructed a massive underground "missile city" from where it could strike every major population center in the Jewish state.

The structure is said to include reinforced concrete bunkers housing production facilities, development laboratories and command posts. That in addition to a large operational arsenal of SCUD missiles armed with conventional and chemical warheads.

Russian officials last month cautioned that miscalculations by either Israel or Syria could lead to an eruption of hostilities in the coming months. Many Israeli defense officials believe that is precisely what Damascus wants.

Meanwhile, Meridor said Israel is doing everything possible to let Syria know "we have no offensive intention."

[Fred]

IMHO

This would explain why Syria is easing off of the Iraqi border. Syria is redeploying to the Israeli border....

According to several articles published today:

U.S. military says Syrians have reduced flow of foreign fighters into Iraq

[AU72]

I hope Rice’s talk with the Syrian FM is an unambigous threat of military action.

[griswold3]

Hmmmmm....

Thanks, Nancy!

[Nabber]

Syrian war with Israel is Syrian suicide...

Even though a Syrian tank breakthrough is a laughable idea, if one did break through somehow and really threaten Israel, it would be hit with tactical nuclear weapons—and who would criticize you for using nukes in your own territory?

[Freeport]

With the exception that if there was a breakout, it would be Damascus that would disappear. They’d bomb the tank column into the next life.

[Badeye]

I doubt Syria will pull the trigger and attack Israel. Besides the fact Israel would crush them, its very likely we would help overtly given the circumstances.

And as another poster noted, yep, Thanks General Pelosi. If Syria does this, you’ll be comparable to Trumans bungling Sec of State in regards to North Korea in 1950.

[NickFlooding]

Maybe Iran was not the reason they bought all those bunker busters last year.

[evangmlw]

"armed with conventional and chemical warheads."

Wonder where the chemical warheads came from?

[Coleus]

Two roads from Damascus: Syrian President Bashar Assad is at a political crossroad, Washington Times, August 19, 2006
http://www.washtimes.com/commentary/20060818-091849-1529r.htm

Syrian President Assad threatens war, Newsmax, August 16, 2006
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/8/16/102740.shtml?s=lh

Syrian had inside knowledge of 9/11 and London bombings, Spiegel Online, August 24, 2005
http://service.spiegel.de/cache/international/0,1518,371201,00.html

Saudi king fears full-scale Mideast war, SkyNews, July 25, 2006
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1228757,00.html

U.S. sees Syria as key in Hizbullah war, Arutz Sheva, July 23, 2006
http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=108114

San Francisco Chronicle: Syria seen as linchpin in Lebanon, called key to conflict outcome, July 23, 2006
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/07/23/MNG98K42611.DTL&type=politics

Chicago Tribune: Syria’s Assad - is he the cause or the cure? July 23, 2006
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0607230320jul23,1,7557289.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed&ctrack=1&cset=true