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IDF troops in the Golan Heights (Yaron Kaminsky_
Last update - 23:42 13/08/2008
Report: Fearing Israeli strike, Syria taking preventative steps
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel, Golan Heights, Syria 

Syria's leadership fears that a drill conducted Tuesday by the Israel Defense Forces in the Golan Heights may develop into a military offensive against Damascus, the Kuwaiti newspaper al-Watan reported Wednesday.

Syrian sources told the daily that Damascus has taken several preventive measures against a possible Israeli strike. The sources added that the IDF drill in the north is increasing tensions in the region and is not in line with recent peace initiatives.

"The danger of these exercises is greater because they are being carried out near the cease-fire line bordering Syria," the sources were quoted as saying, "and because Defense Minister Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi supervised."
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Barak told IDF soldiers stationed in the Golan Heights on Tuesday that Israel is closely monitoring the strengthening of Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah.

"We're following the violations of the [regional] equilibrium by Hezbollah and Syria, and the strengthening beyond the fence," Barak said while observing the IDF drill.

"It's not for nothing that we're training here," he added.

Barak went on to criticize an expected cut to the Defense Ministry budget proposed by Finance Minister Roni Bar-On at part of the 2009 budget.

"We live in a country in which security is made up not only of tanks and planes, but also of the fostering of excellence, education and welfare. In a country like ours, we do not have the luxury to harm the defense budget," Barak asserted.

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      1.   Preventive Measures? Let`s See ... 14:07  |  Khaled - Lebanon 13/08/08
      2.   Why does Barak sound like a Tinpot Turkish Generalissimo? 14:15  |  Bl4ckP0pe 13/08/08
      3.   #2;Bl4ckP0pe, Get Real 14:51  |  Doc Holliday 13/08/08
      4.   2 Bck!4 Pope,why `stealthy` ? An open secret! 15:04  |  lakshmi 13/08/08
      5.   Nobody does it better 15:37  |  Natallie Durson 13/08/08
      6.   Syria getting nervous! 15:45  |  Colin Mairn 13/08/08
      7.   syria game playing last time we stepped down they attacked 15:45  |  ralph 13/08/08
      8.   Israel faced with an additional belligerant nation now - Lebanon. 16:34  |  common sense 13/08/08
      9.   shut down hizzy, syria, or burn with`em this month. 16:43  |  frenz 13/08/08
      10.   #8 Lebanon was not neutral in 1967 neither 17:21  |  Big Sur 13/08/08
      11.   #9 Frenz I agree there is only so much Israel can take they have 17:26  |  Big Sur 13/08/08
      12.   Natalie`s myopia 17:29  |  John 13/08/08
      13.   Somehow fighting for one`s survival is being "agressive" 17:47  |  Pinchus Ben Ysroal 13/08/08
      14.   To # 5 18:00  |  najour 13/08/08
      15.   strike First and then TALK 18:00  |  Tamrat 13/08/08
      16.   Why not just make peace and invest the money in the people? 18:03  |  Jack 13/08/08
      17.   #12, John to Natalie... 18:07  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
      18.   To Silvienne 18:37  |  Danny 13/08/08
      19.   WAR WAR WAR: With no end in sight 18:48  |  History of Israel 13/08/08
      20.   #18 Danny well put 19:03  |  Big Sur 13/08/08
      21.   I hope noone feels "encouraged" by the Georgian-Russian war... 19:09  |  christoph 13/08/08
      22.   War War War? 19:28  |  Brett 13/08/08
      23.   1. Khaled - Lebanon 19:59  |  KUTW 13/08/08
      24.   Why fear when Syria is not in nuclear league? 19:59  |  The Archives 13/08/08
      25.   5. Natallie Durson: Nobody does it better 20:03  |  KUTW 13/08/08
      26.   For Israel Holding the Golan is more important than peace with... 20:22  |  Jean Van Daem 13/08/08
      27.   to Un-Common Sense 20:42  |  Garba 13/08/08
      28.   Syria`s Weapons Shipments To Hezbollah Are Not In Line W/ Recent 20:50  |  Joseph.E 13/08/08
      29.   #18, Danny, you are quite wrong... 21:07  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
      30.   #20, Big Sur...as I just explained to Danny.. 21:10  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
      31.   19. History of Israel: WAR WAR WAR 21:17  |  KUTW 13/08/08
      32.   15. Tamrat: strike First and then TALK 21:21  |  KUTW 13/08/08
      33.   29. Silvienne re Danny 21:26  |  KUTW 13/08/08
      34.   30. Silvienne re Big Sur... 21:28  |  KUTW 13/08/08
      35.   Brett`s "belligerent neighbors" 21:32  |  christoph 13/08/08
      36.   To lakshmi 21:43  |  Oleg 13/08/08
      37.   Syria has done quite a lot of dirty work for the US lately... 22:20  |  Pssd Off American 13/08/08
      38.   Silvienne...Lets face th facts! 22:31  |  DR 13/08/08
      39.   israel is not raedy for an attack 22:39  |  josh 13/08/08
      40.   to brett 23:00  |  george 13/08/08
      41.   For Peace to Exist Syria Must Be Forced To Surrender 23:18  |  Baruch Gold 13/08/08
      42.   How many kilometers from Golan to Damascus? 23:41  |  leo 13/08/08
      43.   #38, DR... 00:02  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
      44.   NAH! Syria is going to attack Lebanon! Oh they havent stopped 01:07  |  Shocked 14/08/08
      45.   why are the syrians worried? 01:13  |  natan 14/08/08
      46.   Syria-Iran to form confederation with Russia 02:08  |  Rodney Dezarn 14/08/08
      47.   To Durson & all the other jelous jew haters on this post 02:17  |  Raziel 14/08/08
      48.   Pssd Off American #37 02:29  |  Gee 14/08/08
      49.   Is it possible they are preparing to attack? 05:12  |  Koorosh 14/08/08
      50.   Syria taking preventative steps? 07:37  |  geoff 14/08/08
      51.   #47, Raziel... 17:22  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
      52.   #47, Raziel... 17:22  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
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