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Syrian President Bashar Assad. (AP) Last update - 19:04 08/10/2006 Assad: Syrian military preparing for war with Israel By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent The Syrian military is preparing for war with Israel, Syria's President Bashar Assad told the Quwaiti newspaper Al-Anba on Saturday. In an interview widely quoted by Syrian news agencies, Assad said Israel could attack Syria "at any moment." Advertisement "We must remain ready at all times," said Assad. "We have begun preparations within the framework of our options." Assad also said he believes Israel has abandonded the peace process. The Prime Minister's Office refused to comment on Assad's remarks. According to a security source, IDF troops in the Golan Heights have remained on high alert since the end of the Lebanon war. According to the source, Defense Minister Amir Peretz instructed the forces last Thursday to remain on high alert. "Assad's declarations do not change the situation," said the source. In recent months, including prior to the Lebanon war, Syria has been saying it is willing to act militarily in order to retake the Golan Heights. Since the Lebanon war, Assad has warned that Syria's patience is running out due to the lack of a viable option for regaining the heights through the peace process. At the same time, Assad has said on several occasions that he is interested in progress in the peace process with Israel. Assad further stated in the interview Saturday that roughly 80 percent of the issues dividing Israel and Syria have been resolved, leaving only "the easiest of issues [to resolve]." He reiterated his claim that negotiations would not last more than six months, and that the entire process, including the implementation of the agreement, would not last more than two years. "This is assuming that the other side, Israel, is genuine in the peace process," said Assad. Nonetheless, Assad said "sometimes the final percent puts an end to the entire process." Assad added that a new framework for the talks is needed, arguing that the traditional mediator, the United States, is too closely allied with Israel. The Syrian president also addressed calls within Israel to renew the negotiations with Damascus, calling them a "virtual peace movement emananting from internal considerations." Syrian information min.: Israel must recognize Palestinian right of return Syrian Information Minister Muhsen Bilal said Saturday that his country is preparing for war with Israel, but added that Syria is interested in peace. Bilal made the comments in an interview broadcast on Al-Jazeera. "Syria is taking into account the possibility that Israel will embark on a military adventure in against Syria," said Bilal. "We are preparing for every possibility." According to Bilal, Israel intended to "crush Hezbollah" and impose its control in Lebanon, but failed to do so. "The crisis which Israel finds itself in today, following its failure in Lebanon, could lead it to attack Syria," said Bilal. "We always emphasized our lack of faith in Israeli governments, and this is especially true of the current government." "Syria is preparing for every possibility and every Israeli intention to attack it," said Bilal. "This is natural, as Israel cannot be trusted at all." Bilal added that Syria is interested in peace with Israel, saying it was Israel that was responsible for the collapse of peace talks between the two nations in the year 2000. Bilal presented the Syrian principles for peace with Israel. He said any agreement must be based on UN decisions calling for an Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights, southern Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and the recognition of the right of return of Palestinian refugees to Israel Bookmark to del.icio.us   Passover in Damascus Syria's 100 remaining Jews say they feel free to celebrate Passover openly. Shanghai surprise A Jewish couple in Shanghai weds inside a synagogue for the first time since WWII.   1.   3 words... 18:30  |  vik 07/10/06   2.   Misleading headline 18:35  |  Stanley 07/10/06   3.   Syria Preparing for a war 18:38  |  Michael 07/10/06   4.   Bashaar be very very careful 18:42  |  Ben Uziel 07/10/06   5.   Syrian military preparing for war with Israel ... 18:45  |  Scarried 07/10/06   6.   Congratulations 18:54  |  David 07/10/06   7.   BLUFF!!!! 18:54  |  Commonsense 07/10/06   8.   I agree. 18:57  |  Ali 07/10/06   9.   Hard-line position or according to Intl` law ? 19:00  |  Yankelowitz 07/10/06   10.   Syrian Armed Forces 19:17  |  MOE 07/10/06   11.   GOLAN WILL NEVER BE RETURN, IT WAS NEVER SYRIAN 19:24  |  the truth is 07/10/06   12.   I HOPE SOMEBODY SMARTER THAN IN 1973 IS LISTENING!! 19:31  |  Robert 07/10/06   13.   War would be bad for Northern Israel. 19:31  |  MOE 07/10/06   14.   BIlal forgot something... 19:37  |  Hastaroth 07/10/06   15.   Assad doesn?t have stomach to fight with Israel 20:15  |  e.m 07/10/06   16.   "Truth": Up the dosage 20:22  |  David Teich 07/10/06   17.   Use the IDF against Jews or to protect Jews? 20:31  |  Bennie 07/10/06   18.   I think... 20:37  |  Moshe Restante 07/10/06   19.   to MOE 20:43  |  Marcelo 07/10/06   20.   Peace without preconditions eh 20:55  |  peter 07/10/06   21.   Re #32 BLOCK CAPS 21:00  |  Colin Wright 07/10/06   22.   Assad doesnt know how to use the Syrian millitary 21:01  |  zionist forever 07/10/06   23.   Assad 21:06  |  David ben Avraham 07/10/06   24.   For all those who are going to automatically critisize Israel, I 21:12  |  Shlomzion 07/10/06   25.   assad wants peace based on UN resolutions 21:13  |  zionist forever 07/10/06   26.   two radically different issues 21:14  |  Mike 07/10/06   27.   TO MOE 21:22  |  Yehud 07/10/06   28.   Syria blowing smoke 21:29  |  Rabbi Harley 07/10/06   29.   RETURN THE GOLAN IN SIX DAYS OR ELSE 21:29  |  teflon moslem 07/10/06   30.   To MOE 21:30  |  Gerald 07/10/06   31.   Plain fact is, Israel will never surrender the Golan 21:32  |  Clickfool 07/10/06   32.   To MOE 21:38  |  Rabbi Harley 07/10/06   33.   Assad`s Folly 22:02  |  RAB 07/10/06   34.   After the humiliating defeat of the IDF in Lebanon 22:02  |  G.S. 07/10/06   35.   Cowards both of you! 22:03  |  bad lebanese 07/10/06   36.   Balloon-head Assad 22:04  |  BLUE PLANET 07/10/06   37.   THERE IS NO SYRIA PROPER, SYRIA IS ISLAMIC OCCUPATION 22:11  |  just like that 07/10/06   38.   teflon moslem: MAJUSCULAR POST, miniscule mind... 22:12  |  BLUE PLANET 07/10/06   39.   To To MOE 22:12  |  Shlomo 07/10/06   40.   Assad`declaration 22:14  |  Samy 07/10/06   41.   DAMASCAS MUST BE RETURNED TO ISRAEL FOR PEACE. 22:14  |  Libiral for Peace 07/10/06   42.   Who`s tightening the screws on Assad? 22:16  |  JPS 07/10/06   43.   Mike #12 22:19  |  Guess who 07/10/06   44.   To every 1 !! 22:21  |  Alistein 07/10/06   45.   Fair partition ? Huummmm... 22:39  |  Yankelowitz 07/10/06   46.   Well out of my league 22:40  |  christoph 07/10/06   47.   To Haaretz editors : thank for the picture on top ! 22:41  |  Yankelowitz 07/10/06   48.   #10- Syria Should Pray It Is Defeated 22:45  |  Harry D 07/10/06   49.   Mihcael, article is misleading. Syria want peace 23:02  |  gus 07/10/06   50.   Ben Uziel, Syria want peace but not affrait at all 23:03  |  gus 07/10/06   51.   Assad`declaration 23:11  |  shlomo 07/10/06   52.   Syrian military preparing for war with Israel 23:20  |  Shmuelshachor 07/10/06   53.   turnspeech of Syria 23:31  |  jean marie 07/10/06   54.   TOTALLY misleading header by Haaretz 23:32  |  Sam 07/10/06   55.   Damascus often fought Israeli in ancient times 23:33  |  Stanley 07/10/06   56.   To Ali #8 23:35  |  Almost democrat 07/10/06   57.   My friend Alistein in Damascus 23:36  |  Benny M 07/10/06   58.   #10, Syrians had a 10-1 superiority in 1973 23:36  |  Danny - Israeli one 07/10/06   59.   # 31 CF - I hope you`re right 23:40  |  ChanahS 07/10/06   60.   Bad Lebanese # 35 23:42  |  ChanahS 07/10/06   61.   Results of IDF`s Gross Negligence 23:45  |  Tod Zuckerman 07/10/06   62.   to 15 23:57  |  * TALKBACK OBSERVER* 07/10/06   63.   Alawi blah blah , that`s all , makes syria feel not rejected 00:07  |  Joseph E . 08/10/06   64.   Final Solution 00:14  |  Happy Leb. 08/10/06   65.   Dear Guess Who 00:17  |  Mike 08/10/06   66.   # 29 teflon moslem , are you happy that Saddam is behind bars ? 00:28  |  Joseph E . 08/10/06   67.   ARROGANCE IN DAMASCUS 00:29  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 08/10/06   68.   # 1 VIK , Right on 00:31  |  Joseph E . 08/10/06   69.   But when you lose, you lose more land 00:31  |  Bob C. 08/10/06   70.   To The Imaginary Shlomo 00:34  |  Harry D 08/10/06   71.   # 44 Alistein 00:40  |  Joseph E . 08/10/06   72.