Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., December 12, 2007 Tevet 3, 5768 | | Israel Time: 08:03 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah

Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus on Sunday. (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 00:49 11/12/2006 MI officer: Syria preparing its army for war with Israel By Gideon Alon and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents, and Agencies The head of the research division of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz, said Sunday that Syrian President Bashar Assad is preparing for a war with Israel. He said that Assad has ordered increased production of long-range missiles and instructed the Syrian army to position its anti-tank missiles closer to the Syrian border with Israel, on the Golan Heights. But, Baidatz told the cabinet, while Assad is "preparing the Syrian army for the possibility of a military conflict with Israel, on the other hand, he is not ruling out the possibility of reaching a political settlement with Israel." Advertisement He stressed that in Assad's view, his actions on the military front do not contradict his actions in the political realm. "Assad is working in two parallel tracks," Baidatz said. "On the one hand he is not ruling out a diplomatic solution with Israel and on the other hand he is preparing his forces for military conflict." He added that the Syrian president has been conducting extensive diplomatic activity over the past two weeks. Baidatz said that Assad feels a window has been opened for peace talks on the international level, and he plans to take advantage of that opporunity. Baidatz also said that tensions in Iran have been rising in preparation for the United Nations Security Council's decision on whether to impose sanctions on the country. The decision is slated to be made by December 25. According to Baidatz, Iran is continuously operating in Lebanon to reinforce Hezbollah, while also working to strengthen Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Palestinian territories. On the issue of Lebanon, Baidatz said Hezbollah is planning to bring down Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's government by conducting mass demonstrations and sit-in strikes in city squares. Hezbollah will turn to violence in their struggle only if the strikes and demonstrations fail, Baidatz said. Baidatz also said that certain signs indicate the rise of international Jihad forces in south Lebanon, especially in refugee camps. These forces aim to counter the multi-national force in the area. He told ministers that Al-Qaida was recruiting mainly in Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. "There are major signs of a Global Jihad [al-Qaida] presence in Lebanon, especially the refugee camps, and one of their intentions is to attack the foreign peacekeepers," Baidatz was quoted as saying in the briefing. "They see the peacekeepers as symbols of the West." Baidatz also commented on the situation in Gaza, saying that the Palestinian security forces have deployed throughout the Gaza Strip, but their operations do not appear to be effective. On the opposing side, Hamas has begun operating in areas in which the organization has not been active in the past, such as the area that used to house the Gush Katif greenhouses, Baidatz said. He added that Hamas officials are working to boost their political power. Beiditz said that Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has reached a political dead-end, explaining that the chairman is unable to reach an understanding with Hamas on the possibility of establishing a national unity government. IDF planning to be war-ready by summer A high-ranking source in the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that the IDF is aiming to have reached a high level of preparedness on the northern front by next summer. In order to reach this target, military reserve units have conducted combat training with live ammunition over the last two months, and division level exercises based on a scenario of war in the north are planned for the next several months. The program is not in response to assessments by military intelligence, the source added. Hezbollah and Syria have not indicated that they are planning for a war next summer, he said. Concerns are growing, however, among IDF officials regarding Syria's continued shipment of arms to Hezbollah in Lebanon, although it seems the terror organization is not yet in possession of the kinds of missiles it had during the war. There is also a possibility that sources affiliated with global Jihad, who have been increasing their presence, will try to create provocations leading to war. The IDF has been extensively criticized over the level of training of ground troops and for its lack of preparedness during the July-August war with Hezbollah. Bookmark to del.icio.us Tehran threat Olmert delivered a rebuttal to the assessment that Iran halted its nukes program. More than war The UN has adopted an Israeli-proposed resolution in the field of economic development.   1.   There will be a war if Israel starts it 15:46  |  Natallie Durson 10/12/06   2.   Hizbulla will probably start a war 16:06  |  JG 10/12/06   3.   The other point of view 16:10  |  Adbul Hassan 10/12/06   4.   Siria 16:22  |  Dan 10/12/06   5.   Under the control of the Fuhrer 16:30  |  Brod 10/12/06   6.   Well it seems Israel wants to start a war 16:30  |  Lebanese in Canada 10/12/06   7.   Syria preparing its army for war with Israel ? 16:41  |  Yankelowitz 10/12/06   8.   Responsible 16:50  |  JJ 10/12/06   9.   Syria is going to have her ass kicked so bad 17:01  |  Joseph E . 10/12/06   10.   No kiddies (Natalie, Canuk, Yakelowitz, etc), it`s not a new war 17:03  |  David Teich 10/12/06   11.   Let`s Review 17:04  |  Larry Klein 10/12/06   12.   A blind man can see it 17:06  |  The Doctor 10/12/06   13.   # 2 JG 17:16  |  Nick Ferriman 10/12/06   14.   Syria is not in the stone age anymore 17:16  |  Woolwich Arsenal Boy 10/12/06   15.   Syrian 17:16  |  Saleh 10/12/06   16.   please peace 17:23  |  life 10/12/06   17.   Syria & Friends - Prepare to Die 17:29  |  Phil 10/12/06   18.   IS THIS INTELLIGENCE TRUE? WHAT ABOUT ........................... 17:34  |  THE JACKAL 10/12/06   19.   #14 Syria has moved up to early bronze age 17:35  |  Bob 10/12/06   20.   Plotting something nice 18:02  |  From the Moon 10/12/06   21.   #14--Same ole threats 18:03  |  ballistic 10/12/06   22.   History Lesson For David (#10) 18:16  |  Natallie Durson 10/12/06   23.   14 18:16  |  Ron 10/12/06   24.   # 17 "face the long arm of the IDF" 18:32  |  Axel 10/12/06   25.   with all the Israeli talk of war with Iran etc. 18:33  |  George 10/12/06   26.   #10 "It`s the same one Syria declared in `48 and which they`ve 18:40  |  George 10/12/06   27.   Whatever Syria Does... 18:45  |  Yosemite Sam 10/12/06   28.   their will be a war if Israel starts it,t 18:47  |  danny 10/12/06   29.   #14 Bob: "Israeli army sitting on the Golan Heights, 18:49  |  George 10/12/06   30.   attack of foreign peace keepers 19:00  |  freedom1 10/12/06   31.   SYRIA MUST BE TAKEN APART, AND BASHAR ASAD JAILED LIKE SADAM 19:00  |  Law and Order 10/12/06   32.   let the arabs destroy eachother 19:02  |  superswede 10/12/06   33.   Syria 19:18  |  Dan 10/12/06   34.   to #1 19:25  |  jamie 10/12/06   35.   good luck dan. i hope you have a big appitite 19:28  |  George 10/12/06   36.   For whom is war good, vs peace? 19:28  |  Ben-Levi 10/12/06   37.   How to deal with Syria 19:32  |  Tosefta 10/12/06   38.   Irony 19:39  |  Mazen 10/12/06   39.   Armageddon 19:42  |  Lloyd 10/12/06   40.   Assad is bluffing to get the Golan 19:43  |  zionist forever 10/12/06   41.   jamie 19:44  |  Ernie 10/12/06   42.   Syrian government has better chance to be toppled 19:44  |  Sal 10/12/06   43.   No supirse here 19:52  |  Danite 10/12/06   44.   Enough of the Blame Game, Who will Stop It? 20:15  |  Adam 10/12/06   45.   #42 sal - Syrian govt has better chamcs ....... 20:20  |  tbora 10/12/06   46.   Israel Setting up Syria? 20:23  |  David Torres 10/12/06   47.   The writing has been on the wall. Israel is being surrounded 20:24  |  BradL 10/12/06   48.   George#35 20:33  |  Dan 10/12/06   49.   Spelling mistake 20:52  |  Chad 10/12/06   50.   Talkback 20:52  |  Ken 10/12/06   51.   Nobody sells fear like the Americans... Except for the Israelis 20:58  |  John from Canada 10/12/06   52.   BradL 20:58  |  rich 10/12/06   53.   to Tosefta (#37) 21:00  |  imad 10/12/06   54.   John from Canada 21:33  |  Michael 10/12/06   55.   # 47 BradL 21:36  |  Swiss (Dino) 10/12/06   56.   Syria in the stone age? 21:39  |  Ilan 10/12/06   57.   and why not? 21:43  |  justiceseeker 10/12/06   58.   To # 50 LMAO 21:50  |  Yankelowitz 10/12/06   59.   why is natallie durson saying all these terrible 21:53  |  becky sharpe 10/12/06   60.   bore of the month 21:55  |  winnie 10/12/06   61.   natallie durson 22:02  |  samson konowitz 10/12/06   62.   woolwich boy 22:05  |  ali g 10/12/06   63.   israel is the root of all evil 22:08  |  ali g 10/12/06   64.   give up the golan says woolwich boy 22:10  |  ali g 10/12/06   65.   #30 Attack on peacekeepers 22:11  |  Michael H. 10/12/06   66.   woolwich boy 22:12  |  ali g 10/12/06   67.   stupid leaders 22:14  |  Gerben Vogel 10/12/06   68.   the brilliant reasoning of woolwich boyo 22:17  |  ali g 10/12/06   69.   to Natallie Durson # 22 22:22  |  Ilya 10/12/06   70.   to tbora, LOL 22:34  |  the pope 10/12/06   71.   Syria preparing its army for war with Israel 22:40  |  Aaron Cohen 10/12/06   72.   Preparing for War//// 22:56  |  Joe 10/12/06   73.   Assad`s only doing tthe sensible thing 23:04  |  Michael 10/12/06   74.   #40 Zionist forever is dreaming if he thinks Assad is bluffing 23:13  |  Johnboy 10/12/06   75.   The power ow the wicked 23:14  |  Dag 10/12/06   76.   Samson Factor:We learned Fr Lebanon. Iran is on front burner... 23:15  |  Pablo 10/12/06   77.   The Good Ole Days 23:16  |  Guy From NYC 10/12/06   78.   syria 23:28  |  doug 10/12/06   79.   No intelligence in this MI 23:31  |  Paulo 10/12/06   80.   As if Israeli intelligence knows any thing RIGHT ??? 23:32  |  M. Segal 10/12/06