Olmert: Israel, Syria have no interest in military conflict - Haaretz

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Sat., August 11, 2007 Av 27, 5767

Israel Time: 17:39 (EST+7)

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		Ehud Olmert touring Israel's northern border last month on the one-year anniversary of the start of the Second Lebanon War. (AP)

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Last update - 00:04 09/08/2007

Olmert: Israel, Syria have no interest in military conflict

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday evening addressed the possibility of a military conflict with Syria during a Kadima conference held at the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem, saying that Israel and Syria have no interest in a war.

"I believe that we can expect a calm summer, a calm autumn and a calm winter," Olmert said, "naturally, we are dealing with strengthening the Israel Defense Forces' capabilities...but we have no plans, no will, and no interest in a confrontation in the north of the country or in the south."

"I believe that the Syrians also have no interest in fighting us," he added, "there is always an exaggeration in creating an atmosphere of tension, but a responsible leadership knows how to control itself, exercise self-restraint and maintain its equanimity," he added.

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The members of the security cabinet met Wednesday morning to discuss the situation on Israel's northern front and the possibility that a conflict will break out between Israel and Syria.

The meeting was labeled "very sensitive," and the ministers were asked to leave their cellular phones outside the room where the meeting took place.

The cabinet has recently and with increasing frequency been holding meetings about the northern border and the preparation of the home front in case of a violent confrontation with Syria. Wednesday's meeting is the sixth meeting in the last six weeks on the issue.

Echoing similar statements made earlier, Olmert conveyed that the meeting's purpose was to prepare for the possibility of a Syrian miscalculation regarding Israel's intentions, and that Israel doesn't intend to attack.

Most of the ministers in the security cabinet attended the meeting, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and ministers Tzipi Livni, Ehud Barak, Haim Ramon, Avigdor Lieberman, Eli Yishai, Rafi Eitan, Avi Dichter, Shaul Mofaz, Benjamin Ben-Eliezer and Daniel Friedmann.

Sources from the prime minister's bureau have said in the last several days that the meetings have been held because of the "possibility of a miscalculation in terms of Syria, but not because of new information of a shift in Syrian activity."

In a meeting held three weeks ago, the ministers were briefed for the first time on Syria's supply of ground-to-ground missiles, but representatives from the defense establishment said that "Syria does not have the intention to attack Israel."

The ministers were also briefed by Military Intelligence and Home Front Command officials regarding Syria's alleged missile arsenal and the readiness of the home front in the case of an attack.

The ministers also discussed at length fortifying at-risk sites and the level of preparedness for steps in retaliation to a "Syrian scenario."

In the last government meeting, the head of the research division of Military Intelligence, Brigadier General Yossi Baidatz, said 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."

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1.	Tiresome	10:37	\|	Indrajaya	08/08/07

2.	The Syria Quandry	11:58	\|	Natallie Durson	08/08/07

3.	Poor little Israel-everyone is out to get them.	12:16	\|	Labhras	08/08/07

4.	To: N. Durson. Don`t Sweat It	12:23	\|	Dave Levy	08/08/07

5.	the certitude	12:34	\|	scanadu	08/08/07

6.	same old story	12:35	\|	christoph	08/08/07

7.	War with Syria	13:07	\|	Frank	08/08/07

8.	si vis pacem, para bellum	13:18	\|	scientist	08/08/07

9.	to 3 - Israel will liberate syria, like allies did.	14:06	\|	bibi	08/08/07

10.	War with Syria...is this s joke!	14:07	\|	Samir	08/08/07

11.	to samir - only pr show	14:44	\|	bibi	08/08/07

12.	Israel dont want peace, it will manage to create tension	14:48	\|	Moise	08/08/07

13.	Israel Should Focus On Iran Not Syria	15:00	\|	Bill Foonman	08/08/07

14.	war with syria	15:09	\|	tony	08/08/07

15.	to Natalie Durson	15:15	\|	nk	08/08/07

16.	# 10 Samir, 55 tribes of Syria	16:06	\|	Lynn	08/08/07

17.	Durson, no quandary	16:15	\|	Lynn	08/08/07

18.	The odor of a	16:22	\|	Mark Lincoln	08/08/07

19.	# 12 Moise	16:23	\|	Lynn	08/08/07

20.	Propoganda	16:35	\|	Jonny	08/08/07

21.	Olmert, on his way to the end	16:40	\|	Robin	08/08/07

22.	Indrajaya	16:48	\|	Neal	08/08/07

23.	To Bill Foonman # 13	17:22	\|	Fortuna Benmayor	08/08/07

24.	Syria and Iran are united forever	17:25	\|	Hojatoleslam Ahvazi	08/08/07

25.	To Dave Levy	17:33	\|	Fortuna Benmayor	08/08/07

26.	B/S Tactics	17:38	\|	Upholder of Truth	08/08/07

27.	Cabinet meets on prospect of conflict with Syr	18:16	\|	alex	08/08/07

28.	Lynn # 19	18:21	\|	Moise	08/08/07

29.	You are ALL missing th epoint !	18:35	\|	Jimmy	08/08/07

30.	Lynn -What War were you watching???	18:39	\|	gearoid	08/08/07

31.	The Photo reminds me of	18:47	\|	Mark Lincoln	08/08/07

32.	Arab Islamist-Jihadists and Miscalculations	18:48	\|	Brod	08/08/07

33.	Expanding expansionism	19:17	\|	Parmenides (Plato`s)	08/08/07

34.	#18, Mark Lincoln	19:22	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	08/08/07

35.	Defense Intelligence `experts` said the same in 1973!	19:41	\|	David	08/08/07

36.	to 27 - revolutionary guards are in syria and lebanon	20:13	\|	bibi	08/08/07

37.	Israel Must Crush Syria To Help The U.S. Win the War on Terrorism	20:19	\|	Tal	08/08/07

38.	A Few points for Mark Lincoln on Israel	22:18	\|	Alan	08/08/07

39.	TO 22 NEAL	00:32	\|	Indrajaya	09/08/07

40.	Is he trying to be a prophet?	01:38	\|	Brod	09/08/07

41.	The wild dog	01:43	\|	Peter	09/08/07

42.	Cipora I know a deception operation when I see one	02:19	\|	Mark Lincoln	09/08/07

43.	Alan - An Israeli `secret"?	02:29	\|	Mark Lincoln	09/08/07

44.	Brod - not quite	02:32	\|	Mark Lincoln	09/08/07

45.	#37 Tal	02:34	\|	gearoid	09/08/07

46.	hezbollah more dangerous	14:32	\|	jad	09/08/07

47.	The good they die young RIGHT ???	19:30	\|	M. Segal	09/08/07

48.	Jad #46 Lebanese Christian	22:05	\|	Brod	09/08/07

49.	#48 brod	23:03	\|	jad	09/08/07

50.	Jad #49	01:53	\|	Brod	10/08/07

51.	#50 brod	11:13	\|	jad	10/08/07

52.	Jad #51	17:23	\|	Brod	11/08/07

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