IDF general: Syrian army signaling Damascus does not want war - Haaretz

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Wed., August 15, 2007 Elul 1, 5767

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		IDF GOC Northern Command Gadi Eizenkot. (Jini Archives)

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Last update - 16:06 15/08/2007

IDF general: Syrian army signaling Damascus does not want war

By Amos Harel, Barak Ravid, and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents

IDF GOC Northern Command Gadi Eizenkot said that the Syrian military is trying to send Israel the message that it is not interested in confrontation.

"The Syrian army is trying to calm the sector down," said Eizenkot, during a visit to the Northern Command by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak. "Syria is taking action in the field that is designed to signal to Israel that it is not interested in escalation."

Meanwhile, Israel has learned that Damascus has recently received a new missile system, as part of a process of strengthening its army that has been ongoing in recent months.

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Barak observed an Israel Defense Forces exercise in the Golan Heights on Wednesday, and reiterated his belief that he does not foresee an upcoming war with Syria.

"Israel does not want war, and by our assessment, neither does Syria," said Barak. "Therefore, there is no need for a war here."

Barak implored the media to take measures to assuage Syrian fears about an impending war, and to dissuade them from thinking that IDF exercises in the North are part of preparations for such an event.

Barak told the media, "The last five years we did not train sufficiently and it is our steadfast intent to thoroughly train every unit of the IDF. The training grounds of Israel are in the Golan Heights and the Negev, and on these grounds we will continue to train our forces to be ready for any test that may arise."

In an effort to forestall the possibility of a miscalculation leading to war, Syrian and Israeli leaders sent calming messages to each other Tuesday.

Syrian Vice President Farouk Shara said that Damascus does not intend to initiate war, a message that was echoed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

"Israel is not interested in war with Syria, but we are preparing for any eventuality," Olmert told officers during a visit to Northern Command headquarters Tuesday.

"Israel knows that we do not wish for war," said Shara, speaking at a press conference in Damascus. "We will always be ready to respond to Israeli aggression, but we will not initiate war."

All of Syria's military preparations are defensive, Shara asserted, and accused Israel of "looking for an excuse to start a war."

"People on Syria's streets do not want war, although they will not accept anything less than Israeli withdrawal from the whole of the occupied Golan Heights. The Arab initiative is clear in this regard and we support it," Shara said, referring to an Arab League plan that calls for Israel to withdraw from all territories captured in 1967 in return for peace.

Shara said that this is the option Syria has chosen, but ominously noted that Damascus also has "other options."

Regarding his country's close ties with Iran, Shara said that the relationship is strategic, but stressed that it is "not blind."

Barak and Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi joined Olmert's visit to the North, as did Major General Amos Yadlin, the head of Military Intelligence. Yadlin stressed that "Syria is not planning to initiate a war, but the scenario of a possible miscalculation is still relevant."

Both Olmert and Barak called on Northern Command officers to bring "calm" to the front and avoid steps that might create confusion on the Syrian side.

The deputy defense minister, Matan Vilnai, also said Tuesday that Syria has no interest in war with Israel.

"Israel, too, has no interest in war. The tension is natural, but unnecessary," he added during a visit to the village of Ghajar, on the border with Lebanon.

Sources in the Prime Minister's Bureau said that Tuesday's visit to Northern Command had been preplanned and was not related to the escalating tensions.

These tensions have been fueled in part by the Israel Defense Forces' intensive training exercises, which are part of its rehabilitation program following the Second Lebanon War, as well as by the massive rearmament of the Syrian armed forces with sophisticated, primarily Russian-made arms.

Despite the Syrian rearmament, Yadlin was firm in his assessment that there are no indications that Damascus is planning an attack against Israel. The MI chief argued that war is currently not in Syria's interest.

As such, the defense establishment is primarily concerned that war may be triggered by miscalculation.

Senior defense officials told Haaretz that the situation on the Syrian front is likely to become clearer in the near future.

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1.	Syrian army signaling that Damascus doesn`t want war	09:16	\|	alex	15/08/07

2.	ALL RIGHT, BABY	10:24	\|	indrajaya	15/08/07

3.	ALL RIGHT, BABY	10:24	\|	indrajaya	15/08/07

4.	Enough is enough	10:38	\|	indrajaya	15/08/07

5.	This general will go	10:40	\|	mehmet	15/08/07

6.	to no.2 ehmet	11:11	\|	dovale	15/08/07

7.	Generals and big mouths	11:32	\|	Allan Leibler	15/08/07

8.	METHINKS HE DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH	12:04	\|	SM	15/08/07

9.	What were Syrian Signals in 1973?	12:17	\|	Alan	15/08/07

10.	scanadu	12:27	\|	war or not	15/08/07

11.	GOLAN NO LONGER BELONGS TO SYRIA!!	13:44	\|	SLAVO	15/08/07

12.	syrian signals	14:23	\|	john realist	15/08/07

13.	Indra - how much info do you get from	15:18	\|	Bob Barker	15/08/07

14.	to indrajaya	15:54	\|	Israel4ever	15/08/07

15.	so who is promoting the hysteria?	16:20	\|	Mark Lincoln	15/08/07

16.	Yo the Indraya Dog	16:44	\|	ottomatik	15/08/07

17.	# 2 Indrajaya - Even my dog knows that.	18:03	\|	cat	15/08/07

18.	Syria will do the usual Arab thing	18:26	\|	Simon Jones	15/08/07

19.	#5 mehmet	18:39	\|	Sol	15/08/07

20.	Hmmm	18:51	\|	Ari	15/08/07

21.	Information, disinformation, and	19:25	\|	Mark Lincoln	15/08/07

22.	That was the Golan and the. . .	19:32	\|	Mark Lincoln	15/08/07

23.	SLAVO	19:36	\|	Anthony	15/08/07

24.	Syrian intention.	20:06	\|	Vital	15/08/07

25.	yes sol	20:09	\|	mehmet	15/08/07

26.	Afilu bekever al taamin otam	20:13	\|	Avraham	15/08/07

27.	response #17 Simon	20:15	\|	Ali	15/08/07

28.	Lincoln showing his extensive knowledge	20:26	\|	peter	15/08/07

29.	Israel will still hope for instability	20:34	\|	Moise	15/08/07

30.	Budget time = threat time	20:47	\|	ting	15/08/07

31.	hey i got a great idea!!!	21:04	\|	Le Judeo-savoyard	15/08/07

32.	Mark Lincoln	21:11	\|	Cipora Julianna Kohn	15/08/07

33.	Syria: Safe for now ....	21:51	\|	Natallie Durson	15/08/07

34.	Not yet	22:25	\|	Chick	15/08/07

35.	peter, with the training drain in Montreal	22:51	\|	Mark Lincoln	15/08/07

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