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IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. (Jini Archives)
Last update - 14:23 21/02/2008
IDF Chief of Staff: I can't rule out military conflict in near future
By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Gabi Ashkenazi, Ehud Olmert 

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi said Wednesday that he could not rule out the possibility that Israel will face a military conflict sometime in the near future.

"The achievement demanded of the IDF is swift victory in any type of conflict," said Ashkenazi during an officers' training course graduation ceremony. "I can't promise that we will not face such a test in the immediate future."

"The job of the IDF was and still is to be a true safety net for the continued existence and success of the State of Israel," he added. "We cannot meet all these [obligations] without excellent commanders."
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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also addressed the ceremony, saying, "the lessons of the Second Lebanon War are being implemented at all levels of the IDF chain of command."

Tensions have been high in the region since last week's assassination of Hezbollah terror chief Imad Mughniyah by unknown assailants in Damascus.

Hezbollah has blamed Israel and vowed retaliation, and Israel has placed embassies on alert and warned Israelis traveling abroad. Israel has also deployed patriot missiles in the north.

Meanwhile, the ongoing Qassam rocket fire directed by Gaza militants at southern Israel has placed the government under growing pressure to launch a broad military operation in the Strip.

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      1.   gabi ashkenazi 17:12  |  assaf simhoni 20/02/08
      2.   Destroy the terrorists. 17:54  |  Jean Van Daem 20/02/08
      3.   IDF can`t rule it out, while Olmert rules it in 18:07  |  Tosefta 20/02/08
      4.   THIS MEANS WAR 18:08  |  SMART JEW 20/02/08
      5.   This is not going to end with an attack on Syria ending with the 18:35  |  lakshmi 20/02/08
      6.   just plain stupid 18:42  |  get a clue 20/02/08
      7.   He`s Right 18:45  |  Solon 20/02/08
      8.   #5: Laksmi... read a little more 19:00  |  George 20/02/08
      9.   You really do not the sea change in power? Poor Israel 19:03  |  American 20/02/08
      10.   Ahmedinejad`s Increasing Stridency 19:22  |  Phillipe T. Lucre 20/02/08
      11.   IDF can`t win as long as AG Mazuz paralyses it 19:29  |  Absolute Sweden 20/02/08
      12.   Our weekly update...conflict/invasion-soon 19:32  |  Stephen. 20/02/08
      13.   Why are Israelis so sure they will win? 19:39  |  spyguy 20/02/08
      14.   CONFLICT 19:42  |  The Teacher/Instruct 20/02/08
      15.   BTW - exactly where is Israel going to get 19:43  |  spyguy 20/02/08
      16.   The now 19:56  |  Paul 20/02/08
      17.   Hungry for war. 19:58  |  Palestinian Brit 20/02/08
      18.   chief nows best 20:11  |  king k 20/02/08
      19.   4 Smart jew,some problems with your euphoria! 20:17  |  lakshmi 20/02/08
      20.   yeah lakshmi and phase two is elimination of warmongers like you 20:19  |  peace not war 20/02/08
      21.   Enrichment=going forward! 20:29  |  Paul 20/02/08
      22.   Dear Pal Brit - are you that dumb? 20:31  |  Joe Sittizen 20/02/08
      23.   Damn lost post! 20:32  |  Paul 20/02/08
      24.   # 5 Israel has a big secret plan.... 20:35  |  E.T. 20/02/08
      25.   To spyguy 20:46  |  Oleg 20/02/08
      26.   spyguy - you did not learn a bit 20:48  |  ANUAR AL SADAT 20/02/08
      27.   ENOUGH RUNNING BACKWARDS !!! 21:14  |  Lebanese Cedar 20/02/08
      28.   To #19 21:22  |  Oleg 20/02/08
      29.   The lessons of the Third Lebanese War are yet to be taught 21:27  |  Clickfool 20/02/08
      30.   Two Options Both Using Nukes 21:28  |  Dave Levy 20/02/08
      31.   On defeating Israel in the next war 21:34  |  Clickfool 20/02/08
      32.   Give war a chance.. 21:34  |  Times of War 20/02/08
      33.   Tosefta - Syria has no stomach for war with Israel 22:30  |  Jewboy 20/02/08
      34.   Clickfool 22:38  |  Oleg 20/02/08
      35.   Clickfool - why didn`t they follow your strategy last time? 22:38  |  Jewboy 20/02/08
      36.   What winnable war next? ;-) 22:38  |  Fritz T. 20/02/08
      37.   # 31 Israel has enough reserves for many months. 22:41  |  E.T. 20/02/08
      38.   #14, "the world is keeping quiet" 22:41  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 20/02/08
      39.   SADAT # 26 22:44  |  The Teacher/Instruct 20/02/08
      40.   SADAT 22:53  |  The Teacher/Instruct 20/02/08
      41.   what is israel going to do with the 22:54  |  tome 20/02/08
      42.   Jean Van Daem - Next War 22:54  |  Jimmie 20/02/08
      43.   Clickfool`s clueless refinery post! 22:59  |  The Judge 20/02/08
      44.   Nuke Iran now 23:00  |  Chet 20/02/08
      45.   Click 31-military genius 23:05  |  Dada Amin 20/02/08
      46.   rule of lebanon: zionist always loose 23:07  |  history repeats 20/02/08
      47.   Click 29-ravings of a disturbed mind 23:10  |  Stephen in New York 20/02/08
      48.   This time Hez´ latest mobiles wont work to show Israeli 23:12  |  Karl 20/02/08
      49.   Spyguy-another military genius 23:15  |  Oy Vey 20/02/08
      50.   Innocent 23:15  |  Paul 20/02/08
      51.   Sorry Clickfool (29), ten steps ahead this time. 23:15  |  Karl 20/02/08
      52.   Clickdool (31), the question is what comes first and what it is 23:22  |  Karl 20/02/08
      53.   yaaleh=Nethinim 23:27  |  Paul 20/02/08
      54.   To Clickfool 23:50  |  Oleg 20/02/08
      55.   Gibeonites 23:51  |  Paul 20/02/08
      56.   #31 there are 200 reasons why not 23:53  |  Andrew 20/02/08
      57.   #9 American ?? 23:53  |  Ibn Musa 20/02/08
      58.   Clickfool is a pimp 23:57  |  Ariel 20/02/08
      59.   #9 American? 23:59  |  * BEN JABO 20/02/08
      60.   #17 Palestinian Brit 00:01  |  * BEN JABO 21/02/08
      61.   #31 Clickfool - Israel has the ability for massive 00:03  |  * BEN JABO 21/02/08
      62.   #15 Spyguy, Israel will get the money from the U.S. 00:05  |  * BEN JABO 21/02/08
      63.   American (which you are not) # 9 00:08  |  ChanahS 21/02/08
      64.   Their meon! 00:09  |  Paul 21/02/08
      65.   lakshmi # 19 00:09  |  ChanahS 21/02/08
      66.   Lebanese Cedar 27 00:14  |  ChanahS 21/02/08
      67.   solomons vision 00:18  |  Paul 21/02/08
      68.   Abbadon location 00:39  |  Paul 21/02/08
      69.   tachath 00:46  |  Paul 21/02/08
      70.   A TALL ORDER FOR ISRAEL 00:52  |  VIPER 21/02/08
      71.   #36 history repeats 02:09  |  * BEN JABO 21/02/08
      72.   American 9-What you see 02:12  |  Stephen in New York 21/02/08
      73.