Syria feeling the heat after 'Scud deal' exposed

u: "Nathalie is very selective in wanting her proof." No, actually. The only problem with Natalie's post is that she used the word "proof", when she should have used "evidence". As for your comparison: there is considerable EVIDENCE linking Mossad to Dubai, and so Natalie is justified in accusing Mossad of carrying out that hit. By comparison, the accusation again Syria is pure pontification presented by the Israeli President as a self-evident truth. Peres says it is true, and so you are convinced it must be true. Avi 'n' Amos says it is true, and that's all the "confirmation" you need. And yet nowhere in the pages of Haaretz - or elsewhere, as far as I can tell - is even a glimmer of EVIDENCE produced to back up that accusation. No satellite imagery. No spy plane photos. No nothin'. The accusation is merely dumped on the rug like a dead cat, and you 'n' Amos 'n' Avi then all stand around admiring it.

seems like hizbulah and assad call the shots in Lebanon. Hizbulah operates outside and beyond control or Lebanese government and meets with terror sponser regimes. if it walks like a duck...

A kuwaiti newspaper breaks the story, but in typical arab fashion Israel is at fault. Stupid Syrians are going to ignite another war!

When Lebanon attempted to buy tanks from Germany for the Lebanese Army, Israel vetoed the transaction and Germany complied. The Lebanese army is no match for Hizbullah. So when you want to blame Lebanon for Hizbullah, I respectfully refer you to Lebanon's 15 year civil war which left Syria in charge and Hizbullah as the only remaining armed militia. No one else has weapons and the Lebanese army can not disarm Hizbullah. Moreover, not even Israel can disarm Hizbullah. They already tried and failed. So when Israel talks about holding all of Lebanon responsible, that is talk of murder. Most People in Lebanon want to live in peace. If Israel has an issue with Hizbullah, then let Israel keep the issue limited to Hizbullah. Leave everyone else in Lebanon alone, please. Nobody likes a bully.

Where is the fire????? is Jerusalem burning?

And what leads those outside the cited tripartite to conclude that the meeting of this tripartite is not a council of war.

The Taliban has captured more than one American soldier in Afghanistan and is currently holding them. America has done nothing about it. Clearly you are too ill informed to participate in this talkback, and that's saying a lot.

I don't think Syria feels any heat at all. On the Scud issue American indifference is a fact so scratch that one. As such if a meeting materializes what is Egypt going to use as a threat if Syria doesn't play nice? No more of all that aid and support it gives to the Palestinians? Indeed. I wouldn't be surprised if Assad delivers a message to Mubarak similar to that he delivered after the Second Lebanon War. Something to the effect testicular aggrandizement wouldn't hurt you or any of the other Arab leaders.

Whenever the "international" regime begins to focus on Iran, an instant diversion is created in Israel's neighborhood. Last time it was the abduction of Israeli soldiers - this time the transfer of scud. Honey traps for Israel.

Nathalie is very selective in wanting her proof. She was very convincing in trying to tie the Mossad in to the Dubai murder, and if memory serves me well, so were you. Why convict Mossad without proof, yet demand proof that Syria is up to its usual nefarious deeds? Most people were convinced that Mossad had done it, based upon its past actions. Based upon Syria's past actions, the SCUD story is totally convincing.

Arab World is good for peace. Enough is Enough!

Its painfully apparent that you should be watching the Simpsons and not commenting on Middle East politics. Do you think for one minute the U.S would tolerate one of its soldiers being kidnapped by Iran across the Iraqi border?? They would give them 24 hours and then blow the hell out of them. Why should Israel be any different.

Durson. You clearly know nothing about politics. Israel and the U.S. do have satellite surveillance and it might be in both their interests to whip up public support for a pre-emptive attack. However since Syria, Hizballah and Iran are all in one terrorist pot together it would open the area to a huge conflagration As for your idiotic comment about "The massive free meal of American Weapons" that is ultimate stupidity. Yes America does supply weapons to Israel as its proxy in the region. You have never seen one American soldier die in any conflict between Israel and the Arabs. That spans 62 years!!! Americans are the whores of the world. They give to whom they see fit and ONLY for their own reasons. Why don't you stop and think about what the Middle East would be like without Israel?? The oilfields would be on fire and Yelling Screaming Shiites and Sunnis would be butchering each other. Israel is their enemy in common and keeps them from killing each other. How nice!!!

..Health Care Bill. For only now have the world leaders come to terms, that the gracious president is a true mover and shaker. Notice that, the same day that said bill was voted on, in favor of the president, the jigsaw puzzle of START came into being. Had the gracious president failed on this bill, then he would have been a lame duck president until his term ends. Now, he will push all sides. Lets only hope that history will judge his actions vis a vis the ME and Iran in a fair manner. Syria, may well have mistaken his position. Then again, so maybe did Israel. The Administration is dancing to three different tunes. They have to learn to dance to one first. Have a nice day.

Not every time a nation has a proof in immediately. This is a negative attitude that you have by making it sound that everyone is dreaming about scuds being transferred. It is a fcat and Hizbulla had admitted on day one that they did receive them so dont shoot your mouth off and sound that you are an expert in military stratagy. Syria also admitted indirectly that is why he wanted a meeting with Egypt. You think this is a big joke but you dont realize the long term serious consequences in the region and then I would like to see where you will be hiding when it begins. Talk is cheap.

Nathalie is correct to ask for proof. The allegations that Syria has given Hezbollah Scud Missiles is akin to the accusations that Sadam Hussein was providing Al Qaeda with weapons of mass destruction. Which was used as the basis for going to war against Iraq. So if these allegations made by Israel are true then the basis used for war with Iraq would apply to Syria. So the acquistion of proof that Syria has sent Scuds to Hezbollah is slightly more serious than you have us believe. Bearing in mind that it is generally acknowledged that Syria has Chemical and Biological warheads available for their scuds.

Yes, our satellites are big and can see lots of stuff. But nobody told us where to point them and re-pointing them is very expensive. We're appeasing the Hawaiian Goddess of the Volcano, this week, Pele. Not Muslims. There is an airline industry to restore. So maybe the geniuses at the Ministry could give CIA the coordinates as to where those scuds are since they track everything. Scud hunting is not easy or cheap, even in open desert. We discovered that in 1990.

Israel is a soverign state and NOT a terrorist state that wants to go on a killing spree of civilians so as to demonstrate their power as a murderer. So, dont underestimate the power of Israel, scud or no scud it will be handled by the professional defence forces then the terrorists will be whining when their inocent civilians are killed because they were held as human sheilds to get support from the negative UN Human Rights. So.....settle down & dont get carried away.

A two-state solution is fine -- but it will not make groups like Hezbollah go away. They're still going to want to see Israel destroyed. Israel's very existence is the problem to them.

Seems to be a change of tactics for her. I don't remember her requiring such proof when she bullishly insisted that the Mossad were responsible for al-Mahbou's bogus assassination in Dubai based on the idiotic "proof" of that brilliant police chief.

"HEZBALLAH had no problem starting a war with missile barrages" Hizbollah raided an Isralei border post and captured a couple of IDF men. This sort of low level border activity had been going on for years. Israel also moved in and out of Lebanon and overflew Lebanon on a regular basis. In response to this particular border raid, Olmert racheted up the response, bombing Beruit and the Beruit airport. It was in response to this escalated Israeli attack which promped the Hizbollah rockets to begin. I know that the 2006 war did not go well for Israel. That's why Israels supporters try to "fix" it with inaccurate depictions. The important fact is that Hizbollah has faced Israel in two wars and won both of them. If you disagree, explain the 2000 withdrawal of the IDF from Lebanon, and the 2006 firings of the Israeli defense minister, chief of staff, and seven other IDF generals, along with the formation of the Winograd committee.

" The only time Israel has been at war is when she has been attacked " Steve, can you vow for that ? Or are you really either blind or ignorant of Israel false plea and presumption when it waged its wars. Did you read the Iron War by the scholar Avi Shlaim ? Or is it that you do not care to learn.?

Everybody knows that America and Israel have extensive satellite surveillance in the region. Israel also conducts regular overflights of Lebanon for the purpose of intelligence gathering. In spite of this, everybody is reacting to an article in a Kuwaiti newspaper? Does anybody have proof? Israel has always considered it in its own interest to conjure up an army of bogeymen arrayed against them. This helps justify the massive free meal of American weapons and allows Israel ample latitude for various actions. The world has learned to be skeptical of Israeli and American claims of this type. Let's just see a couple of those satellite photos.

Just wonder how are we? Again for you it is nothing but a War-game in which you think you can predict and divine out comes an you, and only you have te knowledge and insight. Dream on!

Cipora, of course you know best: you have personally seen these Scuds. Is that right? If not, could you give us just one scrap of evidence that you are right? Or is your belief so deeply rooted that it doesn't need evidence? And by the way, if your evidence is the statement by the Israeli government, then forgive us if some of are not totally convinced. We have seen an awful lot of whoppers coming from there over the last 43 years, starting with "these settlements in the West Bank are militarily necessary".

We know that Suyria has Scud missiles armed with chemical and biological warheads. Israel is accusing Syria of giving Scud missiles to Hezbollah's militia an entity that some states have declared as terrorists. We went to war against Iraq because of a central accusation that Iraq was passing WMD's to Al Qaeda. You tell me what I should surmise from Israel's assertions, and their motivations in doing so?

Do you think, the USA are no longer the "Big Satan" that must be destroyed once they surrender Israel to the Arabs and/or Persians?

Chris Lintwaite:"This could be a real problem in the near future. Hezbollah armed with chemical and biological weapons could lead to very interesting times" I guess it is all a game for Chrisie, isn't it? This explains all your previous remark and those to come.

Israel is screaming about the possibility that Syria might have passed Scud missiles to Hezbollah because the United States is on the way to normalising diplomatic relations with Syria. A development that Israel doesn't want to happen, as it would mark the taking of Syria off the bad guys list President Bush announced all those years ago at the behest of Israel before we attacked Iraq. A war fought primarily on behalf of Israel as Saddam was sponsoring suicide bombings in Israel to the tune of $25,000 a pop. Israel cannot defeat Hezbollah militarily as we saw in 2006. So Israel is now suggesting that Syria is providing Hezbollah with wmd's to get the world to do what Israel itself cannot do. WMD's were not found in Iraq, there is not a government in the civilised world who will believe Israel's assertions without a photograph, and a map showing where they are so we can check ourselves. The fact the States is saying the evidence is inconclusive suggests Israel cannot.

the us has the most powerful satellites available. as allang said the other day, scuds leave large footprints. hence, there is no doubt that syria has passed scuds to hezbollah. the us has made it very clear in the latest bulletins that it takes this transfer as a very troubling development. so do egypt and saudi arabia.

I'm sure Syria (and behind it, Iran) has been supplying Hizbullah with weapons and training for many years. This latest delivery is not particularly surprising or unusual but a precaution in light of the escalation and hot words exchanged between Israel & Syria.

CJK: "there is no doubt whatever that obama knows full well that syria has transferred scuds to hezbollah." You need to go to the State Department media briefing room, Cipora, and listen to Dan Crowley rather than to those little voices in your head. Here's the link: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/index.htm Crowley is crystal-clear: the USA takes the accusations VERY seriously, but the USA has NOT formed any opinion on wether the accusations are true or not. The accusation has come from the Israelis, you see, and the Israelis have blotted their copybook far too often for the USA to take anything it says at face-value. I know that you do, but the State Dept doesn't. You know "Boy who cried Wolf" 'n' all that....

Well, I never heard of an Israeli or Christian strapping on dynamite or explosives of any sort, to blow him or herself up in a civilian population, so don't give us the poor excuse that arabs or muslem's for that matter are misunderstood. Bull.... I just love Israel and the FREE world, free to think, free to criticise, free to travel, free to religion, free from terrorists ( Israel helps very much in that respect). Keep up the good work Israel.

egyptian and zionist is the same any way. and ho is making this stories. who ever it is seems to be a very good writer should write in the film rather than in the newspaper.

Joe....living in new york you should understand a little more. Was the attack on the WTC an act of self defense? Would you give Al Qaeda the right to have long range weapons? You really believe that Hezbollah/Iran are interested only in self defense. They do not live in a world like you and me. Don't think that you can understand them. You are wrong, wrong, wrong and your way of thinking will only bring more death and carnage to the whole world. stop religious extremism The only time Israel has been at war is when she has been attacked.

is that if Hezbollah has recieved deliveries of a Scud missile, it's current stance is that Lebanon will have to be attacked, as a Scud mssile is WMD capable with being armed with either a chemical or a biological warhead. Hence the phrase in this article. "Israel sees the missiles as symbolically significant rather than practically important. Some of Hezbollah's rockets are more accurate and their warheads could be almost as deadly." Seems intended to calm domestic opinion, rather than portraying the truth of this particular situation. What Israel calls a terrorist entity may have access to weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them. This could be a real problem in the near future. Hezbollah armed with chemical and biological weapons could lead to very interesting times, and if they are armed with Scud missiles you have to assume they have wmd's.

all over Northen Israel. Their allegiance is to the martyr Shiite ideology of the Mullah dictators not to the consequences of of starting another war and the effects on the people of Lebanon. They might learn a few things about Israeli missile defence and drones the hard way. Hopefully sanity will prevail but Hariri has no controll,he only has to step out of line and assasination is not far behind.

they have very powerful arsenal, the will to use it, and complete lack of judgement and consideration to human lifes. that is where the real danger is, scuds missiles are nothing.

Obviously the Arab World has taken this new development seriously. For Iran has just upped the ante. Using Syria as a proxy. Iran needs to heat up the Northern Border for its own political ambitions, this is what the Arab States are following. For they know that any peace deal with the Palestinians will be placed once again in limbo, whilst Israel deals with Hezbollah. There are literally millions of Palestinians living in the Arab States, without having the same rights as citizens in the host countries. For example, in Lebanon, Palestinians can only work in certain areas of the labor market. Certain regulations as to land or residential ownership is almost nil, even should they wish to build an add on to an existing abode they have to seek permits that are almost impossible. Obviously, a stateless people without basic rights are a political risk for any country. By giving them rights, the governments maintain that they are undermining the right of return, Clever, yet dangerous. G·day.

hizbollah militia got scuds from iran and syria during the last 4 years . hezbollah fighters were trained in iran and syria on using the rockets .the militia also got anti-aircrafts missiles to shoot down choppers and fighter jets .the militia is heavily armed and it counts now not less than 100 thousand members well-trained and ready to defend itself .

when the government in washington is led by a dangerous appeaser, a clear position will not be presented. there is no doubt whatever that obama knows full well that syria has transferred scuds to hezbollah. however, such an admission by obama would openly point to the utter failure of his so-called policy of engagement. if even assad, who has been assudiously courted by the hapless europeans, cannot be controlled in his terror activities, then clearly diplomacy has been shown to be an utter failure.

Why is it that whenever we hear any news about anyone arming in the ME Israel starts whining about "the balance of power"? Why is it allowed for Israel to arm itself to the teeth, and if someone else got any weapons, people start crying! Not that I support Syria or HA, but when Syria was going to get weapons from Russia, Israel complained about "the balance of power" being altered, when we hear of HA getting weapons, Israel complains about "the balance of power" shifting. Just as Irael has the right to have weapons to defend itself, other countries have the right to defend themselves, whether Israel likes it or not!!! I guess that Israel wants to be able to waltz into Lebanese airspace and bomb away without any air defences and to beat the crap out of civilians without any response either. It's like a heavy weight boxer going against a 5 year old...wow, now that's bravery....

Much more than two states and Iran should be connected

The Lebanese prime minister Hariri who has an ax to grind against Hisbollah said "It ain't so Joe".