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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Assad moving troops from Golan to Damascus: Israel |
| 2012-07-17 |
| Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has moved army forces from the Golan Heights area next to Israel toward Damascus and other internal conflict zones, the Israeli army intelligence chief said on Tuesday. As fighting rages between Assad's forces and rebels trying to oust his government, he has moved troops from the Syrian side of the disengagement line that divides the Golan Heights between Syria and Israeli-held territory, he said. "Assad has removed many of his forces that were in the Golan Heights to the areas of (internal) conflict," Major General Aviv Kochavi told MPs. "He's not afraid of Israel at this point, but mainly wants to augment his forces around Damascus," Kochavi said in remarks relayed by a Knesset spokesman. Fighting between Assad's forces and rebels trying to oust his government has raged in Damascus since Sunday, with some activists saying it marked a "turning point" in the 16-month revolt against the regime. Syria remains formally at war with Israel, which captured part of the Golan Heights in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed it in 1981 in a move which the international community does not recognise. But Kochavi said "the probability of a conflict between Israel and Syria as a last resort for Assad is low." He warned that "radical Islam" was gaining ground in Syria, saying the country was undergoing a process of "Iraqisation," with militant and tribal factions controlling different sectors of the country. "We can see an ongoing flow of Al-Qaeda and global jihad activists into Syria," he said. And with the Assad regime weakening, "the Golan Heights could become an arena of activity against Israel, similar to the situation in Sinai, as a result of growing jihad movement in Syria." Without committing to a time framework, Kochavi predicted that Assad "won't survive the upheaval," and said "Hezbollah and Iran are preparing for the day after Assad's fall." Kochavi also said Israel was closely monitoring the "possibility that advanced and unconventional arms would reach terror groups." Last month, Israel's deputy chief of the general staff, Major General Yair Naveh, said that Syria holds the "biggest chemical weapons arsenal in the world." |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 "he may be considering turning over some of his VX or Sarin gas warheads to the Al Qaeda jihadists" By dumping them on jihadists? Now that could get interesting. |
| Posted by: European Conservative 2012-07-17 20:58 |
| #8 If Assad's regime does fall due to the plans of the West - what is his last-ditch option? I'd say that he may be considering turning over some of his VX or Sarin gas warheads to the Al Qaeda jihadists. Think about it - it would be the ultimate revenge ... for him. |
| Posted by: Raider 2012-07-17 20:21 |
| #7 HHHHMMMMM, HHHMMMM, an intehwesting development, + one which covertly has my nose all twitchy. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-07-17 20:03 |
| #6 well there may be jihadis flowing in but that also means more of them will have their hands full killing each other off. |
| Posted by: chris 2012-07-17 17:27 |
| #5 When a regime can't keep the road from the capital to the airport open, its game over for them. Reports say this road has been cut. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2012-07-17 17:27 |
| #4 There were reports that Syrian troops on the Golan Heights were also having logistics issues. Logistics issues means there will be morale issues. Then again, if Assad decided to exercise the Syrian version of the Sampson option, it'd make sense to move intact military forces back to his areas of control. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2012-07-17 14:29 |
| #3 Or maybe not... "Israeli military intelligence chief warns jihadists move into Syria border area, may attack" |
| Posted by: newc 2012-07-17 14:19 |
| #2 Tails... for now. |
| Posted by: newc 2012-07-17 14:13 |
| #1 Where's that darned coin? HEADS: Israel pushes the border and sets up logistics centers and artillery in prep for an advance. TAILS: Israel remains 'aloof' while it's neighbor deals with issues of internal security hoping for a more moderate future government. |
| Posted by: Whavising Bluetooth1125 2012-07-17 12:41 |