LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 25/08

Bible Reading of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16,13-20. When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah.

Saint Hilary (c.315-367), Bishop of Poitiers, Doctor of the Church
Commentary on St Matthew's Gospel, 16/"You are... the Son of the living God."
The Lord had asked: «Who do people say that the Son of Man is?» To be sure, his bodily appearance made known the Son of Man but, in putting this question, he led people to understand that there was something else to be discerned over and above what could be seen... The object of the question was a mystery towards which the faith of the believer had to tend.
Peter's confession was fully recompensed as he deserved for having seen the Son of God within the man. «Blessed» is he, indeed, and praised for having penetrated beyond merely human sight, not looking to that which comes of flesh and blood but beholding the Son of God revealed by his heavenly Father. He was accounted worthy to be the first to recognise what it was in Christ that was of God. What a foundation he had the good fortune to give to the Church, on the basis of his new name! He became the rock worthy of building up the Church so that it might break the laws of hell... and every prison-house of death. O blessed gatekeeper of heaven, to whom were given the keys of entry to eternity! His judgement on earth becomes authoritative beforehand in heaven in such a way that what has been bound or loosed on earth becomes so also in heaven.
Jesus also commands his disciples not to tell anyone he is the Christ since others, namely the Law and the prophets, must be the witnesses of his Spirit, while witness to the resurrection belongs to the apostles. And just as the blessedness of those who know Christ in the Spirit was made known, so also was made known the danger of misunderstanding his humility and Passion.

Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special Reports
Troops capture suspected Hezbollah associates in Baghdad. By: Jim Kouri 24/08/08
Joe Biden, friend of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.By W. Thomas Smith Jr. 24/08/08
The problem is Putin, not the missiles.By Zvi Bar'el 24/08/08
'Syria dialogue endangers future deal'-Jerusalem Post 24/08/08

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for August 24/08
Hizbullah Discloses that Relations with Aoun's FPM Date Back to ...Naharnet
Sfeir Warns against Repeating Mistakes-Naharnet
Jumblat for Commitment to Taef and Armistice Accord-Naharnet
Troops capture suspected Hezbollah associates in Baghdad-renewamerica.us
Palestinian president to visit Lebanon-AFP
Syria shift on Lebanon suggests hard-liner softens-The Associated Press
MP Ahdab: Hizbullah Wants the State at its Service-Naharnet
Defense officials favor extending controversial 1701-Ha'aretz
Assad: Next round of Syria-Israel talks will be 'decisive'-Ha'aretz - Tel Aviv,Israel
Aoun Tours South Lebanon-Naharnet
Kouchner, Abul Gheit, Abbas due in Beirut as Aoun tours Border ...Naharnet
Hizbullah Discloses that Relations with Aoun's FPM Dates Back to the 1990s-Naharnet
Jumblat for Commitment to Taef and Armistice Accord-Naharnet

Kouchner, Abul Gheit, Abbas Due in Beirut as Aoun Tours Border Regions Abutting Israel
Naharnet/French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrives in Beirut Sunday for talks with Lebanese officials on progress of the Beirut-Damascus ties prior to visiting Syria to set the stage for President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit. Sarkozy's visit to Damascus, according to the pan-Arab daily al-Hayat, has been linked to progress in establishing diplomatic ties between Lebanon and Syria. Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit also is due in Beirut on Wednesday to relay a message to President Michel Suleiman from his Egyptian counterpart Husni Mubarak on bilateral relations and regional issues. Abul Gheit also would follow up in Beirut topics that Premier Fouad Saniora had raised during his recent visit to Cairo. One day after the Egyptian official's visit to the Lebanese capital, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to hold talks in Beirut with Suleiman and Lebanese officials on regional issues and bilateral relations. Meanwhile, Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun launches on Sunday a tour of south Lebanon to emphasize on his alliance with Hizbullah and declare backing to its resistance in confronting Israeli threats. Beirut, 24 Aug 08, 09:16

Hizbullah Declares its Concept of the Defense Strategy
Naharnet/Hizbullah on Sunday set its interpretation for the proposed defense strategy, saying it should focus on "cooperation and coordination between the Lebanese Army and the resistance in confronting Israeli aggressions on Lebanon." The head of Hizbullah's parliamentary bloc Mohammed Raad made the interpretation in an interview with the Kuwaiti Daily al-Anbaa. "This should set the criterion to choosing the army commander and director of intelligence," Raad added. Hizbullah's declared concept of the defense strategy contradicts that of the March 14 majority alliance that wants Hizbullah's Islamic Resistance absorbed in the regular force. Raad also criticized opponents of Hizbullah's call for expanding the agenda and list of participants in the National Dialogue Conference that President Michel Suleiman is to sponsor in line with the Doha Accord. Jumblat for Commitment to Taef and Armistice Accord
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Sunday said safeguarding the Taef Accord is a "central target of our political march regarding relations with Syria and the armistice accord." Jumblat was referring to the 1949 armistice accord between Lebanon and Israel.
The Taef accord, which ended the Lebanese civil war, calls for commitment to the armistice accord as well as for relations of mutual respect between Lebanon and Syria. Jumblat, during a tour of the Kharroub Province, expressed hope that the international tribunal will be operating by end of this year.
The tribunal is to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. Jumblat explained that he had called for reconciliation in Tripoli so that clashes in the northern city would not be used as a pretext for Syrian military intervention in Lebanon. Beirut, 24 Aug 08, 13:09

Troops capture suspected Hezbollah associates in Baghdad
Jim Kouri Jim Kouri
August 23, 2008
Coalition forces picked up two suspected associates of the Kataib Hezbollah criminal network during operations this morning in Baghdad's New Baghdad district, military officials reported during a teleconference with bloggers and Internet journalists.
Acting on intelligence tips, coalition forces raided the home of a suspected Kataib Hezbollah propaganda expert who is believed to have uploaded more than 30 attack videos to the criminal ring's now-defunct Web site. Coalition forces entered the house, where they detained two of the wanted man's brothers, who are believed to be involved in his criminal enterprises.
Coalition forces have detained more than 15 suspected members of Kataib Hezbollah in the last two months, officials said. Kataib Hezbollah is reported to receive funding, logistics, and weapons such as improvised rocket-assisted mortars from Iran. The group also is believed to receive guidance or direction from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In other operations today and yesterday, coalition forces in Iraq detained 16 suspected terrorists in the central and northern parts of the country.
An alleged weapons facilitator in Mosul is in coalition custody after forces captured him and six additional suspects today. The wanted man allegedly stores explosives for terrorist attacks and delivers weapons to foreign terrorists and suicide bombers. He also is assessed to have ties to al-Qaida senior leaders in Mosul, officials said.
Coalition forces captured a wanted man and three additional suspects today in Beiji, about 160 kilometers south of Mosul. The wanted man is suspected of directly conspiring with al-Qaida leaders to plan an attack using poison.
In Suwayrah, about 50 kilometers south of Baghdad, coalition forces detained a suspect today while targeting a man involved in the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network. An operation yesterday in Mosul targeted the same network and netted four suspected terrorists.
In operations Aug. 20, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained suspected Iranian-backed "special groups" leaders, and Iraqi security forces dismantled a homemade booby trap in southern Baghdad's Rashid district.
Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected terrorist linked to attacks using improvised explosive devices and suicide vests in Baghdad.
Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, working on actionable intelligence, arrested a suspected special groups criminal in West Rashid's Hadar neighborhood.
Meanwhile, in southwestern Baghdad's Risalah community, Iraqi National Police discovered a homemade booby trap. The police immediately dismantled the bomb and confiscated the bomb-making materials. The police moved the munitions to a combat outpost for temporary storage and notified an explosives ordnance disposal team.
**Jim Kouri, CPP is currently fifth vice-president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police. He's former chief at a New York City housing project in Washington Heights nicknamed "Crack City" by reporters covering the drug war in the 1980s. In addition, he served as director of public safety at a New Jersey university and director of security for several major organizations. He's also served on the National Drug Task Force and trained police and security officers throughout the country.
© Copyright 2008 by Jim Kouri
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kouri/080823

Sfeir Warns Against Repeating Mistakes
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Sunday warned against persisting differences, emphasizing on the need to unite "hearts and wills … to avoid falling into what we had fallen into." Sfeir's remark appeared tantamount to warning against renewed civil strife in Lebanon.
"It is wise to avoid evil before it falls among us," Sfeir said in his Sunday sermon at his summer seat in Diman.
He declared support for efforts aimed at allowing Lebanese expatriates to take part in the 2009 parliamentary elections. Beirut, 24 Aug 08, 14:19

MP Ahdab: Hizbullah Wants the State at its Service
Naharnet/MP Musbah Ahdab said Sunday a reconciliation with Hizbullah can only be achieved if the party admitted to have committed a "mistake against Beirut and its citizens." Ahdab, in an interview with the Mustaqbal daily, said the ill-fated memo of understanding between Hizbullah and Salafi groups was tantamount to "recognition by Hizbullah that Salafis are not terrorists." Hizbullah's activities in north Lebanon, according to Ahdab, are "not related to any resistance."
"Hizbullah wants the state of Lebanon to be at its service," he concluded. Beirut, 24 Aug 08,

Hizbullah Discloses that Relations with Aoun's FPM Dates Back to the 1990s
Naharnet/Hizbullah MP Ali Ammar disclosed on Sunday that contacts with Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement started in the 1990s. Ammar made the statement in an interview with OTV, mouthpiece of the FPM. Aoun, according to Ammar, represents Lebanon's "pluralist nature and joint existence." Aoun's visit to south Lebanon is a "message to the Israeli enemy that we are keen on our country which contradicts the Zionist entity," Ammar said. The alliance between Hizbullah and the FPM would "persist," Ammar added. Beirut, 24 Aug 08, 13:52

Jumblat for Commitment to Taef and Armistice Accord
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat on Sunday said safeguarding the Taef Accord is a "central target of our political march regarding relations with Syria and the armistice accord." Jumblat was referring to the 1949 armistice accord between Lebanon and Israel. The Taef accord, which ended the Lebanese civil war, calls for commitment to the armistice accord as well as for relations of mutual respect between Lebanon and Syria. Jumblat, during a tour of the Kharroub Province, expressed hope that the international tribunal will be operating by end of this year. The tribunal is to try suspects in the 2005 assassination of ex-Premier Rafik Hariri and related crimes. Jumblat explained that he had called for reconciliation in Tripoli so that clashes in the northern city would not be used as a pretext for Syrian military intervention in Lebanon. Beirut, 24 Aug 08, 13:09

Aoun Tours South Lebanon
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun arrived in south Lebanon on Sunday, accompanied by Hizbullah officials, in his first ever visit to the region abutting Israel in nearly 32 years. Hizbullah's official in south Lebanon Sheik Nabil Qaouq accompanied Aoun to the graveyard of "Qana Martyrs" southeast of Tyre, where he would lay a wreath in respect to victims who fell in Israel's 1996 bombing of the region during its self-proclaimed "grapes of wrath" war with Hizbullah. Aoun would also visit the southern Christian village of Rmeich to attend a mass and lay a wreath at the grave of Gen. Francois Hajj, the former chief of the Lebanese Army's operations who was killed in a bomb blast targeting his car last year. Aoun is to address a rally at the southern town of Bint Jbeil, reputed as Hizbullah's capital in the region patrolled by U.N. peacekeepers. The FPM leader would also address a rally at the inland southern town of Jezzine, the largest Christian population center in south Lebanon. Beirut, 24 Aug 08, 10:11

5 Wounded in Tariq Jedideh Unrest, Mustaqbal Movement Will Not Accept Punishment
Naharnet/A late night clash over the seizure of illegal bikes in Beirut's Tariq Jedideh neighborhood left five people wounded and MP Ammar Houri warned Saturday Mustaqbal Movement will not accept punishment while other districts remain off-limits to state authority. "Why is all that excessive force being used against the residents of this paricular area?" Houri asked in a statement. "Do turning streets and squares of Tariq Jedideh into war arenas help resolve the issue of illegal bikes?" Houri questioned. Tariq Jedideh "is not above the law," Houri stressed. "Yet, we will not accept this neighborhood to be punished while other districts remain off-limits to state authority," Houri warned. Rioters from Tarik Jedideh protested after police and Lebanese army troops set up joint checkpoints late Friday as part of law-enforcement measures to seize illegal motorbikes. Bike owners, protesting the measure, crowded outside Tariq Jedideh's police station after their motorbikes were handed over to the department. Violence, including smashing of cars, soon developed, prompting Lebanese army troops to fire shots in the air to disperse the rioters. Tear gas was also used to separate the crowd. Unrest soon spread to nearby Qasqas where rioters destroyed cars, also prompting army troops to step in, firing shots in the air. Beirut, 23 Aug 08, 08:06

Army Command to Alloush: Military Will Never Take Sides
Naharnet/The Lebanese army command on Saturday responded to MP Mustafa Alloush who has claimed that weapons were being allowed to pass through Lebanese army checkpoints into the pro-Hizbullah district of Baal Mohsen in the northern city of Tripoli. "The military was not and will never ever take sides in any internal conflict," an army communiqué said. Alloush charged in a TV interview on Friday that Baal Mohsen was "obtaining weapons through Lebanese Army checkpoints." "I don't know if this is being done secretly or by looking to the other direction," he said. Alloush said his remark should be regarded as officially informing the attorney general's office. The charge made by Alloush, a member of the Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc, is a serious accusation and the first such public comment by a Lebanese official. By force of law, the attorney general's office is obliged to investigate Alloush's charge. Baal Mohsen has been engaged in intermittent clashes with the pro-majority adjacent district of Bab al-Tabbaneh for over two months. Beirut, 23 Aug 08, 12:45

Debate on Electoral Divisions Tuesday, Security Appointments Thursday
Naharnet/Parliament is to meet next Tuesday in an effort to adopt the Qadaa-based elections law of 1960 while re-considering the policy on the distribution of constituency seats in accordance with the 2005 law. Meanwhile, intensive contacts were underway to reach consensus on Lebanon's new army commander. Sources from both the ruling March 14 coalition and the Hizbullah-led March 8 Forces said picking the "right man for the job" would likely be finalized in Thursday's Cabinet session. Beirut, 23 Aug 08, 09:42

Defense officials favor extending controversial 1701
By Barak Ravid - Haaretz
Despite the harsh criticism Defense Minister Ehud Barak has voiced over the past few weeks about UN Resolution 1701, the defense establishment recommended last week that Israel support extending the mandate of the enlarged international force deployed in southern Lebanon.
The UN Security Council is expected to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year on August 27, UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced last week. The force consists of 12,000 troops from various nations. Advertisement
On Friday, Ban sent a letter to Belgian UN envoy Jan Grauls, this month's Council chair, recommending extending UNIFIL's mandate until August 31, 2009, at the Lebanese government's request.
Once UNIFIL's mandate has been extended, the Defense Ministry recommends that Israel campaign to expand the troops' power to engage hostile forces on the ground. Defense officials have often complained that UNIFIL forces are not determined enough to block an armed Hezbollah presence in South Lebanon.
Barak has been campaigning strongly against Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the Second Lebanon War, repeatedly calling it a failure and a serious miscalculation by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Barak says Resolution 1701 has collapsed and UNIFIL has failed to prevent Hezbollah from accumulating more power. In an interview with Army Radio last week, Barak said that Kadima front-runner, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, was unfit to make decisions about Israel's security and that the pride she takes in contributing to the passing of Resolution 1701 casts serious doubt on her judgment.

Joe Biden, friend of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
By W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Sen. Joe Biden – Barack Obama’s eagerly anticipated running mate – should be named an honorary soldier in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). We’re all familiar with the IRGC: Iran’s unique corps of Islamist fighters who have been directly involved in deadly attacks against U.S. soldiers in Iraq – even Afghanistan – threatening our ships in the Persian Gulf; and organizing, training, equipping, funding, and providing direct operational support to Lebanon-based Hezbollah (perhaps the most dangerous terrorist army on earth). And that’s just for starters.
Also known as the Pasdaran, the IRGC is not Iran’s conventional territorial armed force, but the military force of the Khomeinist-inspired Islamic Revolution. The organization fields an army, a navy, and an air force, as well as an extranational special-operations force known as the Quds (Jerusalem) Force.
Iran, of course, is a “state sponsor of terrorism,” so-designated by the U.S. State Department back in 1984. And the IRGC and its Quds Force were both designated “supporters of terrorism” in October 2007. Though the latter two designations would not have been so had Biden had his way.
On September 26, 2007, Biden voted “Nay” to Senate Amendment 3017 (S. Amdt. 3017) – a piece of legislation amending S. Amdt. 2011 to H.R. 1585 – “to express the sense of the Senate regarding Iran.”
In a nutshell, S. Amdt. 3017 called on the Senate to: “Support the prudent and calibrated use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy … with respect to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies.”
And most importantly – for the sake of sanctions and the unequivocal denial of any form of support to terrorists and terrorist supporters – the amendment said, “the United States should designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps as a foreign terrorist organization … and place the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps on the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”
The text of the amendment included Congressional testimony from then-commander of Multi-National-Force Iraq Gen. David Petraeus, who said, “Iran, through the use of the Iranian Republican Guard Corps Quds Force, seeks to turn the Shiia militia extremists into a Hezbollah-like force to serve its interests and fight a proxy war against the Iraqi state and coalition forces in Iraq.”
The amendment also included corroborating testimony from U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker; retired Marine Gen. James Jones, who chaired the Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq; Defense Department and independent reports; the most recent National Intelligence Estimate on Iraq at that time; captured Iranian documents; even the public comments of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, who said: “The political power of the occupiers [the United States and allied foreign forces in Iraq] is collapsing rapidly. Soon we will see a huge power vacuum in the region. Of course we are prepared to fill the gap.”
Nevertheless, when it came time to vote on the measure, Biden said, “no.” Instead, he went on – in forthcoming speeches and blustering – to threaten Pres. George Bush with impeachment if the president unilaterally attacked Iran.
According to an article in New Hampshire’s Seacoast Online: “Biden said the best deterrent to prevent pre-emptive military action in Iran is to make it clear, even if it is at the end of his final term, action will be taken against Bush to ensure ‘his legacy will be marred for all time.’”
So Biden threatens a sitting president of the United States with impeachment and the marring of his legacy “for all time.” He warns against striking Iran – a rogue terrorist-sponsoring nation that kills American soldiers, refuses to curb its nuclear development program, serves as the primary benefactor to Hezbollah, and threatens nations with annihilation. And he flatly refuses to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization.
Obama, who didn’t participate in the vote on S. Amdt. 3017, spoke out against the amendment, calling it “excessively provocative.” But in an attempt to cover himself and appear strong, pointed to his co-sponsorship of the inconclusive Iran Counter-Proliferation Act (March 2007), which calls for the terrorist-designation of the IRGC (There were actually 72 co-sponsors of that bill). Fine. It’s one thing to propose and talk about countering terrorism. It’s quite another to actively and aggressively counter terrorism, pressing actions to conclusion, which Obama failed to do and Biden blatantly refused to do.
Still Biden’s refusal to name the IRGC a terrorist organization had its supporters: Surely, the ayatollahs backed Biden’s “nay” vote. And among Biden’s colleagues was Sen. John Edwards who – in a Nov. 2007 campaign speech – said he applauded Biden’s vote, and in the same breath referred to the IRGC as just “a government-run militia.” That was just a few days after the IRGC and its Quds Force had been designated “supporters of terrorism” by the U.S. State Department.
At any rate, S. Amdt. 3017 passed: No thanks to Biden who – by his rejection of the amendment and threats aimed at a sitting president – clearly provided indirect support to terrorists. Perhaps the word, “indirect,” is letting him off the hook
***W. Thomas Smith Jr. – a former U.S. Marine rifle-squad leader and counterterrorism instructor – is a journalist, author, and military analyst whose work has appeared in the New York Post, USA TODAY, U.S. News & World Report, BusinessWeek, CBS News, and many others. Smith writes about military/defense issues and has covered conflict in the Balkans, on the West Bank, in Iraq and Lebanon. Visit him online at uswriter.com.

'Syria dialogue endangers future deal'
By REBECCA ANNA STOIL
"The negotiations carried out by this government have caused serious damage to Israel's status," Sa'ar said. "The Syrian government got red carpets in Paris, and received international legitimacy without their stances changing by a centimeter. Last month, Assad visited Teheran after Paris, to emphasize that he is still loyal to them [the Iranians]. And he traveled to Russia in the face of the entire Western world."
Sa'ar described attempts to wean Damascus from its ties to the Islamic Republic as "absurd."
"The West has worked for years to bring Syria to normalization and their attempts haven't worked. The thought that what the entire world couldn't do, we can do by giving them the Golan Height is naïve," he said.
Things were no better on the Palestinian front, Sa'ar said.
"The insane offers made by Olmert in his attempts to reach a final-status agreement will make it much harder for us to carry out future negotiations after so much has already been put on the table," he said, warning that just as in the case of Syria, the real danger behind failure to advance Israel's interests in the West Bank lied not across the Green Line, but hundreds of kilometers away in Teheran.
"The right way to look at the reality in the region is through the Iranian lens. Iran is challenging the dominance of United States in the region. Teheran has flooded Israel with its emissaries - in the north with Hizbullah and in the south, following disengagement, with Hamas in Gaza. Now the new danger is in the West Bank and the Golan Heights - and that is what negotiations under the current conditions could produce."
The solution, he argues, is not to continue with negotiations, but rather to wait until Iran has been weakened - possibly one of the "difficult security decisions" that Sa'ar said are likely to be made by Israel next spring. Those decisions, he warned, would demand a broad mandate and legitimacy that the current government would be unable to deliver. Only the election of a Likud government in spring elections, Sa'ar said, would pave the way for a unity government that could make such decisions.
"A unity government must be created after the election. I hope that we will be able to establish one, because the security situation demands it. Such a government would include our partners in the national camp but with at least one party from the other side. Right now there are two candidates - Kadima and Labor. The security challenges are such that we will have to do so while still staying to our [ideological] path. But we must widen the base of legitimacy because there will be very serious decisions and thus there must be a strong, broad-based government, but also a government with a clear direction."

Syrian Request For Russian Missiles a Ploy for US Intervention
by Ze'ev Ben-Yechiel -Aratz Shiva
“Syria was planning to acquire the weapons systems a long time before the negotiations between Israel and Syria were resumed. [The Syrians] have been trying to do so for a very long time as part of their policy, and this is not something new,” said Shalom.
Syria’s announcement last week that it plans to purchase arms from Russia, including long-range missiles and fighter jets, is aimed at getting the United States involved in a new round of Israeli-Syrian peace talks, according to Israeli sources.
Prior to last Thursday’s talks in Russia between President Dmitry Medvedev and Syrian President Bashar Assad, the latter hinted that he would consider a deal with Moscow to place Russian missiles on Syrian soil as a countermeasure to U.S.-made NATO missiles recently installed in Poland. On the first day of the talks, Russian officials were quoted as saying that the sale of a wide array of advanced weaponry, including long-range missiles and MIG-31 fighter jets, was a key item on the agenda.
In Israel, senior defense officials reacted on Saturday by saying that, to the best of their knowledge, Russia has no plans to sell the arms to Syria. According to the sources, Assad requested Russian weapons in an attempt to pressure the White House to become more involved with the ongoing peace talks between Israel and Syria. Israel recently concluded its fourth round of indirect talks with the hostile Arab regime, in the mediating country Turkey.
Russians Promised No Balance-Changing Weapons Sales
The Israelis said that Russia had promised not to sell any weaponry to Syria that would violate the regional balance of power in the Middle East. That "promise" perhaps referred to a statement by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, that his country was considering arms sales to Syria, but that Russia was “indeed prepared to sell only defensive weapons which do not violate the regional balance of power.” The acting Russian ambassador to Israel, Anatoly Yurkov, was also quoted as saying that Russia had no intention of installing the advanced Iskander missile system in Syria.
"The Syrians are making noise about the weapons deals to pressure the U.S. to provide sponsorship for the talks," said one of the Israeli defense sources. He explained that "[t]he Syrians are hoping to use the talks with Israel to gain more credit and strengthen ties with the U.S."
The Iskander: A Considerable Threat
Among the weapons that were claimed to be under discussion, the S-300 surface-to-air (SAM) missiles and the Iskanders worried Israeli officials most.
The export version of the Iskander missiles have a range of 280 kilometers, and if fired from Syria’s border at the Golan Heights, could hit almost every major population center and military target in Israel. Each such missile has the capability to destroy critical civilian infrastructure facilities, such as roads, bridges and large buildings; enemy rocket and missile equipment in the air or on the ground, including missile defense systems; and it can wreak havoc on civilian and military aircraft on the ground. It is classified as a quasi-ballistic missile, a recent innovation allowing for a lower flight trajectory, making it much harder to predict where it will hit.
Israeli MKs: Syria Does Want Those Missiles
MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) told IsraelNationalNews on Sunday that he believes Syria’s attempts at acquiring missiles is genuine, and dismissed the theory that Assad is feigning in order to alarm and pressure the United States to intervene in the Israel-Syria negotiations.
“Syria was planning to acquire the weapons systems a long time before the negotiations between Israel and Syria were resumed. [The Syrians] have been trying to do so for a very long time as part of their policy, and this is not something new,” said Shalom.
“So I cannot accept it…. I cannot really buy it,” said Shalom about the coercion theory. “This is their policy: On the one hand, to support axis of evil countries like Iran in their terrorist activities and to get more missiles.” On the other hand, said the Israeli parliamentarian, the Syrians are striving to “show themselves as willing to move toward a peace treaty with Israel, and [convince the world] they in fact accept it already,” while Israel is still weighing its options.
MK Shalom said earlier that Israel should demand that Moscow refrain from "arming its enemies."
"Arming Syria would lead to a strategic change and could destabilize the Middle East and the world," he noted.
Fellow Likud member MK Yuval Steinitz echoed the doubts of his colleague. “This is over-sophistication,” he said. “You have to take it as it is. Syria is trying to rearm not just itself but the entire Middle East against Israel, and we are now facing the possibility that the axis of evil stretching from Iran through Syria to Lebanon, which is now dominated by Hizbullah, will now gain Russian military assistance.
“I think that Syria is eager to get longer-range missiles, both ground-to-ground Iskander missiles, and also long-range anti-aircraft and long-range anti-ship missiles that will enable Syria not only to threaten every military target inside Israel, but also to threaten Israeli airspace and Israeli waters from Syria. And this is of course the real threat.”