Iran Syria under heavy surveillance

Heavy storm exposes Russian Syria-based spy ship off Israel shore

February 22, 2008, 2:27 PM (GMT+02:00)

Rescued Russian spy ship in Greek port

DEBKAfile’s military sources reveal that the Russian Amur 1 Class PM 138 naval boat, caught up in the heavy storm raging across the Middle East and Mediterranean last week, flashed a distress signal Tuesday Feb. 19. A Greek Navy frigate responded to the call and escorted the PM 138 to the island of Chios.

DEBKAfile’s military sources point out:

1. Russian naval vessels are spending long periods running into months at the Syrian military bases of Latakia and Tartous.

2. Witnesses in Greece say the vessel, described officially as an auxiliary repair craft, boasted an unusual number of antennas for gathering intelligence.
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Nasrallah declares Israel “will definitely cease to exist” in next war

February 22, 2008, 6:22 PM (GMT+02:00)

The Hizballah leader, in his most vituperative speech against Israel ever, said Friday, Feb. 22: “Arab opposition, including Syria, and popular opposition will eliminate Israel; its armed forces will be defeated and Israel will be left with no army. We will fight as we have never fought before.”

Nasrallah pledged “Mughniyeh’s blood would not go unpunished.

DEBKAfile: On Feb. 20, Israeli chief of staff, Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi indicated Hizballah planned to seize on an Israeli ground offensive against Gazan missiles to launch a revenge attack in the north.
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Iran’s “covert efforts to weaponize nuclear work" cited in new IAEA report

February 22, 2008, 6:56 PM (GMT+02:00)

This work links uranium processing, high explosives tests and designs for a missile warhead, the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog said Friday, Feb. 22, in a report on which a decision on a third round of UN Security Council sanctions depends.

“Iran had shown new openness” about earlier nuclear advances, said the report, “but not enough to prove its program is not geared to making bombs.”

The report also confirmed Iran was testing technology that “could give it the means to enrich uranium much faster - in further defiance of demands to halt all sensitive nuclear activity or be hit with wider U.N. sanctions.
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