Several months after the leaders of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG) issued "corrective studies" delegitimizing the killing of civilians under the pretext of jihad, al-Qaeda leaders have still not issued a response to what appears to be one of the most serious challenges to their ideology to date.
Syrian T-80 tank facing South Lebanon, northern Israel
Lebanese sources and eye witnesses report Syrian tanks, artillery and commando units have taken up battle positions in four villages around Hasbaya opposite Mt. Hermon and northern Israel.
According to DEBKAfile’s military sources, Syrian tanks and artillery units continued to move into their new positions Sunday and Monday, Nov. 2-3, so completing their deployment the full length of the Syrian-Lebanese border. Elements of the Syrian 10th, 12th and 14th Divisions and the 3rd Army - withdrawn last week from the 600-km long Syrian-Iraq border - are now poised opposite Israeli positions holding the disputed Shebaa Farms enclave on Mt. Hermon.
Military sources say that whereas opposite the northeastern Tripoli region, Syrian forces are strung out in small clusters of 2 to 3 tanks one or more kilometers apart, their tank units are massed tightly opposite Mt. Hermon and northern Israel.
There are other differences: Heavy Syrian armor is positioned well back from the front-line infantry and commando troops in the north, whereas tanks, artillery and special forces are deployed right up to the border opposite South Lebanon and Israel.
Western and Lebanese military observers relate Syria’s military movements to Damascus’ threats, growing more strident Sunday, of “painful punishment” for the US Oct. 26 raid in northern Syria unless Washington apologizes, clarifies its action and pays compensation.
These observers stress that Damascus has no real expectation of a US apology or clarification, because Syria knows as well as the US that the target was its own forward military base for terrorist strikes in Iraq.
While insisting that an innocent farm was attacked and the 8 people killed were all civilians, the Syrians are taking advantage of the Bush administration’s silence to argue that Damascus has the same right as Washington to carry out cross-border attacks against “terrorist targets” i.e. in Lebanon and Israel. Damascus is winding the tensions up to a pitch where some military action against a US Middle East target or ally in Lebanon or Israel is becoming hard to avoid.
Senior IDF officers and some Western military sources are perplexed by the Israeli government’s failure to pursue deterrent action against the Syrian tanks poised in battle array on its border. Instead, the outgoing prime minister Ehud Olmert is busy trying to reviving indirect talks with Syria before he quits, while defense minister Ehud Barak and Kadima leader Tzipi Livni appear unconcerned.
US-Syrian crisis intensifies, Damascus embassy may close
DEBKAfile Special Report
October 29, 2008, 2:07 PM (GMT+02:00)
US embassy in Damascus on alert
The American embassy in Syria has warned US nationals to remain alert, avoid demonstrations and prepare for the mission’s possible closure to the public.
The warning was posted Monday, Oct. 27, the day after US troops landing in helicopters raided a site near Abu Kemal in eastern Syria.
It followed a Syrian threat of “painful responses” for the American attack. The US embassy’s Web site warned that “unforeseen events could cause the embassy to close to the public.” DEBKAfile’s sources report that the embassy is preparing for extreme events, such as possibly a Syrian military siege of the embassy, violent demonstrations or even a direct attack that would force the evacuation of staff.
Those sources believe that the Assad government’s closure of the American cultural and school Monday and protest to the UN Secretary General and Security Council Chairman were only the beginning and that more extreme steps are in store in Syria and Iraq.
Following pressure from Tehran, the Baghdad government denounced the American incursion into Syria after first accusing Damascus of cross-border terror against Iraq.
By Gerald; Internet Anthropologist Think Tank Oct 5, 08
We are picking up some noise and chatter about Syaria Nuke attempts. Support from Moles, sources, BSUs, and OSINT.
The reactor at Deir al-Zor that was bombed was nearly identical to the N Korean reactor at Yongbyon that can only produce (small amounts) of weapons-grade plutonium. No fuel was there but start-up was only months away. That site has been under construction/planning for over ten years. The secret tunneling to bring water in from the Euphrates started many years before that.
Mossad has significant penetration into Syrian security and is steadily killing the leadership of Syria's nuke program. The Syrian colonel killed by car bomb, in Damascus, outside the headquarters of the Palestine branch of Syrian security, last week and the sniper assassination of senior Syrian security official, Gen. Mohammed Suleiman, in Tartus were nuke program related.
The Syrians wised up and took note of the Iranian program to scatter nuke sites all over Syria. Upwards of 31 locations are believed to be related and highly secretive.
N Korean is all over the Syrian program. Syria has the money and the desire to do it,
Iran is looking to do a underground test. Iran is the game changer because their bomb is Hezbollah's bomb.
Regarding Lebanon, the next Israeli/Hezbollah war will see a much more massive strike from Israel, occupation of all Lebanon.
Our BSU's and paradigm Intel indicates al Qaeda has some nuclear material and are looking for
instructions on how to use it.
They have been researching this for over a month.
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Here is a photo of an offshore FBX-T. We have many forward sensor stations like this, such as in Poland, Czech Republic, etc. And many on our Aegis cruisers.
The Israeli installation adds to the over-lapping grid of radar we are establishing. Having forward sensors ringing the Middle East and N Korea adds to our probability of detecting launch phase trajectories of ICBM's, that is the key. Knowing the destination and range of an ICBM tells us whether it is a test or a hostile launch so that we can respond accordingly.
In a conflict, Iran will likely launch many Shahabs, before and during, hoping to mask their real target by over-whelming our detection. ICBM's are the primary threat to us and our allies, as they are the most deliverable ordnance we face. The global network of detection eventually neutralizes that problem.
Having a very timely and accurate detection of test launches has an underlying goal, finding Iran's hidden launch sites. Iran has very hardened sites in uncertain locations. Launch phase detection and our subsequent "triangulation" spots those sites.
The reason the Ruskies are so mad about Poland, etc. is that they are trying to sell weapon systems to Iran and our radar defenses make those systems obsolete and hard to sell. We want Russia, Iran, N Korea out of the ICBM business for good and this global system makes their efforts futile and not marketable to say a Venezuela or Cuba.....
Tehran offers to share its "nuclear experience" with Syria
June 18, 2008, 7:03 PM (GMT+02:00) Iranian Ambassador Ahmed Moussavi
The offer came from Iran's ambassador to Syria, Sayyed Ahmed Moussavi. He cited July 7 as the date for their officials to meet.
DEBKAfile's military sources say Iran's willingness to defy its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty by offering a nuclear capability to Syria across the border from Israel brings Tehran's threat to wipe Israel off the map much closer to home. It is a mark of contempt for Washington and the US-led Western sanctions
A Venezuelan diplomat and a businessman use their positions to fund Hezbollah's operations, as well and help operatives travel across the Middle East and to South America.
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Saudi minister: Al-Qaeda changing style, we are expecting the worst
Jun 18, 2008, 8:22 GMT
Riyadh - Saudi Arabia is expecting the worst from the al- Qaeda terror network because the group is changing its style and techniques but the kingdom is uncovering more details about its sources of funding, the Saudi Minister of Interior said in remarks published Wednesday.
GAZA CITY, June 17, 2008 (MENASSAT) – The Palestinian Islamist movement, Islamic Jihad, has added a cyber-war division to its armed Al-Quds Brigades.
It was a response to years of attacks by Israeli hackers, and according to the Brigades spokesman, Abu Hamza, it equals the playing field in cyber-space.
"The Israeli's have worked very hard the past few years on monitoring all the Palestinian websites, especially those of Islamic Jihad and Al-Quds Brigades," Hamza told MENASSAT.
While on a virtual picnic on the WWW one of Company "C" troopers ran into ayatollah Farehd. And with her best charming virtual personalty got him to explain the Khamemini's secret war plans. this is what he said:
I am on the Iranian council, of Khamenei, ( his hat Was charming. )
I believe the Americans are a paper tiger. After all, we held Americans hostage for a year, have warred against them in Iraq, and done other stuff with no consequences meaningful to us.
I have lots of assets. I have a recently developed nuke, and means of delivery. I have Hezbollah, thus control Lebanon, an alliance with AQ, and relations with Hamas and Fatah as well. Have the ability to attack in Iraq and Afghanistan. My ally Syria has many of the missing weapons of Saddam. Iran 4 front missile comand.
I or my allies have agents in the US, Britain, and throughout Europe, in India, and worldwide. These agents have identified targets, and are ready to move. Probably have agents inside Israel, also ready.
I have alliances of a sort with Venezuela and North Korea. Though most Arab countries don't like me much, they like me better than the US and Israel, and we have important interests in common. I know things about them the west doesn't know. Plus I can intimidate them with my nukes.
Persians invented chess. So the plan includes surprise, misdirection and distraction. My pieces are in place, but timing is a question.
Even if US is a paper tiger, I want to act when US is weakest and most confused. Lame duck president is known to be aggressive, still capable of action. If I believe McCain is likely, November/December will be attractive. If Obama is likely, after January may be better. If I'm uncertain of being able to accurately gauge election probability, then right after a setback for Bush may be best. Considering experts in the US can't predict election results, the last may appeal most. Don't want to lose a window of opportunity.
The Supreme Court decision re Guantanamo, or something similar, might suffice as a setback for Bush.
Other factors re timing:
Wait: My weapons may need more testing/development. US displays increased aggression re Pakistan. AQ is not quite ready in Palestine. Recent attention to weapons I shipped to Hezbollah. If the nuke is ready, others factors are not too important.
Move ASAP: Political rebellion in Iran, supported by US, adds pressure to move when able. US gains in Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkey acts against terrorism. US distracted by major floods and election hoopla. I see most US alliances as weak right now. Israel ruler weakened, act before he is replaced.
Goal: wipe out Israel, humiliate the US, establish Iran as a power, and manipulate God into bringing the Mahdi now and making Islam supreme. This last makes sense to me, seems a reasonable undertaking. We have personal suicide bombing now the world will see State suicide nuclear bomb, to bring on the Mahdi.
My scenario:
Ally Syria distracts Israel with negotiations, the Golan issue appears plausible, provides potential hostages. Egypt negotiates re Hamas, may not relate to me, but I don't mind, muddies the water.
Once Israel is committed in Gaza, make a big political stink in the UN, rouse the ME street. At the same time, Venezuela and N. Korea make some waves, create a ruckus.Palestinian TERROR GROUPS
I plan to deter and dismay the US by a rapid succession of surprises: terror attacks on US homeland and ally Britain, attacks in India, and elsewhere. Particular focus on European attacks to defuse NATO. Iran's pay-for-performance ... Coordinated attacks in Iraq & Afghanistan using not only expected insurgents and techniques, but infiltrated agents. May use Saddam's weapons, might even threaten Baghdad with a nuke, play on Western humanitarian weakness. Hezbollah's Cyber attacks, disrupt communication. The longer it takes the US to assess the intent of the attacks, the more likely success.
I nuke Israel. Their retaliation will be confused, and my facilities are hardened. I have missile defense. Iran will push the button
Agents in Israel take control of possible assets, hostages, engage in terror strikes. Hezbollah attacks, Hamas uses advanced weapons I have supplied. Syria moves in. What Iranian forces can be spared from Iraq move in. I hope that Egypt and other Arab countries that hate Israel jump in, I have some influence in those countries. Persians SKUNK Arabs. My prediction is that once they see I meant what I said, they will be reluctant to defy the new regional power, and at the minimum will not interfere. My nuke will be influential.
A weapon is meaningless if its possessor is unwilling to use it. I believe the US will not use nukes at all - too timid and concerned about approval of world community. Israel might in retaliation, but not in initial attack. I believe I can prevent, withstand, or deter Israel's retaliation. I'm not concerned about the people of Iran, they exist to support the Islamic Revolution. Thus once I use my nukes, mine are more powerful than those belonging to the unwilling. If I can envelope and seriously menace Israel fast enough, Israel itself will be hostage against the US. Only rapid overwhelming force against Iran could stop me. I can then destroy Israel, while promising not to and engaging in diplomacy. Europe, and probably the US, will dither. China and Russia will only pretend to care.
Speed is essential. However if the attack on Israel is not successful within a couple days, need to be able to maintain the illusion of deniability ( al Qaeda ) and Hamas attacks to allow needed time to destroy Israel. Must maintain power of public opinion to hamstring action.
Once the US engages in defense of Israel, events become unpredictable, other countries including Russia and China engage, and the situation goes out of control. I can threaten the US and Europe that I still have agents in place for more terror attacks. I trust to my political skills to ride the tide of events, and hopefully the Mahdi will take charge then. Islam and sharia will reign.
Ayatollah Farehd
A production of the staff at Company C. Sourced from still classified material from terrorist sites. Unreleased Paradigm Intel and posts linked in article .
The immediate surrender of the Lebanese government and the March 14 Forces to Hizbullah's demands, after they were taken by surprise by the force and determination of Hizbullah's and Amal's violent actions, has not alleviated the Lebanon crisis. On the contrary: The Hizbullah and Amal victory, which Iran is presenting as its own victory over the U.S. in the region,(1) will step up pressure for regime change in Lebanon. Such a change, when it comes, will have a critical impact on the security of the Arab regimes allied with the U.S. and on the security of Israel, which will then face Iranian forces on its northern border as well as the possibility of a unified front stretching from Iran through Iraq to Syria and Lebanon, all the way to the Mediterranean.
Hizbullah and Amal, which are continuing their violent attacks against the militias of Sa'd Al-Hariri and Walid Jumblatt in northern Lebanon and in the Lebanon Mountains while maintaining their control over most of Beirut, are focusing their political pressure on the Lebanese government in order to force it to resign. A former MP affiliated with the opposition, Wiyam Wahhab, called on the Lebanese Army to seize the government building, the Saraya, from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Al-Siniora, whom he accused of rebelling against the constitution.(2) The Druze head of the opposition-affiliated Lebanese Democratic Party called on Jumblatt's supporters to immediately surrender their weapons to the Lebanese Army in order to prevent renewed hostilities in the Lebanon Mountains.(3)
In an interview with the London daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi, Jumblatt said that Hizbullah and Iran had triumphed in the Beirut operation, and that "Hizbullah had made its move as soon as it detected a weakness in the U.S. position in the Middle East, thereby effecting a drastic change in the power balance in Lebanon." He continued, "Now we are waiting for Hizbullah, Iran, and Syria to determine the rules of the game."(4)
On May 12, 2008, an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers convened in Cairo. Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Al-Mu'allem did not attend, in line with a Syria-Qatar agreement to prevent Arab intervention against Hizbullah by terming events in Lebanon a "domestic issue" in which the Arab League should not interfere. At the meeting, Saudi Arabia and Egypt intended to condemn Hizbullah and to initiate the establishment of an inter-Arab force to be deployed in Lebanon. However, their plans were thwarted by Syria and Qatar.
An Arab source told the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat that a Syrian representative had bullied the countries supporting this initiative, saying: "Do you think your planes will be [allowed to] land in Beirut if you condemn Hizbullah?"(5) Instead, the Arab ministers decided to establish an inter-Arab committee, headed by Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, to hold talks with all sides in Lebanon. The fact that Qatar, which is an integral part of the Iran-Syria-Hizbullah axis, was appointed to head this committee attests to the helplessness of Saudi Arabia and Egypt, and points to increased inter-Arab pressure on the Lebanese government and the March 14 Forces.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have continued their media attacks on Hizbullah, Syria, and Iran. Following are excerpts from these attacks:
Criticism by Saudi Government Officials
During the Arab foreign ministers' meeting, Saudi Foreign Minister Sa'ud Al-Faisal compared Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah to former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon, saying that "they both had agreed to invade Beirut." He added: "The legitimate government in Lebanon is facing a large-scale war, [and] we cannot stand idly by." He also said that "Iran has undertaken to run that war" and that "Hizbullah intended to forcibly [transform] Lebanon into a state with a 'rule of the jurisprudent.'" He further stated: "We must do everything in our power to end this war and to save Lebanon, even if this would involve forming an Arab force to rapidly deploy throughout Lebanon, to restore its security and defend the current legitimate government."(6)
Saudi MPs likewise harshly criticized Hizbullah, accusing Nasrallah of attempting to drag Lebanon towards civil war, in accordance with Iran's agenda. MP Sa'ud Al-Shammari warned about the consequences of "Iranian expansion in Arab countries, which are evident in Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon." Another MP, Dr. Khalil Al-Khalil, said, "60 years after the Palestinian Nakba, we are now faced with another Nakba, in Beirut."(7)
Criticism in the Saudi Press
Editor of the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Tariq Al-Homayed wrote that as soon as Hizbullah turned its guns on Lebanon, the myth of Hizbullah came to an end. He added that when Hizbullah declared war on the Lebanese government, Nasrallah's true nature was revealed, and when he captured Beirut, it became clear that all Hizbullah's talk about "resistance" was nothing but crude lies and a cover-up. Al-Homayed further stated that the current situation in Lebanon proved that the disarming of Hizbullah was inevitable, as was the imposition of strict government rule across the country, to replace the rule of Hizbullah, Iran, and Syria.(8)
In another op-ed, Al-Homayed condemned Hizbullah and Amal, arguing that their actions were motivated by foreign interests. He referred to photos released by several news agencies showing Amal and Hizbullah fighters trampling and setting fire to posters of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri and putting up posters of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad in their stead. He said that these photos should be a warning to everyone in the Arab world who has not yet woken up to reality - since they symbolize the characteristics of an Iranian state, the representatives of which are toiling to sow them throughout the Arab world.(9)
In yet another op-ed, following the Arab foreign ministers' meeting,(10) Al-Homayed severely criticized what he called "the cowardly Arabs," i.e. the Arab countries which could not decide where to stand in the clash between the axis of the radical countries and the bloc of moderate countries. He wrote: "How long will these countries fear?... Now that Beirut has fallen into the hands of Iran, and Fuad Al-Siniora's government is under siege... the Arabs have no choice but to confront Iran... because [they had better know] that that which they fear today will happen tomorrow. Iran's [influence] is spreading throughout all the Arab countries, and it is imperative that the Arabs stand fast against the collapse of the Arab states and uphold them from being torn apart from within..."
Senior Al-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Mamoun Fandy dubbed Beirut "Gaza No. 2" and asked: "Shall we wait for a third Arab city to turn into 'Gaza No. 3' - whether in Bahrain, Jordan or Egypt? If Iran traps another Arab country, this could very well precipitate the collapse of the entire Arab system. 'Gaza No. 3' will be the point where the scale tips, when we will be drawn not into a local but into a regional civil war, [i.e.] a war between Sunnis and Shi'ites..."(11)
In his column in the London daily Al-Hayat , Jamil Al-Dhiyabi claimed that there was no difference between the actions of the Taliban in Afghanistan in the 1990s and those of Hizbullah in Lebanon today. He wrote: "Hizbullah's fig leaf fell when Nasrallah's intentions and the Iranian agenda were exposed. Syria is laughing and showing its white teeth, because it has gained a new partner - Qatar. It declares that what is currently going on in Lebanon is a domestic issue, while Hizbullah is flying its banners and putting up posters on roofs and in [government] institutions... The time is ripe to think up a way to disarm Hizbullah, in accordance with U.N. resolutions No. 1559 and 1701 - especially since Hizbullah has aimed its weapons at Lebanon and organized a coup against its government and its people...
"The actions of Nasrallah's militias will transform Lebanon into another Iraq. Security and stability will vanish from the streets of Beirut, and the gates will open for the allies of Al-Qaeda, Fath Al-Islam, and so on to become more powerful... Lebanon urgently needs an Arab or an international defense force... to restore the rule to the government so as to enable it to withstand Syria and Iran."(12)
Criticism in the Egyptian Government Press
The Egyptian government dailies were also harshly critical of Hizbullah. For example, in an article in Al-Gumhouriyya , the paper's editor and MP Muhammad Ali Ibrahim attacked Nasrallah, against the backdrop of Hizbullah's takeover of Lebanon.(13) Ibrahim wrote that Nasrallah was a new example of "Islamic fascism"... whose other representatives are Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al in Gaza and Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mahdi 'Akef in Egypt, and added that this fascism's main aims were to institute the political agenda of its funders, to topple the "secular" states, and to establish an Islamic Caliphate, even over the dead bodies of the citizens of Lebanon, Egypt, or any other "secular" state.
In another op-ed,(14) Ibrahim wrote that Hizbullah was no longer legitimate, and no longer had a right to exist. He stated that Hizbullah had enjoyed legitimacy in the past due to its resistance to Israel, but that its historic role had played out with the surrender of the Israeli occupation and its forcing of the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. From that moment, Ibrahim wrote, it would have been appropriate for the militias to become a political party - but instead Hizbullah became a state within a state and an ally of Syria and Iran against Lebanon's interests. Ibrahim added that at the same time, Hassan Nasrallah had lost his legitimacy, and that by 2006, the hero of 2000 had become less heroic, and by 2008 he had become a murderer.(15)
*Y. Carmon is President of MEMRI; B. Chernitsky is a research fellow at MEMRI.
Hezbollah has been rearming quite quickly- it has now close to 45,000 rockets, more than before the onset of the summer 2006 war with Israel- under the eyes of the helpless UNIFIL forces. For proof the March 30 incident when a missiles shipment coming from Syria was controlled at Jbal al Botm by an Italian battalion, part of the UNIFIL forces, and then authorized to continue to reach its final recipient: Hezbollah.
I just wrote on Hezbollah's coup for The Middle East Times. To read the whole article, please click here.
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If Hizbullah takes over Lebanon and uses it to stage attacks on Israel, Jerusalem would have no compunction about striking at Lebanon's infrastructure, something it was hesitant to do during the Second Lebanon War for fear of toppling the democratic government in Beirut, diplomatic sources said Sunday.
Hizbullah supporters in the streets of Beirut. Photo: AP [file]
According to the officials, while Hizbullah control of Lebanon would pose enormous challenges for Israel, it would provide opportunities for the IDF in that infrastructure targets considered out of bounds while Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora was in control would suddenly be fair play if Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah were making the decisions.
This assessment came as the cabinet heard security briefings on the rapidly changing situation in Lebanon, and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel was "naturally monitoring events there."
Vice Premier Haim Ramon told the ministers that "Lebanon must be treated as a Hizbullah state. Everything that happens there is the responsibility of Hizbullah. The country is controlled by this terrorist organization, and its government has become irrelevant."
The idea of an independent government apart from Hizbullah in Lebanon was "entirely fictitious," Ramon said.
OC Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin briefed the cabinet ministers on the recent clashes in Lebanon and said that Israel must prepare for a new situation there
Hezbollah first emerged during the Lebanese Civil War in the early 1980s as a militia of Shia followers of the Ayatollah Khomeini, trained, organized and funded by a contingent of Iranian Revolutionary Guards.[4] In its 1985 manifesto Hezbollah listed its three main goals as the eradication of "Westerncolonialism" in Lebanon, the bringing to justice of those who committed atrocities during the war (specifically the Phalangists), and the establishment of an Islamic government in Lebanon.[5][6][7] Since then Hezbollah has temporarily abandoned the goal of transforming Lebanon into an Islamic state at this time.[4] Hezbollah leaders have also made numerous statements calling for the destruction of Israel, which they describe as an unlawful "entity".[5][6][7]
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Iran now has full run of Lebanon, its own security cams, and com system.
45,000 rockets, and is taking out Sunnis and running al Qaeda off.
Is this part of Iran's prep for the up comming US Military attack?
Now Lebanon will be hit at the same time Iran is, this time taking out Lebanon's infra structure.
One B52 can now carry enough JDAM's to take out the infra structure of Tehran, in just one flight.
'Report on Sept. 6 strike to show Saddam transferred WMDs to Syria': An upcoming joint US-Israel report on the September 6 IAF strike on a Syrian facility will claim that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein transferred weapons of mass destruction to the country, Channel 2 stated Monday.
It’s a pretty remarkable story. Given Syria’s support for Saddam in the run-up to the war and the Asad regime’s ongoing efforts to support former regime elements after the fall of Baghdad, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of Iraq’s WMD actually made it to Syria. While many still believe that Saddam transferred his WMD out of Iraq on the eve of the 2003 US invasion, however, to date, no evidence has been found to corroborate the theory.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that the 19 o’clock warning siren Tuesday, April 3 – day three of the nationwide missile defense exercise – was not heard in many parts of Israel, including the Knesset – as criticism of the exercise spread.
Most people did not know where to find public shelters – none were marked - and were given no answers about protection against chemical or biological missile warfare. More...
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Experts: Real, growing nuke threat USA Today -Apr 1, 2008 "Today, al-Qaeda's nuclear intent remains clear," his testimony says. The near-monthly reports of people trying to smuggle "real or purported" nuclear ...
Yesterday, the Jerusalem Post ran a short story about a soon-to-be released US-Israeli report on the September 6, 2007 attack on the alleged North-Korean supplied Syrian nuclear facility. The Post says the (Israeli) attack was related to Saddam’s WMD. This is the text of the relevant part:
'Report on Sept. 6 strike to show Saddam transferred WMDs to Syria': An upcoming joint US-Israel report on the September 6 IAF strike on a Syrian facility will claim that former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein transferred weapons of mass destruction to the country, Channel 2 stated Monday.
It’s a pretty remarkable story. Given Syria’s support for Saddam in the run-up to the war and the Asad regime’s ongoing efforts to support former regime elements after the fall of Baghdad, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of Iraq’s WMD actually made it to Syria. While many still believe that Saddam transferred his WMD out of Iraq on the eve of the 2003 US invasion, however, to date, no evidence has been found to corroborate the theory.
Gen. Asif Shawqat, sacked Syrian military intelligence chief missing
DEBKAfile’s Middle East and intelligence sources report that President Bashar Assad has fallen out with his brother-in-law Gen. Asif Shawqat, sacked him as military intelligence chief and appointed Gen. Aly Younes in his place.
Our Washington sources report that Assad decided at the last minute to hold back the report promised for Sunday, April 7, on the killing of Hizballah leader Imad Mughniyeh last February, until after April 17, when the US House Intelligence Committee hears the details of Israel’s reported Sept 6, 2007 strike on a nuclear installation Syria was building with North Korean assistance. He will the decide how to play it. More...
According to British media, the US is set to attack Iranian military facilities. DEBKAfile’s military sources add that the USS Abraham Lincoln Strike Force is heading for the Persian Gulf.
War tensions in the Middle East have shot up - not only over the signals flashing between Syria, Lebanon, and Israel, but also on the US-Iranian front in Iraq in the wake of rising in violence around the Basra conflagration.
Tuesday, April 8, US Iraq commander, Gen. David Petraeus accuses Iran of waging war on America in Iraq. More...
Iranian Website: In Response to an Israeli Attack, Iran Can, With Syria's Help, Wipe Out Half of Israel
Following reports on Israel's January 17, 2008 test of the Jericho III missile, which has a range of 4,500 km, the Iranian website Tabnak, which is affiliated with Iranian Expediency Council secretary and former Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) commander Mohsen Rezai, wrote that the missile's addition to Israel's arsenal does not change the balance of power between Israel and Iran.
The website stated that in the event of a conflict with Israel, Iran would use its strategic alliance with Syria to fire missiles at Israel from Syrian territory. [1] It also hinted that, in addition to assistance from Syria, any attack by Israel would also bring retaliation by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Hizbullah. [2]
Further, in an interview on Al-Jazeera TV, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dismissed the Israeli missile test, saying that "even before this missile test, the Zionist regime enjoyed this military technology, because of its support from several powers. But such measures will not improve its situation, and will not prevent its fall. The Zionist regime has lost the rationale on which its existence was based,and all nations identify it as criminal. Therefore, it will not achieve legitimacy for its existence through threats and sowing fear." [3]
The following are the main points of the Tabnak article: [4]
"...The message to Iran from Israel's test of the new Jericho III missile is that this missile is, according to Israel, capable of travelling 4,500 km and striking any point in Iran. If these statements are true, then the Israelis have made several fundamental mistakes in sending [this] threatening message to Iran...:
"1. Iran's defense strategy towards any type of possible attack, by Israel or by the U.S., is based on [the assumption] that both are capable [of carrying out] a missile attack and an aerial attack on Iranian targets. Iran has never denied that Israel and the U.S. are capable [of carrying out] a missile or aerial attack on it.
"2. The fundamental assumption of Iran's strategy is that [even] if Israel did not have long-range missiles aimed at Iran, the U.S. would arm it with long-range strategic missiles as soon as it could.
"3. Any country determines, and deploys, its strategic missile launching system based on its geographical breadth. Accordingly, Israel automatically comes up against a difficult limitation: While Iran's area is 1,648,195 [square] km, the area of 'the regime that occupies Jerusalem' [i.e. Israel] is 26,323 [square] km, and if we subtract the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, [this area] shrinks to 20,150 [square km]. This means that [even] if Israel can fire 100 missiles a day at Iran, and hit 100 cities, Iran can [launch] thousands of missiles, and with them eradicate half of Israel. For this reason, the missile balance between the sides will end up in Iran's favor.
"4. In the event of an attack on Iran, if the Iran-Syria Joint Strategic Defense Agreement is implemented, Iran need not launch long-range missiles from its territory, [but rather] will be able to face Israel with a wave of missile attacks from [missiles with] a maximum range of 500 km, and with much higher explosive potential. At the same time, [even] if we leave out reciprocal attacks by the Islamic resistance in Lebanon [i.e. Hizbullah], Iran and Syria know very well that an attack on Iran will bring in its wake an attack on Syria, and that an attack on Syria will bring in its wake an attack on Iran - and that in both situations, the third target or the parallel [target] are the Islamic Resistance [organizations] in Lebanon and Palestine. If, prior [to such an attack], Iran employs joint defense measures, and arms itself with a missile defense system through cooperating with Syria, Israel will beyond a doubt receive a crushing response if it attacks Iran.
"5. [The placement of] Iran's missile sites is based on the doctrine of irregular warfare. Accordingly, neither Israel nor the U.S. can take out Iran's missile sites in a single surprise attack. For the same reason, Iran's strategic missile defense doctrine benefits from the advantage of [territorial] depth, particularly because Iran can use at least 400,000 square km of its territory as an effective area for aiming [its missiles] at Israel, since it has the benefit of mountainous topography, not a plain.
"6. In the past decade, Iran has focused on developing long-range missiles with a range of 3,000 km, in order to benefit from deterrent defense power in the face of any possible Israeli attack. [5] The Israelis know that because [Iran's missiles have attained] a range of 2,500 km, they are in Iran's range of fire, and [they also know that] the shorter the missile's range, the greater its explosive power. For this reason, Iran's missiles have a very great explosive power.
"Therefore, it can be explicitly said that Israel's recent missile test, on January 17, changes Iran's missile defense balance [against Israel] not one whit, and does not impinge on a single one of its defense doctrines... For this reason, this missile test does not create a new situation or [new] result, in any arena of possible confrontation between Iran and Israel...
"Thus [it appears that] the real idea behind this Israeli missile test is psychological warfare [in order to affect] public opinion in Israel, and not psychological warfare against Iran."
[2] In an August 9, 2007 article posted on the IRGC website Basirat, IRGC political bureau head Yadollah Javani called Hizbullah "one of Iran's strategic backup [tools] in the region."
[5] For more on Iran's missile systems, see MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 407, "Iran's Response to Western Warnings: 'First Strike,' 'Preemptive Attack,' Long-Range Ballistic Missiles, 'Asymmetric [Guerilla] Warfare,'", November 28, 2007, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA40707.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — A powerful car bombing Wednesday killed the likely next head of the army in the first such assassination targeting Lebanon's military, seen by many Lebanese as the only institution keeping the divided nation from breaking apart.
Brig. Gen. Francois Hajj and his driver were killed minutes after he left his home on the way to work. At 7:10 a.m., a parked car packed with 77 pounds of TNT exploded, triggered by remote control, as Hajj's SUV passed by.
The bombing left a crater 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep on a busy street with school buses and morning commuters in Baabda, a mainly Christian suburb of Beirut where the presidential palace is located and where army presence is heavy.
With no claim of responsibility, there was widespread speculation over the motive for the attack, which comes as feuding politicians are struggling to elect a president.
Some anti-Syrian politicians accused Damascus, saying it was trying to torpedo efforts to elect a president. Others said the attack could be a warning to the military to stay out of politics or vengeance by Islamic militants for an army offensive that Hajj led against them last summer. SOURCE:
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How many assignations does this make over the past two years?
Somebody has picked up a bad habbit. And it continues over and over, And the same group seems to be the Target....
So who benefits ( motive ) Who has the ability? and who has the opportunity?
Hmmm I don't know......SYRIA...
JEEZE I'm getting tired of it.. where are the cops, they are making a bigger mess which somebody is going to have to deal with... That habit is a bad one to let them get into it is exportable...
An Israeli airstrike in Syria has raised questions about a potential nuclear target (AP Images/Str/HO)
Shortly after North Korea blasted its way into the ranks of the “nuclear club” last October, President Bush issued a stern warning about the prospect of Pyongyang as a proliferator: “The transfer of nuclear weapons or material by North Korea to states or non-state entities would be considered a grave threat to the United States, and we would hold North Korea fully accountable.” Nearly a year later, a mysterious Israeli air strike (NYT) on Syria September 6 raised speculation that North Korea may be doing just that. The United States has not commented on the issue; President Bush repeatedly refused to discuss the matter when pressed by reporters.
What occurred on September 6 remains unclear, but the most prominent (WSJ) theory suggests Israel destroyed a nascent Syrian nuclear facility built with North Korean assistance. According to a widely cited account in the Times of London quoting Israeli defense sources, Israeli commandos nabbed nuclear material from a secret Syrian compound in advance of the strike to prove its North Korean origin. The air strike went ahead, the report claims, after the evidence satisfied skeptics in Washington. In an interview with Newsweek, Syrian Ambassador Imad Moustapha claims the Israeli strike fell on “wasteland” and calls allegations of North Korean nuclear support “ridiculous and untrue.” Little public evidence exists to confirm any account of the incident. For its part, Israel has remained tight-lipped about the air raid, in stark contrast to its jubilation after a similar raid (BBC) in 1981 on Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. The United States, which offered early confirmation that a strike of some kind occurred, had said little since, though the Washington Post reports the two nations shared intelligence on the alleged Syrian site in advance of the strike.
With the specter of nuclear terrorism a principal U.S. security concern, the prospect of Syria—a designated state sponsor of terrorism —entering the nuclear fray is worrisome. The Proliferation Security Initiative, a multilateral program aimed at identifying and intercepting illegal nuclear shipments, is designed to prevent such transfers. But in a world awash (NYT) in nuclear material, the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonproliferation advocacy group, warns these efforts may be insufficient (PDF).
Lebanon: Politician Assassinated by Syria....again,again,again
Lebanon: Christian Politician Assassinated by Syria....
Basher Assad continues his ruthless assassination campaign against anti-Syrian politicians in Lebanon. His latest victim is Antoine Ghanem of the Christian Phalange Party....
BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- A member of the Lebanese parliament died in a Beirut bomb blast Wednesday -- the latest anti-Syrian politician to be killed in the country.
Lawmaker Walid Eido, his son, Khalid, and two of his bodyguards were killed, Lebanese media reports said.
Some are calling the attack an assassination and pointing the finger at Syria.
At least six other people died and 11 were wounded in the explosion, believed to be from a car bomb, in the seaside neighborhood of Manara, according to Lebanese security sources.
Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, an outspoken critic of Syria, blamed Eido's killing on Damascus, calling it an attempt to reduce the anti-Syrian majority in the Lebanese government.
"With this bunch of assassins in Damascus, they don't care about international justice," Jumblatt told CNN International
Gateway had more, including this list of recent assassinations of Christian and Sunni politicians by Syria....
One Bush administration official said Israel had recently carried out reconnaissance flights over Syria, taking pictures of possible nuclear installations that Israeli officials believed might have been supplied with material from North Korea. The administration official said Israeli officials believed that North Korea might be unloading some of its nuclear material on Syria.
“The Israelis think North Korea is selling to Iran and Syria what little they have left,” the official said. He said it was unclear whether the Israeli strike had produced any evidence that might validate that belief.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a military action by another government. Source
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A Venezuelan diplomat and a businessman use their positions to fund Hezbollah's operations, as well and help operatives travel across the Middle East and to South America.
