Tag Archives: hezbollah

Will Israel destroy Russian missiles? – Israel Opinion, Ynetnews

Posted by on May 18, 2013 Comments Off

The question is – what will happen next time? Assad has apparently not given up on his plan to supply Hezbollah with “deterrence diminishing” weapons as a reward for the Shiite group’s assistance in his regime’s battle for survival. Assad also wants Hezbollah to safeguard his strategic weapons systems so they will not fall into rebel hands.

This is why the West estimates Israel will apparently be forced to attack – perhaps in the near future – additional arms shipments making their way from Iran to Hezbollah via Syria. It is also estimated that Assad would have to respond, despite the fact that he has almost no effective retaliation options. The Syrian army, in its current state, cannot attack us on the ground, and if it fires missiles toward Israel’s home front, Israel will destroy most of the Assad regime’s military assets, and other assets, which are crucial for its continued survival.

Will Israel destroy Russian missiles? – Israel Opinion, Ynetnews

Will Israel Take Out The Russian Missiles in Syria? – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Posted by on May 18, 2013 Comments Off

Those are the facts. Now for the questions. Immediately after Netanyahu’s visit, the Russians announced publicly that they finally intend to supply Assad with those S-300 missiles. Will Israel attack and destroy the missiles while they are being transferred, or will it wait until they have arrived but before they become operational? If so, what will be Assad’s response? How will Hezbollah respond? What will Iran do? And then there is the most interesting question of all. Such an attack would not only be considered a declaration of war against Syria and its allies, but also an assault on Russia.

In other words, is the Middle East teetering on the verge of a massive conflagration, which will draw Iran into the fighting, and will this situation be exploited by Israel, the US or both of them together to deal the long-awaited military blow against Iran’s nuclear program? One thing is certain. Anyone who wants to stay alive in this region and its immediate environs should hope that it does not.

The situation is more dangerous than ever, mainly because everyone involved — and there are plenty of people involved — is caught up in a kind of “Catch-22” situation. …

…

And so, everyone is applying pressure on everyone else in their most sensitive areas. Everything is about to blow up, diagonal red lines slash across the contested land from one end to the other, and the stench of gunpowder makes it difficult to breathe. This is a portrait of the Middle East today, in mid-2013. …

‘Expect Israeli strikes on Russian arms shipment to Syria-Hezbollah’

Posted by on May 17, 2013 Comments Off

U.S. officials tell The Wall Street Journal: Another round of Israeli airstrikes could target a new Russian transfer of Yakhont advanced anti-ship missiles in the near future • Russia moving more quickly than previously thought to deliver S-300 surface-to-air defense systems to Syria • CIA Director John Brennan in Israel to coordinate policy.

Israel Hayom | ‘Expect Israeli strikes on Russian arms shipment to Syria-Hezbollah’

America Plays The ‘Weak Horse’ In Syria

Posted by on May 17, 2013 Comments Off

In essence, Syria has become not just a gruesome civil war, but also a proxy war with significant global implications — with the United States, Israel, and like-minded Arab states who seek Assad’s ouster on one side, and Russia, Iran, and terrorist groups like Hezbollah who seek his survival on the other.

If so, Assad’s survival in defiance of widespread expectations and U.S. desires will position Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah as regional “strong horses.” And it will nourish a growing sense in the region and elsewhere that the U.S. has become a decidedly “weak horse,” unable to shape events and, worse, unlikely to spend much energy trying.

America Plays The ‘Weak Horse’ In Syria

There are two levels to think about:

  1. Rebels – Worse than Assad, but no strategic alliance with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas. They will likely push for Sharia law once they take over. Perhaps there will be an eventual alliance with Turkey. And Turkey is a key player to watch in the future. Everybody wants to bring back historical greatness in some form: Persian Empire, Ottoman Empire, Chinese Empire, Soviet Union, … . Eventually, I would expect the Rebels to go against Israel.

  2. Assad – Not as bad as the rebels, but has a strategic alliance with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas. Also, Russia is a backer. So there is the potential to do a lot more damage to Israel in the future.

There are no good answers here. There are only bad answers and worse answers. In a sick sort of way, keeping the civil war going may be the best option for the West. Obviously, that is not a good option for the Syrian people but neither are the other options.

Iran agents training to storm Israel’s border

Posted by on May 15, 2013 Comments Off

The Iranian-backed Hezbollah is established training camps near the Syrian capital of Damascus to prepare for possible guerrilla warfare targeting Israel’s northern Golan Heights, according to informed Middle Eastern security officials.

The officials said the camps are training Palestinian groups as well as special units connected to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s Baath party for operations against Israel if such actions are green-lighted by Assad in the near future.

Iran agents training to storm Israel’s border

Bombs dropped on Syria a plan to squeeze Islamic regime?

Posted by on May 12, 2013 Comments Off

Sources here say the two airstrikes in three days on Syria have gotten the expected response from Tehran, and the Islamic Republic and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, have pledged full support of Syria, suggesting they would launch their own attacks in response.

While sources say that the immediate airstrikes were aimed at weapons transfers from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the intent actually is aimed at provoking a response from Tehran that will provide a basis for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.

Attacks calculated to force Iran’s hand

Hezbollah head says Syria will supply ‘game-changing’ arms | The Times of Israel

Posted by on May 9, 2013 Comments Off

Nasrallah claims resistance groups set to open front against Israel on Golan Heights

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah said on Thursday that Syria will supply his Lebanese militia with “game-changing weapons,” describing the move as Syria’s response to airstrikes earlier in the week.

Nasrallah spoke less than a week after unnamed Israeli officials said Israeli aircraft twice struck shipments of advanced weapons in Syria believed to be bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Israel did not officially confirm responsibility for the early Friday and Sunday strikes around Damascus.

Hezbollah head says Syria will supply ‘game-changing’ arms | The Times of Israel

REPORT: Iran urges war on Israel’s northern front | Washington Free Beacon

Posted by on May 9, 2013 Comments Off

Iranian officials are believed to be encouraging the Syrian army, Palestinians, and its terror proxy Hezbollah to launch an attack on the Golan Heights, Israeli territory that borders war-torn Syria.

Iran responded to cables from the United States and Russia over the weekend by saying that Syrian forces aligned with President Bashar al-Assad have been instructed to immediately retaliate against Israel, according to Israeli news site Ynet, which translated a report first published in a Hezbollah-aligned Lebanese newspaper.

The instructions followed Israeli strikes on Syrian weapons facilities that contained Iranian-made weapons waiting to be shipped to Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

REPORT: Iran urges war on Israel’s northern front | Washington Free Beacon

Iran threatens Israel: Golan will be ‘Fatahland’ – Washington Times

Posted by on May 8, 2013 Comments Off

Iran on Wednesday issued war-like declarations against Israel, calling for volunteers to fight for Syria’s regime and vowing to turn the Golan Heights into a “Fatahland.”

The threats came via a Hezbollah newspaper that cited Iranian officials, Ynet News reported. Despite the aggressive tone, the paper reported that Iranian officials are more intent on halting future Israeli attacks on Syria, rather than declaring all-out war.

Still, one message was clear: Iran is calling for fighters to target the Golan region, dominated by Israelis.

Iran threatens Israel: Golan will be ‘Fatahland’ – Washington Times

Israel’s Three Gambles | Foreign Policy

Posted by on May 7, 2013 Comments Off

Can Israel get away with its attacks on the Syrian regime?

Israel’s recent attacks against Syria are the latest, dramatic development in a conflict that is already spiraling out of control. In the past few days, Israeli aircraft reportedly targeted Iranian surface-to-surface missiles headed for Hezbollah, as well as Syrian missiles in a military base in the outskirts of Damascus. Israel’s strikes show, once again, its intelligence services’ ability to penetrate the Iran’s arms shipment route to Lebanon and its military’s skill in striking adversaries with seeming impunity. But Israel is also risking retaliation and further destabilization of its own neighborhood — in ways that may come back to haunt it.

Israel’s Three Gambles – By Daniel Byman and Natan Sachs | Foreign Policy