Syria is getting closer and closer to attacking both Israel and Lebanon, it appears. Michael Totten reports that Syria invaded Lebanon two days ago. The world has not reacted. Syria has also recalled its citizens from Lebanon.
Lebanese sources told a Nazareth newspaper that Syria is planning to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon and close the border by mid-month, Israel Radio reported Saturday.
Syria had advised students in Lebanon that it would facilitate their return to Syria, and the continuation of their studies there.
And now we have a date.
Syria has called on its citizens to leave Lebanon ahead of an expected “eruption” in that country, Arab and Iranian press reports have said.
The media reports were translated and made available by MEMRI in a special dispatch on Sunday.
“In the past few days, Arab and Iranian media reports have pointed to the possibility that Lebanon’s current political crisis may become a violent conflict after July 15, 2007,” the MEMRI dispatch said.
July 15 comes one day before a special UN Security Council meeting which is expected to discuss the possibility of stationing international experts on the Syria-Lebanon border, in order monitor the ongoing illegal cross border arms traffic to Hizbullah, thought to be originating from Iran and Syria.
And a Syrian threat to Israel as well.
If Israel doesn’t vacate the strategic Golan Heights b y August- September, Syrian fighters will immediately launch “resistance operations” against Jewish communities in the Golan Heights , a top official from Syrian President Bashar Assad’s Baath party told WND.
The Baath official, who spoke on condition his name be withheld, said Damascus was preparing for anticipated Israeli retaliation following these attacks and for a larger war with the Jewish state in August or September. He said Syria ha d the capabilit y of firing “hundreds” of missiles at Tel Aviv.
“Syria passed repeated messages to the US that we demand the return of the Golan either through negotiations or through war. If the Golan is not in our hands by August or September, we will be poised to launch resistance, including raids and attacks against Jewish positions (in the Golan Heights),” the Baath official said from Damascus.
The Baath official said a new group called the Committees for the Liberation of the Golan Heights ha d been training and was ready to mount attacks against Jewish communities in the Golan in August or September.
He said Syria was preparing for a war.
“More and more of our units have undergone intensive trainings starting at 6 a.m. and finishing late into the evening. If the need arises, we are ready for a war,” said the official.
And why shouldn’t Syria threaten Israel? They have been allowed to transfer arms and materiel to Hizbullah with impunity. They have murdered UN peacekeepers without retaliation, or the fear of retaliation. United States Congressional leaders have sat down and posed for pictures with the Dorktator, leaving him to believe that the U.S. will also do nothing no matter what Syria does—and so, there will be war. Unless the UN and the U.S. move quickly to stop this threat before it goes anywhere.
Of course, the chances of that happening are close to zero. Michael Totten beat me to the posting with these thoughts:
If Israel sent the IDF three kilometers into Lebanon and started digging trenches and building bunkers it would make news all over the world. But Syria does it and everyone shrugs. Hardly anyone even knows it happened at all.
Syria can, apparently, get away with just about anything. I could hardly blame Assad at this point if he believes, after such an astonishing non-response, that he can reconquer Beirut. So far he can kill and terrorize and invade and destroy with impunity, at least up to a point. What is that point? Has anyone in the U.S., Israel, the Arab League, the European Union, or the United Nations even considered the question?
Yes. Just imagine if the IDF moved three kilometers into Lebanon. Imagine the UN resolutions, the world reaction, the thousand of news articles, and the world approbation. Meantime, Syria does exactly that, and no one outside of the area even notices.
Double standard? Says who?
If a tree falls in a forest when no-one’s there, does it make a sound?
If an invasion takes place and no-one notices, is it actually an invasion?
It’s hard to imagine the IDF moving 3km into Lebanon without massive violence taking place: combat between Israeli soldiers and Hizbullah terrorists, missiles being launched at Israeli civilians, the works. By contrast, Syria’s setting up fortifications in the Bekaa Valley simply isn’t a crisis yet. The Lebanese themselves hardly seem to care, though that may change as the Hariri assassination tribunal gets going, if the UN actually tries to disarm Hizbullah, or as resentment of Syrian interference increases.
Also, in other news ( http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/07/10/africa/ME-GEN-Israel-Syria.php ), ‘Israel had already appealed to Syria to open negotiations, but Syria insisted that talks be mediated by the Americans, who are not interested, Olmert said. “The Americans don’t want to sit with [Assad],” Olmert told the Arab satellite TV channel.’ The Dorktator (apt nickname!) is probably copping an excuse, but Pelosi’s visit with him is still looking pretty good in retrospect. Can anyone imagine a peace agreement being reached without American involvement?