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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Syrian President Bashar Assad (File)
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| By israelinsider staff April 2, 2007 |
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Israel has recently been preparing to respond to a possible military confrontation with Syria this summer. It is thought that Syria will provoke the conflict due to its own serious "miscalculations" about Israeli intentions, Haaretz reported Monday.
Israel has received information showing Syria's concern that Israel will follow an American attack on Iranian nuclear facilities with an attack on Syria and Lebanon.
Israel has made efforts to allay Syrian concerns. In a recent interview with Haaretz, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, "I can tell you that there is no such plan [to attack Syria and Lebanon] that we know about, and in any case, there is no reason for the Syrians to prepare for such an eventuality. There is always concern that when one side prepares for war, and the other side is preparing to counter the other side's preparations, then the first side interprets the preparations of the other side as if it is the manifestation of its fears, and the situation goes into a spin, and control is lost.
"We have no intention to attack the Syrians," Olmert continued, "we prefer to make peace with the Syrians, but it is a fact that the army is carrying out very intensive training in all systems, all branches, all units, in all areas, and it will continue doing so as part of its annual plans, and it will be ready for any eventuality - including the possibility of what is called miscalculation... But we take into account everything, and hope that the things that should not happen, do not happen."
Olmert's comments followed his recent visit to IDF forces in the North, where he received an intelligence assessment which warned him about a Syrian "miscalculation."
Following this visit, it was decided to address the matter publicly.
OC Intelligence Maj.-Gen. Amos Yadlin met with the Cabinet during their weekly Sunday meeting, where he briefed them on intelligence concerning preparations by Syria, Iran and Hezbollah for a U.S.-led war this summer.
Yadlin emphasized that Syria and Iran fear that the U.S. will launch a war this summer, and that Israel will be involved, adding that none of the parties are planning to initiate war, and that the preparations are defensive.
"What we are seeing is their preparation for the possibility of war in the summer. My assessment is that they are defensive preparations for war," Yadlin said, referring to Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, Haaretz reported.
"We are closely following these preparations, for fear that one of the sides misinterprets certain moves in the region. I bring up the Six Day War in this context -- when you reach a war no one is interested in as a result of the involvement of many players. We need to be ready, and at the same time be careful that such steps do not cause others to get the wrong idea about our moves," Yadlin said.
Just hours after the Cabinet meeting with Yadlin, Prime Minister Olmert and German Chancellor Angela Merkel held a press conference in which he denied plans for a summer offensive, calling it "baseless, and an unfounded rumor." Olmert added, "I hope no one will operate on the basis of unfounded rumor to create a move that would have no reason to drag us into a conflict."
Meanwhile, Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, is scheduled to meet Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus Monday, where she will convey Israel's assurance that it has no plan to attack.
Pelosi relayed her hopes that Israel will remain open to negotiations with Syria during her visit to Israel on Sunday. |
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