Barak Says Israel Tracking Possible Transfer of Hizbullah Arms from Syria

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Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Tuesday that the Jewish state is taking precautions and is tracking the possible transfer of arms from Syria to Hizbullah.

Touring the Golan Heights, Barak said Israel is concerned that Hizbullah is planning to move advanced weaponry out of Syria to prevent it from being captured by opposition groups if the Assad regime collapses.

Hoping that the Lebanese-Israeli border would remain quiet, Barak said the Jewish state’s army was prepared for any development on the Syrian and Lebanese fronts.

His comments came as Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah claimed that the party’s arsenal and members are increasing in numbers.

"We are increasing in numbers and in weapons ... and for those who are betting that our arms are rusting, we say that our weapons are being renewed," Nasrallah said.

Barak said the Syrian military’s test fire of a Scud-B ballistic missile and other short range rockets on Sunday was conducted out of fear. “Assad’s regime would fall in the near future.”

“It is now quiet here but a few days ago just a few hundred kilometers northeast of here we saw the launching of different rockets,” he said on the sidelines of an exercise of the Golani Brigade which he attended together with Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.

He said the test-fire “is more about fear and distress than about confidence.”

"The Assad family is losing its grip and Bashar al-Assad is doomed to fall," Barak added.

Comments 7
Default-user-icon fadi (Guest) 06 December 2011, 13:43

haha..what an idiot.

Default-user-icon MUSTAPHA O. GHALAYINI (Guest) 06 December 2011, 16:28

i know, barak, that it is very difficult for u to replace bashar as if moubarak was not enough...
israel has to make peace very soon to counter the islamic ring rounding her entity......abbas and salam fayad are an option to stand against hamas...enough fanatism and mistakes

Default-user-icon Flubby (Guest) 06 December 2011, 16:34

Oh, who would have suspected?

Default-user-icon trueself (Guest) 06 December 2011, 19:10

If what Barrak is saying is right (I never trust the Israelis), then I expect escalation and eventual war between Lebanon and Israel to ease the pressure on the Syrian Regime and worry the Arab league. It's very unfortunate that 3 decades of war has not taught the Lebanese any lessons! worse even, they have become worse than before because instead of having Syria on our heads we now have a bigger problem which is Iran in our back yard doing everything to use Lebanon in order to protect its nucliar program. Until when are we going to be ignorant and stupid? I guess we need to grow up. We need to think what's best for us not what's nest for Syria and Iran at our expense.

Thumb geha 06 December 2011, 19:45

unfortunately, and nasrallah knows it by the way, this time round the destruction in lebanon will be such that we will not recover.
how some people still think their weapons are of any good use! these weapons will be the reason thousands of southerners will die and will be empoverished because this time round the GCC will not rebuild their homes.

Default-user-icon LebExile (Guest) 06 December 2011, 23:04

If only it were that simple geha, the GCC will pay to rebuild the southern homes, as will europe, the US and asia..
once the assad regieme is finished, Israel will quickly reach a peace deal with Syria and Lebanon, with Lebanon reaping most of the dividends of a peace deal - since there will be no assad to spoil the party this time.
The assads needed to perpetuate the state of war with Israel to justify their poor economic performance, and miserable living conditions, and keep the people busy fighting a non existing war!
I think that once their is a new govt in Syria, you will see them quickly make peace with Israel, Lebanon will make peace with israel, Hizbollah will surrender their weapons, and the turbinator will rot in a prison cell where he belongs.

you think this is wishful thinking... check back with me in a year

Missing sergio 07 December 2011, 04:27

agree with you Geha, just like imam Ali did on Ashoura to his troops in the desert Hassoun will do the same thing to his followers.