Lieberman: Israel to Act if Syrian Chemical Weapons Fall in Hizbullah Hands

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Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Wednesday that Israel will act immediately if it discovers that Syria transferred chemical or biological weapons to Hizbullah.

Lieberman told Israel Radio: "For us, that's a casus belli, a red line."

Israel's political leaders have been warning in recent days that they would be prepared to strike weapons depots to keep those arms from reaching anti-Israel fighters.

They fear Hizbullah and other militants could raid those arsenals if the central government in Syria collapses amid intensifying violence.

Israel's military chief, however, counseled restraint on Tuesday, warning that an attack on Syrian chemical weapons depots could drag Israel into a broader war.

Israel currently assesses that Syria retains control over these arsenals.

Lieberman met on Tuesday with his EU colleagues as part of the annual EU-Israel Association Council meeting, where he called on the body to put Hizbullah on its terrorist list.

But Cypriot Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, said "there is no consensus for putting Hizbullah on the list of terrorist organisations."

An EU decision would require the unanimous approval of all its 27 members.

Lieberman said on Wednesday however that he put the proposal forward officially, indicating that it was a substantial beginning of what could be a long process to achieve the desired result.

Comments 4
Missing lqu7 25 July 2012, 12:11

I think this the title is missing a word. We should insert "as" between "act" and "if".

Default-user-icon Fazlo Bordaj (Guest) 25 July 2012, 20:19

We cannot be happier with the pathetic state of affairs that the Israeli scum have reached thanks to the resistance not to the United Nations for March 14 Collaborators. When the Isaelis bark, you know they are out of any good options. Thank you, resistance. Keep up the good work

Thumb bigsami 26 July 2012, 15:50

GO FOR IT! Sweep these scums out of Lebanon and this time....finish the job! But please have mercy on the Lebanese people.....

Thumb primesuspect 27 July 2012, 02:05

Do it! Do it! Do it huggies!!!