Israel Matzav

IDF prepared to block chemical weapons at Syrian border

Israel’s options vary. One possibility could potentially be to attack convoys of chemical weapons or bases where the weapons are stored from the air. While this would be seen as an act of aggression by Israel, if done in the twilight of Assad’s regime, the chances that it would spark an all-out war would be slim.

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“This is a major concern for the IDF which is seriously looking at the threat and considering a variety of scenarios,” a senior defense official explained.

Concern is also growing within Israel over the possibility that Syrian nationals will rush the border in the Golan Heights in an attempt to escape Assad’s continued violent crackdown.

Israel is concerned with two scenarios – firstly that Syrian civilians from cities like Hama or Houla, which have seen some of the worst fighting in recent weeks, would rush the border. The other scenario is that following Assad’s downfall, his former loyalists – mostly of Alawite origin – will also try fleeing to Israel to escape possible retaliation.

A senior IDF officer said over the weekend that the military has obtained video recordings of the violence in Syria from villages and cities “close to the border with Israel.”

Over the past year, the IDF has beefed up its defenses along the border, laying new minefields and fortifying the security fence separating both sides of the Golan. In addition, there are increased IDF patrols to prevent infiltrations as well as possible terror attacks against Israel.

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, chemical weapons, Syrian border breach, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:47 AM