Friday, September 14, 2007

“ISRAEL/SYRIA: Rumours of war reflect tensions” by Oxford Analytica

Via Syria Comment, the full text, here
"... Israeli concerns. After the 2006 war, Israel's initial assessment was that Syria might try to replicate Hizbollah's successful combat techniques in an attack on the Golan Heights, to secure enough territorial gains and inflict enough losses on Israel to force a later diplomatic agreement to Syria's advantage. Israel's concerns are now worsened by the arms deals. The return of Russian influence in the region — made most manifest by its establishing a naval base in northern Syria — has given Syria access to the kind of sophisticated weaponry its military was lacking since 1991. Thus the developments of the last year have improved Syria's choices, making it possible for Damascus to pressure Israel through both conventional and asymmetric means..."

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