Lebanese minister: Israeli withdrawal puts Tel Aviv in range of Syrian missiles
Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE
Monday, April 3, 2000
NICOSIA [MENL] -- Lebanon's defense minister said Syrian troops would be
deployed along the border with Israel, which would allow Damascus to rain
missiles on Tel Aviv.
Defense Minister Ghazi Zaayter said Lebanon could ask Syria to station
some of its 35,000 troops already in Lebanon to redeploy along the southern
border after an Israeli withdrawal. Israel has pledged to withdraw by July.
Zaayter said Syrian missiles will be in range of Tel Aviv if their
batteries are deployed along the Lebanese border.
"Asking Syrian forces, legally deployed here, to accompany the Lebanese
army to the evacuated areas would be one of the important possibilities in
case of such an Israeli redeployment," Zaayter said. "And it would not be
difficult for any normal person to understand that this would bring Tel Aviv
within the range of Syrian missiles."
Communications Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer said the Lebanese threat
was "silly" because Syrian Scud B and Scud C missiles are already capable of
striking Tel Aviv. Science Minister Matan Vilnai said Zaaytar's statement
was a trial balloon that appeared unsuccessful.
Later, Zaayter withdrew his remarks. Sources close to the minister said
he was expressing his personal opinion.
On Sunday, the London-based Al Hayat daily said Syria has no plans to
deploy its troops along the Israeli border.
"This was a trial balloon, which I am not sure which level decided upon
this," Israeli Science Minister Matan Vilnai said. "They were quite panicked
by the result. The Syrians are very concerned over the Israeli withdrawal
from Lebanon."
Lebanese officials have been increasingly concerned of war in the wake
of an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Israeli sources said Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the military to prepare for such a pullout
by the end of May.
Syrian Foreign Minister Farouk A-Shaara arrived in Beirut on Saturday to
brief President Emile Lahoud before he embarked on a Middle East tour.
Lahoud will visit Iran, termed by a Beirut-based An Nahar daily as the "the
leading supporter of Lebanon and the resistance."
"Due to Iranian's stances towards Lebanon, and not only because of their
support for the resistance, Lahoud's talks in Teheran are of prime
importance," An Nahar said.
On Monday, Lebanese Prime Minister Salim Hoss is expected to arrive in
Damascus to meet Bashar Assad, the son of the Syrian president. The meeting
is expected to focus on an expected Israeli withdrawal from southern
Lebanon.
Monday, April 3, 2000
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