Lebanese minister: Israeli withdrawal puts Tel Aviv in range of Syrian missiles

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.