[Ha'aretz] Amir Oren - Syria and Hizballah are likely to start a war against Israel next summer, according to IDF General Staff assessments in recent weeks. All preparations are being made to ensure maximum preparedness in advance of summer 2007. A decision has been made to develop, within three years, a system capable of intercepting surface-to-surface rockets of the sort that Hizballah used to target Haifa and other towns during the recent war. The IDF must seriously consider that a decision in Washington to withdraw the majority of its forces from Iraq will contribute to a growing sense of "success" among forces in the region that oppose Israel and the West. This atmosphere will necessitate concentrating on the possibility that Iraq may become part of an eastern front with Iran and Syria. Military Intelligence estimates there are still 5,000 Katyushas in southern Lebanon.
2006-11-06 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive