Israel is preparing for a "possible" war with Iran and Syria.
Such a war is inevitable, and will result in Damascus ceasing
to be a city, becoming instead a ruinous heap; Iran and any
allies who seek to invade and destroy Israel will themselves
be destroyed, with the Israelis left to dispose of the bodies
of the dead in the valley of Hamon-gog.

=============================================================

The Sunday Times     September 03, 2006

Israel plans for war with Iran and Syria

Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv, and Sarah Baxter, New York

THREATENED by a potentially nuclear-armed Tehran, Israel is preparing
for a possible war with both Iran and Syria, according to Israeli
political and military sources.

The conflict with Hezbollah has led to a strategic rethink in Israel.
A key conclusion is that too much attention has been paid to
Palestinian militants in Gaza and the West Bank instead of the two
biggest state sponsors of terrorism in the region, who pose a far
greater danger to Israel's existence, defence insiders say.

"The challenge from Iran and Syria is now top of the Israeli defence
agenda, higher than the Palestinian one," said an Israeli defence
source. Shortly before the war in Lebanon Major-General Eliezer
Shkedi, the commander of the air force, was placed in charge of the
"Iranian front", a new position in the Israeli Defence Forces. His job
will be to command any future strikes on Iran and Syria.

The Israeli defence establishment believes that IranAEs pursuit of a
nuclear programme means war is likely to become unavoidable.

"In the past we prepared for a possible military strike against Iran's
nuclear facilities," said one insider, "but Iran's growing confidence
after the war in Lebanon means we have to prepare for a full-scale
war, in which Syria will be an important player."

A new infantry brigade has been formed named Kfir (lion cub), which
will be the largest in the Israeli army. "It is a partial solution for
the challenge of the Syrian commando brigades, which are considered
better than Hezbollah's," a military source said.

There has been grave concern in Israel over a military pact signed in
Tehran on June 15 between Iran and Syria, which the Iranian defence
minister described as a "mutual front against Israeli threats". Israel
has not had to fight against more than one army since 1973. 

[...]

Full article at "The Times" online
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0%2C%2C2089-2340486%2C00.html


Cheers, Steve..

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