By Ryan Jones
Feb 22, 2007
A Syrian army significantly bolstered of late by an injection of Iranian funds and arms is redeploying in a menacing fashion near the Israeli border.
That according to Ha'aretz military correspondent Ze'ev Schiff in a report filed on Thursday.
Schiff said that the last few months have seen an "unprecedented" strengthening of Syria's armed forces "with the help of generous funding from Iran."
He said the emphasis of the rearming effort has been on long-range missiles with which Syria can strike nearly all of Israel.
Schiff also warned:
"It appears that the Syrians have moved (those bolstered) forces closer to the border with Israel on the Golan Heights."
He noted that the redeployment is similar to moves made by Syria prior to its surprise invasion of Israel in 1973.
Defense Ministry senior advisor Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad later stressed on Israel Radio that there is no direct intelligence pointing to an imminent Syria attack, but neither would he deny Schiff's assessment.