Israel warns of possible pre-emptive chemical weapons strike in Syria

An Israeli mobile artillery cross a road during a military exercise in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, north of Israel near the Syrian border, on Sepetember 19, 2012. / GettyImages

JERUSALEM Israel could launch a pre-emptive strike to stop Syria's chemical weapons from reaching Lebanon's Hezbollah or al Qaeda inspired groups, officials said Sunday.

The warning came as the military moved a rocket defense system to a main northern city, and Israel's premier warned of dangers from both Syria and Iran.

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Israel has long expressed concerns that Syrian President Bashar Assad, clinging to power during a 22-month civil war, could lose control over his chemical weapons.

Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom said Sunday that Israel's top security officials held a special meeting last week to discuss Syria's chemical weapons arsenal. The fact of the meeting, held the morning after a national election, had not been made public before.

Shalom told the Army Radio station that the transfer of weapons to violent groups, particularly the Iranian-backed Lebanese Hezbollah, would be a game changer.

"It would be crossing a line that would demand a different approach, including even action," he said. Asked whether this might mean a pre-emptive attack, he said: "We will have to make the decisions."

Israel has kept out of the civil war that has engulfed Syria and killed more than 60,000 people, but it is concerned that violence could spill over from its northern border into Israel.

Israel deployed its Iron Dome rocket defense system in the northern city of Haifa on Sunday. The city was battered by Hezbollah rocket fire during a war in the summer of 2006. The military called the deployment "routine."

Iron Dome, an Israel-developed system that shoots down incoming short-range rockets, was used to defend Israeli cities during a round of hostilities with Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, on Israel's southern flank, last November.

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Yisrael Hasson, a lawmaker and former deputy head of Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency, said Israel was closely following developments in Syria to make sure chemical weapons don't "fall into the wrong hands."

"Syria has a massive amount of chemical weapons, and if they fall into hands even more extreme than Syria like Hezbollah or global jihad groups it would completely transform the map of threats," Hasson told Army Radio.

"Global jihad" is the term Israel uses for forces influenced by al Qaeda. Syria's rebels include al Qaeda-allied groups.

Syria has rarely acknowledged possessing chemical weapons.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to threats from Syria and Iran at a Cabinet meeting Sunday. Iran is Syria's main regional ally.

"We must look around us, at what is happening in Iran and its proxies and at what is happening in other areas, with the deadly weapons in Syria, which is increasingly coming apart," he said.

Israel views Iran as an existential threat because of its nuclear and missile programs and support for violent anti-Israeli groups in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as repeated references by Iranian leaders to Israel's destruction. Iran denies it is seeking to build atomic weapons, insisting its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

On Friday, Israeli Channel 2 TV broadcast an interview with a former Iranian diplomat who defected to the West in 2010. He warned that if Tehran gets nuclear weapons, it would use them against Israel. He did not provide evidence.

Part of Mohammad Reza Heydari's job was to draft foreign scientists to work on Tehran's nuclear program and he brought many from North Korea into Iran, the report said.

Heydari spoke from Oslo, where he has received political asylum.

[wideawake7]

OK..this was suppose to be about Israel possibly attacking Syria. How did it degenerate to this?

[gmcgmc]

By whose authority does Israel have the right to even mention the above? For a nation of 6-7 million people, and the size of a shoe, you'd think the Government of Israel would act according to it's size. On the other hand, you can't respect the U.S. for allowing Israel to conduct such bazaire behavior with verbiage.

[dylan_89]

you would be surprised of Israels military might they can definitely hold there own

[jimb2009]

Don't believe in God if you want. But, you're going to have fun with your mind while you're trying to explain away the eternal firey punishment that awaits you. Isaiah 17 will soon be fulfilled and Damascus will cease to be a city in a single night. NO that never happened before; it is yet for the future. And as I'm an expert in NBC Warfare, I can tell you that the cause will be most likely a Chemical weapon. Study the scripture if you want. But, without the Spirit of God guiding you, it will be like a gong making noise and you will not understand or be able to take the right actions due to it. Repent and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.

[Gaarthomas]

After the Marxists set up the direction of the world using WWI and WWII, and the establishment of Israel by the UN Marxists after WWII, the true "Final Solution" was set in place in 1948. The Nazi sect of the Marxist religion was just a warm up "Final Solution". Now that Judaism has been centralized, and trapped out in the open, in Israel, the true "Final Solution" has began. We are watching Judaism try to deal with an unwinnable circumstance. The road to their defeat has already been built.

[Veracity211]

Regardless of what all of you think Israel is The only Nation Chosen By God himself, They have the chosen people, (The Jewish.) Nations will exhaust themselves trying to destroy Israel like they have been for hundreds of years, Generation after Generation, and will never accomplish this feat, And when it looks as if they might get this done......The Lord intervenes and saves Israel. It was written. Regardless the facts are there. From cities names to places that are still in existence today. The people of the US knew this when we founded our Nation. Why you think we became their ally when the rest of the world hates them. Plus The United State will go to war Hand in Hand with Israel, All this so called drama u see in the news between the two is a ploy, its all for the public eye. Try try try as u might, Israel is here to stay, and for all you non readers why don't you look into the facts do intensive research and you will find the Truth!#Holy Bible.Deuteronomy 7:7-9 Genesis 12:1-3 Genesis 15 Isaiah 44

[cleric77]

The new Israel is the Holy Christian and Apostolic Church which covers the earth. It consists of both Jews and Gentiles. The people living in the land of the OT Israel as not pure blooded Jews.
The new Israel are true believers in Christ Jesus as Messiah regardless of race, color or faith tradition.

[MetricButtload]

SLOW_NEWS and CHUCK769_ your "logic" fails you. Pretending something will not happen just because you don't believe it will have no bearing on the outcome. True beliefs apply to all, not just those who believable them. It is obviously your choice what you believe, but to pretend that you are the ultimate authority and that nothing you don't believe in, isn't true is idiotic.

[juanjuliomendezthe70th]

lets all pretend that we really give a rats. when in fact all w care about is our personal finances. most of you moronz dont even care about yur health, let alone *** is going on way over there. you amuse me though! so thank you!

[Kent98]

When will the IAEA verify once and for all if Israel has nuclear bombs as most nations believe it has? Why the double standard?

[a_patriotATymail]

How is that relevant to the danger of Syria using chem weapons?

Trolls love to go off topic, dont they?

[Kent98]

@A_PATRIOTATYMAIL

Nonsense. I am not going off topic. It is all about weapons of mass destruction. If Israel can warn of the possible preemptive chemical weapons strike in Syria, why can't someone question if Israel has nuclear bombs? What is there to hide?

@CHUCK769

If the IAEA inspection confirms that Israel has nukes then the obvious question : 'why is that other Middle-East nations cannot have them too to defend themselves against a nuclear Israel'?

If as you imply that not signing the NPT is good as it preclude an inspection, then are you suggesting that Iran should abrogate its signatory of the NPT and will then "not be obligated to allow inspection"?

If the inspection confirms Israel has nukes then to deny others from having them too is just hypocrisy.

[lionsuar77]

Israel, bla bla bla. More Zionist b.s. propaganda. The people aren't falling for this stuff anymore. We know who's the evil behind all of this, and it's Zionism. Zionism has taken over Judaism in the same manner that the Nazis took over Germany. Jews need to purge the Zionist before these people take them and the rest of the world down a very disturbing road.

[a_patriotATymail]

Hows that anti Semitic rant relevant to the TOPIC of Syria and Chemical weapons?

Time for hate, but no time to read the article, huh?

[daveelliot]

Not every anti Israel commentis anti Semitic but its pretty obvious that when you compare Zionism, the movement to create a Jewish state, to naziism, you're crouching your hate. It's also easy to tell from te tone and context who is a Jew hater...lionsuar77 oozes hatred for Jews but is too cowardly to state it so he's simply a "Zionist " hater.... Yeh...

[cntrlfrk]

'
Nothing brings out the democrat Neo-Nazi's like Israel threatening to defend itself.

Are all of you Jew-hating bigots proud to be cheering on the destruction of their nation and race????

.

[a_patriotATymail]

Whats really interesting is that:

1. none of them actually know anything about the topic, they are just blowing smoke to appear relevant

2. If Neo nazis, they are "christian" and their hero, Jesus WAS A JEW

3. the US medias complicity in ignoring the fact that Israel is attacked by rockets daily/weekly/monthly.

[juanjuliomendezthe70th]

i like being a retired govt worker who at 57 years old is hot fit and apathetic to all this crap. a fat defined benny and 5 years away from sos sec! life is good unless you are one of you freaks! you dont know crap. hope i set next to one of you morons on the next barstool someday so i can argue down to a melting blob of gooey crap

[superdem1]

What could an Israeli attack on Syria do ? Would they bomb and destroy the chemical weapon sites, spreading the deadly chemicals among the population ? Does anyone think that is a good idea ? Would the Israelis try to capture the weapons on the ground with an invasion ? Would that go very well ? What sort of press would the Israelis expect to follow any pre-emptive attack on Syria ? And of course, what can America expect as fallout from our client state's unprovoked intrusion into its neighbors' affairs ? How would it look for America to have Israeli jets causing the chemical deaths of large numbers of Syrians ? Would that be any better than Assad using the weapons ? Israel better think before she acts, there is a lot to lose in this game.

[a_patriotATymail]

Why dont you ask them, you seem to know it all.

Meybe they would value your input.

After all , no one knows as much as you.

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