Courtesy The Israel Project
Quotes from Gen. (ret.) Amnon Sofrin
(1) On the Israeli “red line,” under which Jerusalem has committed to preventing the transfer of Syria’s nonconventional weapons either to Hezbollah deliberately or to opposition forces capturing Syrian
arms caches. The Syrian non-conventional arsenal is considered the largest in the world:
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“I think that if we have solid evidence shared by our own partners all over the world, that chemical warheads are being transferred from Syria to Lebanon, to the Hezbollah, I think that no one will condemn Israel for trying to prevent it.”
“The first one is called Sarin… [a] nerve gas. And the second one, which is more frightening for us and more, let’s say severe with its consequences, is called VX, and this one is lasting. Meaning… it stays on the ground on every place it is being launched to, for many, many hours and many days.”
“About quantities in Syria, there are lets says hundreds of warheads, I don’t know the right figure, but we are speaking about hundreds.”
(2) On the potential for WMD transfer to Hezbollah, which would take advantage of Syrian-Hezbollah weapons ties going back decades:
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“Hezbollah. Because first of all they possess the launchers and the missiles, and they can mount a chemical warhead on top of one of the missiles, something that the Salafists in Syria doesn’t have so far. So the main concern so far is Hezbollah.”
“Should Assad decide his regime is at its end, he could think, ‘If I go down and I leave my chair, at least one of the heritage I will leave will be that
Hezbollah will have capability to hit Israel very bad. Is it something that you can rule out, I can’t.”
“The Syrians have been transferring a lot of new weapons systems to [Hezbollah]… It began when Hafez Assad was alive… but he limited the amount and the types of weapons systems transferred to Hezbollah.”
“If we fail to prevent… (inaudible) from Syria to Hezbollah, I mean chemical warheads, then we have to build up a new equation of deterrence against Hezbollah and to make it clear to Hezbollah that if you are going to make any attempt to even think about using it, the price will be very very high and very painful.”
(3) On the potential for WMD capture by Syrian opposition forces, which are increasingly controlled by Al Qaeda-linked elements:
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“[The jihadists are] Salafists who believe in the jihad way, and this is the flag and they are fighting the Alawites in Syria in order to tear down this
current regime and replace it in something that is going to be more in the spirit of Islam or (inaudible) in the wind or spirit of Al- Qaida… Ayman
al-Zawahiri, the leader of Al-Qaida, has called all the jihadists in the world to participate in the world in Syria and to take active part in tearing down this regime.”
“The possibility that armed groups like the jihadist would take advantage of the situation and operate against Israel and suddenly the Golan Heights will
become another engagement theatre, for non-conventional irregular war, and the fact that possible leak of other weapons, falling down to the jihadists or to Hezbollah makes it very complicated for us to predict what will be the strategy vis-a-vis Syria over the next year.”
Let’s get real.
If it were up to the critics, world opinion and the anti-Semite governments, there would be no Israel.
Israel cannot pay attention to critics but rather take whatever action it deems necessary to protect her sovereignty and her people.
Unfortunately, sometimes her worst enemy can be her own government leaders.
G-d will loose His patience one day “Open My Temple for My people to pray”. and while your at it get rid of those rock throwing knuckle heads.
This bombing has shocked Israel’s critics because there so many cases where crossing red lines has not generated a consequence.
RIGHT ON LAURA!
@ NormanF:
F- Europe and its double standards. I don’t give a damn whether europe ever gives its explicit support, Israel MUST do whatever it takes to prevent these biological and chemical weapons from getting into the hands of jihadist groups. There comes a point where the danger to Israel is so potentially lethal that it cannot afford to concern itself with how the west will react to its self-defense measures.
Israel has limited room for maneuver.
France is a permanent member of the Security Council and can veto any restraints on its actions.
Israel does not have that luxury and has to choose and pick its fights carefully.
Energy independence may gave Israel substantial geopolitical clout but that is a ways off from being realized.
There is a difference between Mali and Syria and on the one hand, what France enjoys in Mali, as regards Syria, the opposite side of the coin is also true: Israel will never receive explicit Western support for its actions there.
“(3) On the potential for WMD capture by Syrian opposition forces, which are increasingly controlled by Al Qaeda-linked elements.”
True but the Al Qaeda element still only rep about 5K out of 200k FSA opposition forces meaning about 2.5 percent of the opposition.
So way to go on being HYSTERICAL and Israel acknowledged was targeting conventional Hezbollah and anti-aircraft missiles – that they targeted chemicals is speculation. It is more realistic that the red line was manpads Israel can’t have these in Lebanon.
These articles are more theatre than rational analyses. It’ like i can see the author salivating over a graphic war comic – I suggest a cold shower.
Anyhoo, I’m sure the FSA would thank Israel for the help if only for the fact that it would be politically incorrect from the Arab side.
Now there’s a question – how to change that?
Exterminating Gaza and Hezbollah extremists is the only way to end the propaganda war against Israel. Without the source there is no need for the propaganda.
So why don’t you do it Israel ? Hmmmm..
Why didn’t you do it?
Why over and over again you didn’t do it?
no guts – no glory – no survival…