Syrians mass ‘impressive force’ on border

Press, 27 December 1985, Page 6

Syrians mass ‘impressive force’ on border

NZPA-AP-NYT London Syria has been strengthening its forces facing the Israeli-held Golan Heights, “Jane’s Defence Weekly” has reported, according to the Associated Press. For the last few weeks Syria has been building up an impressive force in the area near the north-eastern frontier of Israel, the magazine reports in its latest issue. Later, the Israeli Defence Minister, Mr Yitzhak Rabin, had denied yesterday that tension was increasing between Israel and Syria on the Golan Heights, Israel television said. Mr Rabin also had said that there had been no change in Syria’s deployment facing the Golan Heights. But “Jane’s” said that

Syria had deployed heavy artillery and anti-tank obstacles opposite the Golan Heights. The military balance had allowed the Syrians to take the initiative with a surprise attack. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and annexed the territory in 1981. The publication quoted a senior Israeli defence source as saying that the Syrian Army’s deployment “enables it, within a very short space of time, to move over from a defensive position to an offensive position”. “At any moment, General (Rifaat) Assad is able to initiate an all-out war against Israel, or a localised ... operation,” “Jane’s” said. General Assad, brother of

the President, Mr Hafez Assad, and commander of Syria’s special forces, had troops deployed between the Syrian capital of Damascus and the Golan. Those troops could move quickly to the Golan frontier. Israeli officials said on December 15 that Syria had moved Sam2 surface-to-air missiles to the SyrianLebanese border, north of the Golan, in an action designed to stop Israeli reconnaissance flights over the Syrian-occupied part of Lebanon. The Israeli armed forces were confident they could deal effectively with a, Syrian threat by mobilising their Army, Navy and Air Force, “Jane’s” said. “But without the total mobilisation of the reserves, Israel faces vastly superior

forces opposite the Golan Heights, even if all its standing Army were to be permanently deployed in the area.” The Israeli military establishment was in no doubt that sooner or later Syria would go to war. “No-one in Israel believes for one moment that Syria will ever come to terms with the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights. “It is generally accepted that when the opportunity arises, when Syria is ready, Israel will have to fight again,” “Jane’s” said. Syria would need the backing of the Soviet Union, .its chief backer and arms supplier, for such a fight, but Damascus was already boasting of preparations for the liberation of the Golan Heights.

“The New York Times” reported that the Soviet Union had assured Syria of support in its dispute with Israel over the missile deployment and accused the Israelis of conducting underground nuclear tests in the Negev desert The State-controlled Damascus radio said that Mr Assad had received a message from Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet leader, about the missiles. The contents were not officially disclosed. But according to Beirut’s leading daily, “an Nahar,” the letter had dealt with “Israeli threats” over the deployment by Syria, which, the Israelis said, threatened their reconnaissance flights over Lebanon. Citing unnamed officials in the Syrian capital, the

newspaper said that Mr Gorbachev had assured Mr Assad of Soviet solidarity in the matter. Israel has insisted that Syria remove the Sam2 missiles, which have a range of up to 48km. The Syrian Government daily, “al Baath” warned Israel on Wednesday that any attack on the missiles would be met with “the full weight of Syria’s military strength”. Israel has not said that it intends to attack the missile sites. A five-year-old treaty of friendship and co-operation between Damascus and Moscow provides that the two countries consult on matters of vital importance. Under the treaty, furthermore, the Russians undertook to improve Syria's

military position. In a separate development the Soviet featiire agency, Novosti, accused Israel of “escalating its nuclear capability”, saying in a report issued in Arabic to news organisations in Lebanon that the Israelis had been engaged in underground testing of nuclear devices in the Negev. Dimona, where Israel has its largest nuclear reactor, is in the Negev. The agency’s report, which did not cite any sources for its assertions, said that Israel had increased its nuclear strength in 1985 and that it now possessed as many as 40 nuclear warheads. The Israelis had the missiles to cany these warheads, it said.