saditha wrote:

Iran's national security adviser Ali Larijani flies to Damascus aboad
special military plane Wednesday night as war tension builds up around
Hizballah kidnap of 2 Israeli soldiers

July 12, 2006, 10:14 PM (GMT+02:00)

Larijani is also Iran's senior nuclear negotiator. He
will remain in Damascus for the duration of the
crisis in line with the recently Iranian-Syrian mutual
defense pact. His presence affirms that an Israeli
attack on Syria will be deemed an assault on Iran.

It also links the Israeli hostage crisis to Iran's
nuclear standoff with the West. The White House
released a statement holding Syria and Iran
responsible for Hizballah abduction and demanding
their immediate and unconditional release.

The Syrian army has been put on a state of
preparedness. The Iranian air force, missile units and
navy are also on high alert.

Sources report Hizballah acted on orders from Tehran
to open a second front against Israel, partly to ease
IDF military pressure on the Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

This was in response to an appeal Hamas leader
Khaled Meshaal made to the Iranian ambassador to
Damascus Mohammad Hassan Akhtari Sunday, July 9.

Iranian sources report Tehran's rationale as composed
of three parts:

1. Iran shows the flag as a champion and defender of
its ally, Hamas.

2. Sending Hizballah to open a warfront against Israel
is the logical tactical complement to its latest order
to go into action against American and British forces
in southern Iraq.

3. Tehran hopes to hijack the agenda before the G-8
summit opening in St. Petersberg, Russia on July 15.
Instead of discussing Iran's nuclear case and the
situation in Iraq along the lines set by President
George W. Bush, the leaders of the industrial nations
will be forced to address the Middle East flare-up.

Any Israeli decision taken at prime minister Ehud
Olmert's high level consultation in Jerusalem
Wednesday night must take this turn of events into
account before deciding on limited air strikes against
Hizballah and Lebanese civil targets without delay.

Immediately after Nasrallah's statement to the media,
Hizballah's leaders went into hiding, their bases were
evacuated and their fighting strength transferred to
pre-planned places of concealment.

Ahead of the abduction, Hizballah ordnance and missile
stocks were transferred to the Palestinian Ahmed Jibril's
tunnel system at Naama, 30 km south of Beirut, which
was built in the 1980s by East German engineers. The
Israeli navy has long tried to smash this coastal
underground fortress from the sea without success.
Israel began calling up an armored division, air crews
and technicians from the reserves Wednesday night.

If Israel's leaders opt for an anti-Hizballah operation on
the lines of Operation Summer Rain against Hamas in
the Gaza Strip, the IDF can expect the same measure
of success as it has had in recovering Gilead Shalit and
ending the Qassam missiles barrage

Copyright 2000-2006 DEBKAfile.

A middle east conflict, fueled by Iran, is not in the best interests of
the Russians and Chinese, right now.

Iran still needs those countries if it is to hold to it's nuclear
ambitions.

This creates a diversion that Iran hopes will distract
the G8, meeting in St Petersburgh this week, from
the Irani nuclear stalling
~~as was stated in the article above~~

Why would they risk alienating Russia and China by overtly assisting
Hizbollah, Syria and Lebanon?

Hizballah is an Irani creation ~ financed and trained
Iran has a new mutual defense treaty with Syria.
I guess you missed that part of the article <G>

It is amazing how many people ask questions that are
clearly answered in the article. Those are either top
posters or those who post all their comments at the
bottom instead of, as is proper, under the relevant text.

The top posters are, ipso facto, idiots,
now what is your excuse?? <GaGa>