Israeli submarines said to be placed on high alert By Douglas Davis

LONDON (December 18) - Israel is bracing for war with Syria and has placed its three nuclear-armed submarines on high alert, according to yesterday's London Sunday Times.

The three newly delivered German-built submarines - the Tekuma, the Dolphin and the Leviathan - are reported to have recently started a 21-day stint at sea.

The paper noted that they would only be used in the event of an all-out regional war.

In addition, according to the paper, an armored division received an emergency order 10 days ago to deploy in the Golan Heights to reinforce troops already based there to cope with a "worst-case scenario." At the same time, IDF troops are training to defend the Jordan Valley in the event of an attack by Iraqi tanks via Jordan.

Military sources were quoted as saying that Israel is taking the danger so seriously that it had sent a warning to Damascus earlier this month in an attempt to avert a clash.

The message reportedly warned that Israel would respond against Syrian army positions in Lebanon if Hizbullah launched attacks across the border to support the Palestinian uprising.

Of greatest immediate concern to the IDF is Syria's continuing cooperation with Hizbullah, which is estimated to have doubled its military capacity since Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon last May.

Hizbullah has reportedly acquired anti-tank missiles and long-range Katyusha rockets from Iran, delivered via Syria.

Hizbullah is also said to have built about 30 military posts along the border, creating a new front line, with about 1,000 fighters in forward positions and a further 5,000 in rear bases.

The paper noted that the IDF has still not completed construction of an electronic fence and has not laid minefields.

"Nobody in Israel wants to say this," said one military source, 'but Hizbullah could walk into northern Israel tomorrow."

http://www02.jpost.com/Editions/2000/12/18/News/News.17539.html

-- Martin Thompson (mthom1927@aol.com), December 17, 2000