Israeli leaders say Syrian transfer of chemical weapons could spark regional war

ii:  After days of warnings by Israeli political leaders that Syrian transfer of chemical weapons to Hezbollah was a move that would trigger armed intervention, Israeli military leaders weighed in with a more temperate message Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, and President Shimon Peres have each warned that transfer of the weapons to Lebanon -- a mere two hour journey -- would be considered a casus belli demanding Israeli seizure or destruction. The statement of the Israeli military chiefs appeared to contradict orders by Defense Minister Barak to have the Israeli military to prepare for a possible attack on that weapons arsenal.

But Amos Gilad, head of the Defense Ministry Political and Security Division, and Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz both sought to reassure the public with less blunt pronouncements on the Sytrian threat. Gilead said that the Assad regime was currently in full control of Syria’s unconventional weapons and there was no need to act in haste. Gantz offered the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee this vague formulation regarding Syria: “If you work from one focus, you may find it hard to find the point, but if you act broadly, you may quickly find yourself in an area that is broader than you planned.”

The two Israeli security chiefs answered the Syrian Foreign Ministry’s warning Monday - that Damascus would only use chemical weapons if faced with “external aggression” - by making it clear that Israel is not planning to attack Syria and therefore Assad has no cause to target Israel for attack. Gilad dismissed as “not credible” the rebel Free Syrian Army’s Tuesday statement that the Damascus government has moved chemical weapons to airports on its borders, along with equipment for mixing chemical components. He said emphatically: “Hezbollah does not have Syrian chemical weapons at this time.”

But that assurance could change rapidly, since a convoy could transport weapons across the Bekaa Valley to Lebanon in a mere two hours. War clouds have been circulating in the region since July 20, when US Pentagon sources disclosed that Syria’s chemical weapons had been moved out of storage and Assad suggested that they could be used to counter external threats. The Iranian publication Kayhan said that Assad is left with no option but to embark on war – limited or broad - to "liberate" the Golan Heights from Israel.

Faced with the escalating tensions, US President Barack Obama issued a stern warning to the Syrian ruler Monday that he would be held accountable “if he makes the tragic mistake of using chemical weapons."