Syria Provides Iran-backed Hezbollah with Long-Range Missiles

From News From Jerusalem: Syria and Iran are working together to arm Hezbollah with sophisticated weaponry to attack Israel, according to new reports. Hezbollah has long been Iran’s proxy, used to attack Israel and carry out other terrorist activities.

The Israel Defense Forces warned that Hezbollah has been rearming itself in order to attack Israel again.  Since Israel’s defensive war against Hezbollah in 2006, Syria and Iran have been vital to Hezbollah’s new and improved arsenal.

Based on clandestine French and U.S. intelligence sources, Hezbollah has three units that transport about 40,000 rockets and sensitive missile technology — including sophisticated M-6002 missiles— from Syria to Hezbollah with the help of 10,000 operatives.

Israel's Defense Ministry declined to comment on the matter citing its sensitive nature.

According to information gathered by France’s Le Figaro, Syria transports weapons and supplies from its storage sites to the Syrian-Lebanese border, a base for Hezbollah’s operations. As a result Hezbollah’s stockpile now contains weapons and abundant reserves, some of which are located near the Damascus airport following delivery from Iran.

Another Hezbollah unit delivers weapons to the Bekaa region of Lebanon by the truckload. The arms typically are unloaded in secret at night and at the end of the month when power outages occur.

Sections of another unit, comprised of Hezbollah members and Iranian experts, set up training camps for Hezbollah fighters to practice firing long-range missiles.

Since Israel’s month-long defensive war against Hezbollah in 2006, when Hezbollah in an unprovoked attack kidnapped and killed Israeli soldiers and fired missiles across northern Israel, Shi’ite militants have increased their training with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Underground tunnels, built by the IRGC, and an extensive underground telecommuniations network allow Hezbollah to protect itself against infiltration by Israeli and Western military personnel. The weapons caches are sometimes divided into smaller quanitities to avoid seizure in south Lebanon by U.N. peacekeeping forces.

U.S. intelligence officials reported in April 2010 that Syria delivered Scud missiles to Hezbollah. Despite vehement denials from top officials in Damascus—and their stated desire for peace with Israel—the weapons delivery was confirmed.

In March 2010, reports circulated that Syria delivered new, farther-traveling Scud-D missiles to Lebanon. That year, Syria began mass-producing Scud-D missiles that travel as far as 435 miles (700 km) and can carry chemical or biological warheads.

In January 2010, U. S. intelligence reports also found 26 M-6002 missiles had been delivered from Damascus Hezbollah via the Syrian-Lebanese border.

Israel’s Haaretz newspaper reported in 2009 that Syria was arming and using Hezbollah as its proxy to attack Israel.

Israel and Syria held indirect peace talks in 2007-2008. Syria’s close relationship with Iran and Hezbollah, as well as its porous border with Iraq - which allows insurgents to enter Syria -  hinder Israel from  establishing a comprehensive peace treaty with Syria.