Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Israel: Regional threats growing

|
|
 
  
Published: Nov. 6, 2007 at 4:54 PM

JERUSALEM, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- An Israeli defense official said the country is facing growing dangers from Iran, Syria and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Yossi Baidatz, head of research for Israeli Military Intelligence, said the government of Iran is not in danger of collapsing and may have nuclear capability by the close of 2009, Ynetnews reported Tuesday.

Baidatz also told the Knesset's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee in a briefing Tuesday that Syria is increasing the size of its arsenal and Hezbollah is gaining strength in Lebanon.

"Hezbollah is learning how to live with UNIFL (the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon) and they are getting stronger. They carried out a training exercise to convey two messages: one, that they are unfazed by Israeli military maneuvers and, two, as an internal message to showcase Hezbollah's strength in Lebanon," Baidatz said.

The intelligence chief said Syria is upgrading its military with Russian-made anti-tank weapons and anti-aircraft systems. Baidatz said the country's government is also helping to transfer weapons from Iran to Hezbollah.

Topics: Yossi Baidatz
Recommended Stories
© 2007 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 25
Meryl Streep and Colin Firth attend the "BAFTA" ceremony in London
View Caption
fark
High school coach retires at 65 after getting arrested nude, "aroused" in car backseat with 17-year-old...
Man arrested for stealing $25k worth of Tide detergent. Witnesses say the suspect appeared quite...
News: Two cars fighting gun battle on Interstate accidentally fire into car of innocent women. Fark:...
Dads, before showing "The Smurfs" DVD from your laptop at your kid's birthday party, make sure you...
It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand
Baby shower ends with three people stabbed after a drunken argument between relatives of mom-to-be...