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Photo: Yaron Brenner
IDF Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin
Photo: Yaron Brenner

IDF Intelligence chief says Israel vulnerable

Amos Yadlin tells cabinet country strategically less stable, vulnerable to surrounding enemies; pragmatic Arab camp against the Iranian threat was beginning to form, he adds

Israel is less strategically stable than it has been in the past, said IDF Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin.

 

Yadlin revealed the 2007 Intelligence assessment before the government Sunday afternoon, and said that Israel was surrounded by negative procedures and greater risks than it has been in years past.

 

The Intelligence chief also said that as of December 2006, the most significant players in the region were Iraq, Iran, and the United States.

 

Iran is considered one of the most extreme forces in the region, as a financer of local terror groups such as Hizbullah.

 

Yadlin explained that Iran would determinedly persist in its nuclear plans despite technological difficulties. Such a military and political stance would continue to defy the international community, although a pragmatic Arab camp against the Iranian threat was beginning to form.

 

Syria and Hizbullah threats?

With regards to Syria, Yadlin said that President Bashaar Assad continued to signal willingness for peace talks but without any real gesture on his part.

 

“The Syrians are building up their military strength, but the odds of a full-scale war launched by Syria – like the Yom Kippur or the Six Day war – are low,” Yadlin said. At the same time, the Intelligence chief said that there was a high probability of Syria reacting to military actions taken by Israel.

 

Mossad Chief Meir Dagan said that Hizbullah took a hard blow in last summer’s war, and was now restrained in its actions in southern Lebanon, with the exception of a few isolated incidents.

 

However, Hizbullah was operating on two levels, Dagan said. “Hizbullah is building up its military force, including a renewal and upgrading of its systems, and is simultaneously strengthening its political power in the Lebanese government,” Dagan explained.

 

‘Pragmatic States weak’

As opposed to extremist terror forces, Yadlin said that pragmatic states in the Middle East were weakening. “There is a struggle between the moderate camp and the radical camp,” Yadlin said.

 

He added that the Islamic Jihad viewed Israel as a target, and that military threats on Israel continued to change; the current situation was that of a terror threat against Israel on the one hand, and the threat of ground missiles and unconventional weapons on the other hand.

 

Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin commented on the internal crisis in the Palestinian Authority and pointed out that it was in Hamas and Fatah’s best interest to work together. He added that the two factions would continue trying to reach an agreement despite the tensions between them.

 

The IDF clarified on Friday that forces would direct their attention to the Gaza Strip, where, despite the ceasefire, the terror organizations continue to build in strength and amass weapons, defense officials stated.

 

They added that any irregular incident might bring to an escalation of terror activity in Gaza and spark an extensive conflict in the area. Additionally, intelligence reports point to attempts by Hamas to adopt Hizbullah's methods of operations.

 

Hanan Greenberg contributed to this article

 


פרסום ראשון: 02.25.07, 19:13
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