Tlass comments on chances of war with Israel
Syria-Israel, Politics, 10/16/2000

Syrian deputy premier and defense minister Lt. Gen. Mustafa Tlass has stressed that Syria will not give Israel the chance to impose a war on it.

In a statement to the United Arab Emirates daily al-Khaleej issued in Abu Dhabi on Sunday, Tlass added that "Syria wants peace as a strategic option, but if war is imposed on it through launching an aggression, and direct threat to use weapons, the Syrian leadership under President Bashar al-Assad will not keep silent, adding that the Syrian people thanks to their unity, and leadership is able to confront any aggression and foil all pressures directed against it."

The Syrian defense minister ruled the eruption of a comprehensive war in the Middle East, noting that this conception is based on the international stand which opposes this inclination but seeks strongly to achieve peace in the region.

On the other hand, Syrian political sources told the paper that there is an urgent need to revive the " Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian triangle of steadfastness " according to a new national perspective as the Syrian- Lebanese coordination has proved effectiveness and ability to complete victory in the previous stage (a reference to the Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon ).

Al-Khaleej also indicated the possibility of establishing a Syrian, Iraqi and Iranian front as one of the proposed realistic options before Damascus, noting the great improvement in Iran's relations with the Arab states and vast openness of the Syrian leadership toward Iraq.

Meanwhile, well-informed source told the paper that Israel has prepared three special commandos forces to carry out a secret military operation aiming at releasing the three Israeli soldiers held by the Hizbullah.

The same source quoted the leadership of the Hizbullah party as saying that to avoid such an Israeli attempt, taking place, the three Israeli soldiers were taken to unreachable areas.

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