Community Magazine November 2003

today backs terror on two main fronts. The first front is against Israel through Lebanon, in a way that leaves no finger- prints. The Syrians claim that the terrorist organizations’ offices in Damascus are the “political” leadership and not related in any way to terror. But Israel knows for sure that the Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus - supported by the Iranians - is backing the group in the territories with money, training, moral support, political support, and strategic support. The last horrible terror attack in Haifa was carried out by Islamic Jihad, the only organization that feels free and undeterred, because Islamic Jihad is backed by its headquarters in Damascus. Islamic Jihad’s leader, Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, speaks freely in Damascus, supporting terror. Without Syria’s support, it would be very difficult for this terror organization to function. The policy is decided in Damascus and the infrastructure in the ter- ritories carries out this policy, reporting back in order to get more money and sup- port. Palestinians have described to me how Islamic Jihad terrorists walk the streets of Jenin with lots of money. In such a poor town, having such a quantity of money means power. And the money comes from Iran through Damascus. Syria’s second terror front is Iraq, where the Syrians are supporting the same indirect patterns of behavior against the Americans. The Syrian government claims that its army is incapable of preventing the smuggling of terrorists and weapons through Syria to Iraq. When it comes to the Syrian-Turkish border, however, the Syrian army is very efficient. Why? Because Turkey threatened to destroy Syria if the cross-border terror didn’t stop. Turkish methods of persuasion were suc- cessful. After a long time the Syrians became convinced that the Turks were serious. That is why, after the arrest of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, the terror stopped. Israel enjoys the same tranquility on its border with Syria in the Golan Heights. But Syria permits terrorists to use the indirect channel to move through Lebanon and through the border between Syria and Iraq. In this way, Syria supports terror, including elements of al-Qaeda and other extremist Muslim - predominantly Sunni - terrorist organizations. The top leadership of Hamas is living underground today because they are afraid. On the other hand, Islamic Jihad, with its Syrian and Iranian patrons, feels immune, and that is why Israel decided to send two messages to President Assad. The first was an Israeli air force “visit” over his palace in Latakia in the northern part of Syria, in the form of a fly-by. The second was Israel’s retaliatory strike after the Haifa bombing on the Ein Saheb base - an operational terrorist camp 15 kilome- ters from Damascus. Israel hit no Syrian targets, only the training camp of known terrorist organizations. Israel released Iranian film that clearly showed the impor- tance of Ein Saheb as an operational camp for terrorists. Syria’s main efforts now are designed to cause total failure of the United States in Iraq and to increase terror inside Israel. Syria used to be a base of terror against Jordan and against Turkey; now it serves as one against Iraq. Bashar Assad is con- tinuing a Syrian tradition. The Syrians, in my opinion, will not change their policy of supporting terror because, for young Assad’s regime, sup- port of these organizations is very impor- tant. First of all, by supporting Hizballah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Jibril’s PFLP- GC, Assad becomes personally immune and secure; they will not touch him. They are using Damascus as a base. Second, there is some kind of ideological affinity here. Third, Bashar Assad is surrounded by old ministers - dinosaurs - like Defense Minister Mustafa Tlas who has been in office since 1972 and hasn’t changed his mind about Israel. Foreign Minister Farouk Al-Sharaa is another dinosaur. So I see no fundamental change coming unless, as in the case with Turkey, Syria becomes convinced that Israel is very serious about preventing any acts of terror. Syria is also supporting Iran. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is stationed in Lebanon, and there is no excuse for their deployment there. The Iranians, too, are supporting terror inside Israel, mainly through Fatah groups. In January 2003, 23 Israelis were murdered as a direct result of the logistical and direct support of the Revolutionary Guards to Fatah. In addi- tion, Iran has tried to send weapons to Fatah in ships such as the Karine A that carried shoulder-fired, anti-aircraft mis- siles; katyusha rockets; and additional means and know-how to upgrade terror activity in Israel. Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad is senior advisor to Israel’s Minister of Defense. Previously, he served as Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Director of the Research Division for the IDF’s Intelligence Branch, and IDF Spokesman. This Jerusalem Issue Brief is based on his presentation at the Institute for Contemporary Affairs in Jerusalem and presented here with permission from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs / Institute for Contemporary Affairs. HESHVAN 5764 NOVEMBER 2003 29 s ” xc CM ©2003 John Trever, Albuquerque Journal. reprinted with permission