Barak: Hizbullah Managed to Triple Size of Missile Arsenal
Source: Al-Manar TV, 12-2-2008
The likelihood that the United States will undertake military action against Iran's nuclear installations is small, "Israeli" War Minister Ehud Barak told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday. Barak also briefed the MKs on security-related developments in the Gaza Strip and other fronts.
Barak explained that the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, prepared by American intelligence agencies, and which concluded that Tehran had halted its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, had contributed to the hesitation to take military action against Iran's nuclear program.
However, Barak said that "whoever reads the small print finds that we ["Israel" and the U.S.] disagree on some of the conclusions [in the report] but a lot less than what one thinks at first glance."
Barak warned that the way events have unfolded in recent months may also make it difficult to impose further economic sanctions on Tehran. He said that in his talks with world leaders there is a broad agreement with "Israel"'s assessment that Iran is trying to acquire nuclear military capability, but that "the American report is influential because of the U.S. centrality and importance."
Turning to the situation on the Lebanon front, Barak said that since the end of the Second Lebanon War, Hizbullah has managed to triple the size of its missile arsenal in relation to its size prior to the start of the conflict.
He also said that Hizbullah has established its position north of the Litani River ‘with the assistance of Syria and Iran'. "This [military] potential should worry us, as should the fact that Hizbullah continues to build its strength and acquire all sort of missiles. In spite of the serious blows Hizbullah suffered during the war, it has tripled its missile arsenal, and extended the range and effectiveness of these weapons," Barak said.
Many of the committee members asked Barak to elaborate on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the incessant barrages of Qassam rockets against Sderot and other communities bordering the territory.
Barak expressed concern that there is an attempt in the Arab world to work toward reconciliation between the rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas. "There are currently two authorities with different characters. The presence of Hamas in the Gaza Strip is a fact and we do not see the Palestinians as being able to remove them and restore Fatah control."
The likelihood that the United States will undertake military action against Iran's nuclear installations is small, "Israeli" War Minister Ehud Barak told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Monday. Barak also briefed the MKs on security-related developments in the Gaza Strip and other fronts.
Barak explained that the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran, prepared by American intelligence agencies, and which concluded that Tehran had halted its efforts to develop nuclear weapons, had contributed to the hesitation to take military action against Iran's nuclear program.
However, Barak said that "whoever reads the small print finds that we ["Israel" and the U.S.] disagree on some of the conclusions [in the report] but a lot less than what one thinks at first glance."
Barak warned that the way events have unfolded in recent months may also make it difficult to impose further economic sanctions on Tehran. He said that in his talks with world leaders there is a broad agreement with "Israel"'s assessment that Iran is trying to acquire nuclear military capability, but that "the American report is influential because of the U.S. centrality and importance."
Turning to the situation on the Lebanon front, Barak said that since the end of the Second Lebanon War, Hizbullah has managed to triple the size of its missile arsenal in relation to its size prior to the start of the conflict.
He also said that Hizbullah has established its position north of the Litani River ‘with the assistance of Syria and Iran'. "This [military] potential should worry us, as should the fact that Hizbullah continues to build its strength and acquire all sort of missiles. In spite of the serious blows Hizbullah suffered during the war, it has tripled its missile arsenal, and extended the range and effectiveness of these weapons," Barak said.
Many of the committee members asked Barak to elaborate on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the incessant barrages of Qassam rockets against Sderot and other communities bordering the territory.
Barak expressed concern that there is an attempt in the Arab world to work toward reconciliation between the rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas. "There are currently two authorities with different characters. The presence of Hamas in the Gaza Strip is a fact and we do not see the Palestinians as being able to remove them and restore Fatah control."
