"Hezbollah's scuds are only the tip of the iceberg"
Arnon Ben-Dror IDF Spokesperson 04 May 2010 , 18:22

Brig. Gen. Yossi Beiditz briefed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense
Committee on Hezbollah, Syria and Iran. According to Beiditz, the transfer
of weapons to Hezbollah is not considered the smuggling of weapons to
Lebanon - it is an official and organized transfer.

The head of the Research Department in the Intelligence Directorate, Brig.
Gen. Yossi Beiditz, met on Tuesday (May 4) with the Foreign Affairs and
Defense Committee of the Israeli Parliament, and discussed publicized
reports that have been issued recently about the transfer of scud missiles
from Syria to Hezbollah.
"Syria plays a significant role in the ever-growing rocket arsenal in the
hands of Hezbollah," said Brig. Gen. Beiditz. "The transfer of weapons to
Hezbollah occurs consistently from Syria and is organized by the Syrian and
Iranian regimes. Therefore this is not considered the smuggling of weapons
to Lebanon- it is an official and organized transfer."

The head of the Research Department confirmed that long-range missiles have
been recently transferred from Syria to Hezbollah, and said that "this is
just the tip of the iceberg," and that "already today Hezbollah has in its
hands an arsenal of thousands of every type and range of rockets, including
long-range and more efficient solid-fuel missiles."

According to Beiditz, "the long ranges of the missiles in the hands of
Hezbollah enable them to place their launchers deep inside of Lebanon, and
they cover ranges that are much longer than what we have seen in the past.
Hezbollah in 2006 was different from Hezbollah in 2010 from the standpoint
of their military capabilities which has developed more."

He continued to say that "Syria continues to march on two different paths
without being forced on the international arena to choose between them. On
one side Syria is improving her relations with the West, with the Arab
states, and with Turkey, and is returning to a role of influence within
Lebanon. At the same time, Syria is deepening her strategic and operational
cooperation with Iran, Hezbollah and the Palestinian terror organizations."

Iran has overcome technological obstacles in creating a nuclear bomb

Brig. Gen. Beiditz also covered Iran's nuclear program. "The Iranians
continue to promote their nuclear program and they are accumulating
abilities that enable them to attack with nuclear weapons at any moment they
decide to," he said. "From this moment, everything depends on their
decision. If in the past arriving at nuclear capabilities was dependent on
overcoming technological obstacles, today, in Iran, it is dependent on their
decision alone to bring about the creation of a nuclear bomb."

Brig. Gen. Beiditz also spoke about the travel warnings to Sinai which were
publicized recently by the Counter Terrorism Bureau. "On the eve of Passover
there was an actual warning related to the activities of Bedouins in Sinai
where they were supposed to kidnap Israelis spending time there, and
transfer them to the military wing of Hamas. There was a plan of
cooperation between them. The publicity deterred the groups, but there is
still the possibility that Bedouins acting as subcontractors will kidnap
Israelis and transfer them over to Hamas."