The Next Mideast War

By Chris Mitchell

CBN News-Jerusalem Bureau

April 15, 2007

CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM - Just last week, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi met with Syrian President Bashar Assad.

While she brought a message of peace, CBN News has learned there's evidence Syria is actively preparing for the next Mideast war

Syria - Watching and Learning

Last summer the terrorist group Hezbollah fired nearly 4,000 rockets from Lebanon into Israel.

Despite Israel's efforts, it didn't stop Hezbollah from firing those rockets into Israel for the entire war.

World renowned missile expert Uzi Rubin says Israel's neighbor Syria was watching - and learning.

"Now they learned the trick that even shorter-range missiles that are fired in salvos from multiple rocket launchers are very effective against Israel's civilian population."

Media reports now indicate Syria has moved up the same kind of rockets Hezbollah used in last summer's war close to its border with Israel.

But Syria's missile program consists of far more than smaller, unguided rockets on its border with Israel.

While officially the Syrians don't even admit they have missiles, CBN News obtained exclusive satellite images taken in 2004 of Syria's ballistic missile program.

Syria's Cape Canaveral

They reveal - even then - Syria had a well-developed, sophisticated and ambitious missile program.

For example, one particular testing facility was described by an analyst as Syria's Cape Canaveral - it's a place where Syria can improve the accuracy and capability of its missiles.

Launch sites can be seen surrounded by bunkers for the missiles.

More menacing is an operational site near Hama in Syria that is perhaps the heart and soul of the Syrian missile program.

There are more than 30 concrete hardened bunkers present that can house multiple missile launchers. In just minutes these mobile launchers could deliver up to a one ton conventional or chemical warhead anywhere in Israel.

"The Scud D can hit any point in Israel from the furthermost point in Syria near the Iraqi border and it was done specifically in order to have this range to hit every single point in Israel," said Rubin.

Another missile site near Homs, Syria reveals a previously undisclosed chemical warhead facility. There's a drive-through building where warheads are mated with the missiles.

While this doesn't necessarily indicate that Syria will attack Israel, it does show Syria is aggressively expanding its ballistic missile capability and also developing its chemical weapons capability.

War of Missiles

Rubin says it also reflects the military decision made by former Syrian President Hafez Assad in 1982 after Israel destroyed much of the Syrian air force.

"His words after the 1982 war were 'the last war was the war of the aircraft. The next war will be the war of the missiles," said Rubin.

And Rubin agrees.

He said, "Missiles and rockets will be the decisive, the key, the pace of the whole thing."

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