SYRIAN THREATS

Syria is backing away from threats made against Israel by foreign minister Faruq al-Shara.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted Al-Shara as saying Syria has "many cards that we have not played.
Don't forget there are many Israeli settlements in the Golan. I am not exaggerating, but I am describing things as they might happen."

Now Information Minister al-Hassan has clarified that the Syrian people, rather than the government, may retaliate.

Al-Hassan said al-Shara had actually told the London paper that Syrian people themselves may attack Israeli settlements in the Golan Heights, a strategic border plateau seized by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War. Thousands of Israelis have since settled in the Golan, which Israel formally annexed in 1981.

"The Syrian people, after being provoked by the Israeli attack on its territory, are asking the government to retaliate," al-Hassan quoted al-Shara as telling The Sunday Telegraph.

"It is difficult to restrain the people's reactions, especially as there are Israeli settlements in the Golan within a short distance of Syrian territory.

"A group of people might shell these settlements," he quoted al-Shara as saying. He did not elaborate.

The Syrian "we-have-no control-over-the-determined-masses" argument..where have I heard something similar?

Faruq al-Shara also told the London-based Sunday Telegraph that Syria could not control its entire border and had failed to stop Palestinians, Iraqis and Syrians crossing to fight United States forces in Iraq.

"They are very determined and many of them dream of seeing an American tank," he said.

"We are doing everything we can. We have tightened our checkpoints and are turning people back. But the border is long and we cannot cover it all."

Let them try and attack. Those Israeli missiles have a mind of their own....