Middle East File: Syria deploys troops to Lebanon's eastern border, Suleiman turns blind eye, Siniora warns of impending invasion; Annapolis 2 slated

- Debkafile: Israeli Military on "High Alert," Syria May Be Preparing to Attack Northern Lebanon and/or Golan Heights over Yom Kippur (October 8-9) (source)

- West Bank Sealed, Border Crossings with Jordan and Egypt Closed Early Wednesday, October 8

- Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak Makes Unannounced Visit Today to Check IDF's State of Readiness on Golan Heights (source)

- Major General Gadi Eizenkot, IDF Commander in Northern Israel, Threatens to Use "Disproportionate" Force Against Lebanon and Syria If Hezbollah Attacks (source)

The Israeli media, below, reported today that the Syrians have reinforced their troops along Lebanon's eastern border. We recently posted that Syrian soldiers on that front have already dug themselves into positions 500 meters inside the Lebanese border. Likewise, the open mobilization of Syrian forces near eastern Lebanon follows a forward deployment of the 4th Syrian Mechanized Division along Lebanon's northern border, as well as the reported infiltration of commandos into villages near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli.

In the previous post linked above we posed the question: Is Syria preparing to re-invade Lebanon and/or attack Israel? Lebanon's prime minister apparently thinks so (see below). Emboldened by the reported presence of 10 Russian warships at its port in Tartus, Syria might be contemplating both military options. Pictured above: Syrian soldiers, vehicles, and tents on the Syrian side of Lebanon's northern Abboudiyeh border crossing, earlier today.

More Syrian Troops Along Eastern Lebanese Border
October 7, 2008

(IsraelNN.com) Syrian troops took up positions along the eastern border of Lebanon on Monday, according to a report published Tuesday morning by the London-based Arabic daily Al-Hayat.

The newspaper says the deployment followed one along Lebanon's northern border by two weeks. Eyewitnesses told Al-Hayat that the troops set up roadblocks and trenches in the northern part of al-Bakaa, near the al-Katzar border crossing, as was done along the northern border.

In a message to Lebanese president Michel Suleiman, Syrian president Bashar al-Assad said the action is designed to thwart efforts by smugglers and protect Lebanon from Islamic terrorist groups.

Members of an anti-Syrian coalition say the buildup is evidence of Damascus's intention to return to Lebanon, where its troops were stationed until it was forced by international pressure to pull out, following suspicions of Syrian involvement in the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik al-Hariri.

With near-treasonous disinterest, Lebanon's pro-Hezbollah, pro-Syrian, anti-Israel President Michael Suleiman has shrugged off the menacing activities of the Syrian army along his country's borders. The Iranian media reports: "Lebanese President Michel Suleiman says the deployment of Syrian troops along the border with Lebanon is subject to mutual understanding. Interior Minister Ziad Baroud quoted Suleiman as saying Syria is trying to bolster control over its borders with north Lebanon to 'avert problems'. The Lebanese president said that the deployment of Syrian troops off Lebanon's northern borders is in accordance with a mutual agreement, Baroud added."

By contrast, according to Debkafile, Lebanon's Prime Minister Fouad Siniora alerted Washington to the possibility of a large-scale, Syrian-sponsored terror attack or assassination to create a pretext for invading northern Lebanon. In response, the USA has elected to withdraw Cobra military helicopters earmarked for the Lebanese army from emergency stores in Jordan. The decision was made in talks between Lebanese government and military leaders with Deputy Secretary of State David Hale and Assistant Defense Secretary Mary Beth Long, who arrived in Beirut on October 5. "The helicopters," contends Debkafile, "are intended to impress on Damascus that the US will intervene militarily if the Syrian troops massed on the North Lebanese border cross over." A Lebanese military delegation is scheduled to visit Jordan today to inspect the Cobras, stored there after fighting in Iraq.

Meanwhile, Haaretz reports, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators are slated to meet next month in Egypt for the "Annapolis 2" peace summit, held under the auspices of the Middle East Diplomatic Quartet, consisting of the USA, Russia, European Union, and United Nations. There the summiteers will no doubt attempt to resurrect the moribund seven-year peace treaty known as the Oslo Accords. "In recent months," the story below relates, "U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been urging both sides to draft a document detailing the points of agreement in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations." In his eagerness to dismantle Israel, outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas every two or three weeks, most recently proposing that the Palestinians receive 93 percent of the West Bank, among other territorial concessions. Today Olmert also traveled to Moscow, where he met with Russian "President" Dmitry Medvedev. However, he failed to secure assurances that the Kremlin would halt future arms sales to Israel's arch-enemy Iran.

Egypt to host 'Annapolis 2' peace summit in November
Last update - 09:17 02/10/2008
By Barak Ravid

An international summit is to be held in Egypt in November, with representatives from Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the members of the Quartet - the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations. According to a senior official in Jerusalem, the Israeli and PA participants will brief the Quartet over progress made in the ongoing peace talks. The gathering is said to be the result of a compromise between the U.S., Israel and the Palestinians.

In recent months U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has been urging both sides to draft a document detailing the points of agreement in the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. She suggested they compile an "inventory" detailing progress on each of the core issues, such as Jerusalem, borders, refugees' right of return, security, settlements and water rights. Israel opposed Rice's suggestion and argued that it would set the talks back.

"It would make each side harden its stance to appear as though it has made no concessions," the Israeli source said. "Finally, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni managed to persuade her Palestinian counterpart, the head of the PA negotiating team, Ahmed Qureia, to reject the inventory idea."

Instead, the parties agreed on to give a detailed briefing to the Quartet. The Israeli and PA negotiators believe that would be less binding and would allow issues to be presented more freely. Quartet representatives met with their Arab League counterparts in New York last week and approved the proposed Israeli and Palestinian briefing.

Also, Quartet members decided to hold a peace summit in Moscow next spring. Meanwhile, the Israeli source said the November summit will probably take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on the anniversary of last year's Annapolis summit. Quartet representatives, including its Middle East envoy, former British prime minister Tony Blair, will participate as well as officials from Jordan and Egypt.

The political turmoil in Israel following the resignation of Ehud Olmert as prime minister is hampering attempts to determine the level of representation at the summit. If Livni becomes prime minister then the heads of states of other participating countries will also be required to attend.

Another issue that must be reconciled before the summit is held is the difference in opinion between Livni and Olmert, who have each been holding independent talks with Palestinians. Olmert, who has met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas every two to three weeks, has proposed that Palestinians receive 93 percent of the West Bank, and Israeli territory amounting to 5.5 percent of the West Bank as part of a land swap.

According to the proposal, Israel will accept a few thousand Palestinian refugees within its borders on humanitarian grounds over a 10-year period.

Olmert proposed that the issue of Jerusalem be put on hold and discussed in cooperation with the international community. Abbas apparently opposes the proposal at this point. At the same time, Livni has been holding talks with Qureia aimed at trying to reach a detailed final status agreement.

While the two sides made little progress over the core issues they have agreed on a broad range of issues such as water and the economy. Both Livni and Qureia categorically rejected Olmert's proposal. The Annapolis summit was held on November 27, 2007, in the U.S., with participants from about 40 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Syria and Indonesia.

From the vantage of Bible prophecy watchers, will this be the venue in which the Antichrist--most likely the current president of the European Union-Mediterranean Union--"confirms the covenant with many for one week [seven years]?" With last week's Rosh Hashanah, Israel has entered a new seven-year sabbatical cycle that may or may not represent Daniel's seventieth prophetic week, otherwise known as the tribulation period. If these things are so, then the church can anticipate only a few more weeks until the groom, Jesus Christ, comes to fetch His bride, the church.