Syria and Jordan are continuing their military preparations despites Syria’s commitment, announced yesterday, to renew the UNDOF mandate for another six months.
Observers here noted today that the Syrian action did not assure a calm period on the Syrian-Israeli border unless Syria was willing to abide by the disengagement agreement with Israel, They said Israel was prepared for the possibility of military action by Syria despite the UN mandate. They added that Syria has allowed terrorists to go to Israel through the Golan Heights despite the disengagement.
Meanwhile, Austrian troops with the UNDOF Force plan to return to the top of Mt. Hermon after leaving it last weekend. The Austrians manned the post after Syria paved a road to the peak contrary to the disengagement agreement.
Senior observers believe that Syria agreed to extending the UNDOF mandate because of the strong Israeli presence on the Golan. Israel has completed a wide network of fortifications which stresses anti-tank ditches and the mining of all possible areas of Syrian penetration. Because of this the Syrians are concentrating on strengthening their positions, the military observers believe.
Meanwhile, Jordan continues fortification work in the Jordan Valley and is preparing roads for the fast movement of tanks and other vehicles to the border.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
