Liberman warns Syria is building bigger army than it had before

While viewing an army exercise in the north, the defense minister warned that the Assad regime was building a bigger military than it had before the outbreak of the 2011 civil war.

By: Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Tuesday that the Syrians are rebuilding their land army so that it “would return to its old dimensions – and even be bigger,” according to Kan Israel News.

Liberman was speaking after taking in an Armored Brigades exercise on the Golan Heights, after which he expressed full confidence in the IDF’s ability to repel any dangers from Damascus, now that Bashar al Assad’s regime has gained back most of its territory that borders Israel from rebel fighters.

“I was impressed in the most convincing way that we have an Armored Corps that is organized, prepared and knows its mission,” he said.

He also discussed the American sanctions on Iran that US President Donald Trump put back into place Monday, 90 days after withdrawing from the nuclear arms deal with the Islamic Republic.

Noting that the deal has brought the Ayatollahs’ regime billions of dollars, the defense minister said that Iran uses about $2.5 billion per year to fund terror organizations and that he hopes the sanctions will be implemented soon, the report said.

On Monday afternoon, Liberman took to Twitter to praise the US move.

“In a courageous decision which will be remembered for generations, US President Donald Trump altered course regarding Iran,” he stated. “Misguided agreements and appeasement have been replaced by a resolute campaign to stop the murderous regime of the ayatollahs, that spreads terror, violence and hatred throughout the entire Middle East.”

This was Liberman’s second visit to the region in a month. After a tour of the border in July, he warned the Syrian regime that it would be held responsible for any Iran-backed “terrorist infrastructure” on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights. He also advised the regime’s military not approach the border with Israel.

“In our view, the entry of Syrian forces into the buffer zone — any Syrian soldier who finds himself in the buffer zone is endangering their life,” he said at the time.