’Israel’: Al-Assad To Stay on for Years: Syria with Hizbullah, Iran More Dangerous than Al-Qaeda

“Israel’s” top commander, Major-General Yair Golan, confirmed Wednesday that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could cling to power for years.

Golan’s remarks, published on Wednesday in the “Israeli” Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, reflected debate in “Israel” over Syria fate, 2-1/2 years into Syria’s civil war, after a US-Russian agreement was reached over chemical weapons.
“He will stay on for years. I don’t see any force toppling him tomorrow morning – though he deserves to pass from this world, and the quicker that happens, the better,” Golan said.

In separate remarks breaking with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , the “Israeli” ambassador to Washington said on Tuesday that “Israel” “always wanted Bashar al-Assad to go”, in order to break up Syria’s alliance with Iran and Lebanese Hizbullah.

The envoy, Michael Oren, did not say if or how “Israel” was promoting the Syrian President’s ouster.
Golan, who heads the military’s northern command, forecast the Syrian leader would weather his military and territorial deadlock with the armed groups.
“He can cause us damage, he can harass us greatly, but he cannot today wage a serious ground campaign against “Israel”,” Golan said.

Interviewed by the “Jerusalem Post”, ambassador Oren described al-Assad’s defeat as welcome even if it were at the hands of al-Qaeda.
Agreeing, Golan warned against exaggerating the threat from the radical extremists.

“The Global “Jihad” is a bad enemy, but it is a relatively primitive enemy that does not enjoy the backing of a regional power,” Golan said, using Israel’s term for al-Qaeda affiliates.
“The Syrian enemy, with Hizbullah and of course with a regional power like Iran in the background, is a far more dangerous enemy than elements of the Global Jihad.”
Golan said Hizbullah sought precision ground-to-ground rockets, anti-aircraft and anti-ship missiles from Syria, but “as far as we can tell” it did not want his chemical weapons.
Golan said military action against Syria would have a limited value as it would be impossible to know exactly how many civilians might be harmed or how much of the chemical stockpiles had been destroyed.