IRAN AND HAMAS SIGN MILITARY TRAINING PACTS

Emboldened by its success in Lebanon, Iran is expanding its influence in Gaza as well. DEBKAfile reports:

"The military pacts Palestinian Hamas interior minister Said Siyam signed with his Iranian counterpart Mostafa Pour-Mohammadi in Tehran on Oct. 12 [see photo at left] are designed to transform Hamas’ military wing, the Ezz e-Din al Qassam, into a crack operational arm of the Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, and Gaza into a second Lebanon.

"Syam was in Tehran for two days at the head of a 7-man delegation.

"DEBKAfile’s Iranian sources report Tehran has committed to training Hamas’ rapid deployment force of 6,500 men in Hizballah combat tactics, with the accent on missiles, especially the anti-tank variety which were used with devastating effect against Israeli tanks in the Lebanon War. The force will be sent over in batches for six-week courses at Revolutionary Guards installations in southern Iran.

"Iran will foot the $60 million bill for the training as well as for the top-notch weaponry."

Follow the links to read the entire DEBKAfile report. [HT: A loyal reader.] Although I am a news junkie, I did not see this significant story anywhere in the mainstream media, including in Israel.

This ominous development underscores the truth of a column that appears today in the Jerusalem Post, by Michael Freund, entitled "The Coming Middle East War, which warns that all the signs point to an impending war against the Jewish State by Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria and Iran. Such an attack would assail Israel on at least three fronts: Gaza, Lebanon, and the Golan Heights; probably accompanied by violence in Judea and Shomron ("the West Bank"); and perhaps involve missile attacks from Iran as well.