U.S. Summons Top Syrian Diplomat

The State Department's announcement late Monday that it had summoned the Syrian acting ambassador, Zouheir Jabbour, offered the strongest indication yet of how the U.S. fears the alleged arms transfer could destabilize the Middle East and potentially lead to new conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied the transfer of Scud "D" missiles took place since Israeli President Shimon Peres first made the charge public last week.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms the transfer of any arms, and especially ballistic missile systems such as the SCUD, from Syria to Hezbollah," the State Department said in a statement. "The transfer of these arms can only have a destabilizing effect on the region, and would pose an immediate threat to both the security of Israel and the sovereignty of Lebanon."  

The State Department said Monday's action marked the fourth time in recent weeks that Syrian diplomats have been summoned in Washington to discuss alleged arms shipments to Hezbollah, which receives most of its weapons and funding from Syria and Iran.

U.S. and Israeli officials fear that the introduction of long-range Scuds into Lebanon risks shifting the military balance in the Middle East and placing virtually all of Israel within Hezbollah's military capabilities.

The Syrian government in recent days has accused Israel and the U.S. of manufacturing the Scud information as a pretext for an Israeli strike on Lebanon. President Bashar Assad's government has also said the charges were meant to divert world attention away from Israel's own nuclear program and arms buildup.

"This disinformation campaign aims at misleading the world's public opinion," Syria's Embassy said in a statement released last week.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006 in which the Lebanese militia and political party largely relied on Iranian-sourced missiles with ranges of 20 to 60 miles to strike Israeli targets. The Scud "D" missiles are believed to have a range of more than 435 miles, which would place Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel's nuclear installations at Dimona all within range of Hezbollah's military forces.

The latest charges against Syria are threatening to undermine President Barack Obama's policy of engaging Mr. Assad on a range of security issues. Republican senators have threatened to block the confirmation of a new U.S. ambassador to Damascus over the alleged arms transfer. The White House's nominee, Robert Ford, is currently awaiting approval by a vote from the full Senate.

The U.S. alleges that Syrian and Iranian arms shipments are in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions aimed at disarming Hezbollah and strengthening Lebanon's central government. The Obama administration hopes to bring Syria and Lebanon into broader peace talks with Israel.

"The heightened tension and increased potential for conflict...is an impediment to on-going efforts to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East," the State Department said.