Official: Israel to act if Syria arsenal breached

In this photo taken Monday, July 23, 2012, UN soldiers from Austria observe from an old army post from the 1967 war at Mt. Bental in the Golan Heights, overlooking Syria. Mount Bental is a sought-out overlook these days, shared by boisterous tourists and anxious Israelis hoping to catch a glimpse of the conflict in Syria. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

In this photo taken Monday, July 23, 2012, UN soldiers from Austria observe from an old army post from the 1967 war at Mt. Bental in the Golan Heights, overlooking Syria. Mount Bental is a sought-out overlook these days, shared by boisterous tourists and anxious Israelis hoping to catch a glimpse of the conflict in Syria. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

In this photo taken Monday, July 23, 2012, Israelis are seen at an army post from the 1967 war at Mt. Bental in the Golan Heights, overlooking Syria. Mount Bental is a sought-out overlook these days, shared by boisterous tourists and anxious Israelis hoping to catch a glimpse of the conflict in Syria. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner)

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman addresses the media after he attended the EU Israel Council at the European Council building in Brussels, Tuesday, July 24, 2012. Lieberman is on a two-day visit to meet with the EU Council. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel's foreign minister says Israel will act immediately if it discovers Lebanese Hezbollah militants are raiding Syria's chemical or biological weapons stocks.

Avigdor Lieberman told Israel Radio on Wednesday: "For us, that's a casus belli, a red line."

Israel's political leaders have been warning in recent days that they would be prepared to strike weapons depots to keep those arms from reaching militants. They fear Hezbollah and other militants could raid those arsenals if the central government in Syria collapses amid intensifying violence.

Israel's military chief, however, counseled restraint on Tuesday, warning that an attack on Syrian chemical weapons depots could drag Israel into a broader war. Israel currently assesses that Syria retains control over these arsenals.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-25-Israel-Syria/id-bf06ebada1654d6daa3f08785236bbd5

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