Syria launches Scuds against the rebels as they near the Al Safira chemical weapons depot. Lavrov asserts that the weapons are under control – for now. Netanyahu goes to Amman for talks with King Abdullah.

Since the US designated Jabhat al-Musra a foreign terrorist organization Tuesday, Dec. 11, its fighters have been advancing rapidly toward the Syrian army’s main chemical weapons store and chemical-tipped missiles at Al Safira. Assad fired Scuds in an effort to stop their advance. debkafile: If the rebels, spearheaded by the Islamist terrorists, break into the base and lay hands on chemical weapons and missiles, the US may have to mount an air strike against the rebels - instead of Assad’s army.

Two radical developments arising from the Syrian conflict are revealed by debkafile: In an astonishing about face, Turkey has abandoned its 14-month support for the Syrian revolt alongside the West and made common cause with Russia, i.e. Bashar Assad.  Further exacerbating fears of a “proxy war” involving Israel, Iran and Syria, the Lebanese Hizballah is preparing to transfer its Scud D missiles, capable of hitting any point in Israel, from Syria to Lebanon. Israel has threatened to stop their crossing by force.

Syria has moved Scud missiles, some tipped with chemical warheads, to its border with Turkey, reinforced its tank units on the Jordanian border and airlifted from Russia three million face masks against chemical and biological weapons.

Syria has smuggled three consignments of disassembled Scud A ground missile components to the Lebanese Hizballah, debkafile discloses from Middle East intelligence and military sources. They do not add up to a complete set of parts for an operational Scud missile. However, another five shipments, awaiting handover at Syrian border bases will provide the missing elements for complete weapons.

Tehran urges Syria to hurry up deliveries.

The Syrian ruler Bashar Assad is afraid to strengthen his own armed forces lest they overthrow his regime in a coup d'etat. He is therefore building Hizballah up into a modern army as the shield for Damascus and his regime.

Syria has not actually handed Scud missiles, A or SS-1B, to the Hizballah in Lebanon - only positioned them on the border ready for transit - and taught two Hizballah brigades how to use them, debkafile's military sources report, refuting the flurry of press reports that these ground missiles are already in Lebanon.
Israel has warned Damascus via Washington that their crossover into Lebanon in violation of UN resolutions would spark military action on both sides of the Syrian-Lebanese border.