Syria preparing for war, says Israel

A top military official told the Israeli Cabinet today that Syria had moved its missile batteries closer to the border with Israel and was preparing its forces for a military conflict, a senior government official said.

However, Brig. Gen. Yossi Baidatz, head of research in military intelligence, said that Syrian President Bashar Assad was also considering the path of peace, according to a participant in the weekly Cabinet meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.