Syria is pumping more money into the border near the Golan Heights and plans to launch an English edition of its Golan newspaper as part of a strategy to take over the area. Newspaper editor Ali Al-Zaher also plans to open up bureaus in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. His office is adorned with a photo of Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The Popular Commission for the Liberation of Golan is providing financial support at Syrian universities for non-Jewish Golan residents. The government requires the residents to return to the Golan Heights after completing their education in order to help stake a claim.
The newspaper quoted an unnamed political analyst in Damascus as saying, "Inspired by Hizbullah's ability to resist the Israeli advance, the government wants more people to inhabit and know the region. The government saw that without popular resistance, the Israelis could easily send their tanks through the Golan on the road to Damascus."