(IsraelNN.com) Syrian strongman Bashar Assad warned Monday that a military attack on Iran would have dire results for Israel. Speaking on France's InterRadio, Assad said: "Iran has already noted that Israel will pay a direct price for such an attack."

"The problem," he explained, "is that when one side initiates such an operation in the Middle East, it will not be possible to control the repercussions which could influence the region for many years afterwards."

Regarding the United States, Assad said that while reason dictated that the Americans should not strike Iran, "Bush's administration seeks war. It does not act in accordance with our logic and with that of most European states and the nations of the world."

Tourist spies
Western intelligence agencies estimate that if Iran is attacked it will set off a chain of terror attacks in the West, according to a story published in Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera, Sunday. The report said that agents of Iranian intelligence are posing as tourists and journalists and collecting information about "diplomatic and military sites" in the West, and that several potential attack sites have been located in Italy, England, South America and Canada.

In order to carry out the surveillance missions, Western intelligence sources told the newspaper, Iran recruited people with residence permits in the countries being considered for attack. These can be Iranian citizens, Lebanese, or Shiites from the Gulf states and other Arab countries. "They are equipped with videocams and cameras, pose as tourists or journalists, but instead of taking photos of historic sites they prefer to take pictures of diplomatic consulates, bases and military installations."

'Plan Hell'
They transmit the information they collect directly to Iranian intelligence. Sources in Dubai called the Iranian contingency plan "Plan Hell."

An Iranian source told Maariv-NRG that a senior representative of the Iranian intelligence services arrived in Italy in June, along with Iran's president. The purpose of the spymaster's visit was to better organize the Iranian citizens in Rome and Milano who were working for the Iranians.