INTELLIGENCE PROJECTION FOR '95: ASSAD WILL REMAIN COMMITTED TO
PEACE

ISRAEL LINE
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1995

  On Monday, the IDF's General Command received the "Intelligence
Assessment for 1995", DAVAR reported.  The report, prepared by the
IDF's Intelligence Branch, will soon be presented to Prime Minister
and Minister of Defense Yitzhak Rabin.
  According to the report, Syrian President Hafez el-Assad remains
committed to reaching peace with Israel, but is still unable to
narrow the gap between Syrian and Israeli positions. The report
does not anticipate war with Syria in the near future.
  The assessment added that negotiations with the Palestinians will
continue, though terrorism will probably increase in 1995.
Terrorist attacks in the territories are expected to be carried out
by Islamic fundamentalist groups such as Hamas and the Islamic
Jihad.
  In a section dealing with Iranian and Iraqi nuclear capabilities,
the report said if the United Nations lifts its controls over Iraqi
nuclear facilities, Baghdad may produce nuclear weapons in the near
future.





ISRAEL LINE