Israel Mobilized Troops and Tanks, Papers Report

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates —  Israel has mobilized 27,000 men and 1,800 tanks to attack Syrian troops in Lebanon, and Syrian President Hafez Assad secretly visited Moscow last week to discuss the buildup, newspapers in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait said Saturday.

Abu Dhabi’s Al Ittihad newspaper said it had obtained a secret report on an Israeli plan to attack the Syrians in Lebanon. Israel recently has accused Syria of supporting international terrorism, including the attempted bombing of an El Al Israel Airlines jet in April.

Kuwait’s Al Watan newspaper said Assad paid a secret 24-hour visit to Moscow on Thursday for talks with Kremlin leaders on “the situation in the Middle East and the Israeli threats against Syria.”