Posted on 09/12/2007 10:59:58 AM PDT by Islander7
WASHINGTON, Sept. 11 — After days of silence from the Israeli government, American officials confirmed Tuesday that Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes inside Syria last week, the first such attack since 2003.
A Defense Department official said Israeli jets had struck at least one target in northeastern Syria last Thursday, but the official said it was still unclear exactly what the jets hit and the extent of the bombing damage.
Syria has lodged a protest at the United Nations in response to the airstrike, accusing Israel of “flagrant violation” of its airspace. But Israel’s government has repeatedly declined to comment on the matter.
Officials in Washington said that the most likely targets of the raid were weapons caches that Israel’s government believes Iran has been sending the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah through Syria. Iran and Syria are Hezbollah’s primary benefactors, and American intelligence officials say a steady flow of munitions from Iran runs through Syria and into Lebanon.
In the summer of 2006, during fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces, the militant group fired hundreds of missiles into Israel, surprising Israel with the extent and sophistication of its arsenal. Israel has tried repeatedly to get the United Nations to prevent the arms shipments across the Syria-Lebanon border.
One Bush administration official said Israel had recently carried out reconnaissance flights over Syria, taking pictures of possible nuclear installations that Israeli officials believed might have been supplied with material from North Korea. The administration official said Israeli officials believed that North Korea might be unloading some of its nuclear material on Syria.
“The Israelis think North Korea is selling to Iran and Syria what little they have left,” the official said. He said it was unclear whether the Israeli strike had produced any evidence that might validate that belief.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Israel should go in and take down the Syrian government.
Wait till they find the WMDs there. It’ll cause conniptions among liberals. I am convinced that that’s why they were so adamant about Israel NOT going in there last year.
The Syrians muteness looks like a sign of total weakness and shock. Looks like the Israelis have hit something very important. It’s also interesting that the target was on the North-Eastern end of Syria. This means the (likely) Missiles were nearer to Iraq and our bases than to Israel. Maybe the Israelis are clearing the way to Tehran.
I am going to my basement now.
I am expecting a sternly worded letter from the UN at any moment now.
I hope we all survive the terrible retribution the UN is about to dish out. /sarc
Frankly, I am glad Israel did this. Maybe Iran is getting the subtle subtext.
Good!!!
“Syria has lodged a protest at the United Nations in response to the airstrike...”
My knees are shaking.
Wait unti the UN unleases their blue bonnets.
Run for the hills everbody!!!
unti = until
Warning! This is a high-volume ping list.
bump
Rack it Alouette LOL!
I wonder if IDF jets pass by Syria President Crib after they did it LOL!
The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap."
Israel should make Isaiah's prophecy come to life, as an object warning to others (gee, which mullocracy to the east of Iraq and the northeast of the Persian Gulf might that be?) not to even THINK about Israel and nuclear weapons on the same day.
Maybe that would put the fear of allah into nutjob. And take away the supply lines to hezbollah at the same time.
Ohh, a protest. They must have had good aim.
Most brilliant strategic move I have ever seen in 21 cent proxy wars.
1-Irans proxy is Syria who passes on weapons to their proxy Hezbollah.
2-Fighting Hezbollah gained israel no traction against Iran last year.
3-having moderately weak syria as a close ally makes Iran look like a big dude on the block.
4-So Hezbollah is the fist, Syria is the elbow and iran is the shoulder.
5-Israel cuts the elbow off. both ends are now useless.
6-if Israel goes further and regime changes Syria, they have half the road to Natanz paved for their planes. They could even refuel them on the ground at a temporarily held syrian airfield.
7-if Iran dares retaliate against international shipping, invades iraq, or US bases or allies or navy ships the US is drawn into the war and Democraps can’t stop it. CHECKMATE.
I can see a day when the well trained ally of Iraq is willing to dish out military punishment against Syria and Iran.
The hostility and anger against them is certainly already there.
Not anytime soon, they do not have tanks or attack planes last I heard. Just light counterinsurgency forces.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/nia.htm
bttt
Though the time will certainly come when it will be in our (and Iraq's) national interest that Iraq be more heavily armed.
But can you imagine a Democrat Congress authorizing such aid?
We have trained their air force already, though it is mainly delivery capable equipment and not attack aircraft.
I still personally believe that inciting them toward these ends is a practical way to unite the government and accelerate progress.
I do think we will give them big military aid in the future if we are able to keep it relatively stable.
We just gave huge amounts of military aid to Saudi ARabia., we would be foolish not to do it for Iraq.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.