Syria strike details to be released

Breitbart.com ^ | Apr 6, 2008 | Press Association

[Jet Jaguar]

Syria strike details to be released Apr 6 04:31 AM US/Eastern

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Israel and the US are coordinating the release of details of a mysterious Israeli air force strike in Syria, according to reports.

The Haaretz newspaper says US officials might disclose details of the Sept 6 strike later this month during congressional hearings.

The Yediot Ahronot newspaper reported that the matter would come up April 17 before the congressional Committee on Foreign Relations.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev would not comment on the Haaretz report.

But Israeli security officials told The Associated Press that they object to any release of details to the committee, which is to hear testimony on North Korea's nuclear programme, including any nuclear activity in Syria.

Israel has maintained almost total silence since the attack, which Syria said hit an unused military installation.

But some foreign reports have claimed that Israel targeted a nuclear installation Syria was building with North Korean assistance.

Damascus denies having an undeclared atomic programme, and North Korea says it was not involved in any such project. Syria did not retaliate for the attack.

The New York Times has reported that the Bush administration knew about the strike before it happened.

According to Haaretz, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Bush administration think it is now possible to disclose details because in their assessment Syria is unlikely to retaliate at this point.

[Jet Jaguar]

ping

[Jet Jaguar]

ping

[Cindy]

Thanks for the ping Jet Jaguar.

[TigerLikesRooster]

If the details are made public, it would put pressure on Syria, Iran, and N. Korea. Especially N. Korea.

Or is Bush threatening to abandon engagement with N. Korea and Iran?

[woofie]

I keep thinking in the last months of this administration there has got to be a lot of information about the WOT that will come out...not only for legacy building but to insure that the military gains made will not be thrown away by future administrations

[woofie]

Also if Bush is a poker player when does he put his cards on the table ?...I do think there will be some stuff that we will never know about but surely there is a point at which public perception needs to be played to

[johnny7]

North Korean plutonium... Iranian missiles/warheads... Syrian assembly/distribution facility

[TigerLikesRooster]

I hope he does not go down as just a “compassionate conservative” and a “free trader w/ China.”

[SolidWood]

The overthrow of the Taliban and Baath regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq are already part of his legacy that no one can take.

[Clive]

If the IDF and Mossad don't want the details released, why release them?

How can an ally trust the US if it is going to broadcast secret dealings every time the political winds change direction?

Is this the way to develop and nurture alliances? Other nations will be observing how loyal allies such as Israel get treated, and how well their secrets are respected.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, he returned to his earlier centrist root after 2006, which offset some of his earlier gains(legacies.)

These days, I begin to wonder if Bush we saw between 9/11 and 2006 midterm election was an aberration. I am pretty sure that if there was no 9/11, we have had "Open Border" by now, because that was what he was working on around that time.

The legacy he planned for himself at the beginning of his presidency was to embrace Hispanics and bring them to GOP. For that, he would have implemented "Open Border."

[jhpigott]

ping

[tlj18]

Or maybe switch to a different kind of engagement with Iran and North Korea? The kind that involves huge quantities of highly explosive substances?

It's looking more and more like Iran is going to get whacked this year.

[romanesq]

smart

[stevem]

Why disclose anything? All interested bad guys knew what happened and why.

[ops33]

There are still many details of the attack that will not become public, for instance, how the Israelis were able to overcome the brand new, multi-billion dollar Russian made air defense system. I suspect it wasn’t entirely through jamming since jamming tells the other side you’re about to do something.

[Bean Counter]

This is certainly worth keeping an ear to the ground this week.

If this hearing materializes, I would not be surprised if the majority of the testimony were done in closed session so that sensitive intelligence materials can be shared. The bar is set very high for these kinds of issues, and whomever does this brief had better come loaded for bear.

At the same time there will have to be something released to the American people because they are the ones who are demanding that the bar be set high, and I for one want to see exactly what it was they hit, how they hit it, and what we are going to do from here on out if the NoKos really were involved. I also want to know what other sanctions the Syrians would be eligible for if in fact they are as guilty as everyone expects they are.

If anyone is running a *ping* list on this topic, please add me...

Developing...

[MCH]

There are still many details of the attack that will not become public, for instance, how the Israelis were able to overcome the brand new, multi-billion dollar Russian made air defense system. I suspect it wasn’t entirely through jamming since jamming tells the other side you’re about to do something.

Exactly. You're the first I've seen mention this, which is of course key to the secrecy around the issue -- if you think about the implications that is :)

[ops33]

I suspect that the Israelis were able to hack into the system, or instal a virus, that made the radar act normal, no unusual aircraft returns, just routine traffic. I would love to have been a fly on the wall when the Russian air defense Chiefs were de-briefed on the attack. Of course, that’s all speculation.