Audio recording of DeVore gunfire incident in Lebanon (with transcript)

In the audio you can clearly hear the Syrian gunfire in multiple bursts, getting louder as it gets closer to the IDF observation post. The Syrian positions were 180 meters away, according to the Israel Defense Force officers:.

More gunfire. I started laughing, and said, "We had a little bit of fire in here after the guy yelled, 'Ahmed.'" I then said, "I guess it's just on the back of the mountain... They got down." (Referring to the Israeli soldiers.) "After the firing, many of the Israeli soldiers instinctively ducked, and I with them."

I said, "It's all being recorded... At 180 meters, we're easy targets. If they wanted to pick off our heads it'd be no problem. These won't do much good (gesturing to the flak vests we were wearing)."

I said, "The time is now 1159 hours. I think that the Syrians must think it amusing to fire in our general vicinity and watch us all duck like rabbits."

Finally, after a sustained burst of gunfire, everyone, soldiers and journalists alike, get very quiet.

Then the Israeli officer in charge says, "OK, we are through." They were clearly concerned for our safety.

As we were being escorted off the observation post, I asked the Israeli escort officer, "Did you ask him, do they usually test fire their weapons like that every day? It's just..."

Yep. She needs to drop out.

Here's the full context of his remarks from the debate:

"DEVORE: Well, I think the most important thing in this discussion is what is best served for the United States’ national security interest. Clearly, we have allies in the region, and clearly Israel is one of those allies. And, I think perhaps more Israel is a friend of the United States. I support moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem when the Israelis say that it is safe and appropriate to do so. Furthermore, I’m skeptical of a two state solution. I am also skeptical that there is anything intrinsically appropriate about the current boundaries between Israel and the territories of Judea and Samaria. Because, all that is a cease fire line from the 1948 conflict where the combined Arab armies tried to erase Israel from the map. And, of course, Israel took over what’s now known as the West Bank in the 1967 war. interestingly enough, prior to 1967, when Jordan had administration over that part of the soil, they administered it, it was part of Jordan, Jordan was called trans-Jordan at that time as a result. And, Jordan actually tried to erase every last bit of Jewish presence in the Jewish quarter in Jerusalem during the period 1948-1967. These are things that I know personally. I have been to that region four times. I have been shot at in Lebanon. I’m quite familiar with the history of this region, and I believe that American national interest are served when we support Israel, because generally speaking, generally speaking, Israel’s’ foes are our foes."

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