Israel Air Force buzzes Assad's summer palace

Jerusalem Post ^ | August 16, 2003 | Arieh O'Sullivan

[Blennos]

Israel TV Channel 1 reported Friday night that following last week's Hizbullah shelling in the north the Air Force dispatched fighter jets to Syria which buzzed the palace of Syrian President Bashir Assad in a warning to rein in Hizbullah.

The warplanes reportedly swooped in low over Assad's summer palace in the port city of Latikia where Assad was at the time. Assad reportedly saw and heard the jets, the TV reported.

The aircraft later buzzed Beirut, but the message was apparently received and Hizbullah kept their anti-aircraft cannons in the north quiet.

The IDF Spokesman refused to officially confirm or deny the report. Military sources said Saturday, however, stressed that Israel did send the Syrian leader "direct message" that it held Assad's government responsible for silencing Hizbullah.

The incident took place last Sunday after Hizbullah anti-aircraft shells hit the northern border town of Shlomi killing 16-year-old Haviv Dadon. Air Force jets retaliated by blowing up the Hizbullah battery.

Buzzing Assad at his palace would require excellent real time intelligence.

[johniegrad]

Blast not buzz.

[xrp]

They should've dropped huge water balloons to freak Bashar out.

[Threepwood]

Can't get much more direct than that.

[RightOnline]

Gotta love 'em. They KNOW how to give a hint.

[DeuceTraveler]

Rock on.

[billhilly]

The not at all subtle message was, remember those palaces in Baghdad and Tikrit. They used to belong to a despotic ruler.

[lilylangtree]

Go get him, Israel!

[LibKill]

They should've dropped huge water balloons to freak Bashar out.

In the '67 war, after the Israeli pilots dropped all their ordnance they buzzed Cairo at supersonic speeds. The sonic booms broke windows and distressed the inhabitants thereof.

I'll bet Bashar had to change his underwear after this latest fly-by.

[hoot2]

"Israel Air Force buzzes Assad's summer palace "

buzz....,this time....
"sting" next time...

[dighton]

Bashir-buzzin' bump.

[xrp]

[LibKill]

Nice, but I don't get it. Was that your plane?

[Tallguy]

Are you saying that you flew the ball?

[CyberAnt]

Especially, since this message says, "America is not telling us what to do, regardless of what you think".

[LibKill]

Let's examine Bashar's position for a minute.

Israel on one flank, the Americans in Iraq on the other.

I'll bet he needs to change underwear 3 times a day! :)

Of course he could come to his senses, give up the WMD that Saddamnable gave him, and make peace. If he had brain one.

[CyberAnt]

Well .. GOD will have have the last word: Isaiah 17:1 - "The burden of Damascus. It has been taken away from being a city, it has become a ruinous heap". Selah!

[TomB]

The warplanes reportedly swooped in low over Assad's summer palace in the port city of Latikia where Assad was at the time. Assad reportedly saw and heard the jets, the TV reported.

Subtle.

[PokeyJoe]

Does Isreal have JDAM capability?

If so, is it organic or imported?

Just wondering . . .

[Semper Paratus]

Practice run, they have it down for the next time.