Fresh off of weekend claims by Vice Premier Silvan Shalom that Israel was considering attacking Syria, they did exactly that, sending warplanes through Lebanon into Syrian territory and launching air strikes that killed two people.
Exactly what was hit, who was killed, and why the attack was launched at all remain matters of intense speculation, and with Israeli officials refusing any comment on their attack, conflicting stories from Syria and the United States are being pushed.
The US claims that Israel attacked an “arms convoy” en route to Lebanon, carrying Russian-made anti-aircraft weapons to the Hezbollah faction, which would make Israeli attacks in Lebanon less convenient.
Syria, on the other hand, claims that the attacking warplanes struck a military research facility near Damascus, killing two workers and wounding five others. They accused Israel of doing so to aid the rebels.
Experts say that whatever was hit likely had nothing to do with Syria’s chemical weapons program, which Israeli officials have often cited as a likely target. Such an attack would’ve caused massive environmental damage and would’ve been readily confirmed.
Whatever the case, the attack will have a major impact on Syria’s civil war, complicating the conflict and adding credence domestically to Assad’s claims of a Western conspiracy against him. Though it is highly unlikely Israel launched the attack in coordination with Syria’s Islamist rebels, the perception of an Israeli role in the war for regime change could shift popular opinion both in Syria and in the various nations from which Islamist fighters are flocking.
Glaser….
You don't understand the 'conflict'. As explained several times: this is a "proxy war" at the moment.
Do you deny that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are openly backing, funding, and arming the so-called rebels Glaser?
Do you deny there are a $%&@load of foreign fighters inside Syria?
Do you deny that NATO Patriot Missel Batteries were recently deployed to Turkey under BS pretenses?
Do you deny reports of the US training so-called "Syrian Rebels" in Jordan (I believe this is something you 'reported')
Do you deny that the so-called "rebels" have no identifiable 'leader', 'coherent strategy' to take power, no real 'ideas', or even credible 'spokesman' who can speak on behalf of the so-called 'rebels' to identify and articulate any of these things?
Do you still deny Israel's interest and involvement in all of this (I would think this would be difficult at this point).
Do you deny that during the Vice Presidential Debates Joe Biden said:
"We are working hand in glove with the Turks, with the Jordanians, with the Saudis and with all the people in the region attempting to identify the people who deserve the help so that when [Bashar al] Assad goes — and he will go — there will be a legitimate government that follows on, not an al-Qaeda-sponsored government that follows on,”
http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById…
Do know what a "proxy war" is, or do you deny the very existence of the term "proxy war" (which, by definition, requires "conspiracy" in one form or another) and/or do you just pass it off as some sort of 'crazy idea' Assad recently invented for domestic propaganda reasons?
You don't even have basic facts right–such as what "Syria claims". I'm not entirely sure why it's assumed here at AW.C "The Times of Israel" and other Israeli and Western media outlets are more 'credible' sources of what "SANA" (Syrian State media) 'reports' than "SANA" itself.
http://www.sana-syria.com/eng/21/2013/01/30/46473…
On top of that, you didn't even reported what "The Times of Israel" (the article you linked) 'reported' about what "SANA" 'reported'.
Glaser wrote:
Syria, on the other hand, claims that the attacking warplanes struck a military research facility near Damascus, killing two workers and wounding five others. They accused Israel of doing so to aid the rebels."
This is the what the linked "The Times of Israel" wrote (which is a more accurate assessment):
"The statement denied earlier reports that the strike was aimed at a convoy carrying weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and did not specify as to the purpose of the installation that was hit."
http://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-confirms-israe…
Not to beat a dead-horse, but: who has "credibility" Glaser?
This is mind-numbing…
Ditz….
You don't understand the 'conflict'. As explained several times: this is a "proxy war" at present.
Do you deny that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are openly backing, funding, and arming the so-called "rebels" Ditz?
Do you deny there are a $%&@load of foreign fighters inside Syria?
Do you deny that NATO Patriot Missile Batteries were recently deployed to Turkey under BS pretenses?
Do you deny reports of the US training so-called "Syrian Rebels" in Jordan?
Do you deny that the so-called "rebels" have no identifiable 'leader', 'coherent strategy' to take power, no real 'ideas', or even credible 'spokesman' who can speak on behalf of the so-called 'rebels' to identify and articulate any of these things?
Do you still deny Israel's interest and involvement in all of this (I would assume this would be difficult at this point)?
Do you deny that during the Vice Presidential Debates Joe Biden said:
"We are working hand in glove with the Turks, with the Jordanians, with the Saudis and with all the people in the region attempting to identify the people who deserve the help so that when [Bashar al] Assad goes — and he will go — there will be a legitimate government that follows on, not an al-Qaeda-sponsored government that follows on,”
http://www.todayszaman.com/newsDetail_getNewsById…
Do know what a "proxy war" is, or do you deny the very existence of the term "proxy war" (which, by definition, requires "conspiracy" in one form or another) and/or do you just pass it off as some sort of 'crazy idea' Assad recently invented for domestic propaganda reasons?
You don't even have basic facts right-, such as what "Syria claims". I'm not entirely sure why it's assumed here at AW.C "The Times of Israel" and other Israeli and Western media outlets are more 'credible' sources of what "SANA" (Syrian State media) 'reports' than "SANA" itself.
http://www.sana-syria.com/eng/21/2013/01/30/46473…
On top of everything, you didn't even report what "The Times of Israel" (the article you linked) 'reported' about what "SANA" 'reported'.
Ditz wrote:
"Syria, on the other hand, claims that the attacking warplanes struck a military research facility near Damascus, killing two workers and wounding five others. They accused Israel of doing so to aid the rebels."
"The Times of Israel" wrote:
"The statement denied earlier reports that the strike was aimed at a convoy carrying weapons from Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon, and did not specify as to the purpose of the installation that was hit.
"
http://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-confirms-israe…
This is mind-numbing…
I also wonder why Antiwar should think western and Israeli media are more reliable than Sana. Antiwar is anti-Syria – that's why. Antiwar – ever the gatekeeper – is a useful site for news, FP useful too. Both with their own agendas (complementary). It's very simple.
As i predicted here a while ago, if the NATO mercenaries would end up in the position of having to agree to talks with the Syrians and their government, israel would definitely step in and so they did, what a surprise. Any prospect of peace and settlement in the region will undoubtedly jeopardize the Jewish pariah state as such and must be avoided at any cost.
Even the biggest EVER Russian naval armada war-game from every major naval port in Russia just outside Syria as well as nuclear subs and long-range TU-160 bombers. That´s a message the NATO kriegsfuherer Anders Foggy Rat-Mussen understood very well and so he moved his fleet away from the scene, but do the israelis? Yes of course. At any cost remember? Even WW3….
Russia should bomb Israel to send strong message to the first BLACK presidnet that his BLACKNESS cannot help him to bring his terrorist pawns to power. The entire world is against US/Israel policy in the region and in Syria.
Israel without a GREEN LIGHT from the first black president would have not dared to attack Syria. This is US SAVAGE policy ordered by the baby killer at the WH.
Given the US maintains constant air surveillance over the ME using AWACS, this means either the US was complicit in this act of war or Israel can evade US air defense systems as well as Syrian systems.
Are you actually defending the muderous dictatorship in Syria… the 10's of thousands killed is what a myth? The hundreds of thousand of refugees are doing this for fun? And you put your faith in the goverment run media? that is mind numbing….
Are you actually defending the murderous regimes in Washington, France, the UK, Turkey, Israel and the Gulf countries who have caused all of this? The millions killed throughout the world and lately in the ME (Iraq, Lybia, Pakistan, etc. ) is what a myth? The millions of refugees (and Syria received tens of thousands of Iraqis fleeing from the carnage courtesy of the USA) are doing this for fun? And you put your faith in the modern Western Pravdas aka CNN, Fox, NYT, WaPo, etc. whose behavior would put to shame? To say this is mind numbing is an understatement.
I hope you know that the killing of thousands is the result of the NATO aka old colonial powers sending in the troops used to destroy Libya. I hope you know when you develop a group of killers that they will come to kill you when they stop being paid. Syria is not your problem and what happens is not anyones problem but Syria. We have an organization called the United Nations which apparently stopped the basic premise of the United Nations will come to support any member being attacked by outside forces. The attack in Syria is just a continuation of Operation Clean break which has been a disaster. When are they following a disaster like Clean break.
{The attack in Syria is just a continuation of Operation Clean break which has been a disaster.}
I hope people understand what it means when we say "clean break". Clean break is "new middle east" which is really "greater Israel" with full support of the first Jewish president, Obama.
Ben_c,
What the hell are you talking about? Talk about mind numbing.
Sincerely,
Everyone who read your comment
And who is "everyone" ? Are you the Thought Police? Since when it has become a crime for a state to use all of its power to crush infiltrated, armed and ruthless militants? People of Syria support their army. Even terrorists admit that. In an interview one of the leaders said that in Aleppo they have 30% support. These "30%" comes from the terrorists occupation of a residential area of Alleppo. In order to get this "support", they have been executing people and tossing them into the river. They have been kidnapped earlier, and their families have been trying to negotiate their release. EVERYBODY KNOWS THIS who follows non-western press. Israel's strike may have stopped the talk about the attrocities of our beloved "freedom fighters" — but at what cost? Why is it not clear what damage is this whole mess doing to our country in the world? Or is the prospect of nuking the world more pleasant then the consequences of being tossed over the fiscal cliff?
What gives Is ra HELL the right to VIOLATE LEBANON'S AIRSPACE? WHY ISN'T THE UN-USA PROTESTING THIS ILLEGAL ACT OF WAR?
Israel attacks other countries and the UN is mute. What a world! So this is the law of the jungle. All right.
which would make Israeli attacks in Lebanon less convenient.
I did not realize that it was our goal to make it more convenient to attack Lebanon. Israel is out of water and they will continue their long goal of stealing 1/2 the land owned by Lebanon. The zionist were stopped in 1948 because French occupied Lebanon then.
An Iranian deputy foreign minister says the Israeli regime’s strike on Syria will have serious consequences for Tel Aviv.
{The US claims that Israel attacked an “arms convoy” en route to Lebanon, carrying Russian-made anti-aircraft weapons to the Hezbollah faction, which would make Israeli attacks in Lebanon less convenient.}
Now we know why the first black president and the zionist spread so much lies about “chemical weapon” to form public opinion for their criminal action. Israel act of war SHOULD NOT BE OFF THE HOOK AND MUST BE ANSWERED BACK WITH THE SAME INTENSITY. DOWN WITH ZIONISM AND ITS SUPPORTERS.
Ban Ki Moon is a US servant. He only goes after the victims, like Assad and Ghadafi and leaves the war criminals off the hook. He deserves to be thrown out of the office RIGHT NOW. You are NOT A MAN rather a petty servant of US, the biggest terrorist state on earth.
Per BBC reports, the attack destroyed the only SA-17 battery that Assad had. That was provided by Russia as an upgrade to his air defenses after the Israelis bombed the "reactor."
Destroying the most advanced element of the air defense system is an obvious first step in an air campaign, and so also an obvious threat to do more.
Hm- violation of Lebanese airspace followed by an unprovoked attack on Syria. Sounds to me like an act of war, at its most basic a Pearl Harbor-style sneak attack. Considering that Syria is a member of the United Nations, what exactly is the UN going to do to Israel for its actions? Israel already stands ready to boycott its own UN Human Rights Review (an event required of all UN members) so this is just one more reason to eject Israel from the UN altogether.
Comically Ditz writes …" adding credence domestically to Assad’s claims of a Western conspiracy against him." Adding "credence" BTW not only domestically but also worldwide. Ditz claims it is "highly unlikely Israel launched the attack in coordination with Syria’s Islamist rebels". On what evidence unlikely? Apparently, the site under attack had already been targeted by the so-called rebels: "The attack was carried out against the center, which was tasked with boosting Syria’s resistance and self-defense, 'after terrorist groups made several failed attempts in the past months to take control of the site'." http://english.irib.ir/news/middle-east/item/1059…
Very poor reporting. No credible sources search. I repeat – it's very simple. Ditz works for Israel.
Perhaps it´s a statement to the world – a small air attack just to see what the reaction, if any, will come from the rest of the world, especially the Arab states. Little or no reaction, more and more Israeli military involvement in their "Greater Israel".
israel just wanted to take a shot at iran and embarrass them. just yesterday the iranians said an attack on syria would be considered an attack on them…..
israel just called their bluff
Hi deleted. sorry you may have wasted time and energy on your 52 pages, but i for one, woud not rread it. not because of its contents but simply because of its longevity. yes, you are pefectly right, the UN should step in and for once take action against, racist/zionist israel!!! i couldn't agree with you more. isn't that what they're there for???
No surprise here. After two years of bloody insurrection the cowards show-up and bomb. One more entry into the book for Zionists. History has shown it is a double-entry book!
To understand what is happening in Syria and what is the plan of the SAVAGES IN WASHINGTON, QATAR, SAUDIS AND TURKEY, please watch the following video:
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/12/03/275924/is…
US/Israel policy is to divide Syria and other countries in the region. Therefore, people of the region MUST BE UNITED AND NOT TO MOVE BY THE "Islamic terrorists" who are trained and funded by Obama, Qatar, Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The enemies of Syrian people are the enmemy of all must be destroyed and wipe off the map. UNITY IS THE ANSWER. "Islamic" terrorists are the product of the United State. Obama is a WAR CRIMINAL. US MUST BE DEFEATED AT ANY COST.
EEII YI YI………. What a mess….. !!!!!!!! It's even spread here to AW.com ….. YIKES…!!!