A flurry of Israeli airstrikes pounded targets in the Syrian village of Aqtaba, just south of the Syrian capital of Damascus Saturday night. The attack targeted putative Iranian targets in Syria, but was not like most Israeli attacks that just come and go with little comment.
Instead, Israeli Brigadier Gen. Ronen Manelis is claiming that the attack was launched specifically to thwart a plot by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force, and that the Quds Force leader Gen. Soleimaini was directing the plot from Tehran.
Gen. Manelis said this proved Israel’s high readiness to act. He claimed that were it not for the attacks, Iranian drones would have moved into northern Israel and launched a terror attack. He also accused Shi’ite militias of being involved in the plot and having troops involved, though it’s not clear if he was alleging that the forces, almost certainly Iraqi militias, were to attack Israel themselves.
Since Israel has just gotten done confirming that they were attacking Shi’ite militia targets in Iraq in recent weeks, it may be that they believe those militias, and their allies in Iran, are looking to carry out retaliatory actions. At the same time, Israel offered no specific evidence that any of these allegations were true.
“Israel offered no specific evidence that any of these allegations were true.”
If Israel officially said it, then we know it is not true. They’ve earned that.
Israel attacked Syria because it can do so with impunity.
Again and again Israel gets away with their lies and crimes.
What a tactic. Bombing countries to stave off retaliatory strikes for bombing countries. Brilliance.
Wasn’t that yet another rationale for invading Afghanistan and Iraq? ‘Fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them here?’ Blowback, what blowback…
Sputnik and RT reported today that 2 israeli drones crashed in southern Beirut causing little damage. Naturally israel denies this attack on Lebanon.
The drones did not fall or crash, rather shut down by Hezbollah….
Israel attacks whoever they wish and the World stands by and does nothing. Israel is quite an exceptional country – not in a good way.
Exactly. All you have to do is go back to the 1967 Six Day War between Israel and its neighbors and its attack on the USS Liberty (wherein 34 sailors were killed and 171 injured) to explain attacks on whomever they wish, while the world stands by and does nothing. Yes, Israel’s quite an exceptional country – not in a good way, however.
Correction: Israel attacked Syria to prevent Iranian retaliation after Israel and the USA attack Iran and Hezbollah fires off their 30,000 missiles which would totally overwhelm the Iron Dome.
And you think these pin pricks will do? They know nobody will start a war over their antics!
This is arrogance combined with the little Middle Eastern bazaar mentality.
And they absolutely do not care that such crazy behavior is creating a climate around the globe that is seeing Israel as the main cause of all Middle East conflicts.
Just read an article in Asia Times on US missile defense. While drowning the topic in technical minutia, the author comes to the point. Us has no missile defense capabilities to deal with the existing threats, and is absolutely vulnerable to supersonic technology. Of which, two have already been tested and are introduced into force. And what is the response? By violating INF US can position more firepower closer to Russia.
And then develop supersonic technology. Basically, the Israel style gamble that nobody will take advantage of our vulnerability — while we become superior again. And what has stopped Israel to become technological powerhouse? Most of its capabilities are fancy talk, like Iron Dome that does not take care of minor problems.
The article, still cannot resist speculating on the tests in Russia that have not worked. And attributed them to just one weapon Burevestnik (North Wind Herald). This is partially wishfull thinking — ss this cruise missile could loiter for ever in the atmosphere, never having the need to exit into space. But it is unlikely that this is the only weapon, only engine to be tested.
The reality remains that with missile defenses now present in Asia and in Europe. In US focused on California and Alaska. Hard to find anything on the East Coast — at least according to this author. There is too much obliviousness surrounding various weapons systems, but money is flowing and flowing. Any goals or accountability ever part of this insane spending? And since 2011 we cannot deliver one or two astronauts to “International@ space station. What is international about it? Command and control modules built and operated by Russia. All crew taken to space station and back home — by Russia. We have picked up the slack in taking supplies via pilotless drones, making the whole operation somewhat less burden on Russia. We no longer celebrate success — only if ours . We should have celebrated the successful rescue of two astronauts when the launch failed, and they were hurling into space without control. However, land rescue sent a signal to the capsule to take a ballistics missile trajectory and have a predictable landing location. Two of them were unharmed, and few months later went to space station. These are technical achievements that saved two astronauts — and the story was buried almost as if their death would have been a more desirable outcome. Our culture has become more and more pagan, self centered, vicious, envious, like all pagans
we believe in negotiating with God, that will give us privileges and entitlements. Our smarts that have resulted in financial morass are just God’s gift to our cleverness while the stupid ones playing by rules are for us, elite, to plunder. And when evil returns in spades, it is just somebody’s fault, and we are innocent victims. Wash, rinse and repeat.
This is a fake news…
The linked story had some gems: The Israeli military spokesman acknowledged some of their actions are offensive in nature, Syria was again called a “regime” while Israel was called “the Jewish State” to obscure the non-jews in Israel whom they oppress, and the best part was how Israeli jets invading Syrian airspace were met with a hail of missiles that cost them a plane.
With Israel “attacking-back-first” if Iran may have had anything to do with thinking about helping Syria retaliate against Israel, chances are good that those nations Israel attacks will do more than just think about attacking Israel from here forward. And that is probably exactly the outcome Israeli actions are calculated to produce… it’s no fun to be armed to the teeth with the biggest military in the world at your back, and have no one to kill.
A senior Iranian official has dismissed as mere “lies” the Israeli regime’s claims that its overnight air raids hit Iranian targets near the Syrian capital city of Damascus.
https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2019/08/25/604439/Damascus-Mohsen-Rezaei-Israel-strikes
Israel attacked Syria….because they pretty much know they can get away with anything.
Once again, the goal is to ramp up the notion to the world – and the US and Israeli electorate specifically – that Israel has to attack “Iranian proxies” anywhere in the world.
And who is the biggest “Iranian proxy”? Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The goal is to set the stage for a joint Israeli-US attack on Hezbollah over some fomented incident on the Israeli border (or perhaps in Syria).
Israel can’t afford a war with Iran until Hezbollah’s missile arsenal is degraded. And as demonstrated in 2006, Israel can’t degrade Hezbollah sufficiently by itself. So it is trying to get Trump to join it in attacking Hezbollah again.
Whether Trump is on board with this is unknown at this time. That it is likely that he can be persuaded to do so is obvious, as he supports Israel in everything. Almost certainly the neocons around Trump are aware of this plan and are probably subtly manipulating Trump to prepare him to authorize the US military to join Israel when the time comes.
Add in pressure from Congress – who are mostly bought and paid for by Israel – and the urgency that will be hyped when hundreds of Hezbollah missiles start raining down on Israel – and Trump will have no choice but to join in, even if he was not primed in advance, which he’s likely to be.
The neocons will be telling him that he will get a “war bounce” in the polls for the election if he “supports Israel against terrorism.” It’s an easy sell and Trump is likely to buy in, despite his “no new wars” promise.
That’s because it will be spun as not an “actual war” – even if the effects turn out to be devastating to Lebanon (and possibly Syria). It will just be an “anti-terrorism action” – a spin the US public will probably buy into, because they’ve heard for years about how Hezbollah is a “terrorist group” – if they’ve heard about Hezbollah at all. So it will be an easy sell and not erode Trump’s base much except among the more educated and informed.
And once that war starts, it might even be possible to escalate it to Iran directly on the basis of claims that Iran is directly supporting Hezbollah or that Iranian militias in Syria are supporting Hezbollah with attacks against Israel – just like this report today. Trump could be forced to decide to attack Iran directly – or Israel might do so on its own – forcing Iran to respond and thus “justifying” a US attack.
The point is that reports like this one today are indicators that a plan for a new war is in the works. These claims from Israel are not just random propaganda – they have a purpose.
Can anyone with a straight face talk about Israel’s juvenile behavior, Just counting on daddy Warbucks to protect them while just being a nuisance? Does anyone believe in big bad Iran wantes to get them?
And everywhere Shia moslems live, Israel wil l bomb.
They are victims of their own sense of unaccountability, Prominent editor of erll known media and an economist once penned an article on the feasibility of killing all Shia of Lebanon, nuking Iran and then poisoning Iranian waters to prevent people from living there. I had to coly the article, just to reming myself of the fanaticism that Israel’s supporters feel, fanaticism completely free to contemplate genocide -: and publish it in a well read media. While readers reacted in horror — no consequences. Still well liked and well read — people just get used to genocidal talk if it comes from Israel.
Nothing good can come of this Now that Gulf States have not come through and are not leading the charge against Iran — Israel is hoping to stir up the pot, and see what happens.
It’s always feigned paranoia with Israel.
and with the US. Exhibits: Iraq, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iran….
“Birthright” is the term Israel uses to justify all their crimes–
and people have come to just accept it as valid logic.
Just like telling yourself that you are “chosen”.
If it is a “birthright” it is effectively axiomatic—no other rationale or defense
needs to be given for blatant racism or war crimes.
I’d like to think that people have figured out how hypocritical it is to say that we must wage war in order to have peace… regardless of who says it.
Right, Israel always defends itself. It never initiates, only responds to aggression.
LOL!
I don’t think it is possible to fly F-16s, F-35s from Israel to Iraq and back w/o in-air refueling. This sounds like another hoax.