Despite claiming that their Sunday night airstrikes against Syria were
exclusively targeting Iran’s Quds Force, Israeli airstrikes against
Syria appear to have almost exclusively hit Syrian military targets,
particularly the nation’s air defenses around Damascus airport.
Israeli strikes destroyed eight Syrian air defense batteries, and killed at least 11 troops in the strikes. The
batteries were mostly aging Soviet designs, the sort Syria has
traditionally favored for targeting incoming Israeli missiles.
The Syrian systems had some success, too, with Russia reporting that the Syrians had successfully intercepted more than 30 Israeli missiles
during the attack. Conspicuously absent from the engagement, however,
were the Russian S-300 systems recently provided to Syria.
A highly advanced air defense system designed to control a much longer
range, the S-300s have so far not been deployed in these Israeli
attacks. Analysts say that Syria’s priority is intercepting missiles, and not engaging the attacking warplanes, which is where the S-300s would clearly be a vast improvement over the older systems.
Yet as Israel continues to escalate strikes in Syria, and is clearly
going after Syrian military targets no matter what they claim about
Iran. This may ultimately convince Syria that they have to engage the
Israeli warplanes just to achieve some deterrent from constant Israeli
attacks.
Israel is a terrorist coward state. One must hope that BDS crushes the Likud, and everything that Bibi touches. These attacks from Lebanese airspace are further proof that the IDF is in league with ISIS at every turn along with the morally bankrupt political structure of Israel. Who can have empathy for much insane, and xenophobic sociopaths.
Any possible means to start a war with Syria to drag U.S. into a full scale war. The question is what choice will be left for Syria at the end of the day. U.N. Is utterly useless and WW3 is just around the corner.
The question is: Why won’t Syria (and Russia) fight back?
Because Russia never reacts on provocations. It responds, but not necessarily symetrically. Present situation is a sensitive one — with Turkey poised to act in US area of control, Iraq taking unilateral actions against gangs on Syria’s border, playacting demised ISIiS, Gulf embassies reopening in Damascus, Arab tribal leadership east of Euphrates in agreement with Moscow, potentially minimiizing the aversion US has to turning over those regions to either Turkey or Damascus.
Russia won’t respond because Putin is a weakling. Not responding only encourages more attacks. The only way to deal with the US, Israel and Turkey is with force, but the Russians still don’t get it. Russia’s advanced weapons serve no purpose. Russia won’t retaliate, and the rest of the world knows it. Despite repeated Russian threats, Israel continues to attack Syria. Russia needs an aggressive leader like Semyon Bagdasarov to deal with the US, Israel, and Turkey.
I do not agree with your premise, that waiting for the right time is a sign of weakness. It is a weak person that loses the nerve. Israel has decided on their strategy — strategy that relies entirely on US being the backstop — no matter what. So, upping the level of provocation means ratcheting up the pressure on all levers and levels of power in US. But there is a problem Israel us facing — and that is US public opinion. Even Democrats are getting on record with idea of withdrawal — if they are planning to run for anything. They would just do it “differently”, meaning reneging on the idea at first excuse. But — it remains the fact of life, intervention is not getting support. Israel is not convinced — they firmly believe that by ratcheting up the crisis, US would have to deal with Russia. The WHOLE of Russiia fteakout show we see in US and Europe, especially UK, is directly linked to Russia’s permanent presence in the heart of Levant. To give you a bit more information, top Israeli analysts and former military, are cautioning Israel against ruining relations with Russia. Russia’s well balanced position on vital issues affecting Israel is thus in danger. Long term consequences are not good for Israel. Israel is mistakenly counting on involving China in its port development as means of defending it from Russia. Israel and West in general are still comforting themselves with the idea that they alone control the level of Rusdia-China relationship. Looking at Gulf as a whole, a more independent policy is emerging. A whole separate analysis of change in countries like Bahrain and Kuwait is worth understandingg. It can be summed up as reaching out to its Shia population via making nice to Assad. Change in Saudi Arabia is not yet appreciated, and denial is not a river in Egypt.
So, hang on. It is time for Washington and their loud barking poodles in UK that need to find a way to start talking with both Russia and China about global security. Really GLOBAL security, not just for the chosen ones. The longer they wait, the impact on an already deeply indebted economies will be worse. The point of new weapons classes that Russia is rolling out is not to be used in regional conflicts, unless a regional conflict is only a prelude to a global one. The real point is — scientific advantage has been translated into compensating for glaring weaknesses, and then moving forward into strategic advantage. These are precinditions to a global security aporoach. With nobody having a chance or the will to destroy other — a radical solution may finaly be implemented, time for TALKING.
Middle East may be a catalyst— but if not, and stalemate prevails, watch the conflict shift to Africa. But somebody will go bankrupt first, as population in UK and France is already fed up with poverty.
As for Turkey, that ship has sailed to the East already. Russia is part if this shif. Inly blind do not see it.
If Russia and Syria don’t retaliate, these attacks will increase. Should they wait until all of their military targets are destroyed? America, Israel, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia are bullies. They only way to deal with them is to hit them back. Diplomacy, complaints, and restraint accomplish nothing.
I do not think your facts are right.
Saudis are out of Syrian conflict, and Turkey, Russia and Iran are strategizing. It will be interesting what comes next — but keep in mind this is Middle East. Things are not always what they appear, and moves often make sense after the fact. I am not concerned about provocations. Once they are done repetedly, including bragging — it becomes harder for those that would prefer no action, holding onto status quo. In ME — change of direction does require a neutral, then a strong momentum for change. Israeli unilateral bombing is such a trigger. So, let us wait to see coordinated action comming from Syria’s corner.
Not only that Russia is not alone in its ME strategy, but it will take action and move only as much and as far as the consensus goes. Consensus is what Russia is seeking in the region, and it is the only possible way forward. Israel is adding momentum to the winds of change — and material for political stuffing.
Thinking from the perspective of American self interest, it is high time to weigh carefully our real interest in the region, against ideological dogmas that are at least quarter century behind times.
I have been asking the same numerous times.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. Syria should not bite Israeli reckless provocations — and attack planes. This is EXACTLY what Israel wants. Israel is hiding its warplanes behinnd regularly scheduled CIVILIAN flights using Damascus or Beirut airports. Getting a civilian plane would be a repeat of Ukrainian downing of Malaysian flight. Before you know it — collective West would be screaming blaming Assad and Russia. Nobody will blame the Israel.
So, whatever the impact of Israeli tatgeting airlport means — it has to be addressed some other way. After all — countries of the Gulf that restored relationship with Damascus, are the ones being ridiculed here. Their staff cannot safely travel due to Israeli mucking around airport. Hope Israel is not counting on them in any anti-Iran coalition.
Not buying these Zio-rat claims. Believe NOTHING these serial liars ever say unless you see evidence with your own eyes.
It defies reasoning that Israel can repeatedly bomb Syria’s capital, damaging its airport and killing Syrian soldiers, yet this is not a war and not even an incident worth mentioning or discussing at length on CNN. Maybe responding in kind would be reckless, but allowing such attacks to be routine and normal sets the stage for any eventual response to be seen or portrayed as warmongering aggression, which we know the spinmasters live for.
They called Assad a monster. Now Isreal admits to thousands of hits all condoned by the USA, just who are the monsters?