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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
'IAF strike ruined chances for peace'
2007-09-25
The alleged September 6 air strike on a Syrian facility has destroyed any chances for peace between Syria and Israel, senior Syrian officials said Monday. The officials in question told Reuters that Damascus had been cautious about responding to the alleged IAF attack because of Israel's military superiority and the fact that other Arab nations "did not support Syria."
One could argue that loading chemical weapons onto Scud missiles isn't too healthy for peace between the two countries ...
Furthermore, they said, while Syria's troops were "on alert," Syria would not initiate an attack. Earlier Monday, Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal denied a report in Britain's Sunday Times that IDF special forces had collected material from a suspected Syrian nuclear site shortly before the strike. "These are sick delusions, intended to raise the morale of the IDF, which was defeated in Lebanon last year. They're intended only to cause fear among the Arabs," Bilal told Asharq alawsat.

According to the Times, the alleged IAF attack was sanctioned by the US after the Americans were given proof that the material was indeed nuclear-related. The sources confirmed that the materials were tested after they were taken from Syria and were found to be of North Korean origin, which raised concerns that Syria may have been trying to come into the possession of nuclear arms.

The commandos, who, according to the report, belonged to the legendary General Staff's Reconnaissance Unit (Sayeret Matkal), may have been disguised in Syrian army uniforms. It was also stated that Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who used to head the unit, personally oversaw the operation.

Israeli sources admitted that special forces had been accruing intelligence in Syria for several months, the report said, adding that evidence of North Korean activity at the installation was presented to President George Bush during the summer.
Posted by:Fred

#14  Oh damn, and I had so much hope for a hudna peaceful settlement,too.
Posted by: Snoluper Oppressor of the Apes9157   2007-09-25 17:09  

#13  Rather than an EM dampening field, it seems more likely that the selective application of force by IDF commandos (suggested in some Israeli papers) disrupted the air defense network.
Posted by: RWV   2007-09-25 13:24  

#12  More like, "ruined chances for Baby Assad to throw some serious firepower at our boys in Iraq."
Posted by: Vespasian Greans8866   2007-09-25 11:15  

#11  It's not at all clear why the Russian air defense radars stayed dark (assuming they did). EMP is pretty unlikely for several technical reasons, not the least of which is that there is no evidence that other electronics in Syria were fried.

Note that electromagnetic pulse is an event, unlike the extended phenomenon smn posits as a 'dampening field'.

As a total speculation, an air-based laser system might be have been used to blind or damage the air radars in Syria. Such systems, if they exist and were used, would leave other systems in Syria intact. The Israelis have expertise in tactical lasers. We've got some good operational testing results from airborne lasers (abeit on larger airframes than the F15I).
Posted by: lotp   2007-09-25 10:25  

#10  Not as if there was any chance in the first place but what does that matter?
Posted by: Zenster   2007-09-25 10:02  

#9  smn, Are you dead set on the idea that Israel used a tactical on Syria?
Posted by: Mike N.   2007-09-25 09:38  

#8  Well, it is always the fault of the jooooos anyway. They just won't allow themselves to be genocided off again. Damn them.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-09-25 09:20  

#7  LOL bigjim. Missed it by that much...
Posted by: Spot   2007-09-25 08:30  

#6  Aw, shucks! And they were soooo close to burying the hatchet.
Posted by: bigjim-ky   2007-09-25 07:38  

#5  One thing I can say for Muzzies---they sure know their audience!

I would have thought that it was impossible.
Posted by: gorb   2007-09-25 07:03  

#4  Moud's claim of no gays in Iran during his speech at Columbia is likely to have Hollywood + so-called Gay Mafias, ........@etal. in a uproar.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2007-09-25 05:21  

#3  The officials in question told Reuters that Damascus had been cautious about responding to the alleged IAF attack because of Israel's military superiority and the fact that other Arab nations "did not support Syria."
Posted by: trailing wife   2007-09-25 04:43  

#2  One thing I can say for Muzzies---they sure know their audience!
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-09-25 00:56  

#1  Hopefully the Syrrians are 'spooked' enough to tell the Norks to take a hike. That 6 day war, and the 73' icing revisit, must have really ??? the psyche of Baby Assad and his 'circus tent'. They're also still puzzled as hell over that emp 'dampening field' that blanketed the region, and until that's resolved by the Ruskies, The Syrians can only wait for their regional big bro to finish their uranium projects for some real whoop a** to muster Israel!
Posted by: smn   2007-09-25 00:55  

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