Israel says Syrian threats cover ''embarrassment''

[Herschel]

— Israel dismissed Syria's threat on Sunday to retaliate for any further Israeli attacks on its soil, with officials saying Damascus was speaking out of ''embarrassment'' and did not pose a threat to the Jewish state.

cut

.
''The declarations heard from there show their embarrassment,'' a government source quoted Mofaz as saying in an indirect reference to what Israeli strategic experts see as Syria's military weakness. He added that a ''tense quiet'' reigned on Israel's border with Syria.

cut

A top Israeli government official said Israel did not think Syria was ready to launch an attack and viewed the latest declaration as a Syrian attempt ''to show that they are standing fast on their interests.''

cut

http://famulus.msnbc.com/FamulusIntl/reuters10-26-064342.asp?reg=MIDEAST

=====================

Syria is embarassed and overmatched. They were legitmately struck for harboring terrorists and are not capable of an effective military response. So there is huffing and puffing. What would the result be if they challenged Israel? I think you know the answer.

[Darranar]

1. So they AREN'T capable of launching an effective military strike?

Okay, I guess we don't need to worry about their WMD then.

Thanks for the relief.

[bluesoul]

3. One wonders

One moment Syria is a serious threat to Israel so it needs to strike at them, the next momemnt they cannot even respond since they only brag about it. Now make up your mind, are they a threat or not. if they are not, why would you attack them and provoke a war?

[Herschel]

4. Terrorists are a threat

However, Syria will back down from Israel rather than be routed in a military confrontation.

[Maple]

2. Why do people persist

in these silly underestimations of other countries?

It leads to disaster every time, and nobody ever figures it out.

Keep poking a tiger, eventually you get your ass bit off.

[rini]

5. Keep poking a tiger, eventually you get your ass bit off.

Not unless you're sticking your ass in its face! LOL

[Maple]

6. Which is exactly

what Israel is doing.

[wtmusic]

7. Their military response is suicide bombing

And it's extremely effective. Different means, same end.

[Herschel]

8. Do not compare

deliberate murder to strikes against killers.

[Maple]

9. Oh well see

the Palestinians would use the officially sanctioned tanks and jets to kill unarmed civilians the same way the Israelis do....but they don't have any.

So they make do with suicide bombers.

They don't appear too concerned that you don't think that's 'fair' either.

[Herschel]

10. It is murder

-

[bluesoul]

11. Murder

So is bombing a highly populated civilian area or launching a rocket among civilians..

[wtmusic]

12. Syrians and Palestinians

see suicide bombing as 'strikes against killers'. No matter how you slice it Herschel there are two sides to this coin.

[bemildred]

13. Second time today ...

Syria has at least 100 long-range ballistic nerve-gas missiles aimed at central Israel, Jane's Foreign
Affairs reported this week.

A senior Israeli defense source told Foreign Affairs that the missiles are equipped with VX, the most lethal
nerve gas, and that the Syrians have now achieved their aim of balancing Israel's nuclear advantage.

Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official told Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that Syria today is incapable of stopping
the activities of terror organizations operating in south Lebanon or the flow of money and military supplies
from Iran to the area, Israel Radio reported Thursday morning.

http://www.free-lebanon.com/LFPNews/2003/August/gas/gas.html

[wuushew]

15. Israel probably waiting for deployment of Arrow before destroying Syria

JERUSALEM -- An antiballistic missile defense system is up and running to protect Israel in the event of an attack, senior Israeli officials have said in recent weeks.

Israeli officials declined an official comment on the Arrow missile shield. However, Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer revealed that it was operational on September 11.

"In the years since the Gulf War, we have developed the Arrow missile , which is today a fully operational system and which provides us with an efficient system against missiles," Ben-Eliezer said.

This information comes as the United States continues to threaten military action against Iraq if the Baghdad government does not allow U.N. weapons inspectors unlimited access to sites across the country. Should the United States target Iraq, Iraq could retaliate against nearby Israel, as it did with Scud missiles during the Gulf War.

http://www.drumbeat.mlaterz.net/October%202002/Israel%20-%20Missile%20defense%20working%20100602a.htm

[Darranar]

16. That's a little dated...

but it still applies.

[bemildred]

25. They better have a lot of them, and they better be fast and accurate.

I have a great deal of skepticism about the basic technology of anti-missile missiles,
and even presuming it works there are a number of easy counters. Syria has lots of SCUDs.
It is a very short flight path.

The issue isn't really whether Israel can destroy Syria, it can, the issue is whether Syria
can make it unacceptably expensive, if they do. Would you risk the future of Israel to test
these things out?

[Saudade]

14. "Embarrassed"

It seems completely obvious to me that Israel is the one who should be "embarrassed" for launching an unprovoked bombing raid on a sovereign nation in violation of international law for the sole purpose of trying to escalate a local conflict and demonstrate military power.

On the other hand, there is nothing embarrassing for the attacked nation to respond with common sense, by announcing its intention to defend itself from more aggression.

[Muddleoftheroad]

17. Unprovoked?

Israel and Syria are still at war and have been so for 55 years. The fact that Syria sponsors terror against Israel means nothing to you?

[Resistance]

18. the U.S. sponsors terror against Palestinians

do you have a problem with that.

Didn't think so.

[Saudade]

19. Please

"Israel and Syria are still at war and have been so for 55 years. The fact that Syria sponsors terror against Israel means nothing to you?"

Please specifically describe the provocation for the bombing raid on Syria.

(Please don't repeat you mindless mantra: "They support terrorists.")

I want to know exactly how Syria provoked this Syrian action at this precise time.

[jplawne]

20. Let me know if this is not enough

Syria occupies Lebanon. They also fund, train and encourage Hezbollah, which operates from Lebanese territory to carry out cross border operations, including kidnapping, and regularly fires anti-aircraft shells at Israeli villages across the border. Islamic Jihad leadership also resides in Syria, trains terrorists and coordinate attacks on Israel origination from the disputed territories. Considering Syria and Israel are at war and funding terrorism and attacks against another nation is an Act Of War, I can see nothing controversial about an attack on Syria as a warning to stop hese actions. If is unfortunate that a country such as Syria can fund terrorism and occupy another country with impunity while sitting on the beloved UN Security Council. In fact the UN is suppose to HELP AVOID war by coming to the political and diplomatic defence of a member nation when attacked by another member nation. Every peaceful Israeli petition to the UN on this issue has been ignored. As for proof, I could quote IDF sourced for example, but I assume this would be considered bias, so thought I would quote Hezbollah to start.

Deputy leader of the Hizbollah, Naim Kassam,
"The strategic relations between Syria and the party develop in a systematic and stable manner."

"Syria alone, and in difficult moments during the presidency of Hafez el-Assad, took upon itself the burden of protecting the rights of Lebanon and Palestine through the armed struggle against occupation, and opposed the comparison between the opposition and terrorism. The president, Dr. Bashir el-Assad, refuses to harm the opposition and especially its goal, and he announces his support in the path of opposition . These stances are deviating from more than the simple support, temporary assistance, or comments which must be protected, they express that the opposition has become an inseparable part of the Syrian beliefs and the stable policies. This guarantees continuity ."


Islamic Jihad Terrorists Admit to Receiving Funds and Orders from Syrian HQ
During the months of December 2002 and January 2003 the Israel Security Agency (ISA), in coordination with the IDF, arrested a number of Islamic Jihad terrorists from the Hebron area. The terrorists were involved in a wide range of paramilitary activity, which was directed by the Islamic Jihad leadership in Hebron and Syria.

Attacks Perpetrated by the Apprehended Terrorists

The apprehended Islamic Jihad terrorists carried out the following attacks:

-December 27, 2002: Two Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists infiltrated the Israeli community of Othniel, entered a Jewish seminary, and murdered two Israeli civilians and two IDF soldiers. Ten other Israelis were wounded during the infiltration.

-November 15, 2002: Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorists opened fire and threw grenades at Israeli Border Police near Worshippers Road in Hebron. Twelve Israeli civilians and soldiers were killed while responding to the attack.

During questioning by the ISA, the terrorists confessed to taking part in terrorist activities for the Islamic Jihad in the Hebron area.

Extensive Involvement in Shooting Attacks

Questioning revealed the extent of the Islamic Jihad's involvement in shooting attacks in the Hebron area.

The Islamic Jihad had actively planned shooting and bomb attacks against Israeli targets in Hebron and nearby communities. Part of the planning included extensive intelligence gathering, such as the establishment of lookouts to monitor Israeli roads and outposts.

Acquired Weapons and Recruited New Members

During questioning, Israeli Security Forces gleaned essential information regarding Islamic Jihad's method of acquiring weapons and recruitment of new members. For example, new Islamic Jihad recruits undergo military training and are taught how to carry out suicide bombings.

Israeli Security Forces also discovered that the Islamic Jihad had purchased a variety of chemical materials with which to make explosives and had begun to manufacture mortars.

Palestinian-Syrian Link

The terrorists admitted that Hebron's Islamic Jihad was extensively involved with Islamic Jihad headquarters in Syria, from whom they received a significant amount of money to fund their terrorist activities.

The funds provided by the Syrian Islamic Jihad headquarters were used to purchase weapons and bomb-making materials. A portion of the funds were transferred to the families of suicide bombers and arrested terrorists with the goal of encouraging additional Palestinians to participate in terrorism.

In addition, numerous commands were issued from the Syrian headquarters to escalate the level of violence by engaging in a stepped-up bombing campaign.

[tinnypriv]

21. Links please

If you're going to specifically cut and paste, you may as well give the URL's while you're at it. :shrug:

[Resistance]

23. source is the IDF Spokesperson's Unit

LOL

http://www.idf.il/newsite/english/0205-4.stm

[tinnypriv]

24. I think the reason the links are missing has been found

;-)

Good work :thumbsup:

[Darranar]

26. LOL.

[Darranar]

22. Link to this, please?

About Islamic Jihad, not Hezbollah.

And this air-raid was simply provocative. Syria has already been wanred by the threat of US invasion.

[Saudade]

28. Syria

The raid on Syria was not provoked. It was an obvious provocation, and attempt to escalate.

It's all laid out in "A Clean Break," which specifies that regime change in Iraq is only the first step toward "rolling back Syria."

Sharon perceived, correctly, that America is bogged down in Iraq and therefore unable to follow through with the plan laid out in A Clean Break.

So the tried to get Syria to retaliate militarily, escalating the fraudulent "war on terror" into a regional conflict, according to plan.

It didn't work.

The neocon plan is failing. It already has failed, miserably.

All of these things are obvious to anyone who isn't a brainless amoral apologist for incompetence and dishonesty.

[jplawne]

29. A Clean Break from reasoned thinking

I am amazed that 1) one can construct a twisted logic in their mind that allows them to apply a standard to Israel that is contradicted by the behaviour of nations throughout history and the rules of war. 2) You can respond to a factual based article with dates, figures and evidence with your opinion based on nothing more than a warped neo-Marxist conspiracy theory.

1) Israel is provoked continuously by the existence and attacks of Hezbollah across the border, known to be funded and supported by occupying Syria, and Islamic Jihad whose leadership operates out of Syria. Islamic Jihad's stated goal is the destruction of Israel, so why would you do anything to defend their continuing existence? Do you just absolutely deny the right of Israelis the right to defend themselves (which includes attacking when required). Under your logic no country can defend themselves unless under attack at the very moment that they strike back. Can you explain your logic on this so we can learn from you?

2) Do you have any evidence that Sharon wants to lead a regime change in Syria; Speeches, policy papers etc. Any proof that the iDF, Sharon's administration, or anyone in Israel wants a regional war? How does this image of the imperialist, match the fact the Israel has had standing peace offers accepted by Egypt and Jordan and refused by Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians, and that the great imperial power withdrew from the Sinai, and Lebanon with receiving no concessions what so ever from Lebanon. Does your little abstract conspiracy theories allow no compulsion to actual deal with the facts?

And then I just love the last of convincing critical anaylsis you provide: I must be a brainless, amoral apologist when faced with such a well research peace of spin. Is this your idea of debate? Present unsubstantiated propaganda and call people idiots who don't agree with you? Why do you even bother joining the dialogue?

As for not citing IDF; Seems like people are reading something into that. No one asked me to provide the links before so I have not bothered. As for dismissing the info because it is from the iDF; It is convenient, but it is the content that should be evaluated.

[tinnypriv]

30. "Do you have any evidence that Sharon wants to lead a regime change"

Yeah.

Ma'ariv: 7 October, article by military correspondent Rappaport. This was front page news in Israel:



No one asked me to provide the links before

Now you know. Want to be taken seriously? Cite.

[Forkboy]

27. ahhh..the taste of red meat!