Middle East News
Israel confirms Syria airstrike (Roundup)
Oct 2, 2007, 14:04 GMT
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (L) sits next to Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak. Israel for the first time formally confirmed Tuesday that it carried out an airstrike inside Syria on September 6. EPA/DAN BALILTY/POOL
Tel Aviv - Israel for the first time formally confirmed Tuesday that it carried out an airstrike inside Syria on September 6.
'Israel Air Force aircraft carried out an attack in Syria about one month ago,' a spokesman for the Israeli military censor told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
However, other details remain under censorship, including the target, the types of aircraft involved in the attack and whether any ground units carried out supporting roles, and whether the strike was successful.
The Israeli government has kept mum on the raid since reports first surfaced on the afternoon of September 6 when Syria said Israeli aircraft had violated its airspace.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and other government officials refused to even confirm the raid had taken place and Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu caused a storm when he claimed in a television interview that he had been consulted prior to the airstrike.
The target of the strike remain shrouded in mystery. Syrian President Bashar Assad claimed in an interview with the BBC that Israel had hit an 'unused military building'.
Other reports said the strike was aimed at a convoy carrying weapons to Lebanese Hezbollah guerillas, who have been rearming since last summer's war with Israel.
The Washington Post said the target had been a facility working on a joint Syrian-North Korean nuclear project, while Britain's Sunday Times said Israel bombed a secret military installation, after ground troops from a crack Israeli army unit had first seized North Korean nuclear material from the site.
Because of the military censorship in Israel, local correspondents were forced to rely on foreign media reports of the raid.
The decision to lift military censorship comes a day after Assad confirmed the strike in his BBC interview.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
No one has told george yet. mr. clooney is not to be disturbed right now.
Not a news item in the US as long as hillary klinton is around - I assure you no one cares a whit.
Where is the so-called 'world community' now to call for actions or a resolution to drag this arrogant butcher Isreal to UNSC?
So explain to me how one country can violate another countries national borders, execute attacks inside their country and get away with it without even a mention in the UN security council? The Major world powers are so two faced its disgusting.
Every one in the intelligence communities of the world knows it was our joint venture, in part to see if the Russian anti intruder system of Missiles was good enough, and as a prep to strike Iran.
But our government will have to commit to a struggle for a decade or more, if we, or our surrogate Israel strikes the nuclear facilities of Iran
what if the christians raise their voice on israel and palestinians issues? if un or even eu can not put this right straight, why not give a permanent chair to a south america to heal this matters! why people there is nothing to do have to liviving in fear for a lack of corage to demmand imediate solution and order without any interference of europe countrys and specialy the united states governament! give south america voice in this matter and believe the are neutral for a lack of voice but surely they will heal this confusion and this instability worldwide!
Explane to me how the Pal's do it every day without the U.N.saying anything????
page: 1
BobOct 2nd, 2007 - 20:38:06
did anyone tell george yet???
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