From Sean Osborne
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Excerpt of a report just receivedfrom HUMINT source in Israel.
"The Israeli media is quoting analysts and senior officials this evening expressing grave concerns that the Syrian regime might be employing a well known Soviet era tactic -- accuse your enemy of committing a major provocation, trumpet it loudly, and then go on to launch an attack to supposedly respond to the provocation. In other words, the Israeli political and military establishment is on high alert to see what might follow."
Related from Ha'Aretz.com posted 8:46 PM Israel time (1:46 PM EDT):
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/901684.html
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal said Thursday that Damascus is giving serious consideration to its response to a reported incident overnight Wednesday, in which the Syrian military fired on an Israel Air Force warplane that had violated its airspace and "dropped munitions."
"Syria reserves the right to determine the quality, type, and nature of our response to the Israeli attack," he told Al-Jazeera television. "The Syrian leadership is seriously considering its response."
Bilal, however, refused to indicate whether the reaction would be on the military or diplomatic level. He would not give any more details about the incident, but said it proved Israel's policies are based on hostility.
"Israel in fact does not want peace," said Bilal. "It cannot survive without aggression, treachery and military messages."
He said recent U.S. aid of $30 billion over 10 years to Israel encouraged its government to such arrogance that it delivered the morning message.
On Thursday evening, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported that the Iranian ambassador in Damascus told Syria's security officials that Iran would provide "any kind of assistance" necessary should a conflict arise.
Syrian commentator Faiz a-Sayeg told Hezbollah-owned TV station Al Manar that Israel is trying out invasion paths into Syria.
He said that the IAF warplane was trying to evade Syrian radars, and that it had to drop ammunition to dodge anti-aircraft missiles. He said that Damascus will consider its response if the incident happens again.
"Syria will not be drawn into an inconsequential stand-off in this unfavorable time and place," A-Sayeg told Al Manar. He added that Israel knows well that "today's Syria is very different from yesterday's Syria," especially after the Second Lebanon War. He advised Israeli leaders to reconsider their policy after the last war.
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