Last update - 00:00 12/09/2007
U.S. officials confirm IAF carried out strike in Syria
By Barak Ravid, Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondents and News Agencies
Reuters reported Wednesday that U.S. officials had confirmed Israel launched air strikes against Syria last week, but would not discuss the intended targets.
"The strike I can confirm. The target, I can't," said one U.S. official, adding that there had been more than one
strike.
Another official called reports on the likely targets "confused." While Israel remained silent, media reports began surfacing Tuesday of U.S. officials confirming the IAF had indeed carried out an air strike. The New York Times on Wednesday said likely targets were weapons caches that Israel believes Iran has sent through Syria to Hezbollah.
The New York Times quoted a Defense Department official as saying the IAF struck at least one target in northeastern Syria, but said it was unclear what the target was and what was the extent of the damage.
Syria has protested to the United Nations about the strike on its territory on Thursday, but has also said nothing was hit and there was no damage.
Israel has declined to comment on the charge, however the CNN television network reported Tuesday that the Israeli government is "very happy with the successful operation."
Senior correspondent Christiane Amanpour, citing Middle Eastern and Washington sources, said aircraft and possibly even ground forces, which may have directed the planes to their target, took part in the operation.
The attack left "a big hole in the desert," the report said. CNN said U.S. government and military sources said they were "happy to have Israel convey to both Syria and Iran the message that they can get in and out and strike when necessary."