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A fuel tanks witnesses reported seeing fall from an IAF jet near the Turkish border with Syria on Thursday. (Channel 2)
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Last update - 21:02 10/09/2007
Damascus: IAF planes dropped live ammunition on Syria during flyover
By Barak Ravid and Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondents, and the Associated Press

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said Monday that Israel Air Force warplanes dropped live ammunition during an alleged violation of Syrian airspace in the early hours of Thursday.

Muallem, who was addressing a press conference in Ankara along with his Turkish counterpart Ali Babacan, was quoted Monday as accusing Israel of having carried out an intentional and hostile act.

Meanwhile, former MK Azmi Bishara said Monday he believes Israel carried out an operation in Syira. "Without getting carried away in speculation, this was an aerial operation, not an [airspace] violation in order to send a message," he wrote in an article published on the Syrian Web site Sham-Fares

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Bishara wrote that the operation was extremely serious, and that it could become a pretext for certain Lebanese or Syrian officials to go to war.

The Balad chairman added that that Israel's silence on the issue is unusual. "Israel has wrapped itself in silence and imposed this path on even the most talkative politicians, as the quiet after the storm could become the quiet before the storm," he wrote.

Bishara listed several potential targets for the operation: arms smuggling, anti-aircraft systems, or missile systems. Alternatively, Bishara wrote, Israel may have been testing Syrian air defenses in order to map out a route for an air strike on Iran.

Turkey: Israel vows swift probe of alleged airspace violation
For its part, Turkey said Monday that Israel has promised swift investigation of a possible violation of Turkish airspace.

Babacan demanded a quick explanation from Israel over the fuel tanks found near the Syrian border, calling the incident unacceptable, the Associated Press reported Monday.

"This situation is unacceptable for Turkey," he said.

Israeli officials have maintained a rare silence over the widely reported incident. At Sunday's cabinet meeting, no ministers spoke with the press and journalists were not allowed to ask questions, in a break from custom.

"This is an unacceptable development," Babacan said during the joint news conference.

"All countries in the region must show respect to all countries' sovereignty and avoid acts that lead to tensions," he said. "Otherwise, tensions would be fueled and peace and stability in the region might be harmed."

Turkey has demanded a prompt clarification from Israel and was still waiting for a response, Babacan said.

"Israel has openly shown that it has no intentions to make peace," Muallem said.

Earlier Monday, the Syrian foreign minister was quoted as telling European diplomats that Damascus received a "calming message" from Jerusalem several hours before Israel's reported violation of Syrian airspace.

The diplomats told the Arabic language daily Al-Hayyat that, according to Muallem, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana personally transmitted the message from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The message reportedly stated Israel's intention to withdraw most Israel Defense Forces troops stationed in the Golan Heights in the wake of increasing tension between Syria and Israel in recent months.

The report states that Muallem and Solana met on the sidelines of the Arab League meeting in Cairo last Wednesday. Mualem told the diplomats that the message was just a "preparation for the penetration of planes into Syrian skies, just hours later."

Muallem called Solana the next day, reports Al-Hayyat, to update him on the incident, and told him that it came in direct contrast to Olmert's message and to Israel's declarations that it has peaceful intentions.

The diplomats said that Solana promised he would give Damascus on update on the issue.
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  1.   Syria will file complaint 03:42  |  Rabbi Yakov Lazaros 10/09/07
  2.   No..You should probably not hope for to much.. 03:44  |  Lisen 10/09/07
  3.   The Syrians Seem Very Nervous 03:48  |  Yoram 10/09/07
  4.   This Story Getting More Funny Everyone`s Laughing At Syria 04:31  |  Shepherd 10/09/07
  5.   Too funny 04:34  |  Robbie 10/09/07
  6.   Yoram 05:05  |  Mark T 10/09/07
  7.   Now I am really scared 05:28  |  Scarro 10/09/07
  8.   Syrian cry babies 06:08  |  Frank 10/09/07
  9.   Like I said over and over, lots of hot air from Damascus instead 06:11  |  Maven 10/09/07
  10.   indrajaya baby, let`s hear it now, lakshmi too 06:13  |  Jesus 10/09/07
  11.   to #1 and #2 06:19  |  JD 10/09/07
  12.   syria complaing to UN 06:24  |  Michael 10/09/07
  13.   This is a joke, Its not even on the news in the USA 07:10  |  Shepherd 10/09/07
  14.   The fuel tanks were empty!? 07:16  |  Maven 10/09/07
  15.   Making a comlaint to the UN 07:20  |  Neil 10/09/07
  16.   #4 Mark T 07:43  |  Johnboy 10/09/07
  17.   Syrian war??? 07:45  |  Dave 10/09/07
  18.   Complain to the UN. 07:54  |  Mike in Nevada 10/09/07
  19.   Syria complaing to the UN SC 07:55  |  Johnboy 10/09/07
  20.   FOLLOW ISRAEL LOGICS ON THIS WAR OF PR 08:06  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  21.   Syrian AAA 09:04  |  Space 10/09/07
  22.   # 4, SHEPHERD 09:18  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  23.   #17 Gosh, Mike, ever thought you might have it backwards? 09:42  |  Johnboy 10/09/07
  24.   That`s good 09:45  |  Nechama 10/09/07
  25.   An act of war is an act of war 09:48  |  John 10/09/07
  26.   #15, 18, john 09:48  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 10/09/07
  27.   Flyover and Habash statement. 10:01  |  David Nigel Braham 10/09/07
  28.   DUTCH DIRK. where are you?HELLO You said loud & clear. 10:03  |  PETER SM 10/09/07
  29.   Complaining is all they can do 10:04  |  Sheikh Rattle & Roll 10/09/07
  30.   we indonesia are a nation of 234 millions 10:05  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  31.   The last war... 10:09  |  Aaron 10/09/07
  32.   the effete johnboy 10:14  |  zebulun 10/09/07
  33.   #17 Eh? 10:15  |  Outsider 10/09/07
  34.   of madurese minankabau and bugis 10:21  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  35.   not to forget the betawi bantan and banjar 10:25  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  36.   So did any politicians know? 10:30  |  H50 10/09/07
  37.   #26 No, no contradiction Cipora 10:30  |  Johnboy 10/09/07
  38.   #30 Indrajaya 10:36  |  Sheikh Rattle & Roll 10/09/07
  39.   John # 25 An act of war is an act of war 10:37  |  ChanahS 10/09/07
  40.   Indrajaya 10:38  |  Billy Joe 10/09/07
  41.   Nervous muslims, like squirrels 10:40  |  Johnny 10/09/07
  42.   #21 Space 10:44  |  Billy Joe 10/09/07
  43.   Muslims feelings have been hurt, they cry alot 10:46  |  Johnny 10/09/07
  44.   For "Sheikh Rattle & Roll" # 29 10:47  |  Clickfool 10/09/07
  45.   PETER SM No.28 11:01  |  Aaron 10/09/07
  46.   #30 indy 11:09  |  D 10/09/07
  47.   israel has cloaking devices johnboy 11:14  |  victor hardman 10/09/07
  48.   Evil Regimes 11:17  |  Fairplay 10/09/07
  49.   Johnyboy-- "caused them to run away". 11:18  |  David G 10/09/07
  50.   234 million people and not a single scientist 11:23  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  51.   Syrian Flyover 11:35  |  Lt. Nobody 10/09/07
  52.   Syria MUST complain even if it does not 11:37  |  mehmet 10/09/07
  53.   JOHNBOY Is it true?Israeli jets fly faster than Syrian AAmissiles 11:43  |  PETER SM 10/09/07
  54.   There Was A Target - Expect a Replay 11:43  |  Mark 10/09/07
  55.   OMG! Fake/real Inrajaya!!! 11:50  |  Siomon Jenkins 10/09/07
  56.   #44 12:12  |  Sheikh Rattle & Roll 10/09/07
  57.   Israel seems a strange kind of democracy 12:28  |  Michael 10/09/07
  58.   About dropping fuel tanks 12:33  |  Avi 10/09/07
  59.   Shadow boxing on the road to war 12:36  |  Natallie Durson 10/09/07
  60.   To Johnboy 12:39  |  Avi 10/09/07
  61.   What`s your logic Indra? 12:42  |  Avi 10/09/07
  62.   For Clickfool, hit and say wot? 12:49  |  Joe Sittizen 10/09/07
  63.   H50, this is H2O under the bridge! 12:50  |  Avi 10/09/07
  64.   This calls for immediate discussion! 12:51  |  Reg 10/09/07
  65.   why and why 12:51  |  elias 10/09/07
  66.   Syria Directly Responsible for Deaths in Iraq 12:54  |  Jane 10/09/07
  67.   Very Simple- Syrians Caught Out 12:55  |  Yoram 10/09/07
  68.   Convert 13:05  |  Clickf00l 10/09/07
  69.   To Michael of the UK on Democracy 13:09  |  Avi 10/09/07
  70.   Hostile and intentional act. 13:14  |  David Nigel Braham 10/09/07
  71.   Jane 66 Jane, Bush directly repsonsible for Syrian jihadis 13:15  |  Michael 10/09/07
  72.   Cursin` Dursin` 13:24  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 10/09/07
  73.   is it Israel or IDF, and WHY? 13:25  |  isratinian 10/09/07
  74.   #17 Johnboy, for once I agree with you 13:25  |  Yonatan 10/09/07
  75.   its sure, israel has very fast aircrafts. 13:26  |  talkback observer 10/09/07
  76.   "Trimming" a fighter is standard proceedure 13:30  |  spyguy 10/09/07
  77.   # 66, JANE 13:35  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  78.   # 66, JANE 13:35  |  indrajaya 10/09/07
  79.   Airspace Incursions by Israel 13:38  |  Steven Grumman 10/09/07
  80.   66 Jane 13:49  |  Joseph 10/09/07