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Syrian FM Walid Moallem in Turkey on Monday. (AP)
Last update - 03:50 12/09/2007
CNN: Israeli gov't 'very happy with success' of IAF strike on Syria
By Yoav Stern and Assaf Uni, Haaretz Correspondents, Haaretz Service and News Agencies
Tags: Israel, flyover, warplane 

The CNN television network reported Tuesday that Israel is happy with the results of an alleged Israel Air Force strike last week in Syrian territory.

Quoting sources in the United States and the region, CNN said, "The Israeli government is very happy with the success of the operation."

European diplomats quoted Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem as saying Monday that the IAF warplanes that violated Syria's airspace fired missiles at targets on the ground, but did not cause any damage.
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According to the CNN report, the sources said the IAF indeed carried out a strike on a target in Syria, adding that the operation "may have also involved Israeli ground forces who directed the air strike."

CNN quoted the sources as saying the strike, which possibly targeted an arms transfer from Iran to Hezbollah through Syria, "left a big hole in the desert."

The CNN report said U.S. government and military sources have confirmed the airstrike, and said that "they are happy to have Israel carry the message to both Syria and Iran that they can get in and out and strike when necessary."

Also Tuesday, Syria lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations about an "aggression and violation of sovereignty" over the incident, the country's ambassador to the UN said Tuesday.

Syria's UN ambassador, Bashar al-Jaafari, said Damascus made its complaint in two letters to the UN secretary general and the president of the Security Council. The letters said the IAF action was in violation of the 1974 disengagement agreement that was reached after the 1973 Yom Kippur War.


Al-Jaafari also denied that Israel had landed troops on the ground inside Syria. "This is absolutely not true," he said, adding the reports were an attempt to show that Israel could land troops wherever it wants.

"Israel is seeking military escalation. We are exerting efforts so that we don't fall into this trap. We are dealing with the matter with utmost keenness, precision and responsibility," he added.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, China's Xinhua news agency said North Korea had issued a harsh condemnation of the IAF incursion into Syrian airspace.

According to the report, the Korean Central News Agency quoted a spokesman for North Korea's Foreign Ministry as saying, "This is a very dangerous provocation little short of wantonly violating the sovereignty of Syria and seriously harassing the regional peace and security."

"The DPRK strongly denounces the above-said intrusion and extends full support and solidarity to the Syrian people in their just cause to defend the national security and the regional peace," the spokesman reportedly added.

European diplomats who met with Moallem on Sunday in Damascus quoted him as saying that Israel's decision not to comment on the incident was appropriate, given the circumstances. Moallem reportedly told the Europeans that he expected Israel to apologize "through the usual channels."

In Ankara for an official visit, Moallem went on to reveal the details of the alleged strike, which according to him resulted in no casualties or damage to property. Moallem said that three Israeli planes fired four missiles at targets on the ground in the Dayr al-Zur district in eastern Syria, after entering Syrian airspace from the Mediterranean.

The Syrian foreign minister said the Syrian anti-aircraft radar system detected the planes when they were deep inside Syrian territory. He added the planes released their missiles very shortly after they were detected.

Despite the apparent outrage in Damascus over the incident, European diplomats who met with Moallem told Haaretz that they had received the impression that Syria would not retaliate militarily.

"Moallem did not demand the European Union to condemn the Israeli action, nor did he indicate that Syria would demand the United Nations Security Council hold a discussion on the matter," one European diplomat told Haaretz. "We got the impression that Syria is not interested in seeing this incident escalate.
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  1.   The confused Syria 04:12  |  ottomatik 11/09/07
  2.   Israel is much weaker now that beore teh Lebanon War 04:25  |  MAn 11/09/07
  3.   syria is taking "smart lessons" from iran 05:04  |  zac 11/09/07
  4.   Man you need a great big Jewish stomp in the groin 05:30  |  Jack 11/09/07
  5.   Missile attack 05:41  |  KNOE 11/09/07
  6.   NO RETALIATION ? 05:47  |  Arik Silverman 11/09/07
  7.   Syrians trying to manufacture an incident? 05:56  |  Murray of Montreal 11/09/07
  8.   The paragraph that gives this away.... 06:05  |  Johnboy 11/09/07
  9.   Syria is quickly becoming the joke of the middle east 06:16  |  Shepherd 11/09/07
  10.   "attack" 06:18  |  mi 11/09/07
  11.   Zac 06:27  |  Mark T 11/09/07
  12.   KNOE 06:28  |  Mark T 11/09/07
  13.   Syrias fear of Israel 06:41  |  Clint 11/09/07
  14.   No joke 07:03  |  SM 11/09/07
  15.   IT IS QUITE CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED..... 07:28  |  Wally 11/09/07
  16.   Israel, a rogue country. 07:42  |  Niva dos santos 11/09/07
  17.   fuel tank 08:04  |  wiseUP 11/09/07
  18.   wet pants 08:43  |  refugee 11/09/07
  19.   The wolves playing puppy-dog 09:24  |  Daniel 11/09/07
  20.   Question for Jack # 4 09:39  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  21.   Undoubted Israeli lying 09:45  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  22.   The secret mission 09:46  |  Otto Rand 11/09/07
  23.   DECADENCE 09:47  |  indrajaya 11/09/07
  24.   Anyone`s guess...... 10:02  |  Esther 11/09/07
  25.   Next week`s news: The real story 10:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 11/09/07
  26.   JOHNBOY.dropped V`s fired.Who to believe,Syria or Johnboy? 10:57  |  PETER S.M. 11/09/07
  27.   #18 Otto Rand is picking up voices from somewhere... 11:09  |  Johnboy 11/09/07
  28.   to the fool from sussex 11:10  |  george 11/09/07
  29.   On Israel`s "secret mission" # 18 11:11  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  30.   On Israel`s "secret mission" # 18 11:11  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  31.   No respect to Turkey by Israel 11:23  |  mehmet 11/09/07
  32.   #21the man with no backbone gets inside info 11:45  |  victor hardman 11/09/07
  33.   #8 johnboy and the usual useless information 11:50  |  victor hardman 11/09/07
  34.   clickfool 11:53  |  zeew 11/09/07
  35.   Keep dreaming Israel bashers, you have no idea what actually happ 11:57  |  Lucifer 11/09/07
  36.   Clickfool re Jack#4: I suppose you count 11:58  |  Archimades 11/09/07
  37.   Clickfool #17 12:02  |  Marwan 11/09/07
  38.   #21 Oh, trust me, PETER SM, I`m giving it to you straight. 12:05  |  Johnboy 11/09/07
  39.   Dear Clickfool 12:05  |  Esther Durkheim 11/09/07
  40.   israel has been flying over syria for years 12:07  |  zubulun 11/09/07
  41.   johnboy "israeli pilots ran away" 12:09  |  zebulun 11/09/07
  42.   Clickfool don`t get out of your depth 12:14  |  Yoni Allon 11/09/07
  43.   WALLY" quick getaway".Dropping tanks in Turkey? 12:14  |  PETER S.M. 11/09/07
  44.   #28 Victor Hardman is another who doesn`t think too deeply 12:15  |  Johnboy 11/09/07
  45.   johnboy "the syrian foreign minister said so" 12:16  |  zebulun 11/09/07
  46.   johnboy "israeli pilots scooted to get away" 12:23  |  zebulun 11/09/07
  47.   #35 Lucifer 12:24  |  Johnboy 11/09/07
  48.   johnboy "the syrians are laughing" 12:25  |  zebulun 11/09/07
  49.   johnboy "israeli flyboys scooted quickly" 12:31  |  zebulun 11/09/07
  50.   johnboy "trust me peter" 12:34  |  zubulun 11/09/07
  51.   if this was a test flight and Turkey has been briefed 12:37  |  mehmet 11/09/07
  52.   TO PROVOKE WARS, NOTHING ELSE 12:37  |  indrajaya 11/09/07
  53.   to clicky 13:02  |  dovale 11/09/07
  54.   JOHNBOY"Moallem said that three Israeli planes fired --At Targets 13:02  |  PETER S.M. 11/09/07
  55.   Talking about backbones and yellow streaks, Victor # 32 13:18  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  56.   heed own words 13:20  |  Jeff 11/09/07
  57.   For Archimades, one of the duller knives in the box # 36 13:22  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  58.   For Yoni Allon # 42 13:23  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  59.   #55 show how brave you are clikky and stop 13:39  |  victor hardman 11/09/07
  60.   2 (Wo)MAn 13:40  |  Palestinian 11/09/07
  61.   i`m anti war 13:43  |  Clickfool 11/09/07
  62.   #57 what a crock 13:46  |  Rab Burns 11/09/07
  63.   i know that indonesia has not a single achievement to its name 13:48  |  indrajaya 11/09/07
  64.   johnboy "syria has spiffy new radar"