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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 07:24 28/09/2007 IAF dispatches jets in response to Syrian helicopter activity By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent and Haaretz Service The Israel Air Force dispatched several fighter planes toward Syria on Thursday in response to suspicious military helicopter activity beyond the border. This was the third time that IAF jets were sent to the Syrian border over the last two weeks. The jets returned to the base shortly after the operation began once the Syrian helicopters had landed in Syrian territory. Advertisement Both the Syrian Army and the Israel Defense Forces are reportedly on a heightened state of alert, following reports of an IAF aerial strike on Syrian soil early this month. An IDF spokeswoman said it was standing policy not to comment on reports of air force operations but a defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said planes had been sent in a standard response to investigate aerial activity in the border region. On Saturday, a Syrian airplane disappeared from the Israeli radar screens, prompting the IAF to dispatch warplanes toward the Syrian border, army sources said. The incident - which occurred amid record-high tension between Jerusalem and Damascus - ended with the Israel Air Force pilots returning to their base within minutes of being dispatched, after it transpired that the plane had crashed on Syrian soil due to an accident. The IAF jets were dispatched to thwart any attempt to violate Israeli airspace, for fear the missing Syrian plane had dropped below radar level in order to enter Israeli territory unnoticed. IDF sources told Haaretz that several units of the Syrian Army have been redeployed in the past weeks, in what could constitute a response to the alleged strike. The reported redeployment does not appear to be directly geared toward war with Israel, IDF intelligence personnel said. "The Syrian moves can be construed both as serving defensive purposes or as improving deployment for offensive purposes," one intelligence source said. The prevailing assumption within the defense establishment is that Syria is not interested in directly engaging Israel militarily. Officials believe it more likely that Damascus will opt to use proxy terrorist attacks to retaliate for the alleged incursion on September 6, which Syria has publicly accused Israel of perpetrating. The heightened state of alert persuaded IDF top brass to consider canceling a training exercise in the Golan Heights for the Givati Infantry Brigade. The exercise was ultimately held as scheduled, but Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi came to observe the troops only on the last day, so as to avoid unnecessary tensions. IDF presence in the Golan Heights has nonetheless been reinforced in recent months, as tensions began to mount. The defense establishment is currently attempting to prevent possible attempts by extreme Muslim terrorist groups to target passenger ships transporting Israelis across the Mediterranean. For the past few months, the defense establishment has received warnings of such intentions on the part of Jihad organizations. Defense analysts say they do not rule out possible Syrian involvement in such future attempts Bookmark to del.icio.us Group goals Hapoel T.A. could be given either death or a dream in the UEFA Cup group stage draw. Bandits on wheels The new vehicles most often stolen in September were Sanyung motorbikes.   1.   suspiciousness 19:37  |  paul 27/09/07   2.   Testing, testing 19:47  |  Jasmine Murphy 27/09/07   3.   ISRAEL IS SCARED TO DEATH 20:04  |  DAVID BEN ALONE 27/09/07   4.   testing IAF response 20:37  |  Rudy 27/09/07   5.   well if israel doesn`t respect 20:45  |  r.m. 27/09/07   6.   tension 20:49  |  mark 27/09/07   7.   Well it was Israel that initiated an attack on Syria 21:24  |  American 27/09/07   8.   What Israel is (and the Arab countries are not) 21:29  |  Fish 27/09/07   9.   David Ben Alone 21:31  |  Mark Lincoln 27/09/07   10.   nice to see israel is ready 21:38  |  alan 27/09/07   11.   IAF and Syrian Air Force 21:47  |  Colin 27/09/07   12.   Same old game 21:50  |  Ricardo 27/09/07   13.   Israel 21:54  |  Jakob 27/09/07   14.   chopper activity 21:57  |  Shmuelshachor 27/09/07   15.   Urgent message for Victor Hardman 21:58  |  Clickfool 27/09/07   16.   Good Job IAF, 21:59  |  Shepherd 27/09/07   17.   Syria is messing with disaster! 22:00  |  Paul 27/09/07   18.   Nice observation! 22:02  |  Paul 27/09/07   19.   No! Syria and Japheth are guilty! 22:06  |  paul 27/09/07   20.   The word Alone! 22:07  |  Paul 27/09/07   21.   That future is closing fast! 22:11  |  paul 27/09/07   22.   #8 Fish 22:17  |  Jabotinsky 27/09/07   23.   Alone 22:18  |  Jasmine Murphy 27/09/07   24.   DAVID BEN ALONE - DREAM ON..... 22:30  |  x 27/09/07   25.   #3 22:32  |  Neal 27/09/07   26.   Can anyone say double standard? 22:55  |  Janice 27/09/07   27.   janice - tell the other side 23:10  |  alan 27/09/07   28.   Janice - The real reason is ... 23:27  |  Fish 27/09/07   29.   Using several planes against migratorbirds and one helicopter 23:50  |  Petteri 27/09/07   30.   Trouble is Coming 00:00  |  ralphsrant1 28/09/07   31.   Exceptions to rules 02:20  |  HM 28/09/07   32.   #7 American IDIOT 03:10  |  Sabra 28/09/07   33.   #24 - Janice 03:13  |  Iamashamed 28/09/07   34.   IAF responses 03:15  |  Sabra 28/09/07   35.   #3 David 03:25  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   36.   #5 r.m. US 03:27  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   37.   #7 American (good grief another one has emerged) 03:28  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   38.   alan-come on, janice-right on the money 03:33  |  sami 28/09/07   39.   #24 Janice 03:35  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   40.   re: exception to rules 03:35  |  HM 28/09/07   41.   #26 HM - Toronto 03:37  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   42.   Syrian helicopters responding to Israeli drone? 03:50  |  Harold 28/09/07   43.   #24/Janice 04:40  |  Gary E 28/09/07   44.   Israel better get tactical nukes ready 05:14  |  Yatke Klotz 28/09/07   45.   Cation ,,, Caution ,,,, Caution 05:31  |  BabBoo 28/09/07   46.   Jakob 05:52  |  Sam 28/09/07   47.   janice - you are the one with double standard 06:01  |  Sam 28/09/07   48.   So, Sabra (34) can you GUARANTEE 06:13  |  spyguy 28/09/07   49.   # 3. 08:53  |  David Nigel Braham 28/09/07   50.   Spyguy 48 09:11  |  Mark T 28/09/07   51.   Ben 48, 56, 67, 73 wars 09:16  |  Mark T 28/09/07   52.   #3 David ben Zonah......... on being scared 09:21  |  Joe Moer 28/09/07   53.   When will war start??? 09:47  |  Stan 28/09/07   54.   "PLANE CHRASHED IN SYRIAN SOIL" 10:32  |  Robert 28/09/07   55.   Syria not alone 13:59  |  Dav 28/09/07   56.   Ben Alone...History Builds Confidence 14:46  |  Anakadeen 28/09/07   57.   THE JEWS ARE NERVOUS 16:50  |  Muhammud al-Swain 28/09/07   58.   Muhammud 57 17:04  |  Mark T 28/09/07   59.   To Muhammud al-Swain 17:05  |  Avi 28/09/07   60.   #51 Mark T 17:09  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   61.   Robert--Syrian crash 17:10  |  Mark T 28/09/07   62.   #57 Muhammud al Swine 17:12  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   63.   to no 1 17:20  |  DANNY 28/09/07   64.   Ben-Suez 17:27  |  Mark T 28/09/07   65.   TO NO ESER. 17:27  |  DANNY. 28/09/07   66.   TO 48 SPYGUY. 17:43  |  DANNY. 28/09/07   67.   Dearborn Swine 17:45  |  natan 28/09/07   68.   david ben alone # 3 when a syrian jet falls out of the sky,for no 18:28  |  terrornator 28/09/07   69.   #64 Mark T 18:33  |  * BEN JABO 28/09/07   70.   no clickfool the plane disappearing wasn`t a cloaking device,they 18:41  |  terrornator 28/09/07   71.   alan re:janice #27 syria didn`t look the other way while rockets 18:47  |  terrornator 28/09/07   72.   #57 22:58  |  Moshe 28/09/07   73.   Ben- Suez 05:13  |  Mark T 29/09/07   74.   Terror Syrian planes 05:17  |  Mark T 29/09/07   75.   #15, Clickfool.... 07:45  |  Silvienne 29/09/07   76.   #26, Janice... 07:47  |  Silvienne 29/09/07   77.   Ben Jabo... 07:50  |  Silvienne 29/09/07   78.   #43, Gary E... 07:54  |  Silvienne 29/09/07   79.   #60, Ben Jabo... 07:56  |  Silvienne 29/09/07   80.   #69, Ben Jabo... 07:59  |  Silvienne 29/09/07   81.   79.Silvienne 12:28  |  KUTW 29/09/07   82.   Silvienne 76 12:31  |  Mark T 29/09/07   83.   Silvienne 77 12:34  |  Mark T 29/09/07   84.   Silvienne 78 12:35  |  Mark T 29/09/07   85.   #64 Mark T 22:56  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/07   86.   #77 Silvienne 22:59  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/07   87.   #79 Silvienne 23:02  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/07   88.   Silvienne - He didn`t make it up 23:05  |  * BEN JABO 29/09/07   89.   Ol Hezx 23:40  |  Paul 29/09/07   90.   The Syrian Clingons 01:39  |  Yoav Naor 30/09/07   91.   #81, KUTW....Ben Jabo? yes he is... 02:55  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   92.   #82, Mark T... 02:57  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   93.   #83, Mark T... 02:59  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   94.   #88, Ben Jabo...who made what up???? 03:00  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   95.   #90, Yoav Naor... 03:02  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   96.   #86, Ben Jabo....!!!!! 03:06  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   97.   #87, Ben Jabo... 03:10  |  Silvienne 30/09/07   98.   #96 Silvienne - we both know what? 19:03  |  * BEN JABO 30/09/07   99.   #87 Silvienne 12:46  |  * BEN JABO 30/09/07   100.   #88 Silvienne 19:12  |  * BEN JABO 30/09/07   101.   Do the Jews have the bomb? 16:30  |  D 01/10/07   102.   #91 Silvienne & KUTW 17:08  |  * BEN JABO 01/10/07   103.   ISREAL AIRFORCE VS SYRIAN AIR FORCE 17:16  |  DARREN 01/10/07   104.   91. Silvienne 17:49  |  KUTW 01/10/07   105.   #101, D 05:04  |  Silvienne 02/10/07   106.   #102, Ben Jabo, I just have to tell you... 05:07  |  Silvienne 02/10/07   107.   #104, KUTW... 05:08  |  Silvienne 02/10/07   108.   #106 Silvienne 17:46  |  * BEN JABO 02/10/07   109.   #108, Ben Jabo, you know what.... 03:21  |  Silvienne 03/10/07   110.   #109 Silvienne 15:45  |  * BEN JABO 03/10/07   111.   Ben Jabo...I don`t quite understand 01:18  |  Silvienne 04/10/07   112.   #111 Silvienne 01:55  |  * BEN JABO 05/10/07   113.   Ben Jabo..but would the second type truly be hatred... 04:22  |  Silvienne 05/10/07   114.   #113 Silienne 21:39  |  * BEN JABO 05/10/07   115.   Ben Jabo... 04:14  |  Silvienne 06/10/07   116.   For #90 21:48  |  Hamdi 10/10/07

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