IDF lifts censorship of Sept. 6 IAF strike on target inside Syria

To # 128 Ann from Australia.The very foundation of Australia was created by thieves,murderers & rapist sent from the British Isles to languish there,but they found the true inhabitants living their quiet lives till those thieves & murderers from England stole their land,as they did with so many other peoples & countries all over the world. Even to this day & age they are occupying the Falkland Islands. Maybe Maureen, your great great grandfather was in that "GOOD COMPANY" Unlike Israel which was givento HIS PEOPLE by GOD HIMSELF.He said to His people "take the Land which I am giving you,& populate it.Tell us where christianity would be hat it no been for our Bible?

"Let me know, if the miracle should ever occur, that she`ll respond to your request...I just might miss that glorious day..." I shall keep you informed, as the actress said to the bishop...

In her case, it's putting the feet to the fire..Much more uncomfortable that sitting on the table...Let me know, if the miracle should ever occur, that she'll respond to your request...I just might miss that glorious day...

This was, among other things, a test run. Within the year, Iran, Syria, Hussy, Hamsy will be burning. Then peace at last.

"and more importantly, Bush was not awakened, thank God. Otherwise he would have ordered the bombing of......??????some country, for sure!" You are so correct!! Just think, he might have looked at the wrong map and taken out half of Europe! Let him stay asleep...preferably until November 2008 :)

Is this a case of putting one's backside on the table??

Maureen Ann is NEVER going to answer...She's just another one of those tht stands up in Church or wherever, makes a pledge, get's her name announced as the donor, and then reneges.. Meanwhile she's caught a lot of prominence by making a pledge she never intended to keep... She made a pledge and I'm keeping her butt to the fire, until she fulfills it...

Maureen, really, please answer Ben Jabo's question about the Human Shields before all of us die of old age....

Truly amazing, your post is full of questions and now answers... I'll give you a chance to answer one of my questions...When are you finally going to gather some courage and depart for the mission you had promised to undertake, being a "Human Shield" for the Arabs you purport to love so much... I'll ask you about the stolen Aboriginie land you're squatting on the next time around...

Israel can't take a chance on a "Probability"... It's with certainty that Syria engaged in four wars with Israel, wars that Syria intitiated... The Syrian FM has bragged they had "A big surprise in store for Israel"...Israel decided to open the surprise before the Syrians did... It doesn't matter if Iran has a capability at present or not, they've repeated time and again what the want to do, wipe Israel off the map... You, least of all, can claim knowledge of the innermost thoughts and workings of Iran or any other country...You just pretend you can...Makes you feel authoratative, you're NOT!! If Iran or Syria have nukes, they certainly wouldn't tell you...There are things called "Military Secrets" and you're not privy to them..Keep on pretending, makes you feel good...

Israel is policing it's own borders...PREVENTING attacks against it's own innocents...There have been four wars that Syria took part in, none initiated by Israel... Syria & Egypt were the main aggressors... Surely, you must have read that "Syria had a surprise in store for Israel", their FM bragged about it...

"The previously proffered explanation that Israel did not wish to embarrass Syria went out the window as null, void, and twaddle, with the recent limited declassification." Not necessarily. Assad, and his cohort, are under tremendous pressure to do something. At the same time their external isolation has prevented them from seeking a public denunciation, say at the UN or even from the Arab League. (It's amusing that FM Moallem yesterday called for a UN censure of Israel, but has apparently neglected the fact that Syria needs to request a session of the USCS to issue such a censure!) Israel is not trying to limit Syria's humiliation because Assad is such a nice guy (if not much of a doctor). Israel's interest is twofold. First, to avoid Syria inadvertently taking things to the brink, and beyond. Secondly, because it places pressure on Assad that can be leveraged by Israel and the US. I too am old enough to remember the U2 incident. I'm glad you are on a first-name basis with Nikita Sergeivich, but he actually had shot down the U2 and knew it. Further, he did keep quiet before springing the trap. Khruchev, BTW, also paid the price when he overreached his hand in 1962. One thing is for sure: "Dropped munitions", "live munitions", "big wholes in the ground" or "empty military buildings", both Israel and the Syrian leadership know exactly what was bombed on September 6. A limited lifting of censorship (i.e. letting Israeli journalists say that there was an action over Syria) is, in my opinion, a signal to Damascus that they can still shut up, but not for long, and that the consequences will likely be borne by the Alawite junta.

Nice logical argument, on the surface, but juvenile. You may have to trash your probabilities and possibilities if your premise about capabilities is wrong. That is where we mosltly falter. The rest is relatively easy!

mistake done by armies, governments and other authorities. The fact is that someone screwed up as Mark Lincoln explained. No conspiracy, Cheney was not involved, no one died, the incident was revealed and is being investigated, and more importantly, Bush was not awakened, thank God. Otherwise he would have ordered the bombing of......??????some country, for sure!

who cares what israel hit, the plane and simple fact is that israel thinks it is the world police along with america, and what have both created? tension, wars, attacks against innocents and the rest, france will now join, BUT, be carefull, russia and china will be dragged in and we know who's gonna win, give you a little hint, it's not america and it's not israel.

israel wants war and will get it, israel WILL be the one to set off WWIII, and iran WILL back and fight against israel if syria is to be hit, then god help us all.

or COVERT OPERATION that was called off/foiled? And what has Mr Cheney had to say about lack of nuclear security over US skies? Why Barksdale, the stop before the Middle East, and why just one week before Israel's adventure in Syria? Interesting reading @ * Unregistered News.com http://www.unregisterednews.com/content/view/230/9 * Portland Independent Media Centre htttp://.indymedia.org/en/2007/09/364762.shtml I'm sorry Mark, but there are mad men at the helm in your country. Kind regards.

I find that many do not understand the difference between a "capability," 'probability," and a "possibility." A 'capability" is what an opponent is actually capable of accomplishing. A "possibility," is what an opponent MIGHT wish to do. A "probability" is how likely that said opponent will actually do that which it can, or that which it might possibly do. Iran clearly does not have the capability of using nuclear weapon. Because it does not have that capability, then the probability it will attack anyone in the next year is clearly impossible, and therefore there is NO possibility of Iran using nuclear weapons. What about the future? Right now there is NO evidence of an Iranian - or Syrian - nuclear weapons program. Thus we are left with NO capability. Then we must assess the 'possibility' and 'probabilities." A nation which lacks the ability to produce, is a nation without "possibility,": and if there is no possibility, then there is no probability.

Probability: Israel had no special forces infiltrated into Syria to pinppoint target for their bombers. The target was pinpointed by their new satellite. This was to show the USA proof of their new capabilities.

From statements made to the press by unknown persons and physical evidence, we can draw a few conclusions. 1 at least 4 F-15I aircraft were involved. 2. That IDF commandos might have occupied the area after the strike, or been present before. To that we might add that the persons responsible for ordering the attack have prevented the people who carried it out from telling us what happened. The previously proffered explanation that Israel did not wish to embarrass Syria went out the window as null, void, and twaddle, with the recent limited declassification. If Israel knew what it was after, why will it not say what it was? Or, does Israel not wish to say what it was after because it knows it was not there? Jane, I don't know if you are old enough to remember how Nikita waited until Dwight Eisenhower had fully committed himself to a lie before letting the world know the truth. That the U-2 was not on a weather flight over Pakistan, it was on a spy flight over Russia. I am.

Even if the I.A.F. hit only an abandoned building,the MESSAGE WAS DELIVERED,LOUD AND CLEAR..."WE CAN ENTER YOUR AIR SPACE,AND RETURN UNSCATHED,EVEN IF YOU HAVE YOUR STATE OF THE ART RUSSIAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT MISSILES"...THE SAME MESSAGE MUST HAVE BEEN HEARD IN teheran...IF THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND,THEY BETTER STOP ACTING LIKE FOOLS...

An example: many readers feel that Israel must be constantly alert from Syria because it wants to destroy it. The oposite view is that Syria seeks the recovery of the Golan Heights and therefore is trying to build up a deterrent or maybe even aggressive power so it has some bargaining power. I personally do not think that Israel should give back the Golan Heights without making 150% sure that its security on that front is safeguarded, but I do believe that ultimately a conquered territory needs to be returned. This is not naivite; this can work also in Israel's favor, if ever an Arab county succeeds to cut out a piece of the Land. I am critical of Israel's greed to hold to conquered territories even if they don't serve a defensive needs. Does it make anti-Israeli?

Unattributed comments to news media are not facts TonyL. Simple as that. They are what someone who is unwilling to be attributed wants someone else willing to hide that person's identity wants "known." That which has provenance is a 'fact', the rest is speculation, disinformation, outright lies, or possibly, just possibly, true. That NEITHER the Olmert of Bush administration has done anything except obfuscate and dissemble, is sound reason to believe they have nothing to prove and much to hide. I have a very hard time imagining that if the IDF had troops on the ground at the site of the attack and they had proof that the attack destroyed a nuclear facility that Israel would not be bragging about what they did. But, my suspicion does not make that a fact. You seem to have little critical faculties and would appear to be a very gullible person TonyL. Lest that be seen as an ad hominem attack, consider that I try to be very precise in my observations from which you might benefit.

Indonesia is a democracy?

Forgive me for jumping into your correspondence with Fortuna, but what you are saying is this: if those who disagree with me (or seem to me anti-Israeli, whatever that means) are open to see the light (that is my view) I am willing to debate with them. But what about you? Are you open to admit that some of the views of your oponents are worth considering too. It's too simple to see every blog as pro-Israeli or anti-Israeli. There are a lot of pro Israeli views (like mine) that see the benefit of listening to the other side, because they look for common denominators to solve the conflict. Labelling all Arabs or Muslims as stupid. cruel and dishonest (see above) cannot be useful. I read a lot of intelligent blogs from Arab readers who do not seek the destruction of Israel but an honorable exit from a very bad situation. Are you ready to learn from them or just to repeat your own mantra? See further.

Lakshmi, there was no connection in any way between the Minot incident and US foreign policy. It was a major screw-up, but it has no greater import. It was not part of some conspiracy to nuke Syria or Iran. It was not 'stopped' by some counter-coup. The classification of the incident as a "Bent Spear" was correct BECAUSE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR A NEGATIVE PUBLIC RESPONSE, not for any other reason. The known facts are: 1. That 1/2 of the AGM-129s on a plane flying back to Barksdale had the W-80 mod 3 nuclear weapons correctly replaced by the 'blue bomb' training warheads. 2. That for reasons unknown, or not announced, the other 1/2 were not. The officer responsible checked only 1/2 the missiles to ascertain that the warheads had been replaced with dummies. 4. That the aircraft was left unguarded for 15 hours. 5. Then it was flown cross country with nuclear weapons on board but the crew unaware of that fact. The folks who screwed up no longer have their jobs. Simple as that.

Thanks for your reply. Generally you are correct, silence is a detriment. I was referrign to the `lost causes` here, parroting an absolute naivity or the intelligent but malicious anti-Israeli elements, dismissing many nuances & behaviors outside of Israel & maliciously twisting & chaneling everything into `intelligent` anti-Israeli web. Otherwise I am willing & I do speak to a great degree to the GENUENLY interested, including with the radically opposed views. Those I welcome to debate if they can see the `light at the end of the tunnel` & are not afraid or interested to change their views if proved to be mistaken.

i've watched your posts degenerate over the last few months....sometimes you show hatred and at other times you are totally disingenous, why are you so obsessed with israel and jews ? everybody i meet in england is obsessed and pissed off with england being disenfranchised by muslims.

". . . the article looked as though the chain of command had broken down." - Maoirboy The breakdown was in the chain of custody. The crew that was supposed to switch out the W-80 nuclear bombs on 12 stealth air-launched cruise missiles with dummy "Blue Bomb" warheads, did so on 6 of them, but not the other six. The junior officer responsible checked the missiles on one pylon and found them to have been changed correctly and then did not check the other six. The aircraft then flew to Barksdale AFB. The aircraft sat on the ground for a total of 15 hours without proper guard and then transported the weapons by air across the US without the crew being aware it was carrying special weapons (big no-no). This was a VERY embarrassing incident, and a real career killer for the 463X0s involved. But it was not sinister, just a classic example of Murphy being right and men being fallible. My response to the incident was that the two-man rule had been replaced by the two-moron rule.

naughty list by the US, i.e. North Korea will have sanctions eased because they are deemed NOT to be supporting 'terrorist' regimes. This fact puts water on USA media reports suggesting Israel presented 'evidence' to the Bush Administration (North Korean Nuclear provided assistance to a member State of the 'Axis of Evil'-Syria) that the IDF used to supposedly justify bombing Syria???

I doubt Israel or the US would have ventured an attack on an empty building in Syria given all the talk about WMD's and the world of hurt the fact that none were found brought down on the US. Anything found now will be verified and verified some more before any action is taken. I understand the shipment of whatever was tracked from a ship and that materials were brought back and identified as North Korean nuclear substances. So whatever they got I say bravo IDF. Keep up the good work and don't allow nukes to fall into terrorist hands no matter what.

Does it really matter what the Israelis bombed ?The real question now is what has the Syrian regime been doing for the past 45 years to protect the people of Syria and Syria's sovereignty? How can a foriegn enemy penetrate hundreds of miles into one's territory unopposed?

Madsen in 'B-52 Nukes Headed for Iran: Airforce refused to fly weapons to Middle East Theater' in Globalresearch.ca

...I see speculation, I see no facts. That alone argues against the operation being what was expected... Ah, the operations are not what was expected if Mark Lincoln of all people had not seen the facts. That makes a lot of sense. More so, what difference does it make if there ARE clear facts of something that does not exist for Mark-Bush/Olmert successful ddecisions or actions taken.

Thank you Tony. I agree. But wait a minute: When you end your post by saying "sometimes it is simply childish to elaborate, argue or confront the subjects." I wonder. What would happen if we just leave them to lie and distort and cynically do their argumental acrobatics? More and more unaware people get the same epidemic. Maybe it's not that bad if you live in the beautiful Bay Area. But if you live in Paris, Rome, Caracas or London... it's not that easy to just "let them rant whatever they want". If you do, you may end up being lynched by your own university classmates...

Mark.. thanks for your response to my post,that article really freaked me out because about a week ago on TVNZ it was reported that a nuclear missile was transported from one side of America to the other without authorisation,that and the article looked as though the chain of command had broken down.

"I wonder if even Israel knows for sure. If the report of some nuclear material (I assume equipment) picked up by Israeli personnel before the raid are correct, then this equipment is probably destroyed." - Tosefta Those who know cannot tell. Peres described the operation as "spilt milk." I find that haunting. I am not used to Israel refusing to crow about a successful coup. As for "nuclear" material. That can be ALL matter. . . It could be almost anything. I am always amused when a report is made of some 'radicals" home being raided and "bomb making materials" were found. I have lawn fertilizer, oil, gas for the mower, batteries, wires, electrical switches . . . hey, guess how many common household items are 'bomb making materials!" There are industrial, agricultural, and medical uses for "nuclear materials." I see speculation, I see no facts. That alone argues against the operation being what was expected.

What I didn't add was that the Arab countries didn't criticise it either. It was to EVERYBODY's benefit (except the Arab apologists' apparently)

What you write would be true if open-minded ecuanimity would prevail on the part of Haaretz. "The issues presented for talk backs are very serious" What is BEHIND is ineed very serious. I agree. But Haaretz has learned some marketeering lately, and wraps thos very same serious issues, under the most outrageously provocative, hollow and insidious headline. (Only the Op-Ed -Haaretz core ego- is spared of this). So what you describe Otto is theoretical. In praxis, this is some kind of sado-masochistic mental masturbation. I have learned from Cipora Julianna Kohn, and very seldom, from somebody else. Therefore I masturbate in this way just the same. Probably you too, despite your display of verbal ecuanimity and reasonability.

Mark, we now know that the Syrians admit they know what the target was, which means it was hit. Otherwise, why change the story from "a hole in the ground"? It was clear in Israel that the mission was a success because everybody in the know was happy and even Netanyahu tried to receive credit. The remaining question is: What was actually the target, assuming it was in the building. I wonder if even Israel knows for sure. If the report of some nuclear material (I assume equipment) picked up by Israeli personnel before the raid are correct, then this equipment is probably destroyed.

"To paraphrase Sgt.Shultz"Mark Lincoln. Who the hells Sgt.Shultz?..and then it clicked,not only do i value you as a source of info and opinion, although at times i might disagree,you also have a sense of humour that is posted at the right time before we all fly off the handle.

Your post is saying,they haven't said anything yet! And you don't understand,Biblical joy(Kol).

"Now do you wish to discuss the attack by Syria on Israel, and why the attack took place." # 71 Staying up bashing Israel till too late ?

hehe, got me laughing with that one.

Paul, stealth helps, but whether it is worth the cost is still moot. The SAM-3 which nailed the F-117 over Serbia almost a decade ago was able to do so in part because all our jamming assets were protecting a B-2 elsewhere - that about sums it up. Right now the US is trying to pimp F-22s to foreign powers to raise production numbers and thus decrease the disastrous cost of the aircraft in future buys. The airplane is mighty good, but it is very questionable whether it is worth what it costs.

Maoriboy I don't think Madsen understands the meaning of the term "Bent Spear." The US has five levels of classification of accidents/incidents involving nuclear weapons. "Pinnacle-Broken Arrow" would be invoked in the case of everything from accidental non-nuclear detonation, destruction in an accident, theft. Pinnacle-Bent Spear includes damage to a weapon or component requiring major rework, replacement or re-certification. It can also be because of the potential for "adverse public reactions." "Pinacle-Dull Sword" covers any damage to a nuclear weapon not included above. "Pinacle-Empty Quiver" is the loss of a nuclear weapon. The reason why the "Minot" incident was a "Bent Spear" is because it is very, very embarrassing to misplace nuclear warheads and the magnitude of the command/control failure could cause an adverse public reaction. I don't think we had some General Jack D. Ripper intending to nuke Iran on his own, or bypassing normal command/control procedures.

The vehicle alone isn't the solution...The quality of the pilots is paramount...In each and every war, Syrian's have been shot out of the sky as their pilots who survived fled for home...

There's no wondering about Israels ability to strike deep within Syria...The attack served two purposes, bombed a site that Israel felt was dangerous and showed the Syrian's that, when push comes to shove, they're going to get shoved...

I'll let you say which Arab country is a Democracy... Only Israel would be foolish enough to allow the likes of you to publish anti-Israel statements in it's papers... I would very much like to see you gather the courage to write an anti-goverment letter to an Indonesian paper...

Israel has already been in four wars inditiated by it's neighbors..Keeping mind that Syria had claimed tht "It had a surprise in store for Israel", precaution was the better of being stupid enough to wait for Syria to start the next war..

Very nice overall observation. How Israel bashers turn everything 180º? For the better parts of reality it has to do precisely with what you have said: No reason, no accountability, no acknowledgment of facts that may heal their tainted negative bias. What do the poor chumps are suppose to do? The rest & conclusions are so obvious, sometimes it is simply childish to elaborate, argue or confront the subjects.

Margie Shalom, You have put it just right.

I was looking at a post yesterday on another article which lead me to google Wayne Madsen's article @:PJC JOURNAL::B52 Nukes,...Hell that made the hairs on my arms and back stand up. OPERATION ORCHARD PROJECT CHECKMATE BENT SPEAR EMPTY QUIVER A neo-con's wet dream if it was true and succeeded.

You are almost there with your analysis. Except that things are never black and white. It's a matter of perception and judgment. The talkbacks have their value, when people read the opinions of their oponents and try to learn from them rather than rebut them by simple: they lie; they are anti-semitic; they are idiots;. . This ends the dialogue. The issues presented for talk backs are very serious, of life and death. Except for the fundamentalists, who base their "truth" on what they believe is the word of God, people are struggling with the complexity of the issues. Syria is presentlly an enemy and so is Hamas, but that does not mean that all they say are lies. Their narrative is painful, no matter who caused it. This is unimportant anymore. What is important is how to get out from the morass with some dignity, by saving face. Unless the antagonists learn to respect the views of others, they will both sink deeper in the bog. The same goes for the loggers.

Read this and tell me whether you still believe the Syrians: The Hama massacre (Arabic: مجزرة حماة) occurred on February 2, 1982 when the Syrian army bombed the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Muslim Brotherhood. Amnesty International estimates between 10,000 and 25,000 were killed at Hama.[1][2] The Syrian government has made no official claim about the number killed at Hama.

"We still know nothing."

It is possible that IDF hit the wrong target, although it rarely happens. The point is that Syria is a dangerous, terror-supporting country, that wages a constant war on Israel through Hamas and Hezbollah. If Israel wants to survive, it must watch Syria's every move. So yes, Israel violated Syria's aerial space, but it is perfectly justified, and Israel should keep doing this as it finds necessary.

"Did you ever ear a dictator telling the true"maurice. I get your point maurice,so what does that make George W Bush?

Maybe the Russians that are supposed to improve yr. anti-aircraft capabilities can also give a hand with the radiation. Russia has a lot of experienced people in this chapter also, due to the Chernobyl and other nuclear "accidents".

And Bush has shifted his target from Iran's nuclear project(the Americans are not going to buy that one,after WMD!)to the Revolutionary Guards,that help kill our American boys&girls.That may sell a little better,althoug any conscientious journalist will soon point out that Iran has had a long association with the shias in Iraq and has helped arm them,prior to 2003.Plus,the recent embarassment of the U.S. arresting iranian officials who had been invited by the Maliki govt. on a civilian project.Arms easily obtained on the black market etc.The list goes on.But what is key here are not the provocations falling flat,but that dubiya realises he is not going to make a splash before he leaves office and the cheny-ziocon cabal is being frustrated at every turn.Recently,some U.S. airforce officers refused to transport 6 nuclear warheads to the ME.The best laid plans of mice & rats(with due apologies to the poet and rats which are at a higher level of evolution than the cabal)gang aft awry!

is a hurry to prove that the Military is as though as they were some years ago., without due respect that the GAME OF WARS are changing. Mr Barak should realized that today it is not like before 1948, and 1967. Thanks to the Muslim countries oils, they all NOW can afford buying by BILLIONS new arms from US,RUSSIA,and BRITAIN, as recently published. The simple example is the 2nd Lebanese war, when thousands of missiles rain down on the north of Israel,and (GOD FORBID) if there is another war this time, say with Iran then the Missiles will come from various directions as we are all aware.So try hard for peace talks, instead which is the best OPTION .As Sallam

It was an attempt at humour, and also alluding to the fact that we know there was an airdtrike, but we do not know why. Until we do whatever is said has to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Rabbi Lahm, thank you for stating it all so simply, so straightforward, no hangups.

As usual, when there is Israeli looses the IDF allways prefer to not talk openly about it. Especially when Syria is involved. Again the 69 Israeli defense forces were wounded in Syria! and not Gaza.

Chris, what is the basis for your total faith in Assad? I dunno, he's always been such a closed card for me. His wife seems more forthcoming.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. Nuclear weapons are weapons of UNCONTROLLED MASS DESTRUCTION and neither Israel or Syria can use them without collateral damage to themselves. If one country would attack the other one with nuclear weapons, the attacker might suffer the blast or radiation effects, but would certainly suffer the effects on radioactive fallout. Nuclear weapons are of no use to Syria. Get a brain people, and look at facts for a change. You are being lied to by your government and the Bush Administration.

I dunno, but every day someone else in Syria describes the target differently. Day before yesterday I'd been convinved that it was a kinda agricultural college...... like in NesTziona.

You don't seem to be all there,you sound like atilla..what are you babbling about?

You say it,as though you have seen it right? You have no idea,how insane it's to war against, Israel.Therefore Gods presence,is the cause,of no war from Syria!

Don't worry. The truth will come out soon enough. Just the fact that North Korea condemned Israel for the attack means something. They did not squawk because a shipment of cement from North Korea got blown up in the Syrian desert. Perhaps you would care to explain why North Korea is shipping cement to Syria. Cement is available in Syria, Turkey and Jordan. Why spend more money to transport something for more money than it is worth? The only thing that NK has to export is military products. Syria can get all the missiles that it needs from Iran so its a fair assumption to make that whatever the IAF hit was of high value. I realize that it causes you great distress to see the Israelis victorious. It makes me feel good inside to see you in distress.

Their are some good negatives here also!

Is Syria becoming wise,by saying nothing?

You simply are believing in,"The stealth lie." Study,some electronics sometime.

If Israel can run to the UN saying Ahmedinejad has effectively called for the wiping out of Israel a member state of the UN. Then the same must be applied to all other members of the United Nations must be place in the same rules. Therefore Syria is a soveriegn state under the rules of the United Nations. The same rules which Israel wants upholding for itself. Now do you wish to discuss the attack by Syria on Israel, and why the attack took place. Which is the purpose of this particular talkback. Or would you like to tell me why Syria is not a soveriegn state but Israel is?

Israel bombed Syria. It had to be worth the risk. Israel is keeping the target to themselves and Syria is too. North Korea is involved. Personally, I think it has nuclear implications but no one is talking. Maybe Bibi will help us and shoot off his mouth. Yay Bibi!

Since Russia will now be ugrading the Syrian defence systems, IDF will obviously now need to get the Raptors.

Cut the crap about sovereign state. the "swovereign state" is in a declared war with Israel. attacks are what war is about. Furthermore, neither Gaza nor the West bank are "sovereign states" or are they? Aren't they at war with Israel? Gaqza's government has so stated numerous times. Exactly what are you trying to prove here?

if it makes you happy. Remember when Israel destroyed Saddam's Nuclear Facilities in 1980...? or was that too a Fabricated Lie? 'And the Green Goddess raised her ugly head'...... Israel is back in shape again and woe betide those who would scoff at her today.

Why are people trying to figure out,something that they don't believe doing,themselves?It's literally,insane to do such "Asking and bashing."Leave it alone,and it will surprise you.

Israel wants peace and it's so obvious!That air strike proves it,100%.I think you need some,scripture memories about destroying pagans etc.

"And the cowards in this case also turned and ran,dropping their fuel tanks! Syria has been restrained because it knows what the game plan is." Sure Man! As restarined as they have always been...

Tim are you truly a Canadian? Believing Assad? Honestly now!!

Nu, what else would you expected from these b"z lesftists?

Turos lofasz a budos seggedbe!

Chris original - Therefore I BELIEVE President Assad when he says that it was an EMPTY BUILDING. Chris revised - All WE KNOW is that SOMETHING was bombed as confirmed by Assad yesterday and the IDF today. (my EMPHASIS) Quick, ask lakshmi (now shrilling for Syria) for a job referral.

Of course with your indepth knowledge of what exactly what the target involved means that you are speaking from a position of great knowledge about what happened how it happened and why it happened. Personally I have no knowledge of how it happened and why it happened. All I know is that it happened. So if you can enlighten me on what happened how it happened and why it happened I would much appreciate that you share your wisdom as many other readers and contributers would as well. At this time the only person who has commented on the target that was bombed is President Assad. And as he is the President of Syria I must believe him, as I believe Peres when he says Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East.

Is business slow in the "Clean & Green Gaza"? Are you finding difficult to cover up the blue-blacks and bloody-reds left by your beloved pious hamas terrorists who "take their muslim faith seriously"? I hope Syria didn't overpay you. I mean, gee, most of this press release is a rehash of what you've repeated ad nausem (simply changing a word here and a word there does not make it an original). "Syria has been restrained because it knows what the game plan is." Yeah, right...more like Syria has been restrained BY the game plan. Pssst, don't tell Assad the truth or you will be booted back to the not-so-"Clean & Green Gaza".

to hear you as a taxi driver and same as Nassarallah shout Haifa , Tel Aviv , We know that Nassarallah and Co. will get involved in such scenario , so after the show , make sure Siniora fabricates a couples of tears , this should suffice to extort from EU an other $7B , Don't you forget to fabricate a couple of manipulated footages , bribe Amnesty , Human Right Watch and UN Human BS committee , Recruit Ex UN Annan , he knows the drill ,

I agree that Syria was arranging a nasty surprise for Israel which when up and running would have probably meant a full scale regional war if it was a clear existential threat to Israel. And this was the best of a bad selection of choices. And yes $25 Million is not a lot of money, but if North Korea was in breach of the agreements met, I doubt Cheney would have authorised the payment. As you know and I know we know that Israel attacked something but what you know and I know is that we do not know what was attacked, and until we know that we have no knowledge of what actually occured other than there was an audacious attack by Israel on Syria.

No reason, no accountability, no acknowledgment of facts that may heal their tainted negative bias. Lots of cowardice, cynicism and glee in the anonimity of this talkback. Lots of lies, distorsions, argumentative acrobatics that twist the victim into the victimary and vice versa. Israel-bashers are an epidemic of spiritual malaise, of blind, irredent hatred. In the end, that makes Haaretz talkback not only boring, but pointless. If nobody ever says "I see your point" nor "Yes, I am plagued by a negative bias, and have been dishonest in my posts", then what's the point in posting anything to begin with. A masturbation in their negative bias against Israel, stimulated by those who defend Israel? Then what? Who gets enriched? Who's vision gets expanded? Who has the magnanimity of ever saying "I was wrong. Israel is not the culprit of all evils", and who says "I have used Israel as the projection screen for my own obscurities" ?

i'll tell you one : indra you funny

Eating hats gives me indigestion, if you want a friendly bet how about the winner drinks a glass of wine at their own exspense? You are right of course my response to Maurice was based on the idea that although we know Israel bombed something we don't know what they bombed. So until we know exactly what was bombed we cannot comment with certainty what the target was. All we know is that something was bombed as confirmed by Assad yesterday and the IDF today.

"Therefore I believe President Assad when he says that it was an empty building." I wonder if you will still believe Assad when he changes his story next week and tells the world the building was not really empty, but a much needed baby formula manufacturer. It was immediately bulldozed and moved away after the strike to spare the proud Syrian nation of the pain of seeing the building destroyed.

the real motive as revealed to only a few: the long relapse after the last summer lebanon bombings induced in the air force cadre a state of boredoom , the strikes in syria were conceived as a shock treatment for resuscitating the sleeping pilots.

Better to keep your mouth closed, and be thought of as a fool than to open it, and confirm everyone's suspicions. This works both for the situation and for you, personally. As old as the saying is, it is still true today - both you and Assad are flaming idiots - and thank you for confirming my suspicions.

"And the cowards in this case also turned and ran,dropping their fuel tanks!" Assad just said that the planes bombed an empty military building. They didn't just turn and run. (BTW, generally, bombers drop their extra fuel tanks BEFORE targeting their munitions. Also if Israel was trying to give Syria a casus belli, to attack Israel so that Israel would have a casus belli to attack Syria, why didn't Israel just bomb something - like say Assad's palace - straight away, rather than flying all the way across Syria to bomb and empty building, or "drop live munitions", or "drop munitions", or what ever? Your argument makes no sense.

is cool

Great sensible comments! To me, the most puzzling thing is why and how N Korea reacted so strongly to an event so faraway from its terrority. This event is like one of those novel thrillers - I can't wait for the next chapter to unfold :-)

But an eye should be kept against Egypt , for if Haaretz Last update - 14:35 , 02/10/2007 , Report: Russia sent Syria experts to upgrade air defense , By Haaretz Service , The Times of London reported Tuesday that Russia has sent technicians to upgrade Syria's air defense system after Israeli electronic warfare systems allowed IAF warplanes to attack a target in Syria last month. The Times account also said that the airborne electronic warfare system, which it said jammed the Russian-made radar and the Syrian army?s communications, was "believed to have been designed in readiness for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear sites.", Then in light of " in readiness for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear sites.", Egypt is manifesting its intention for such scenario , Haaretz Last update - 12:23 , 02/10/2007 , Israel vexed over Egypt letting 80 Hamas men into Gaza Strip , By Amos Harel and Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondents , Israeli security sources expressed concern that these "experts" were allowed into the Strip because of their ability to bolster terrorist organizations in specialties such as rocket and mortar attacks, sophisticated explosive devices, sniping, and commando raids. According to the sources, dozens of experts in paramilitary activities and terrorism have crossed into the Gaza Strip during the past year and have passed on to members of Hamas and other, smaller terrorist organizations the lessons Iran and Hezbollah have learned from the fighting in southern Lebanon during last summer's war.

then be used as a casus belli,to launch a serious attack co ordinated with the U.S. After eliminating Syria& Hezbollah simultaneously they would move to attack Iran.That is the real target.But something happened.The best laid plans of mice and rats(with due apologies to the poet and the rats who are at a higher level of evolution than the cabal!) gang aft awry.Dubiya started listening to Papa & Baker that attacking Iran would not be a cakewalk ! And the cowards in this case also turned and ran,dropping their fuel tanks! Syria has been restrained because it knows what the game plan is.

Are you related to chemical Ali?

Assad told the truth- retro-actively.

If Israel really targeted it something of an importance, Syria would have responded directly, the fact that the israeli jets dropped their fuel tanks and RAN AWAY as soon as they were discovered tell a lot about the nature of this FABRICATED lie..the world isnt buying Israel lies any more.

Yes I want peace . Syria is not supporting terrorism. We have no terrorist leaders in our country. We are not helping the Hizbollah . We are not supporting the insurgency in Iraq. We are not blowing people up in Lebanon . Most of our budget goes for education and the people and not to the military. Syria is a free democratic country . The GDP is the highest in the middle east .

indrajaya says - Indonesia liberated East Timor from the Portuguese oppression. In many villages, people salute Indonesian Army as liberators. East Timorese say : The large-scale killing, raping, displacement and deportation are a case of ethnic cleansing. The strategy is clear. The Indonesian military is determined to exact a bloody retribution on a people who dared to vote for freedom and defy the army-militia campaign of intimidation and killing that was intended to coerce the population into voting to remain part of Indonesia. The "liberated" fighting to be free from their "liberators". Great joke, huh??

1. I don't believe Israel would have spent the huge amount of money and effort and risk involved in sending 8 planes, helicopters and ground forces if the target wasn't worth while. 2. Israel wouldn't have invited war for a pointless target. 3. Syria would have reacted immediately and sneeringly had it not been something they were not embarrassed to admit. 4. NKorea would not have commented if it had nothing to do with what they supplied to Syria - and it wasn't moonshine whiskey. 5. The government in the know wouldn't have been grinning like cheshire cats if it hadn't been entirely successful. 6. The USA and the UK were in the know and somebody would have criticised the potential for upsetting the world's delicate balance of peace and war had it not be worthwhile. 7. Remember that when the Iraqi reactor was taken out there was vocal crit. and here NOTHING? CONCLUSION; It was something really positive and to everyone's benefit (except Syria's)

It's amazing how blindly you will believe anything anyone has to say as long as it put's Israel in a bad light. So, you believed Assad when Israel first bombed nothing and left a hole in the ground, now you believe him when he says the building was empty. I wonder if later, when his story changes to "The nuclear material that was in the building was for peaceful purposes only", if you will believe that too?? I guess it's true what they say, there IS a sucker born every minute.

I suppose you mean it is a ruse, also you are not exactly adept at your own history, Israel Annexed the Golan back in December of 1981. The "West Bank" is not annexed.

You said, he said, we said, so he's the winner, no your head's uppermost, no it can't be you who won because you're a JEW!

I agree. But did you have a look at Bush lately?

Arabs don't wear hats!

let me get this striaght. isreal sent jets into syria to take out an unused military building?? why?? also lets for a second say this is an accurate syrian story, why hasnt syria retaliated?? or atleast called for immediate UN meeting?? or done anything drastic like that rather than blab blab blab and do nothing. i'll tell you, its becuase the strike was as israel says, a nuclear facility and a legit target.

"The real story would not give Israeli`s much joy." Truth is that Israel has NOT given any specific details about the strike. How is it that you ALREADY know the "real story"? "But I like how Assad is controlling this story by being more honest than Israel." Same question I pose to chris - how do you know 100% that he is being honest? Again, please share what evidence(s) you have to support your claim.

Ok, baby, tell me another joke...

that Assad is telling the truth that it is an empty building? Or that "Israelis..worked under the idea there might be something there rather than there is something there." If you can corroborate all these, please share with everyone your irrefutable evidence(s). Otherwise, it is a matter of your opinion against Maurice's opinion. And if you can make comments, why are you telling him he cannot?

"Therefore I believe President Assad when he says that it was an empty building." (CL) What a believer you are! Why then did Syria not "admit" to the empty building before? Why throwing some things down? Why a hole in the ground? Why "reserving the right to respond"? You know why? Because they are counting on believers like you.

Haaretz request". What a great journalistic accomplishment!?

Your hermeneutics is faulty at the root, Chris. It's the Syrians themselves who have given at least three different, conflicting lies about the raid. Israel has remained silent. If you do exgetical acrobatics to prove the opposite, is because your "visceral antipathy for" Israel, -to put it in your, preferred, Syrian wording.

Assad is controlling the story from his end because divulging it would be highly embarrasing to him...If he had something to brag about, he would proclaim it for all the world to hear...Just think, why did the North Koreans get so agitated..

The Syrian position has gone from Israeli planes "dropped munitions" and fled, to Israeli planes "dropped live munitions", and now to Israel plans bombed and empty building. I don't think that that is an example of openness and honesting. If I may speculate, I believe that Israel has been trying to give Assad a way to avoid humiliation after a raid that the government felt was extremely necessary. By lifting a bit of the censorship, Israel is signalling Assad that he can still avoid humiliating himself, but that Israel is ready to reveal more embarassing aspects of what happened on Sept.6.

All I can say is unless Syria plans on loosing evn more land, don't even think about starting a war.

Will you be good enough to name any one Democratic country that doesn't impose censorship in time of war...??

"Therefore I believe President Assad when he says that it was an empty building" I prefer to believe that the Syrian's had a surprise in mind for Israel as they had publicly stated... Israel decided to take remove the possibility of it's beng surprised... Twenty Five Million in fuel money, at today's prices, that's very small potatoes...

AMEN !

Assad doesn't look too terribly bright...

Who's proud to be Jewish! not because we lifted the ban, but because WE ARE #1. omg, the stuff people write in these responses.. it just takes so long for things to sink in for some people. Enjoy your day Elan

Who's proud to be Jewish! not because we lifted the ban, but because WE ARE #1. omg, the stuff people write in these responses.. it just takes so long for things to sink in for some people. Just wanted to share that with you and here is a really funny quote from the Columbia Pres when Abjammatachat came to visit: You are either brazenly provocative or astonishingly uneducated. Bollinger concluded by saying that: I doubt that you will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions ? but your avoidance will be meaningful to us. "...your avoidance will be meaningful to us!!" that was great. Enjoy your day Elan

"Therefore I believe President Assad when he says that it was an empty building." I really don't know what happened in Syria. But in my experience Israel would not mount such a dangerous brink operation that could have sparked off a war without something "substantial = existential threat" being there. I bet you have to eat your hat within 1 week

No CNN, no BBC, arabs best friends. Nobody to visit the empties buildings ??

"Seems to me that the Israeli press is for `believers` only." He omits that the author of the 1st piece writes of the security concerns during conflicts, that "If a news outlet reports (live) immediately that a missile splashed into the sea, for example, any guerrilla with an Internet connection knows to aim left. Report that an oil refinery in Haifa went up in flames, and Hezbollah will surely celebrate and reload. Report that a senior official is headed north, and rockets will be raining down in no time." As for the 2nd piece, it is an haaretz editorial. jjvanka shouls ask them why they are freely allowing anti-Israel posts but restricting rebuttals at the talkbacks. Finally, jjvanka should ask himself - if there is absolute censorship, how did he get to post his misleading comments?

The real story would not give Israeli's much joy. If it did, you'd have heard about it by now. But I like how Assad is controlling this story by being more honest than Israel.

maybe it was mr. assads holiday-resort they bombed

Empty Building!!! What ever it was, your radar was not able to stop the attack. Isreal can penetrate your air space anytime despite your russian defence systems. You as well Iran

The real truth is, there is no truth. It is apparent each side is jockeying for position and posturing up for world opinion and side choosing. Neither side wants peace, but neither side wants war. Neither side wants a diplomatic solution so each side stays the course. The left wants to talk, the right wants to bomb. Bottom line - life is as it's always been. A man lives, a man dies, a baby is born and raised in the circle of fear and hate.

As we do not know why the Israelis decided to bomb this empty building according to the Syrian President. Then you cannot make any statements about what was inside this empty building. You can only comment on the fact that the Israelis mounted a military raid on a soveriegn state. If it was a nuclear facility and the US and Israelis had proof of this I personally do not think the US would have handed over $25 million worth of fuel to North Korea yesterday. The reason the Israelis are not shouting why they did this is because they worked under the idea there might be something there rather than there is something there. Therefore I believe President Assad when he says that it was an empty building.

This is the joke of the century. This was all made for the media and to instill fear in Damasscus and Tehran about IAF ability to penetrate the country by land or air at any time and any place. But the surprising fact is that these were not IAF jets. They were US F-15s on a dry run to test Russian radar systems. A pre-cursor to the bigger event of Israel taking out Damascus at the same time US takes out Iran. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust. US will check Iran's colonialism ventures as Israel checkmates Damascus. After all is done, Golan will be annexed along with the West Bank.

Of course you want to know all the secrets to run and tell our enemies. No nations reveals all its secrets. All nations have classified documents, for instance.

The suspense has been killing me.

Seems to me that the Israeli press is for 'believers' only. Isaeli censor wielding great power - http://tinyurl.com/24lsul | Censorship and democracy don't mix - http://tinyurl.com/k3oxm