Israeli missiles hit Syrian capital Damascus

(June 14) A new round of missile strikes by israel on Damascus the capital of Syria took place overnight. Details about the attacks are scarce as Israel has followed its standard protocol of not commenting on their attacks.

However, seven were reported killed by the strikes including three Syrians and 4 other Shi'ite militia members. Syria has reported that they had intercepted several missiles but they did not indicate what was attacked or why. However, a recent article reported: "The Britain-based Observatory, which monitors Syria's civil war through a network of sources inside the country, said the attack targeted Iran-backed militias near the capital. It said some missiles hit their intended targets, which included a weapons depot near the airport." The appended video gives some details of the attack.

Israel often attacks Shi'ite targets

Israel often targets Shi'ites associating with Iran even though many if not most Shi'ite militia members do not come from Iran.

Syria appears to be getting more effective in defense against the attacks but they still do not have the air power to prevent Israeli planes from using Syrian air space to launch missiles.

Israel claims its aim is to end Iran's military presence in Syria. Iran has deployed allied militias from several countries to help bolster the forces of Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that began back in 2011. The militia include the forces of the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

Earlier in June Israel air strikes killed 23 Syrian and foreign fighters in Syria. There was also a raid with casualties on February the 6th this year. According to the Observatory there were three Iranians plus seven Tehran-backed foreign fighters killed in that raid.

Although the raids would appear to violate international law there appears to be little if any condemnation of the attacks by the international community.. The US and many other countries support rebels against the Assad government.

The US still has troops in Syria. Many are now in areas where there are oil facilities. Trump has suggested late last October the oil could be sold by US companies:“What I intend to do, perhaps, is make a deal with an Exxon-Mobil or one of our great companies to go in there and do it properly ... and spread out the wealth.”However critics pointed out that such a move would immediately face legal challenges. No major US oil company jumped to accept Trump's suggestion as the risks would be enormous. No reputable buyers would consider purchasing such oil.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Russia accuses Israel of using civilian plane for cover during raid on Syria

(February 8)An Airbus 320 passenger jet with 172 passengers aboard was almost shot down over the Syrian capital Damascus on Thursday morning. Syrian missile defense systems were activated to respond to an incoming Israeli attack on the Damascus airport.

Israeli actions may be deliberate

Russian Defense Ministry officials said they do not think the incident was coincidental but that the Israeli military is deliberately using civilian passenger planes as cover while they are attacking targets in Syria as reported by Sputnik: "Russian MOD spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the Israeli jets effectively hid behind the radar signal of an Airbus A-320 as it approached Damascus international airport in order to launch air strikes on targets near the Syrian capital." Israeli F-16 fighter jets fired air-to-surface missiles at targets near the airport according to Konashenkov.

Israel could consider this a win-win strategy. Either Syria allows the Israelis to strike with impunity or it risks accidentally shooting down a civilian airliner leading to international condemnation.

Airbus plane escorted out of the area

The plane was safely escorted out of the area and landed in a base further west Hmeimim which is used by Russian planes.

Notice that there seems to be no attempt by the Russians to send planes to intercept the Israeli jets. Syrian State media confirmed that they had intercepted a number of Israeli missiles. The Syrian media did not appear to report on the near shoot-down of the Iranian Airbus.

Israel has not commented on their attack but one monitor claims that 23 people were believed killed on the ground.

An earlier decoy complaint

In September 2018 Russia accused Israel of intentionally placing a Russian reconnaissance IL-20 plane in danger with the result it was shot down by Syrian defenses who mistook it for an Israeli F-16 several of which were attacking Syrian territory with missiles at the time. Fifteen crew members on the plane were killed. A news report on CNN is on the appended video.

Israel denied it was using the Russian reconnaissance plane as a decoy. Israel said it was the incompetence of Syrian defense personnel that was responsible for the downing of the plane.

Israeli has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syria

Israel usually neither confirms nor denies specific air strikes on Syria although according to at least one source Israeli commanders have admitted to hundreds over the last couple of years. Western mainstream media and western officials virtually never condemn the raids although it should be obvious that they are against international law. No doubt if pressed the Israelis would point out that the targets are Iranians or others who are a threat to Israeli security. This is a pitiful attempt at the use of a self-defense justification. However, as with the US, Israel feels that any attack that they claim is in the interests of national security is justified. The mainstream media is unlikely to question this unless the action were by some country such as North Korea, Cuba, Russia, or China. Over time, the general public view is that Israeli attacks are just a normal everyday occurrence.

Previously published in the Digital Journal

Israeli rockets strike near Damascus airport

(April 27)Syrian opposition sources claim that Israeli strikes hit an arms depot operated by Hezbollah near Damascus airport. Witnesses said there were five strikes, near the airport road about 25 kilometers from Damascus.

Syrian state TV also quoted military sources as claiming that rockets fired from Israeli territory had targeted a military area in the southwestern part of the airport that caused huge explosions. Photos were posted on line showing a large fire near the area.

Al Jazeera's Hashern Ahelbarran said:"We do understand that the Israelis have been carrying out strikes in the past. The last one was in January targeting the Mezze military base. In 2015 they also launched attacks near the capital Damascus and in the Golan Heights, killing two prominent Hezbollah commanders, including Jihad Mughniya who is the son of the top military commander of Hezbollah Imad Mughniya who was also killed in Damascus in 2008."

While Israel has not officially accepted responsibility for the act, Israeli Intelligence Minister, Israel Katz, told Israeli Army Radio:"I can confirm that the incident in Syria corresponds completely with Israel's policy to act to prevent Iran's smuggling of advanced weapons via Syria to Hezbollah ... Naturally, I don't want to elaborate on this. The prime minister has said that whenever we receive intelligence that indicated an intention to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah, we will act."Yoav Galant, the Israeli construction minister, also declined to confirm the attack but said on TV: “Our enemies must know: We will know to use our power to protect our interests by ourselves.”

An intelligence source told Reuters the depot that was targeted handles a significant number of weapons that Tehran, a major regional ally of Syria, sends by air to help Hezbollah and others. Israel has carried out attacks a number of times with complete impunity it seems. In May of 2013, it struck three areas in Damascus suburbs, allegedly to destroy Iranian rockets it claimed were being delivered to Hezbollah. The airport was also hit. In 2016, in January the Syrian army reported that Israel targeted the Mezze airbase just a few kilometers from the Royal Palace. The Syrian government warned this January that it would retaliate against any attack targeting its own area but does nothing. Al-Manar TV, which is linked to Hezbollah said that the raid struck fuel tanks and a warehouse near the Damascus International Airport. It said that there was material, damage but no reported deaths as yet. Just a few days ago an Israeli attack on a Syrian camp near the Golan heights killed three.

Russia criticized the strikes saying that Israel and other countries should avoid doing anything that heightened tension in the region. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said: "We consider that all countries should avoid any actions that lead to higher tensions in such a troubled region and call for Syrian sovereignty to be respected." Peskov said that Russia and Israel were in constant contact concerning the situation Peskov maintained. In other words, Israel was probably assured that Russia would take no action after the attack it would appear. If Putin were like Trump he would unilaterally attack the positions from which the rockets were launched in Israel. Russia has spoken out strongly not only against the recent US strikes on a Syrian airbase but against Turkish strikes on Kurdish positions. However, it has not taken significant action it would seem.

A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said Russia thought these airstrikes played into the hands of militant groups and complicated the search for a political solution in Syria. The Islamic State (IS) apparently even apologized for firing on Israeli troops! Zakharova said Russia also considered the attacks an act of aggression against Syria. She claimed they were unacceptable and against the principles and norms of international law. Yet there is no hint that Russia will respond even if such attacks occur again. Russia had issued warnings after an earlier attack but has failed to follow through. Apparently no Israeli airplanes entered Syria during the strikes. Will there be any condemnations and criticism from western leaders or will the event just quickly disappear from the news altogether?

The Cause of New War Jitters in Israel and Lebanon

Interesting that Israel is in effect adopting a strategy of collective punishment and will regard Lebanon as a whole as the enemy if there is a war. This may very well be the advantage of Lebanon and if Israel uses this strategy in a way that causes a large number of civilian casualties it may hurt international support. However the US under pressure from the Israel lobby is likely to go along no matter what. However relations with countries such as Turkey may suffer a death blow. As the article notes Lebanon is enjoying relative calm and tourism has greatly improved. Also, Israel has not be attacked for the most part and is also enjoying the relative peace so perhaps peace will prevail even though tensions remain..This is from this site.


What's behind renewed war jitters in Israel, Lebanon?
By Nicholas Blanford Nicholas Blanford
Beirut, Lebanon – A renewed flurry of threats and warnings between Israeli officials and the leaders of Lebanon’s militant Shiite organization Hezbollah have sparked a serious bout of war jitters on both sides of the border which are also threatening to draw in other regional players. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman publicly warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today that getting involved in a Lebanon-Israel conflict would result in the disintegration of his regime.

Though Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu then sought to smooth Syria's feathers, reiterating his country's desire for restarting peace talks, tensions are running high over a possible conflict with its neighbors. Israeli leaders grumble about Hezbollah’s military build-up since their month-long war in July 2006 and warn of a massive blow against Lebanon in the event of another clash. Hezbollah’s leadership remains defiant, saying they’re ready for another confrontation and confident of victory against the Jewish state.

The saber-rattling from both sides is part of the relentless psychological war between the two bitter foes, and shows that tensions continue to exist despite the fact that the border between them has experienced its longest period of calm in more than four decades. The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, says there is no indication that another war is imminent.

“The most important part is the continued political will and commitment of the parties to maintain the cessation of hostilities,” says Milos Strugar, a senior advisor to UNIFIL. “In all our contacts with all sides this will and commitment is continually reinforced and strongly emphasized by everyone.”

Lebanon wants to preserve newfound stabilityBut the worries in Lebanon are heartfelt, particularly as the country is enjoying its first period of relative political stability in five years. In 2009 Lebanon received a record 1.9 million tourists, whose spending contributed about 20 percent of gross domestic product. Another calm summer could witness yet even greater numbers of tourists visiting this tiny Mediterranean country.

Ghazi Aridi, the transport minister, said recently that the atmosphere in Lebanon is similar to the period prior to Israel’s invasion in 1982 which was widely expected for months beforehand.

“Everyone has to work for enhancing national unity and preparing the ground to face any Israeli aggression,” he said in an interview with Lebanon’s Future Television.

Despite the jitters and the rhetoric from both sides of the border, neither Hezbollah nor Israel appear anxious to embark upon a new round of fighting. Analysts suggest that the spark for a new conflict could come from an incident along the border that flares out of control, such as a rocket attack into Israel. There have been seven isolated firings of short-range rockets into Israel since 2006, all of them suspected of being the work of either Al-Qaeda-affiliated factions or rogue Palestinian groups.

Another trigger factor: IranThe other potential trigger factor is related to developments in Iran. A move by Israel or the West to attack Iranian nuclear facilities could result in a backlash along the Lebanon-Israel border, or a preemptive strike by Israel against Hezbollah. Some analysts suggest that Iranian leaders may seek to ignite a confrontation with Israel as a means of deflating mounting internal pressure against the regime in Tehran. While Hezbollah is ideologically and financially committed to Iran, the group’s leaders also are sensitive to the interests of their Lebanese Shiite support base, which is still recovering from the 2006 war and would not relish more destruction being visited on their families, homes and livelihoods.

Expectations of another war between Hezbollah and Israel began the moment the last one ended inconclusively in August 2006. During that month-long conflict, Hezbollah’s militants proved tougher than the ill-prepared Israeli army anticipated. Hezbollah proclaimed a “divine victory” but lost its military autonomy over the southern Lebanon border district. Israel was widely seen as having lost the war, but has benefited from a peaceful border since.

Since then Israel has retrained its army, developed and introduced new technology to cope with Hezbollah’s rockets and anti-tank missiles and drawn up a new strategy for dealing with its Lebanese foe.

Israeli officials have warned that in the event of another war they will treat Lebanon as their enemy rather than just Hezbollah, particularly since Hezbollah joined Lebanon’s coalition government in November, a move that has blurred the distinction between the state and the Shiite group.

“For practical reasons we cannot beat Hezbollah. We have to define Lebanon as our enemy,” says Giora Eiland, a former Israeli national security advisor during the premiership of Ariel Sharon. “The Lebanese government must know that it has only two possibilities: One, to let the relative calm continue, and, two, that a war will devastate Lebanon.”

Dubbed the “Dahiyah doctrine” after Hezbollah’s southern Beirut stronghold, which was heavily bombed in 2006, it calls for attacking roads, bridges and power stations as well as Lebanese army bases and population centers that support Hezbollah.

“The strategic objective in the next war is to understand that you cannot solve the problem in one step,” says Shlomo Brom, a former director of the Israeli army’s Strategic Planning Branch. “The only way of solving the problem is occupying Lebanon and kicking Hezbollah out. It is not easy and Israel is not willing to pay that price.”

The doctrine amounts to using collective punishment to discourage Lebanon’s continued tolerance of Hezbollah’s armed status.

Hezbollah's fresh battle plansHezbollah has prepared fresh battle plans of its own amid an unprecedented rearming, recruiting and training drive since 2006. It reportedly has 40,000 rockets now, more than double the figure prior to 2006.

Among Hezbollah’s new rocket systems is the Syrian M-600, with a longer range and more accuracy than past models, according to US and European intelligence sources. Hezbollah militants have hinted at staging cross-border raids to attack military and civilian targets. That would be unprecedented in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

“You will see next time that maybe the UN will ask us to withdraw from northern Israel rather than asking Israel to withdraw from south Lebanon,” says Abu Khalil, a 22-year Hezbollah veteran.

Many Hezbollah fighters say the next conflict with Israel will lead to the destruction of the Jewish state. Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah’s leader, recently predicted that in the next war his group “will defeat the enemy and change the face of the region.”

Still, analysts say that the stakes are so high and the level of mutual destruction so great that neither Hezbollah nor Israel are looking for another confrontation.

“I don’t think Israel is willing to have a war right now and I don’t think Hezbollah is itching for a fight either,” says Timur Goksel, a former senior UNIFIL official. “Yes, Israel can trash Lebanon, but it will be very expensive for Israel too. Hezbollah will fire all over the place and there will be many more [Israeli] casualties than in 2006.”

Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy PolicyAbout Our AdsTerms of ServiceCopyright/IP Policy