Ignoring Risk of Regional Turmoil, Israel Launches Strikes in Syria
In the second such incident this year, the Israeli government on Saturday confirmed it launched an airstrike inside Syria the day before.
The Associated Press reports:
Israeli officials said the attack took place early Friday and was aimed at sophisticated "game-changing" weapons, but not chemical arms. One official said the target was a shipment of advanced, long-range ground-to-ground missiles but was not more specific.
They did not say where the attack took place, or whether the air force carried out the strike from Lebanese or Syrian airspace.
The Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information about a secret military operation to the media.
U.S. officials had earlier confirmed the airstrike but said only that it appeared to have hit a warehouse.
Claiming the strike was aimed at preventing alleged Syrian weapons from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon, it is unclear how continued salvos from Israel might impact the ongoing civil war in Syria. Of course, given the nature of the missile attack, there is little way to confirm Israel's claims about the nature of the target or, indeed, if their claims about weapons heading to Lebanon are true. Syrian officials had made no public comment about the incident other than to say they could not yet confirm the reports.
Despite the worsening humanitarian situation inside the country, many worry that such behavior by Israel--not to mention an escalated involvement by the US military--could turn Syria's civil war into a regional conflagration.
As Juan Cole explores on his influential blog on Saturday, in addition to Israel, both Turkey and Lebanon are increasingly nervous about the possibility of the conflict spreading.
As Reuters reports:
Lebanese acting foreign minister Adnan Mansour was critical [of the reported strike]. "Attacks such as these will result in more tension and blow up the situation which it promoted," he said.
"This will not give Israel the peace or security that it wants, in its own way, rather it will push the region into an inflamed struggle and into the unknown."
___________________________________
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
In the second such incident this year, the Israeli government on Saturday confirmed it launched an airstrike inside Syria the day before.
The Associated Press reports:
Israeli officials said the attack took place early Friday and was aimed at sophisticated "game-changing" weapons, but not chemical arms. One official said the target was a shipment of advanced, long-range ground-to-ground missiles but was not more specific.
They did not say where the attack took place, or whether the air force carried out the strike from Lebanese or Syrian airspace.
The Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information about a secret military operation to the media.
U.S. officials had earlier confirmed the airstrike but said only that it appeared to have hit a warehouse.
Claiming the strike was aimed at preventing alleged Syrian weapons from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon, it is unclear how continued salvos from Israel might impact the ongoing civil war in Syria. Of course, given the nature of the missile attack, there is little way to confirm Israel's claims about the nature of the target or, indeed, if their claims about weapons heading to Lebanon are true. Syrian officials had made no public comment about the incident other than to say they could not yet confirm the reports.
Despite the worsening humanitarian situation inside the country, many worry that such behavior by Israel--not to mention an escalated involvement by the US military--could turn Syria's civil war into a regional conflagration.
As Juan Cole explores on his influential blog on Saturday, in addition to Israel, both Turkey and Lebanon are increasingly nervous about the possibility of the conflict spreading.
As Reuters reports:
Lebanese acting foreign minister Adnan Mansour was critical [of the reported strike]. "Attacks such as these will result in more tension and blow up the situation which it promoted," he said.
"This will not give Israel the peace or security that it wants, in its own way, rather it will push the region into an inflamed struggle and into the unknown."
___________________________________
In the second such incident this year, the Israeli government on Saturday confirmed it launched an airstrike inside Syria the day before.
The Associated Press reports:
Israeli officials said the attack took place early Friday and was aimed at sophisticated "game-changing" weapons, but not chemical arms. One official said the target was a shipment of advanced, long-range ground-to-ground missiles but was not more specific.
They did not say where the attack took place, or whether the air force carried out the strike from Lebanese or Syrian airspace.
The Israeli officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose information about a secret military operation to the media.
U.S. officials had earlier confirmed the airstrike but said only that it appeared to have hit a warehouse.
Claiming the strike was aimed at preventing alleged Syrian weapons from reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon, it is unclear how continued salvos from Israel might impact the ongoing civil war in Syria. Of course, given the nature of the missile attack, there is little way to confirm Israel's claims about the nature of the target or, indeed, if their claims about weapons heading to Lebanon are true. Syrian officials had made no public comment about the incident other than to say they could not yet confirm the reports.
Despite the worsening humanitarian situation inside the country, many worry that such behavior by Israel--not to mention an escalated involvement by the US military--could turn Syria's civil war into a regional conflagration.
As Juan Cole explores on his influential blog on Saturday, in addition to Israel, both Turkey and Lebanon are increasingly nervous about the possibility of the conflict spreading.
As Reuters reports:
Lebanese acting foreign minister Adnan Mansour was critical [of the reported strike]. "Attacks such as these will result in more tension and blow up the situation which it promoted," he said.
"This will not give Israel the peace or security that it wants, in its own way, rather it will push the region into an inflamed struggle and into the unknown."
___________________________________