Syria:
We’ll Strike Israel If US Attacks
Syrian
government has “strategic weapons aimed at Israel”
26
August, 2013
A
senior Syrian official has warned that Israel will “come under
fire” should the United states pursue any military aggression
against the Assad regime.
As
reported by the Israeli news site Ynet, Halef al-Muftah, a leading
member of the Syrian Ba’ath national council, and a former aide to
the Syrian media minister said today that the Syrian government has
“strategic weapons aimed at Israel.”
Making
the comments on an American Arabic radio station, Muftah added that
Damascus views Israel as being “behind the aggression” and
therefore will be retaliated against should the US strike Syria.
The
official also stated that the Syrian government would not be beholden
to threats from the US, and added “If the US or Israel err through
aggression and exploit the chemical issue, the region will go up in
endless flames, affecting not only the area’s security, but the
world’s.”
Over
the weekend, reports emerged suggesting that Israeli intelligence has
definitive proof that the chemical attacks last week were carried out
by the Syrian army.
According
to the German publication Focus,
the Israel Defense Forces Unit 8200, the IDF’s signals intelligence
unit, intercepted communications of the Syrian army during the
attack.
“A
former Mossad officer told FOCUS the analysis has clearly shown that
the bombardment with poison gas missiles was made by Syrian
government forces,” reports the
publication.
Military
hawk Professor John Schindler of the U.S. Naval War College tweeted
about the story Sunday, adding that Israel swiftly shared the
information with the US and other allies.
As
Infowars reported today,
demand for gas masks in Israel is soaring in anticipation of western
air strikes on Syria that could heighten the chances of Israel coming
under chemical weapons attack from its northern neighbor.
With
talk of US and UK led air strikes being only days
away,
the German government also confirmed Monday that it would support
international military action against Syria, should it be confirmed
that the Assad regime was behind chemical attacks.
A
spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel said that if UN inspectors are
able to confirm the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government
“it must be punished.”
Turkey
also stated that it would join an international coalition against
Syria, led by the US and the UK.
“Currently
36-37 countries are discussing these alternatives. If a coalition is
formed against Syria in this process, Turkey would take its place in
this coalition.” said
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.
Davutoglu
also suggested that military action could be taken without a UN
mandate.
“We
always prioritize acting together with the international community,
with United Nations decisions. If such a decision doesn’t emerge
from the UN Security Council, other alternatives … would come onto
the agenda,” Davutoglu told the Milliyet daily.
“Is
it possible to respond to chemical weapons without complete unity on
the UN Security Council? I would argue yes it is otherwise it might
be impossible to respond to such outrages, such crimes, and I don’t
think that’s an acceptable situation,” Hague said.
The
Russian government has reacted to the beat of the war drum against
Syria with anger. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told
a press conference that
any use of force in Syria without a UN mandate would violate
international law and constitute a “repetition of past mistakes.”
“[The]
West is unable to present evidence of the involvement of the Syrian
authorities in chemical attacks, but states that ‘red line’ in
situation has been passed”, said Lavrov, according to the Voice of
Russia.
“You
can’t fight regime only because you don’t personally like the
dictator leading it and not fight some regimes where you like the
dictator,” Lavrov added.
“The
use of force without the approval of the United Nations Security
Council is a very grave violation of international law,” Lavrov
said.
“If
anybody thinks that bombing and destroying the Syrian military
infrastructure, and leaving the battlefield for the opponents of the
regime to win, would end everything – that is an illusion,”
Lavrov added.
The
Russian official also discussed the fact that Syrian rebels have been
accused of using chemical weapons then blaming the Syrian government.
He specifically referred to the fact that hundreds of videos showing
apparent victims of the chemical weapons attack in Syria
were uploaded
to YouTube on August 20,
a day before media reports say the attack actually happened.
“There
is information that videos were posted on the internet hours before
the purported attack, and other reasons to doubt the rebel
narrative.” Lavrov noted
“Those
involved with the incident wanted to sabotage the upcoming Geneva
peace talks. Maybe that was the motivation of those who created this
story. The opposition obviously does not want to negotiate
peacefully.”
“The
experts in Syria have the mandate to determine if chemical weapons
were used, and if so, which ones, but not who unleashed this attack”
Lavrov told the gathered media
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