Syria: Israelis Hit “An Unused Building”
Last week, I posted this story about Syrian villagers where the alleged Israeli “anti-nuke” raid took place claiming that they’d heard no expolsions. Today Assad told the BBC that the Israelis struck an empty building and therefor he wouldn’t retaliate.
Due to all the silence surrounding this, there’s no way to really know - however, reports also indicated that Israeli commandos had been involved, and had captured materials, perhaps nuclear, at the site. This would explain why no missiles were fired from above. The planes may have merely been flying overwatch, and the commandos may have gotten the job done. No way to know. But we’ll keep tracking it.
J-Post:
Syrian President Bashar Assad told the British Broadcasting Corp. on Monday that IAF warplanes attacked an “unused military building” in his country last month and said Damascus reserves the right to retaliate.
But Assad said his country was not about to attack Israel in response, suggesting he did not want to hurt chances at peace talks with the Jewish state.
The comments were the first by the Syrian leader about an alleged September 6 IAF air incursion over Syria that raised speculation that warplanes had hit weapons headed for Hizbullah or even a nascent nuclear installation - reports Damascus has repeatedly denied.
“Retaliate doesn’t mean missile for missile and bomb for bomb,” Assad told the BBC in an interview in Damascus. “We have our means to retaliate, maybe politically, maybe in other ways. But we have the right to retaliate by different means.”
“But if we wanted to retaliate militarily, this means we’re going to work according to the Israeli agenda, something we don’t look for. That doesn’t mean we squander any opportunity for peace in the near future,” he added in the interview, which was monitored in neighboring Lebanon.
But Assad said Syria was not about to attack Israel. Asked whether Syria was considering striking at Israel, he said, “It’s possible, but we don’t say this is the option that we’re going to adopt now. We say that we have very different means.”
Previously, Syrian officials had said only that the IAF warplanes entered the country’s airspace, came under fire from anti-aircraft defenses, and dropped munitions and fuel tanks over northeastern Syria to lighten their loads while they fled.
The BBC quoted Assad in the interview as saying the attack was on an “unused military building.” The BBC did not air that part of the interview.
Asked in the BBC interview whether Syria was rearming and strengthening its missile capabilities, Assad said: “This is very normal and self-evident that we’re going to prepare ourselves for that.”
“That’s why you have the army, to defend your territory. We don’t build the army to make any aggression, but to defend our country, and this is normal - especially after the war on Lebanon last year, when we see the Israelis wreaked havoc on Lebanese cities.” he added.
Assad also said Syria needed to know details of an international peace conference on the Middle East planned in the United States later this year before it decided whether to participate.
“This conference or any conference is going to be an opportunity but it should be purposeful. It should be substantive,” he said. “I don’t see where is the purpose and what is the substance of this conference. What are they going to talk about?”
“It needs more clarifications for Syria to take a decision,” he said.
According to Israel Radio, Assad said the conference must address Syrian interests, particularly the return of the Golan Heights.
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Empty building, my ass!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:49 amAssad: “We have our means to retaliate, maybe politically, maybe in other ways. But we have the right to retaliate by different means.”
LoL. Is the entire Mid-East using the same American media playbook? Their rhetoric is becoming so shallow, repetitious, and transparent, the Dems are SURE to buy into it!
October 1st, 2007 at 8:51 am“Syrian President Bashar Assad told the British Broadcasting Corp. on Monday that IAF warplanes attacked an “unused military building” in his country last month and said Damascus reserves the right to retaliate.”
–Life is just a fantasy, can you live this fantasy life–
Aldo Nova
October 1st, 2007 at 8:56 amNice propaganda attempt…yawnnnn…so boring…try something more clever and interesting next time Syria.
October 1st, 2007 at 9:15 amYea, it was an empty building. Then explain why North Korean Nuclear scientists were killed in that building when it was hit.
October 1st, 2007 at 10:56 amI’m sure that they are technically correct. It IS an empty building, now that the contents have been reduced to its constituent atoms.
Oh wait a minute - didn’t these gomers just get done saying that Israel didn’t bomb their country at all? Come on now, you monkeys - at least Saddam’s man had his lies in order. I guess it’s like Moshe Dayan said, if you have to go to war it helps to go to war against Arabs.
October 1st, 2007 at 11:48 amHe sounds just like the monkey midget!
October 1st, 2007 at 12:50 pmReminds me of the story about how the US bombed a “baby formula” factory back in the early 90s in Iraq. We should have known it was a baby formula factory because it was written in huge bold lettering in english in the middle of Iraq. My a$$ it was an empty building in syria and my a$$ it was a baby formula plant in the middle of Iraq.
October 1st, 2007 at 1:45 pmWell, it is empty now!
October 1st, 2007 at 4:00 pm