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Sep 6, 2007 14:33 | Updated Sep 6, 2007 14:33
By AP, YAAKOV KATZ AND JPOST.COM STAFF
"Syria won't be dragged into war when and how the US and Israel
dictate," Channel Two quoted Syrian officials as saying Thursday, a
day after IAF aircraft allegedly violated Syrian airspace in an
overnight operation.
The television channel also quoted Israeli officials as saying that
the next few days would be a "testing time" and that everything
possible would be done to avoid escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, the IDF Northern Command released a statement reassuring
northern residents that there was "no cause for concern."
However, Channel 10 reported that Syrian President Bashar Assad was
holding consultations with his top officials.
Syrian officials reported that four or five IAF aircraft broke the
sound barrier and dropped fuel tanks over deserted areas of northern
Syria, along its border with Turkey. Witnesses said the incident
occurred in the Abyad area.
A Syrian military spokesman said that Syrian air defenses opened fire
on the IAF aircraft. "The Israeli enemy aircraft infiltrated into the
Arab Syrian territory through the northern border, coming from the
Mediterranean heading toward the eastern region, breaking the sound
barrier," the spokesman said.
"Air defense units confronted them and forced them to leave," he
added. "We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant
aggressive act, and retain the right to respond in an appropriate
way."
It was not clear if Syria was accusing the Israelis of using
warplanes.
The IDF said that it was "not accustomed to responding to such
reports."
The Russian Foriegn Ministry condemned the alleged "Israeli aerial
action" over Syria's airspace, a Moscow parliamentarian said on
Thursday evening.
Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal was enraged over the alleged
incident. "Israel in fact does not want peace. It cannot survive
without aggression, treachery and military messages," he said.
Bilal said the government was "seriously studying the nature of the
response," but refused to indicate in an interview with Al-Jazeera
whether the reaction would be on the military or diplomatic level. He
would not give any more details about the incident, but said it proved
Israel's policies are based on hostility.
He said recent US aid of $30 billion over 10 years to Israel
encouraged its government to "such arrogance that it delivered this
morning message."
Syrian Cabinet Minister Buthaina Shaaban, speaking on Al-Jazeera
television's English service, would not confirm that Israel had
attacked Syria, but did say the aircraft violated the country's
airspace.
"We are a sovereign country. They cannot do that," said Shaaban.
The Syrian military spokesman did not specify whether the military
used surface-to-air missiles or anti-aircraft artillery when
confronting the aircraft.
"We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant aggressive
act, and retain the right to respond in an appropriate way," the
Syrian spokesman said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Counterterrorism expert Boaz Ganor said that if Thursday's overflight
occurred, it's possible Israel was "collecting intelligence on long-
range missiles" deployed by Syria in the north.
Imad Fawzi Shoaibi, a Syrian political analyst, speculated that Israel
may have been probing Syria's new air defense systems provided by
Russia, at a time when tension is running high between the two
countries.
Israel acknowledges flying over Lebanon routinely, but it is unclear
how often its aircraft fly over Syria, if at all.
Syrian officials, including Assad, have repeatedly warned Israel in
recent weeks that the occupation of the Golan Heights "cannot last
forever."
Concerns grew over the summer that tensions along the frontier could
escalate into conflict, but both Syrian and Israeli officials publicly
and repeatedly said they had no interest in war.
Thursday's incident could stoke the tensions again, however. Late last
month, Israeli security officials said the army had determined that
war with Syria, whose military had reduced its war readiness, was
unlikely and Israel began rotating forces out of the Israeli-held
Golan Heights.
Syria also is believed unhappy that other Arab countries are headed to
a peace meeting in November at which the United States hopes for a
high-profile meeting between the Palestinians and Israelis, and
perhaps also with Saudi officials.
Syria has long disputed any notion that a comprehensive Arab peace
deal can be reached unless it also involves some resolution of the
Golan Heights, which it wants back in full.
At the beginning of last summer's war against Lebanon, Israeli
warplanes buzzed the palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad in what
analysts called a warning to Damascus.
In June of the same year, they also flew over Assad's summer home in
the coastal city of Latakia, after Syrian-backed Palestinian
combatants in Gaza kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1188392553869&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
By AP, YAAKOV KATZ AND JPOST.COM STAFF
"Syria won't be dragged into war when and how the US and Israel
dictate," Channel Two quoted Syrian officials as saying Thursday, a
day after IAF aircraft allegedly violated Syrian airspace in an
overnight operation.
The television channel also quoted Israeli officials as saying that
the next few days would be a "testing time" and that everything
possible would be done to avoid escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, the IDF Northern Command released a statement reassuring
northern residents that there was "no cause for concern."
However, Channel 10 reported that Syrian President Bashar Assad was
holding consultations with his top officials.
Syrian officials reported that four or five IAF aircraft broke the
sound barrier and dropped fuel tanks over deserted areas of northern
Syria, along its border with Turkey. Witnesses said the incident
occurred in the Abyad area.
A Syrian military spokesman said that Syrian air defenses opened fire
on the IAF aircraft. "The Israeli enemy aircraft infiltrated into the
Arab Syrian territory through the northern border, coming from the
Mediterranean heading toward the eastern region, breaking the sound
barrier," the spokesman said.
"Air defense units confronted them and forced them to leave," he
added. "We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant
aggressive act, and retain the right to respond in an appropriate
way."
It was not clear if Syria was accusing the Israelis of using
warplanes.
The IDF said that it was "not accustomed to responding to such
reports."
The Russian Foriegn Ministry condemned the alleged "Israeli aerial
action" over Syria's airspace, a Moscow parliamentarian said on
Thursday evening.
Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal was enraged over the alleged
incident. "Israel in fact does not want peace. It cannot survive
without aggression, treachery and military messages," he said.
Bilal said the government was "seriously studying the nature of the
response," but refused to indicate in an interview with Al-Jazeera
whether the reaction would be on the military or diplomatic level. He
would not give any more details about the incident, but said it proved
Israel's policies are based on hostility.
He said recent US aid of $30 billion over 10 years to Israel
encouraged its government to "such arrogance that it delivered this
morning message."
Syrian Cabinet Minister Buthaina Shaaban, speaking on Al-Jazeera
television's English service, would not confirm that Israel had
attacked Syria, but did say the aircraft violated the country's
airspace.
"We are a sovereign country. They cannot do that," said Shaaban.
The Syrian military spokesman did not specify whether the military
used surface-to-air missiles or anti-aircraft artillery when
confronting the aircraft.
"We warn the Israeli enemy government against this flagrant aggressive
act, and retain the right to respond in an appropriate way," the
Syrian spokesman said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
Counterterrorism expert Boaz Ganor said that if Thursday's overflight
occurred, it's possible Israel was "collecting intelligence on long-
range missiles" deployed by Syria in the north.
Imad Fawzi Shoaibi, a Syrian political analyst, speculated that Israel
may have been probing Syria's new air defense systems provided by
Russia, at a time when tension is running high between the two
countries.
Israel acknowledges flying over Lebanon routinely, but it is unclear
how often its aircraft fly over Syria, if at all.
Syrian officials, including Assad, have repeatedly warned Israel in
recent weeks that the occupation of the Golan Heights "cannot last
forever."
Concerns grew over the summer that tensions along the frontier could
escalate into conflict, but both Syrian and Israeli officials publicly
and repeatedly said they had no interest in war.
Thursday's incident could stoke the tensions again, however. Late last
month, Israeli security officials said the army had determined that
war with Syria, whose military had reduced its war readiness, was
unlikely and Israel began rotating forces out of the Israeli-held
Golan Heights.
Syria also is believed unhappy that other Arab countries are headed to
a peace meeting in November at which the United States hopes for a
high-profile meeting between the Palestinians and Israelis, and
perhaps also with Saudi officials.
Syria has long disputed any notion that a comprehensive Arab peace
deal can be reached unless it also involves some resolution of the
Golan Heights, which it wants back in full.
At the beginning of last summer's war against Lebanon, Israeli
warplanes buzzed the palace of Syrian President Bashar Assad in what
analysts called a warning to Damascus.
In June of the same year, they also flew over Assad's summer home in
the coastal city of Latakia, after Syrian-backed Palestinian
combatants in Gaza kidnapped IDF soldier Cpl. Gilad Schalit.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1188392553869&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
