War (of Words) with Syria
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Thursday, Oct 30, 2003
[The WaPo article referred to below.]
Commanders Doubt Syria Is Entry Point
Officers See No Sign Of Foreign Fighters
Washington Post -- October 28, 2003
"If somebody is saying the Ho Chi Minh Trail runs through my area of operations, I'm going to tell them they're wrong," said Lt. Col. Joseph Buche, commander of the 3rd Brigade of the 101st Airborne's 3rd Battalion.
[Did anyone remember to brief the Dubster?]
US commanders: Claims about illegal infiltration from Syria to Iraq - ''unfounded''
Al Bawaba -- October 29, 2003
Commanders of U.S. military forces responsible for monitoring the border between Iraq and Syria told The Washington Post there is no evidence from human intelligence sources or radar surveillance aircraft indicating that significant numbers of foreign fighters are infiltrating into Iraq illegally.
U.S. President, George Bush, on Tuesday blamed foreign fighters for four suicide car bombings in Baghdad on Monday that killed at least 40 people.
Under a project that the U.S. military calls Operation Chamberlain, sophisticated Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) planes are gathering information about vehicle movement and relaying it to ground forces.
Commanders from the 101st Airborne have told the newspaper that neither the aircraft nor human intelligence sources show significant infiltration from Syria. "Concerns about illegal infiltration along the Syrian border appear unfounded," the officers told The Post.
Syria slams ICRC attack as harming Iraqi interests
Reuters -- October 29, 2003
[A hunch, you say? Lock and load!]
U.S. VOICES ASSESSMENT OF WMD TO SYRIA
Middle East Newsline -- October 29, 2003
WASHINGTON [MENL] -- For the first time, the U.S. intelligence community has released an assessment that Iraqi weapons of mass destruction were transferred to neighboring Syria in the weeks prior to the U.S.-led war against the Saddam Hussein regime.
U.S. officials said the assessment was based on satellite images of convoys of Iraqi trucks that poured into Syria in February and March 2003. The officials said the intelligence community assessed that the trucks contained missiles and WMD components banned by the United Nations Security Council.
The U.S. intelligence assessment was discussed publicly for the first time by the director of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency in a briefing in Washington on Tuesday. James Clapper, a retired air force general and a leading member of the U.S. intelligence community, said he linked the disappearance of Iraqi WMD with the huge number of Iraqi trucks that entered Syria before and during the U.S. military campaign to topple the Saddam regime.
"I think personally that the [Iraqi] senior leadership saw what was coming and I think they went to some extraordinary lengths to dispose of the evidence," Clapper said. "I'll call it an educated hunch."
Syria to get Iranian help amid US sanctions threat
AFP via Borneo Bulletin -- October 29, 2003
Syria, China hail bilateral relations
China View -- October 29, 2003
U.S. says WMD went from Iraq to Syria
UPI via Washington Times -- October 29, 2003
[Oh yeah Mr. Lebanese politician, well NRO wants you dead.]
“If You Harbor a Terrorist”
Striking Syria to save Iraq
National Review Online -- October 27, 2003
US fury over comment on Wolfowitz's near escape
smh.com.au -- October 29, 2003
A top Lebanese politician has enraged the US embassy by saying he hoped the next attack on the the US Defence Department's No. 2, Paul Wolfowitz, would prove fatal
Mofaz: Winds of war aren't blowing from Damascus
Ha'aretz -- October 17, 2003
Al-Assad's speech before Islamic Summit Conference
SANA via Arabic News -- October 17, 2003
Assad slams ''fanatics'' in Bush administration, says Israel is ''terrorist state''
Al Bawaba -- October 16, 2003
Syrian leader condemns Iraqi war while his country votes for U.N. resolution
AP via New Orleans Times Picayune -- October 16, 2003
Assad lashes out at US
Middle East Online -- October 16, 2003
Syrian President Blasts Iraq Invasion
FoxNews -- October 17, 2003
DAMASCUS, Syria — President Bashar Assad assailed the U.S. invasion of Iraq and ridiculed its accomplishments Thursday, even as his country offered surprise support for American-proposed resolution on Iraq in the U.N. Security Council.
The vote by Syria, the only Arab country on the council, came despite tension between Washington and Damascus. The United States has accused Syria of allowing fighters to slip into Iraq to join forces attacking the coalition.
"The world has discovered that the war of 'liberation' of Iraq has liberated the Iraqi citizen of the state, the institutions, the sovereignty, dignity, food, water and electricity," Assad told the Organization of the Islamic Conference summit in Malaysia.
Fenced in: Ariel Sharon talks to the ’Post'
Jerusalem Post -- October 17, 2003
Sharon explains why Israel cannot expel Yasser Arafat, the security fence’s other advantage, why attack Syria, whither the rabbinical courts, and what to do about Iran.
Sharon: Future strikes in Syria possible
AP via San Jose Mercury News -- October 17, 2003
Moscow hopeful U.S. will stop short of imposing sanctions on Syria
Pravda -- October 18, 2003
First Syria, Then Iran
CounterPunch -- October 17, 2003
Hizbollah blocks U.S. convoy in south Lebanon
MSNBC -- October 17, 2003
Israel "very happy" after US House votes to sanction Syria
AFP via SpaceWar -- October 16, 2003
JERUSALEM --
Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said Thursday he was "very happy" after the US House of Representatives voted to sanction Syria for its alleged ties to terrorist groups and purported efforts to obtain nuclear, biological and chemical weapons.
"I am very happy that the legislation has been passed for this will lead to the isolation of Syria," Shalom told public radio.
US House of Representatives passes Syria sanctions act
The Jerusalem Post -- October 16, 2003
Is Syria Next?
The Nation -- October 16 2003
Syria on alert in case of Israeli attack
Reuters -- October 16, 2003
Facing US sanctions, Syria responds with olive branch
Christian Science Monitor -- October 17, 2003
Iran warns Israel over reports of planned air strike
Ha'aretz -- October 13, 2003
By News Agencies and Haaretz Service
TEHRAN - The Iranian government issued a warning to
Israel over reports appearing in a German news
magazine Monday that Jerusalem was researching how
to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
Sneh dismisses report Israel modified Harpoon missiles on submarines
Associated Press via Jerusalem Post -- October 12, 2003
Israeli and foreign defense experts Sunday dismissed a report that Israel had modified submarine-based missiles to carry nuclear warheads, saying such a modification was technically impossible.
The Los Angeles Times reported Saturday that Israel had modified some of its nuclear warheads to fit US-made Harpoon cruise missiles and upgraded the missiles so they could hit targets on land in addition to maritime ones, according to two US officials and one Israeli official.
Israel made the modifications in response to Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions, the Times reported. Both the US and Israel see Iran as an implacable enemy and say it is close to developing nuclear weapons that might be used against Israeli targets.
Former Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Efraim Sneh called the assertion that Israel had made the Harpoon nuclear "impossible."
"Anyone with even the slightest understanding of missiles knows that the Harpoon can never be used to carry nuclear warheads," Sneh told Army Radio. "Not even (Israel's) extraordinarily talented engineers and its sophisticated defense industries can transform the Harpoon into a missile capable of doing this. It's simply impossible."
Ted Hooton, editor of Jane's Naval Weapon Systems in London, echoed Sneh's assessment, saying that problems with payload weight would put the Harpoon out of balance, drastically limiting its range and accuracy.
Israel plans to invade Syria: Mahathir
AFP via Khaleej Times and Al Jazeerah -- October 11, 2003
PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia - Israel plans to invade Syria and drag the United States into the war, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Saturday.
“Israel has been urging America to invade Syria, but America seems to be reluctant. So, in order to force the hands of America, Israel is going to invade Syria,” Mahathir was quoted as saying by the official Bernama news agency.
Syria, Israel Engaged In War Of Words
IslamOnline -- October 11, 2003
DAMASCUS (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Syria and Israel were engaged in a war of words Saturday, October 11, with Damascus saying it reserves the right to retaliate Israeli attacks and Tel Aviv arguing that countries "harboring terrorist organizations" are legitimate targets.
Sharon Acts Tough, Sensing U.S. Assent
New York Times -- October 12, 2003
Chill in U.S.-Syria Ties Helps Clear Way for Israeli Raid on Terror Camp
Syrian Reverse On Intelligence Hardens U.S.
Forward -- October 10, 2003
By ORI NIR
WASHINGTON — Syria has in recent weeks stopped supplying Washington with valuable intelligence, which in the past was helping the United States in fighting Al Qaeda and terrorism in Iraq, congressional, diplomatic and intelligence sources told the Forward.
The Syrian reversal appears to have played a major role in the Bush administration's sympathetic response to the Israeli bombing last Sunday of a deserted terrorist training camp in Syria, following the suicide bombing at a Haifa restaurant the day before in which 19 Israelis were killed.
The deterioration of American-Syrian relations also seems to have played an important role in Israel's decision to retaliate to the suicide bombing by launching an air raid against the site, about 10 miles northwest of Damascus. It was the first time in three decades that Israel attacked targets in Syria.
"Several administration officials have made it clear" that while the administration may have been soft on Syria until now because of its intelligence cooperation, "that is not the situation now — the Syrians stopped cooperating," said Matthew Levitt, a former FBI terrorism analyst who is now a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel think tank
[Nice analysis by the Guardian.]
Israel deploys nuclear arms in submarines
The Observer -- October 12, 2003
Peter Beaumont in London and Conal Urquhart in Jerusalem
Israeli and American officials have admitted collaborating to deploy US-supplied Harpoon cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads in Israel's fleet of Dolphin-class submarines, giving the Middle East's only nuclear power the ability to strike at any of its Arab neighbours.
[The hawk in question is John "screw the UN" Bolton.]
US Hawk Warns Iran Threat Must Be Eliminated
Guardian via Common Dreams -- October 10, 2003
by Richard Norton-Taylor
An American official warned yesterday that the potential threat posed by Iran's nuclear program had to be "eliminated" and predicted Tehran would try to "throw sand" in the eyes of the world to avoid a confrontation at the UN.
Israel ready to launch preemptive strike on nuclear sites in Iran: report
AFP via SpaceWar -- October 11, 2003
BERLIN
Israel's spy agency Mossad has drawn up preemptive attack plans on six sites in Iran it suspects are being used to prepare nuclear weapons, Der Spiegel magazine says in its Monday edition, citing Israeli security officials
Report: Mossad, IAF have plan for Iran nuke sites
Jerusalem Post -- October 11, 2003
By JPOST.COM STAFF
The German newspaper Der Spiegel reported Saturday that Israel has prepared plans for a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear facilities in order to halt Iran's progress towards attaining nuclear weapons.
Der Spiegel reported that a special unit of the Mossad received an order two months ago to prepare a detailed plan to destroy Iran's nuclear sites. According to the paper, the Mossad's plan is ready and has been delivered to the Israeli Air Force, which will carry out the strike
[Is this related to the leak regarding Israel's submarine nukes? Curious timing.]
Israel plant Angriff auf iranische Atomanlagen
Spiegel Online -- October 11, 2003
Translation by altavista ...
The Israeli government under Prime Minister Ariel Scharon is obviously ready to switch off with purposeful military strikes Teherans nuclear program. A special-purpose force of the secret service Mossad received the order two months ago ago to prepare appropriate plans of attack.
Nasrallah warns Israel of further attacks on Syria, Lebanon
Al Bawaba -- October 11, 2003
Further Israeli attacks on Syria or Lebanon would lead to a tough response from Hizbullah against Israel, the Lebanon-based movement's chief warned Friday.
Syria reserves right to retaliate against Israeli attacks
AFP via Arab Times (Kuwait) -- October 11, 2003
DAMASCUS - Syria reserves the right to retaliate "by all means at its disposal" against any attack by Israel, a foreign ministry spokeswoman said Saturday, a week after an air strike by the Jewish state on an alleged Palestinian militant training camp near Damascus.
"Syria reserves the right to retaliate by all means at its disposal," Bushra Kanafani told a press conference at the foreign ministry.
"We hope that the Israelis will not repeat their attacks," she said, but said "the right to self defense is recognized by all states."
"We hope that we can all of us avoid further escalation, but if Israel continues to violate our sovereignty and the disengagement agreement, Syria is going to exert its right of self defense."
AP Exclusive: Israeli strike on Syria threatens to derail, diplomatic efforts, prisoner swap
Associated Press -- October 11, 2003
DAFNA LINZER, Associated Press Writer
UNITED NATIONS --
Israel's military attack on Syrian soil is threatening to derail secret European and U.N. diplomatic efforts to bring the two Mideast enemies back to the negotiating table and could stall a planned Israeli-Hezbollah prisoner swap, the Associated Press has learned from officials involved.
The exploratory diplomatic efforts, which until now have been kept quiet, are the results of a yearlong negotiation for the prisoner swap and an offer this summer from Syrian President Bashar Assad to restart peace talks with Israel that fell apart in March 2000, diplomats said on condition of anonymity.
Sanction program against Syria designed to ''increase tension between Arabs and US''
Al Bawaba -- October 9, 2003
Syria criticized the US government’s preliminary approval of a sanction program against the Arab state. Syria’s official newspaper Teshreen , called the policy’s designers "a group of extremists who are trying to increase tension between Arabs and the American administration.”
Israel Adds Subs to Its Atomic Ability
Officials confirm that the nation can now launch nuclear weapons from land, sea and air. The issue complicates efforts to rein in Iran.
Los Angelese Times -- October 11, 2003
By Douglas Frantz, Times Staff Writer
TEL AVIV — Israel has modified American-supplied cruise missiles to carry nuclear warheads on submarines, giving the Middle East's only nuclear power the ability to launch atomic weapons from land, air and beneath the sea, according to senior Bush administration and Israeli officials.
The previously undisclosed submarine capability bolsters Israel's deterrence in the event that Iran — an avowed enemy — develops nuclear weapons. It also complicates efforts by the United States and the United Nations to persuade Iran to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program.
Two Bush administration officials described the missile modification and an Israeli official confirmed it. All three spoke on condition their names not be used.
The Americans said they were disclosing the information to caution Israel's enemies at a time of heightened tensions in the region and concern over Iran's alleged ambitions
[It's all about the non-proliferation.]
Report: Israel developed nuclear warheads for its submarines
Ha'aretz -- October 11, 2003
By Reuters and Haaretz Service
U.S. and Israeli officials say Israel has modified
U.S.-made Harpoon cruise missiles so it can launch
nuclear warheads from submarines, the Los Angeles
Times reported Saturday.
The State Department and
Pentagon declined to comment on
the report, as did an Israeli
military spokesman, in line
with that nation's policy of
refusing to say if it has
nuclear weapons.
Israel is regarded as the only
nuclear power in the Middle
East.
According to a story posted on the newspaper's
Web site, U.S. officials disclosed the
information as a caution to Israel's enemies
amid heightened tensions in the region and
concern over Iran's atomic program.
Mofaz approves limited reserve call-up due to terror alerts
Ha'aretz -- October 7, 2002
Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz approved on Tuesday a
limited call-up of Israel Defense Forces reserve
soldiers due to the large amount of terror alerts
and the urgent need to tighten security along the
seam-line boundary with the West Bank.
Israel Radio reported on Tuesday
evening, however, that the
number of general terror
warnings dropped from
approximately 40 last week to
35 this week.
Sharon Threatens to Hit Israel's Enemies Anywhere
Reuters -- October 7, 2003
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon threatened Tuesday to hit Israel's enemies anywhere following an air raid deep in Syria, drawing words of support and caution from President Bush.
"The decisions that he makes to defend her people are valid decisions. We would be doing the same thing," Bush told reporters in Washington when asked about Sharon's remarks.
U.S. takes harder line with Syria
San Jose Mercury News -- October 7, 2003
WASHINGTON - After Israel's weekend attack on an alleged terrorist training camp in Syria, a harsher policy toward Damascus is taking shape on Capitol Hill and in the Bush administration.
President Bush on Monday refused to criticize Israel's raid early Sunday on the camp outside Damascus. The raid came a day after a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 19 people and wounded 50 others in Haifa, Israel.
Bush said he told Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ``Israel's got a right to defend herself, that Israel must not feel constrained in terms of defending the homeland.''
The president added that he reminded Sharon ``that it's very important that any action Israel takes should avoid escalation and creating higher tensions.''
Critics say the White House stance gives the Israeli leader virtually a free hand to conduct more strikes on Syria -- which might further destabilize the Middle East -- and identifies the United States too closely with Sharon's policies.
Hawks at the Pentagon haven't given up on the idea of ``regime change'' in Damascus and recently asked the CIA to come up with a list of Syrian notables who might one day succeed Syrian President Bashar Assad, said a U.S. official who requested anonymity.
U.S. officials and lawmakers say Syria has failed to heed warnings to stop Islamist militants from crossing its border into Iraq to attack U.S. troops, and has resisted demands from Secretary of State Colin Powell and others to shut down Palestinian militant groups operating on its territory.
An alleged espionage ring at the U.S. detention facility in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, also may involve Syria. A U.S. airman arrested in July faces charges of providing information on the camp and its detainees to the Syrian government.
Syria ``is living on borrowed time,'' a State Department official said recently, referring to the mood in Washington. He spoke on condition of anonymity.
On Capitol Hill, the House International Relations Committee is scheduled Wednesday to approve the Syria Accountability Act, which would encourage Bush to impose new economic and diplomatic sanctions on the government of Assad.
Syria sanctions poised to sail through US Congress
Sydney Morning Herald -- October 8, 2003
The Bush Administration, which essentially endorsed Israel's bombing of Syria, has given the all-clear to the US Congress to approve economic sanctions against Syria.
Sources said the Administration, frustrated with Syria's failure to crack down on alleged terrorists, had dropped its opposition to the stalled Syria Accountability Act. The House of Representatives international relations committee will approve it today, staff members said on Monday.
Robert Fisk on the Israeli Attack on Syria
CounterPunch -- October 6, 2003