War (of Words) with Syria
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Saturday, Oct 11, 2003
[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.