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