Syria

[American Patriot]

Oh, yeah, I think the Israelis had strong intelligence that this convoy contained not only anti-aircraft missiles but chemical weapons as well. No doubt in my mind now.

Israel attacks Syria-Lebanon border: report

Date

January 31, 2013 - 6:31AM

Ruth Pollard

Middle East Correspondent




Click to play video
Reports of Israel airstrike Lebanon/Syria border

Israel's military attacks a target on the Syrian-Lebanese border overnight, regional sources say.


Israeli forces have reportedly attacked a convoy on the Syria-Lebanon border, unnamed security sources say, as tension mounts inside Israel about the possible movement of chemical and other weapons from Syria into Lebanon.


The Israel Defence Force would not confirm or deny the reports. A spokeswoman said on Wednesday night: “We have no response.”


Unnamed sources who spoke to Reuters and Agence France-Presse news agencies were unable to confirm which side of the border the attack may have happened or what the convoy may have been carrying.


Syrian rebel fighters celebrate after taking over the village of Aljanodiya, northwestern Idlib province, following fighting against pro-Syrian regime forces, on January 30. Photo: Aamir Qureshi/AFP



In the lead-up to the unconfirmed attack, Israeli government and defence sources had publicly warned about the dangers of high-tech anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapons falling into the hands of Hezbollah.


“We are currently dealing with the most serious of threats and we must be prepared for any potential development,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.


Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom told Israeli radio on Sunday if it appeared Syria was losing control of its weapons, Israel may take military action, which could include a pre-emptive strike, while local media carried several reports warning of increased concerns about Syria and Lebanon.


Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centre, at a Cabinet meeting on January 27. Photo: Ariel Schalit/AP




“If chemical weapons are brought into Lebanon, Israel will probably not hesitate – and will attack,” wrote Yedioth Ahronoth's defence correspondent Alex Fishman on Monday.


“In the past, Hezbollah has stored the advanced equipment in warehouses on Syrian soil. But in the past months, in light of Assad's increasingly unsteady status, Hezbollah figures have understood that the weapons cannot remain there. And as soon as these weapons reach Lebanon, they are swallowed up in secret underground stockpiles.


Looking for them will be like searching for a needle in a haystack.”


Despite the concern, by Tuesday, the tide of opinion had turned on the prime minister, with unnamed high-ranking officials from Israel's foreign ministry accusing Mr Netanyahu of deliberately ratcheting up fears about Syria's chemical weapons for his own political gain.


The situation in Syria had not changed in the last two weeks, the unnamed officials told the Ma'ariv newspaper, saying the leaks on Syria from the cabinet meeting were designed to help Netanyahu form his coalition government.


“Netanyahu is sowing fear and terror similar to the way he did on the Iranian issue last year. It's [an act of] self-frightening,” a European diplomat – also unnamed – told Ma'ariv.


Talks between Mr Netanyahu and his potential coalition partners are ongoing following last week's close election result, which saw the right-wing bloc win 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset and the centre-left with 59 seats.


Reports from Lebanese media, quoting a statement from the Lebanese Army, indicate that Israeli Air Force jets flew into Lebanon's air space in three separate missions late on Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Israel would not comment on those reports.


These come just days after the Lebanon Army stated that Israeli jets had violated Lebanon's air space in four separate incidents on Saturday, with the Daily Star newspaper reporting the fighter jets had been seen over the Bekaa Valley, which borders Syria.


As the government of Bashar al-Assad showed further signs of weakening, concerns throughout the region and inside Israel would continue to rise, warned strategic intelligence analyst Avi Melamed.


“It is quite obvious that the tension is escalating – any way you look at Syria, it is a lethal combination of a chaotic situation, instability, a large amount of weapons and groups that are motivated by radical ideology,” Mr Melamed said.


Israel had signalled very clearly what it regards as a red line regarding Syria.


“Israel openly said the moving of not only chemical weapons but also weapons that would be considered as tipping the military balance between Israel and Hezbollah would be crossing a red line and Israel would not stand by if this happened.”


The weapons would include advanced anti-aircraft weapons, land to sea missiles and other high-tech weaponry, he said.


Any action involving Syria would automatically draw in the Iranian regime and Hezbollah, Mr Melamed said, given Iran has already indicated that an attack on Syria would be viewed as an attack on Iran.

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/worl...#ixzz2JUf3TiPd

[American Patriot]

What we know about the Israeli air strike in Syria

Posted by Olga Khazan on January 30, 2013 at 1:12 pm

After several Israeli warplanes entered Lebanese airspace on Tuesday and Wednesday, U.S. and regional sources said Wednesday that the aircraft struck a truck convoy carrying weapons on the Syrian side of the Lebanese-Syrian border, The Washington Post’s Joel Greenberg reports.


Here’s what Middle East watchers are saying about the attack so far:


It’s probably a move to keep missiles out of the hands of Hezbollah



The Associated Press reported that the target was a truck convoy carrying SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles and cited regional officials as saying that Israel had been planning for days “to hit a shipment of weapons bound for the Islamist militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon.” A source in the region also told Al-Monitor’s Laura Rozen that the target was anti-aircraft missiles.


If the reports turn out to be true, Israel might have been motivated by a desire to keep the missiles away from Hezbollah, as Rozen explains:

Syria possesses sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles, including the Russian-made SA-17. Israel would consider it a “game changer” if Hezbollah acquired them, that would “change the balance of power” between Israel and Hezbollah, and interfere with Israel’s ability to overfly Lebanon and deter Hezbollah, an Israeli security expert told Al-Monitor.

“And as soon as [Hezbollah's] weapons reach Lebanon, they are swallowed up in secret underground stockpiles. Looking for them will be like searching for a needle in a haystack,” defense analyst Alex Fishman wrote in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. ”If chemical weapons are brought into Lebanon, Israel will probably not hesitate – and will attack.”


Israel is extremely worried about what’s going to happen in Syria next



Last week, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quoted as saying that any sign that President Bashar al-Assad is losing grip on Syria’s chemical weapons could prompt Israeli military strikes. Israeli military intelligence is said to be monitoring the area via satellite for possible convoys carrying weapons, the Guardian reported.





The Assad regime is struggling to keep its power in the face of revolt. If the government falls, Israeli officials fear, the country could be taken over by Islamist radicals, which could spark new hostilities between two countries that are technically at war but have been relatively peaceful for the past half-century.


Lebanon has denied that the strike hit its territory


“No Israeli strike or aggression occurred along the border stretching from Shabaa Farms to Jabal al-Sheikh and Hermel. No strike took place on Lebanese soil,” a high-ranking security source told the Daily Star, a Lebanese newspaper.


However, Lebanese army officials did say that four Israeli warplanes violated Lebanon’s airspace at 2 a.m. Wednesday for six hours.


This is the first time Israel has attacked Syria since 2007



Israel suspects that Syria obtained SA-17s from Russia after Operation Orchard, a 2007 Israeli airstrike on Syria that destroyed an unfinished Syrian nuclear reactor, the AP reported.


In 2008, then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made it clear Israel would not accept the transfer of advanced, “balance-disrupting” weapons systems to Hezbollah and would use force if necessary, Haaretz reported.

On several occasions the messages were even more explicit: no to shipments to Hezbollah of advanced anti-aircraft missiles, long-range surface-to-surface precision missiles or shore-to-sea missiles.

[Malsua]

At least someone is willing to do what needs done.

[American Patriot]

Oh, I am GLAD they did it Mal. I think they ought to nuke the damned nuclear facilities though. lol

[American Patriot]

Syria, Iran threaten consequences for Israeli strike

By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN, REUTERS
LAST UPDATED: 01/31/2013 17:14






In wake of reported IAF attack on a military research center in Syria, Syrian ambassador to Lebanon says Damascus has option to respond as Iran threatens "serious consequences" for Tel Aviv; Hezbollah, Russia condemn strike.

Syrian army helicopters [file] Photo: REUTERS



BEIRUT - Syria's ambassador to Lebanon said on Thursday that Damascus had the option of a "surprise decision" to respond to what it said was an Israeli air strike on a research center on the outskirts of the Syrian capital on Wednesday.


Syria could take "a surprise decision to respond to the aggression of the Israeli warplanes," Ali Abdul Karim Ali was quoted as telling a Hezbollah-run news website.
Related:

• 'Israel strikes Syrian weapons en route to Hezbollah'
  
• 'Israel gave US advance warning of Syria strike'
  
  
  

"Syria is engaged in defending its sovereignty and its land," he added, without spelling out what the response might entail. Syria and Israel have fought several wars and in 2007 Israeli jets reportedly bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear site, without retaliation.


Syria also summoned the head of a United Nations mission in the Golan Heights on Thursday to protest against the Israeli air raid which Damascus said is a violation of a disengagement accord that followed the last major war between the two countries.


State media said Major General Iqbal Singha, head of the UNDOF peacekeeping force, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry where the protest was delivered.


In the wake of reported Israeli air strike on a Syrian weapons center, Iran also issued a threat to Israel on Thursday.


The Iranian regime's English language mouthpiece, Press TV, quoted a deputy foreign minister as saying that the "strike on Syria will have serious consequences for Tel Aviv." The official did not elaborate.


Last week, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader said that any attack on Syria would be seen by Tehran as an attack on itself.


The official, Ali Akbar Velayati, said the regime of Basher Assad is a central component of the "resistance front."


Meanwhile, Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah condemned on Thursday an Israeli attack which it said targeted a Syrian research center, saying it was an attempt to thwart Arab military capabilities and pledging to stand by its ally President Bashar Assad.


"Hezbollah strongly condemns this new Zionist aggression on Syria,” the group said in a statement, calling for "wide-scale condemnation from the international community," the group said in a statement.


The group "expressed its full solidarity with Syria's leadership, army and people."


Sources said on Wednesday that Israel Air Force jets bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah. Syria denied the reports, saying the target had been a military research center.





Russia said on Thursday it was very concerned about reports of an Israeli air attack deep inside Syria near Damascus and that any such action, if confirmed, would amount to unacceptable military interference in the war-ravaged country.


"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.


Syrian state television accused Israel of bombing a military research center at Jamraya, between Damascus and the nearby border. Syrian rebels disputed that, saying their forces had attacked the site.


Russia has been trying to shield Syrian President Bashar Assad from international pressure to end the civil war against opposition forces that has ravaged the country over 22 months and killed an estimated 60,000 people. Moscow has repeatedly spoken against any foreign interference in Syria, especially military action.

[American Patriot]

Russia concerned with Israeli 'attack' in Syria

Addressing reports of IAF strike in Syria, Russia says it is 'concerned about unprovoked attacks.' Hezbollah urges international condemnation of 'aggressive, criminal' Israel
Ynet

Published: 01.31.13, 09:34 / Israel News

Tweet

Russia said on Thursday it was very concerned about reports of an Israeli attack in Syria and that any such action, if confirmed, would amount to unacceptable military interference in the war-ravaged country.

The remarks were issued as Hezbollah called on the international community to condemn the alleged strike.

Related stories:

• Syria: Israel attacked military research center
• IAF chief warns against complacency on Syria
• Scores of bodies with headshots found in Syria’s Aleppo

"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Israeli warplanes had bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah in what some called a warning to Damascus not to arm Israel's Lebanese enemy.

Route taken by IAF jets

Syrian state television accused Israel of bombing a military research center at Jamraya, between Damascus and the nearby border. Syrian rebels disputed that, saying their forces had attacked the site.

Russia has been trying to shield Syrian President Bashar Assad from international pressure to end the civil war against opposition forces that has ravaged the country over 22 months and killed an estimated 60,000 people. Moscow has repeatedly spoken against any foreign interference in Syria, especially military action.

'Attack typical of Israel's criminal ways'

Meanwhile, the Hezbollah terror organization released a statement condemning the "Israeli attacks on the scientific research center in Syria." The statement said that "the attack is in line with Israel's aggressive and criminal ways and was made in accordance to a policy which attempts to prevent any Arab or Muslim force to develop its military and technological capabilities."

In its statement the Shiite terror organization claimed that "the attack exposes the background to what has been going on in Syria for years, and the criminal intention to destroy Syria and its army, and undermine its central role on the resistance front."

Area of strike, according to Syrian army statement

It also said: "The attack requires wide-scale condemnation from the international community and the Arab and Muslim states."
Nevertheless, it also claimed that "we are accustomed to the international community swallowing its tongue and remaining silent, not condemning or taking a stand when Israel is the aggressor."
Hassan Nasrallah's organization also expressed solidarity with the Syrian people, the Syrian leadership and the Syrian army.
They said, in an implied message to the rebel forces, that "some elements should be aware of the severity of the attack against Syria."

"This aggression should lead to a re-examination of their stance and to adopt political dialogue as the only basis to a solution meant to end the shedding of Syrian blood, in order to keep Syria and protect its role in the fight against the enemies."

[American Patriot]

Israel faces repercussions of air strike on Syria

Jewish state maintains its traditional silence in the face of accusations that it violated Syria's sovereign territory

• Harriet Sherwood
  
• The Guardian, Thursday 31 January 2013 11.57 EST

An observation point on Mount Bental in the Golan Heights Photograph: Baz Ratner/REUTERS



Israel faces international criticism and threats of retaliation after Wednesday's bombing on the Syrian-Lebanese border, with Russia and the Arab League describing it as a violation of Syria's sovereignty. Syria and Iran threatened to respond to the military intervention, which was widely ascribed to Israeli forces.


Warplanes targeted a "scientific research centre" near Damascus, according to Syrian state television. Other reports said a convoy believed to be carrying Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles across the border to Hezbollah in Lebanon was struck. The Israeli military declined to comment on the reports.


A spokesman for the Arab League said the bombing was a "glaring violation" of Syria's sovereignty. The "silence of the international community about Israel's bombing of Syrian sites in the past encouraged it to carry out the new aggression, taking advantage of political and security deterioration in Syria," Nabil al-Arabi, the league's head, said.


The Russian foreign ministry said: "If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it."


Hezbollah, the Lebanese Islamic militia, pledged full solidarity with the Syrian regime, saying Israel had "perpetrated a barbaric attack".


"In line with its inherent spirit of aggression and criminality, and in accordance with its policy of preventing any Arab or Islamic power from developing technological and military capabilities, Israel perpetrated a barbaric attack against a Syrian installation for scientific research on Syrian territory, causing the death of a number of Syrians, the injury of others, and the destruction of the installation," the Hezbollah statement read. Two people were killed and five wounded in the attack, according to Syrian state television.


The Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, said Damascus retained "the option... to retaliate". The Iranian deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, was quoted as saying the attack would have significant implications for Tel Aviv, which is within range of Hezbollah rockets.


The US administration was warned of the attack, according to the New York Times.


Israel continued to maintain an official silence on the air strike, following a pattern of previous military interventions attributed to its forces. Some analysts said this was to minimise the likelihood of retaliatory action.


"Clearly someone attacked something on the Syrian-Lebanese border," said military expert Yossi Alpher. "But it's extremely important in these situations that Israel does everything possible to avoid being accredited with these actions. There's a danger of retaliatory action, whether by Syria or Hezbollah."


Alpher said he was "not in the least surprised" by the attack. In the past few days, high-level Israeli emissaries have been despatched to Washington and Moscow, while warnings that weapons, both chemical and conventional, could reach Hezbollah or jihadists inside Syria had become more shrill. "Anyone who puts two and two together is likely to come to this conclusion [that Israel was responsible]," Alpher said.


Gerald Steinberg, of the Begin-Sadat Centre for Strategic Studies, said Israel's political, military and intelligence leadership would have made careful calculations about the risks of retaliation before ordering air strikes. "This is a government that is very focused on rational cost-benefit analyses. There is no question in my mind that they would have calculated the risks. The costs of not acting would be deemed to be greater than the potential repercussions," he said.


Israel, he added, had "not acted nor spoken publicly about the upheaval in Syria for almost two years. If something has changed, it's because something has changed on the ground."


Amid confusion over the target or targets of the air strike, reports suggested that a convoy carrying conventional weapons, most likely Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, from Syria to Hezbollah depots in Lebanon was targeted.


"These are game-changing weapons," said Miri Eisin, a former Israeli military intelligence officer. Syria, she said, had received cutting-edge military hardware from Russia, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft surface-to-air missiles. "These are some of the most advanced technologies. If they go to Hezbollah - a non-state terror actor on Israel's border - that's a game-changer. Then you are going to prefer pre-emptive action."


The pre-dawn air strike on the Syrian-Lebanese border closely followed reports of intensive sorties by Israeli military planes. United Nations forces on the Israel-Lebanon border "recorded a high number of Israeli overflights throughout the day and the night", UN spokesman Andrea Tenenti told the Guardian.


UN forces had no evidence of illegal weapons or increased Hezbollah presence in their area of operations, close to the border with Israel. "We haven't seen any suspicious activities in the south," he said.


Israel is widely believed to be behind previous attacks that it never publicly acknowledged. In 2007 Israel was accused of destroying a site in Syria that was believed to be a nuclear reactor under construction. Syria claimed it was a non-nuclear military site.


Israeli fighter planes are believed to have carried out an air strike on an arms factory in Khartoum last October and an attack on an arms convoy in 2009, also in Sudan, in which scores of people were killed. Both were thought to be aimed at preventing the manufacture or transport of weapons to Hamas in Gaza.

[vector7]

RUSSIAN MIG-31 JET FIGHTER BUZZES SINAI NEAR ISRAEL TO SEND MESSAGE

DEBKAfile Special Report January 31, 2013, 9:51 AM (GMT+02:00) Tags: Israeli Air Force Syria Russia Middle East war buildup US





Israeli Air Force F-15 Eagle takes off

The Syrian announcement of an Israeli air strike on a military site near Damascus Wednesday, Jan. 30, drew strong condemnation from Moscow the next day: “Such action if confirmed would amount to unacceptable military interference in the war-ravaged country,” said the statement issued by the Russian Foreign Ministry Thursday. “If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violate the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it.”

Israel has made no comment on the Damascus statement which described in detail an Israeli air strike against a “military research institute” near the capital. Witnesses say it was a plant for manufacturing “unconventional weapons.” The facility was destroyed and two staff members killed.

Lebanese sources later reported a Russian Mig-31 fighter had crossed over Sinai Wednesday in the direction of Israel. It veered west over the Mediterranean after encountering an Israeli warning not to intrude into its air space and continued flying over Lebanon.




debkafile’s military sources say that the only external military force in the eastern Mediterranean region is a fleet of 18 Russian warships, which includes landing-craft – among the largest in the Russian Navy – with 2,000 marines aboard.

According to various Middle East sources, the Syrian report of an Israeli air strike has touched off high military alerts across the region. Syria has put its Golan forces on the Israel border on combat readiness and the Lebanese and Jordanian armies are on alert. So too are the Russian fleet opposite Syria and the Lebanese army.

Our military sources report that Turkish units on the Syrian border are on high preparedness although Ankara played down the reports of the Israeli air strike in Syria, uncomfortable over the fact that the Israeli Air Force was the first external power to intervene directly in the Syrian conflict.

So too are the US air force units stationed at the Turkish Incerlik air base, the US special forces deployed at the Jordanian Mafraq air facility and the American, German and Dutch Patriot missile interceptors deployed in Turkey opposite Syria. Israel has been on high alert since last week.

The prevailing estimate in military and intelligence circles in Washington and NATO capitals is that the Israeli air attack on the Syrian military site near Damascus was but the opening shot for the coming round of military blows they expect to be exchanged in the near future between Israel, Syria and Hizballah, with Iran possibly waiting in the wings for a chance to pitch in.

[American Patriot]

Are the Russians are the ones driving those Migs?

[vector7]

Good question!

[American Patriot]

Syria refers Israeli attack to UN and threatens 'consequences'


Reports that Israeli jets have struck targets inside Syria set to further inflame tensions in region

LAST UPDATED AT 15:35 ON Thu 31 Jan 2013



SYRIA has complained to the UN and threatened "consequences" after Israeli jets reportedly attacked a military research centre near Damascus yesterday, a provocative move Russia has called an "unacceptable violation" of the UN Charter.


Syria's army claims Israeli aircraft launched the dawn raid on the research centre north-west of Damascus, killing two people and injuring five. Israel refused to comment on the incident today, but the alleged attack has been condemned by Russia, which is one of Syria's few allies and has "steadfastly refused to denounce" President Bashar al-Assad during the 22-month conflict, the BBC says.


A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said: "If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it."


The BBC points out that relations between Russia and Israel have been improving in recent times due to "trade and economic ties". But Moscow's apparently unshakeable allegiance to Assad means the reported air attack was bound to draw strong criticism.


AP says the attack adds "a potentially flammable new element" to regional tensions because of Iran's support of the Syrian regime. The news agency points out that Iran has said it will treat any Israeli attack on Syria as an attack on itself.


The Syrian military says the Israeli jets flew into Syria at low altitude to avoid detection by radar. The centre was hit by six Israeli rockets which left the complex "partly destroyed" and started a fire, the Daily Telegraph reports. The paper notes that the alleged attack comes after Israel "expressed concerns" that Damascus's supply of chemical weapons could "fall into the hands" of Hezbollah, the Lebanese Islamic militant group that is an ally of Assad's regime and committed to the destruction of Israel.


There are unconfirmed reports that the real target of the Israeli attack was a Syrian arms convoy carrying Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles which were heading for Lebanon. AP says that if the missiles were acquired by Hezbollah it would be a "game-changing" event that would allow the militants to "blunt Israel's air power". ·






Read more: http://www.theweek.co.uk/middle-east...#ixzz2Ja2htTBk

[American Patriot]

The Ruskies are p-o'd cuz some one blew up their toys.

Analyst: Syria missiles threaten Israeli spy flights

Oren Dorell, USA TODAY1:29p.m. EST January 31, 2013

Israel conducts daily surveillance flights over Lebanon.

(Photo: Getty Images)

Story Highlights

• Israel launches rare airstrike inside Syria
• Hezbollah condemned attack as "barbaric aggression"
• Iran also said there would be repercussions

Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles said to be the targets of an Israeli airstrike in Syria on Wednesday would have been "a game changer" in Israel's ongoing surveillance of Lebanon, not only in a future conflict but now, according to an Israeli analyst.


Israel conducts daily surveillance flights over southern and eastern Lebanon, areas controlled by the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah, which has launched thousands of missiles at Israeli communities in the past. Hezbollah does not currently have anti-aircraft weapons capable of stopping the Israeli flights, said Jonathan Spyer, an analyst at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, Israel.


The missiles "would be a game changer, not in a future conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, because Israeli aircraft carry out daily surveillance flights over southern Lebanon and eastern Lebanon along the border with Syria," Spyer said. "Reconnaissance flights into Lebanese airspace is a daily occurrence, so that's why it's in Israel's interest to do that."


Syria threatened Thursday to retaliate for an Israeli airstrike and its ally Iran said there will be repercussions for the Jewish state over the attack.


U.S. officials said Israel launched a rare airstrike inside Syria on Wednesday. The target was a convoy believed to be carrying advanced Russian SA-17 anti-aircraft weapons bound for Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militant group allied with Syria and Iran.


In Israel, a lawmaker close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stopped short of confirming involvement in the strike. But he hinted that Israel could carry out similar missions in the future.


Regional security officials said Wednesday that the targeted shipment would have enhance Hezbollah's military capabilities by enabling the militants to shoot down Israeli jets, helicopters and surveillance drones. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media.


A weapons transfer to Hezbollah is a likely product of the assistance the Shiite militia has provided to Syria's president Bashar Assad, rather than a sign of the Syrian regime's imminent collapse, according to Spyer, who is also a columnist for the Jerusalem Post and has traveled to Syria on reporting assignments in the past year.


Hezbollah, which fought a war against Israel in southern Lebanon in 2006, is a leading force defending the Syrian regime in Syria, where its members have been fighting anti-government rebels and training paramilitary forces protecting the regime, Spyer said.


"Hezbollah is vital to the Syrian regime and can ask for help in return," he said.


Assad's hold on power appears far from collapse, Spyer said. He still controls large swaths of the country, including the capital, which rebels announced efforts to take last August, and almost all the cities, Spyer said.


Assad still has a large number of Syrian men willing to fight for him, and he retains the backing of important global players, such as Iran, Russia and China, Spyer said.
Israeli leaders in the days leading up to the airstrike had been publicly expressing concern that Assad may be losing his grip on the country and its arsenal of conventional and nonconventional weapons.


STORY: Israeli jets bomb military target in Syria



The Syrian military accused Israel not of hitting a convoy, but of attacking a scientific research center near Damascus. It said the target was in the area of Jamraya, northwest of Damascus and about 10 miles from the Lebanese border.


Maj. Gen. Abdul-Aziz Jassem al-Shallal, a senior Syrian army officer who defected last year, told the Associated Press that the site Syria referred to is a "major and well-known" center to develop weapons known as the Scientific Research Center.


Al-Shallal, who was commander of the military police, said no chemical or non-conventional weapons are at the site. He said foreign experts, including Russians and Iranians, are usually present at such centers.


Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul-Karim Ali threatened retribution for the Israeli airstrike, saying Damascus "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation."


Hezbollah condemned the attack as "barbaric aggression" and said it "expresses full solidarity with Syria's command, army and people." The group did not mention any weapons convoy in the statement but said the strike aimed to prevent Arab and Muslim forces from developing their military capabilities.


Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi condemned the airstrike on state television, calling it a clear violation of Syrian sovereignty. Iran is Syria's strongest ally in the Middle East and has provided Assad's government with military and political backing for years.


Russia, which has assisted Syria's military, said the attack of true was a violation of international law.


"If this information is confirmed, we have a case of unprovoked attacks on targets in the territory of a sovereign state, which grossly violates the U.N. Charter and is unacceptable," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "Whatever the motives, this is not justified."


Israeli lawmaker Tzachi Hanegbi said the world has left Israel no choice but to launch pinpoint strikes to stop Hezbollah from obtaining sophisticated weaponry from Syria.


"Israel's preference would be if a Western entity would control these weapons systems," Hanegbi said. "But because it appears the world is not prepared to do what was done in Libya or other places, then Israel finds itself like it has many times in the past facing a dilemma that only it knows how to respond to."


He was referring to NATO's 2011 military intervention in Libya that helped oust dictator Moammar Gadhafi.


"Even if there are reports about pinpoint operations, these are not significant solutions to the threat itself because we are talking about very substantial capabilities that could reach Hezbollah," he said.


Syria's civil war has sapped Assad's power and threatens to deprive Hezbollah of a key supporter, in addition to its land corridor to Iran. The two countries provide Hezbollah with the bulk of its funding and arms.


Netanyahu warned this week of the dangers of Syria's "deadly weapons," saying the country is "increasingly coming apart." Israel has moved a battery of its new Iron Dome rocket-defense system to the northern city of Haifa, which was battered by Hezbollah rocket fire in the 2006 war.

[American Patriot]

Syria threatens retaliation over 'Israel strike'

Agence France-PresseJanuary 31, 2013 13:00

Syria threatened on Thursday to retaliate over what it says was an Israeli air raid, as President Bashar al-Assad's allies rushed to denounce the strike that threatened to take the conflict beyond Syria's borders.

Israel maintained a stony silence over Syria's claims, as well as over separate reports that its jets had struck a weapons convoy near the Lebanon border.

Syria's foreign ministry said Israel "and the states that protect it" are responsible for the air strike, and "affirms Syria's right to defend itself and its territory and sovereignty," state news agency SANA reported.

It called on "all the competent UN bodies to take the necessary steps given this grave Israeli violation, and to guarantee that it will not happen again."

Damascus's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdel Karim Ali, stressed Syria's right to respond to "the Zionist aggression."

"The Israelis, and the United States behind them, along with their Arab and regional accomplices, realise that Syria, which defends its sovereignty and territory, may decide to respond by surprise to this aggression."

"It is up to the competent powers to choose the appropriate answer, and to determine the means and the place," Ali added in remarks to Lebanese website Al-Ahad, which is close to the powerful Shiite group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah denounced "a new Zionist aggression."

Reaction from close Damascus ally Iran was strident, with Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian warning of severe fallout.

Without elaborating, he said the "Zionist regime's attack on the outskirts of Damascus will have grave consequences for Tel Aviv," in remarks reported by the ISNA news agency.

In the past, Iran has said that any Israeli attack on Syria would be considered an attack on the Islamic republic.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" but was still trying to verify the Syrian allegations.

"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked strikes against targets located on the territory of a sovereign state, which brazenly infringes on the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motive used for its justification," it said.

Late on Wednesday, Syria accused Israel of launching a dawn strike on a military research centre in Jamraya, near Damascus.

"Israeli fighter jets violated our airspace... and carried out a direct strike on a scientific research centre in charge of raising our level of resistance and self-defence," the army general command said, saying two workers had been killed.

The army denied separate reports citing security sources that an Israeli strike had targeted a weapons convoy from Syria near the border with Lebanon.

Amid speculation a convoy might have been en route to supply Hezbollah, the White House warned Syria not to do so.

While not confirming the targets of the Israeli raid, Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, said that might "further destabilise the region."

Meanwhile, the White House said Vice President Joe Biden will discuss the carnage in Syria in Munich on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian opposition chief Moaz al-Khatib.

Israel has frequently warned that if Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons fell into Hezbollah hands, this would be a casus belli.

It has also raised the alarm over long-range Scud missiles or other advanced weaponry, such as anti-aircraft systems and surface-to-surface missiles, being transferred to Hezbollah.

Israeli officials and the military refused to confirm or deny on Thursday any involvement in the alleged attack.

Commentators compared the modus operandi to a 2007 bombing raid on an undeclared Syrian nuclear facility at Al-Kibar, widely understood to be an Israeli strike but never acknowledged by the Jewish state.

On the political front, Syria's main opposition group was to meet Thursday in Cairo, a day after a surprise statement from its chief that he was willing to hold talks with regime officials, a Syrian National Coalition member said.

"This meeting was organised well before the Syrian National Coalition leader, Moaz al-Khatib, made his statement," SNC member Samir Nashar told AFP.

Khatib said on Wednesday he was "ready for direct discussions with representatives of the Syrian regime in Cairo, Tunis or Istanbul," laying down conditions including the release of "160,000 detainees."

On the battlefront on Thursday, fierce clashes raged between soldiers and rebels on the southern outskirts of Damascus as regime tanks pounded the area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

It reported a provisional Thursday death toll of at least 37 people.

The United Nations says more than 60,000 people have been killed in the country's 22-month conflict.

burs/al/srm

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...-israel-strike

[American Patriot]

Vector, I think they are flying them.

There's a crap load of Russians in the area. Several ships. A lot of planes were put on the ground over there as I understand it.

I think they (Russians) are getting ready to go full bore on this.

[American Patriot]

Russia condemns Israeli air strike on Syria

Russian foreign ministry says reported attack would violate UN charter and can not be justified

• Harriet Sherwood in Jerusalem and agencies
  
• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 31 January 2013 03.33 EST

Israel's prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, is believed to be in talks over a possible response to the movement of chemical weapons. Photograph: Darren Whiteside/Xinhua Press/Corbis



Russia says it is very concerned about reports of an Israeli air attack inside Syria near Damascus and any such action would amount to unacceptable military interference.


"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday.


Syrian state television said that military command had confirmed a "scientific research centre" north-west of Damascus was struck at dawn on Wednesday, causing damage. Two people were killed and five wounded in the attack on the site, it said, which was engaged in "raising the level of resistance and self-defence".


US officials quoted in the New York Times said they believed the target was a convoy carrying sophisticated anti-aircraft weaponry and Israel had notified Washington of the attack.


Earlier, diplomatic and security sources were cited in media reports as saying a convoy of trucks had been struck close to the Syrian-Lebanese border. The Israeli Defence Forces said it had no comment.




Lebanese media claimed that a dozen IDF fighter planes had flown sorties over Lebanon's airspace from Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday morning.


A Lebanese army statement, quoted by local news agencies, said: "Four Israeli planes entered Lebanese airspace at 4.30pm on Tuesday. They were replaced four hours later by another group of planes, which overflew southern Lebanon until 2am, and a third mission took over, finally leaving at 7.55am on Wednesday morning." The IDF also declined to comment on these reports.


It was also reported that the IDF's intelligence chief, Major-General Aiv Kochavi, arrived in Washington on Tuesday for private talks with the US chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Martin Dempsey, at the Pentagon.


Israel has publicly warned that it would take military action to prevent the Syrian regime's chemical weapons falling into the hands of Hezbollah in Lebanon or "global jihadists" fighting inside Syria. Israeli military intelligence is said to be monitoring the area round the clock via satellite for possible convoys carrying weapons.


Hezbollah is also believed to have extensive stockpiles of conventional weapons in warehouses inside Syria. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nazrallah, "wants to remove everything from Syrian soil to Lebanon", said Amnon Sofrin, a former head of intelligence in the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad. Israel, he added, was "looking very carefully at convoys heading from Syria to Lebanon".


The Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, was reported earlier this week to be conducting intense security consultations on the possible response to the movement of weapons.


The deputy prime minister, Silvan Shalom, told Army Radio on Sunday: "If there is a need, we will take action to prevent chemical weapons from being transferred to Islamic terror organisations. We are obligated to keep our eye on it at all times, in the event chemical weapons fall into Hezbollah's hands."


Israel's concern over the civil war in Syria has mounted over recent months as Bashar al-Assad's regime has come closer to collapse and fighting has bordered on the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Although Israel has been technically at war with Syria since 1967, the Golan Heights has been mostly quiet since Israel occupied it almost 46 years ago.


But Israel fears that the implosion of the Assad regime could herald an Islamist Syria, which could seek to reignite hostilities with its neighbour.


Alex Fishman, defence analyst for the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, wrote earlier this week: "In the light of Assad's increasingly unsteady status, Hezbollah figures have understood that [its stockpiles of conventional] weapons cannot remain there. And as soon as these weapons reach Lebanon, they are swallowed up in secret underground stockpiles. Looking for them will be like searching for a needle in a haystack.


"If chemical weapons are brought into Lebanon, Israel will probably not hesitate – and will attack."


According to Sofrin, the Israeli military would be more inclined to deploy "specialist skilled units" on the ground to secure depots of chemical weapons, rather than use air strikes, which risked dispersing chemicals over a wide area. But any such operation would be complicated and risky, he added.


Israel's primary concern was to prevent Hezbollah acquiring chemical warheads that it could mount on existing missiles, he said.


Netanyahu told Sunday's cabinet meeting Syria was "increasingly coming apart". He added: "The reality is developing apace. In the east, north and south, everything is in ferment, and we must be prepared: strong and determined in the face of all possible developments."


In the past few months, errant shells from fighting in Syria have landed in the Golan Heights, prompting Israel to lodge formal complaints with the United Nations. In November, Israeli forces fired tank shells at Syrian artillery units, causing casualties, over two consecutive days after a mortar shell landed close to an Israeli army post.


Netanyahu recently announced plans to build a steel security fence along the armistice line in the Golan Heights, similar to the one constructed on the Israel-Egypt border.


Sources told Reuters on Wednesday that Israeli warplanes had bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah in what some called a warning to Damascus not to arm Israel's Lebanese enemy.


Syrian state television accused Israel of bombing a military research centre at Jamraya, between Damascus and the nearby border. Syrian rebels disputed that, saying their forces had attacked the site.


Russia has been trying to shield Assad from international pressure to end the civil war against opposition forces that has ravaged the country over 22 months and killed an estimated 60,000 people. Moscow has repeatedly spoken against any foreign interference in Syria, especially military action

[American Patriot]

Agence France-PresseJanuary 31, 2013 13:30
URGENT ¥¥¥ UN leader has 'grave concern' over reported Israeli attack


UN leader Ban Ki-moon is gravely concerned about reports of an Israeli air strike on Syria but cannot independently verify what happened, a spokesman said Thursday.

Ban noted the reported strike with "grave concern," said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey. "The secretary general calls on all concerned to prevent tensions or their escalation in the region."

tw/jm

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/n...israeli-attack

[American Patriot]

Syria threatens Israeli strike retaliation

5:33am February 1, 2013

Syria has threatened to retaliate over what it says was an Israeli air raid, as President Bashar al-Assad's allies rushed to denounce the strike that threatened to take the conflict beyond Syria's borders.


Israel maintained a stony silence over Syria's claims, as well as over separate reports that its jets had struck a weapons convoy near the Lebanon border.


Syria's foreign ministry said Israel "and the states that protect it" are responsible for the air strike, and "affirms Syria's right to defend itself and its territory and sovereignty", state news agency SANA reported.


It called on "all the competent UN bodies to take the necessary steps given this grave Israeli violation, and to guarantee that it will not happen again".


UN chief Ban Ki-moon is gravely concerned about reports of the air strike on Syria but cannot independently verify what happened, a spokesman said.


Ban noted the reported strike with "grave concern", said deputy UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey.


"The secretary-general calls on all concerned to prevent tensions or their escalation in the region."


However, Damascus's ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdel Karim Ali, stressed Syria's right to respond to "the Zionist aggression".


"The Israelis, and the United States behind them, along with their Arab and regional accomplices, realise that Syria, which defends its sovereignty and territory, may decide to respond by surprise to this aggression."


"It is up to the competent powers to choose the appropriate answer, and to determine the means and the place," Ali added in remarks to Lebanese website Al-Ahad, which is close to the powerful Shi'ite group Hezbollah.


Hezbollah denounced "a new Zionist aggression".


Reaction from close Damascus ally Iran was strident, with Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian warning of severe fallout.


Without elaborating, he said the "Zionist regime's attack on the outskirts of Damascus will have grave consequences for Tel Aviv", in remarks reported by the ISNA news agency.


In the past, Iran has said any Israeli attack on Syria would be considered an attack on the Islamic republic.


Russia's foreign ministry said it was "deeply concerned" but was still trying to verify the Syrian allegations.


"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked strikes against targets located on the territory of a sovereign state, which brazenly infringes on the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motive used for its justification," it said.


Amid speculation a convoy might have been en route to supply Hezbollah, the White House warned Syria not to do so.


While not confirming the targets of the Israeli raid, Ben Rhodes, a deputy national security adviser, said that might "further destabilise the region".


Meanwhile, the White House said Vice-President Joe Biden will discuss the carnage in Syria in Munich on Saturday with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Syrian opposition chief Moaz al-Khatib.

[American Patriot]

US warns Syria against transferring weapons to Hezbollah

By JPOST.COM STAFF, YAAKOV LAPPIN, REUTERS
01/31/2013 21:08






In wake of reported IAF attack on an arms convoy in Syria, Syrian ambassador to Lebanon says Damascus has option to respond as Iran threatens "serious consequences" for Tel Aviv; Hezbollah, Russia condemn strike.

US President Barack Obama Photo: Kevin Lamarque / Reuters



The White House on Thursday warned Syria not to transfer weapons to Hezollah, AFP reported, on the heels of a reported Israeli strike on an arms convoy near the Lebanese border on Tuesday night.


"Syria should not further destabilize the region by transferring weaponry to Hezbollah," said Ben Rhodes, a US deputy national security advisor, according to AFP.
Related:

• 'Israel strikes Syrian weapons en route to Hezbollah'
  
• 'Israel gave US advance warning of Syria strike'

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed "grave concern" on Thursday over reports that Israeli jets bombed a convoy near the Lebanese border, apparently hitting weapons destined for Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.


"The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to prevent tensions or their escalation ... and to strictly abide by international law, in particular in respect of territorial integrity and sovereignty of all countries in the region," Ban's press office said in a statement.


Syria summoned the head of a United Nations mission in the Golan Heights on Thursday to protest against the Israeli air raid which Damascus said is a violation of a disengagement accord that followed the last major war between the two countries.


However, UN peacekeepers in a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel were unable to verify the Syrian complaint that Israeli planes had flown over the Golan Heights area, a spokesman for Ban said on Thursday.


"UNDOF (the peacekeeping mission) did not observe any planes flying over the area of separation and therefore was not able to confirm the incident. UNDOF also reported bad weather conditions," UN spokesman Eduardo del Buey told reporters.


Syria's ambassador to Lebanon said that Damascus had the option of a "surprise decision" to respond to Israel's alleged strike on a research center on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.


Syria could take "a surprise decision to respond to the aggression of the Israeli warplanes," Ali Abdul Karim Ali was quoted as telling a Hezbollah-run news website.
"Syria is engaged in defending its sovereignty and its land," he added, without spelling out what the response might entail.


Syria also sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council concerning the reported air strikes on its territory, said H.E. Mr. Masood Khan, Permanent Representative of Pakistan and President of the Security Council for the month of January.


While they are still reviewing the letter, Khan noted that it included no request from Syria for an emergency meeting and that no such meeting of the Security Council is planned, though they are "monitoring the situation" carefully.


"Things are developing rapidly," Khan said at a press conference. "Council members are aware of the situation."


Syria and Israel have fought several wars and in 2007 Israeli jets reportedly bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear site, without retaliation.


In the wake of reported Israeli air strike on a Syrian weapons center, Iran also issued a threat to Israel on Thursday.


The Iranian regime's English language mouthpiece, Press TV, quoted a deputy foreign minister as saying that the "strike on Syria will have serious consequences for Tel Aviv." The official did not elaborate.


Last week, a senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader said that any attack on Syria would be seen by Tehran as an attack on itself. The official, Ali Akbar Velayati, said the regime of Basher Assad is a central component of the "resistance front."


Meanwhile, Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah condemned on Thursday an Israeli attack which it said targeted a Syrian research center, saying it was an attempt to thwart Arab military capabilities and pledging to stand by its ally President Bashar Assad.


"Hezbollah strongly condemns this new Zionist aggression on Syria,” the group said in a statement, calling for "wide-scale condemnation from the international community," the group said in a statement.


The group "expressed its full solidarity with Syria's leadership, army and people."
Sources said on Wednesday that Israel Air Force jets bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah. Syria denied the reports, saying the target had been a military research center.

Russia said on Thursday it was very concerned about reports of an Israeli air attack deep inside Syria near Damascus and that any such action, if confirmed, would amount to unacceptable military interference in the war-ravaged country.


"If this information is confirmed, then we are dealing with unprovoked attacks on targets on the territory of a sovereign country, which blatantly violates the UN Charter and is unacceptable, no matter the motives to justify it," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.


Syrian state television accused Israel of bombing a military research center at Jamraya, between Damascus and the nearby border. Syrian rebels disputed that, saying their forces had attacked the site.


Russia has been trying to shield Syrian President Bashar Assad from international pressure to end the civil war against opposition forces that has ravaged the country over 22 months and killed an estimated 60,000 people. Moscow has repeatedly spoken against any foreign interference in Syria, especially military action.

[American Patriot]

Israel Girds for Attacks as Syria Falls Apart

Goran Tomasevic/Reuters
A building burned in Damascus after a Syrian Air Force strike on Sunday. As the chaos worsened, Israel deployed one of its Iron Dome missile defense batteries.

By JODI RUDOREN and ANNE BARNARD

Published: January 27, 2013

Silvan Shalom, a vice prime minister, described the movement of such weapons as a “red line” that could lead to Israeli military action.


“If there will be a need, we will take action to prevent chemical weapons from being transferred to Islamic terror organizations,” Mr. Shalom said on Army Radio. “We are obligated to keep our eye on it at all times, in the event chemical weapons fall into Hezbollah’s hands.”


A spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces said that the deployment of the Iron Dome in the north — where Israel borders Syria and Lebanon — was part of a routine rotation around the country and “not related to any current situation assessments.” But Israeli journalists suspected otherwise, noting that Mr. Netanyahu had been in marathon meetings for several days with military and intelligence chiefs and senior ministers, with unusual strictures on secrecy.

“Something is happening for sure,” said Ehud Yaari, a senior security analyst with Israel’s Channel 2 News. “Even in Israel, which is usually tense, and the normal nervousness that you have in this country, this is exceptional now.”


The intensifying focus on Syria here in Israel came as violence flared across the border. Syrian government warplanes and artillery increased attacks on rebels in the suburbs east and south of Damascus, fighting closed the highway to the Dara’a in the south, and clashes continued in Homs Province, in central Syria, and in the city of Deir al-Zour in the east, according to state news media and antigovernment activists.


The fierce fighting and desperate living conditions have sent 30,000 Syrians fleeing to Jordan in the past month, with thousands more entering Lebanon and massing on the border with Turkey — accelerating a flow that now totals 650,000 people who have fled and another two million displaced inside the country. The relief effort is underfinanced and overwhelmed, and the United Nations is seeking increased international aid.


The chaos worsened ahead of meetings on the crisis scheduled for Monday, when the main exile opposition group and its international backers are to convene in Paris, and civilian opposition leaders, including some who oppose the use of force, plan a conference in Geneva on building Syrian civil society.


President Obama, in an interview with The New Republic, signaled his continuing doubts about getting involved in the Syrian crisis, suggesting no dramatic change would be coming out of the meeting on Monday.


“In a situation like Syria, I have to ask, can we make a difference in that situation?” Mr. Obama said. “Would a military intervention have an impact? How would it affect our ability to support troops who are still in Afghanistan? What would be the aftermath of our involvement on the ground? Could it trigger even worse violence or the use of chemical weapons? What offers the best prospect of a stable post-Assad regime?


“And how do I weigh tens of thousands who’ve been killed in Syria versus the tens of thousands who are currently being killed in the Congo? Those are not simple questions.”


More than 60,000 people have died in Syria’s nearly two-year-old conflict, but international efforts to end the crisis appear stalled. The opposition is divided, and Russia, the main backer of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, is at loggerheads with the Syrian opposition’s Western and Arab supporters.


Russia’s prime minister, Dmitri A. Medvedev, told CNN that Mr. Assad’s chances of remaining in office seemed to be getting “smaller and smaller” with each passing day, according to a transcript released by Mr. Medvedev’s office on Sunday. But he reiterated Russia’s insistence that Mr. Assad’s ouster could not be a precondition for talks, as the American-backed Syrian opposition leaders have demanded.


Mr. Medvedev said the United States, Europe and regional powers must “sit the parties down for negotiations, and not just demand that Assad go and then be executed” like Libya’s ousted leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, “or be carried to court sessions on a stretcher like Hosni Mubarak,” the deposed Egyptian president.


If Mr. Assad is to step down, “this must be decided by the Syrian people,” he said, “not Russia, not the United States, not any other country.”


Fighting edged into a new area of Damascus, the capital, according to activists, who said rebels attacked a railway station in the district of Qadam, in the city’s southwest. Video posted on the Internet showed gunmen walking near buildings by a railroad track and black smoke that activists said was from an airstrike. The claims were impossible to verify because of the government’s restrictions on journalists inside Syria.


In Israel, Mr. Yaari, the television news analyst, said he had seen video and other reports of activity by Jaba el Nusra, an Islamist rebel group, near the “fences” of Sfira, which he described as a chemical weapons installation southeast of Aleppo, Syria. He also said there was a “raging battle” between Mr. Assad’s forces and the Free Syrian Army near another installation on the southwestern outskirts of Damascus.


Israel is technically at war with Syria, though it has been a largely quiet conflict since a cease-fire line was established after the 1973 war. The current chaos in Syria has spilled across the border several times, with errant shells landing in the Golan Heights, a strategic plateau that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and later annexed in a move that has not been internationally recognized. Israel has filed several complaints with the United Nations, and in November its tanks made a direct hit on Syrian artillery units after two consecutive days of incoming mortar fire.


This month, Mr. Netanyahu announced plans to build a security fence along the armistice line with Syria, similar to the one protecting its southern border with Egypt.


But the chemical weapons have been the chief concern for Israeli officials. On Sunday, the prime minister spoke of Syria in grave terms, linking it to Iran as potential existential threats to Israel in the context of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.


“We must look around us, at what is happening in Iran and its proxies and at what is happening in other areas, with the deadly weapons in Syria, which is increasingly coming apart,” Mr. Netanyahu said at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting. “In the east, north and south, everything is in ferment, and we must be prepared — strong and determined in the face of all possible developments.”

[American Patriot]

The above was from the 27th.... so, apparently things were getting "tense" a couple days before the hit on the convoy.

That doesn't mean it's getting less tense now. In fact, I'm betting folks aren't sleeping too soundly tonight.