Should Syria Respond to Israeli Aggression?

Monday 4 February 2013

Should Syria Respond to Israeli Aggression?

"Increasing the likelihood of a cycle of retaliation..."

[NYTimes] "... Israeli officials remained silent on Thursday about their airstrike in Syrian territory the day before, a tactic that experts said was part of a longstanding strategy to give targeted countries face-saving opportunities to avoid conflict escalation. But Syria’s own confirmation of the attack, followed by harsh condemnation not only by Israel’s enemies Iran and Hezbollah but also by Russia, may have undercut that effort, analysts said, increasing the likelihood of a cycle of retaliation."“From the moment they chose to say Israel did something, it means someone has to do something after that,” said Giora Eiland, a former head of Israel’s National Security Council and a longtime military leader. “Contrary to what I could hope and believe yesterday, that this round of events would end soon, now I am much less confident.”..."

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Is Israel telling the West: "There! We hit the Syrians. No response!"

[Al Akhbar] "... The primary intended recipients are the Syrian regime, the Resistance axis and their international supporters, and even the West, which has been reluctant to use force against President Bashar al-Assad, who appears to have improved his position, according to many observers.The nature of the operation: an air raid under the cover of night. The target: a military research facility in Jamraya, northeast of Damascus. The timing: two days after a telephone conversation between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The preparations: deploying Israel’s Steel Dome anti-rocket missile system in the occupied Golan Heights and leaking rumors that Tel Aviv is preparing for a quick strike under the guise of stopping Syria from passing its chemical weapons to Hezbollah.

The context: the failure of year-old Israeli predictions that the Assad regime will fall “within weeks.”

The nature of the target suggests that the Zionist state wants to demarcate the red lines, particularly for the Assad regime, that there are boundaries that Damascus and its backers cannot cross.

The Israelis were also betting that Syria will not respond, as was the case with previous attacks, like the one against a “nuclear” facility in Deir Ezzor in 2007.
But the circumstances are different this time on a number of levels. At present, a lack of response on the part of Syria means that it is accepting Israel’s terms, something that Damascus may view as intolerable in the current situation..."

Syria Must Respond to Israeli Aggression

Israelis rush to distribution centers of gas masks for fear the Syrian response

In the center of the distribution of masks in Jerusalem the day before yesterday

By: Nahed Hattar

Published Friday, February 1, 2013

Just as talks of an internal settlement started to emerge in Syria, Israel delivered a humiliating slap with its border incursion – an attack that has opened the door to various possibilities. Israel seeks to impose a new set of rules that begins with Tel Aviv’s ability to violate Syrian sovereignty whenever and however it wishes, at no cost.

In the past – meaning, before the start of the Syrian crisis – Syrian silence towards Israeli violations was understandable. It was rooted in realistic assessments: not to be pulled into a premature war; to avoid shaking the foundations of the regime and its regional and international ties; and to maintain the integrity of Syrian infrastructure, economic installations, and the military. But now, all those reasons have collapsed.

The imperialist, Zionist war has been effectively imposed on Syria for almost two years and the regime no longer enjoys internal consensus. The economic infrastructure has already been destroyed. Finally, it is of no use maintaining the support mechanisms for the Resistance when the heart of the Resistance – and the Syrian army – is itself under attack.

During two years of steadfastness, Damascus had achieved a field victory, as evidenced by military achievements on the ground. The opposition took the rational and courageous decision to start dialogue with the regime. All of this vacillated as Damascus stood by idly during the latest Israeli assault.

First, the strike is an insult to the Syrian army, showing it as a strong force internally, but paralyzed in the face of external aggression. The weakened image of the army, especially now, will impede the gathering of the critical mass needed for internal reconciliation.

Second, the strike sends a message to the extremist forces hostile to the Syrian regime that the hour of desperation has not yet come and that Israeli military aggression has begun.

Third, it is a sign of a new Israeli policy which flouts the pre-Syrian crisis status quo, thus unsettling the Syrian strategy based on resistance.

I do not know why the Syrian leadership has decided to swallow the Israeli blow. It cannot be comprehended from the viewpoint of objective strategic analysis. Contrary to the authoritarian security response, which gives precedence to internal fighting, war against the Israelis right now would deliver a blow to the political and moral positions of the armed groups; it would arouse Syrian nationalist pride that could overshadow Syria’s sectarian and ethnic fissures.

The walls have been breached and the tools of the imperialist Israeli alliance are at the outskirts of Damascus. The logic of “war outside the walls” and replying to Israeli aggression at the right time and place is now devoid of meaning. It is an expression of a lack of political imagination. It’s just an illusion.

The lack of response to this latest Israeli aggression cannot be justified under any pretext. Why didn’t the air defenses move against the attacking Israeli aircrafts? Why wasn't there an immediate response? More importantly, why did the Syrian reply come in the form of a press statement and devoid, at least, of a threat to respond if the attack is renewed? Perhaps the worst outcome of bowing to Israeli aggression will be the direct insult to the Syrian establishment.

Syria defeated the crisis and the doors opened for a solution, change, and rebuilding. But it was a victory that the Israelis could not allow to pass.

Nahed Hattar is a Jordanian writer.

The views expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect Al-Akhbar's editorial policy.

This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.

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Syrian leadership know its ewes better ....

- By: Anas al-sous

My translation

When a Syrian site or radar was bombed in Lebanon was the Syrian leadership used to say (The Syrian state will retain the right to respond) or (we will respond at the right time and in the right place) and I was wondering when the right time may come??

In 2007, Israel bombed the so- called Syrian nuclear in the north of Deir al-Zour, the leadership failed me again (we will respond in a timely manner and the right place), but what comforts me is my faith in Syrian leadership, though i don't even know the source of that faith.

As they say, "the people of Mecca know its hills beter" It seems that the Syrian leadership know the traitors and ewes of the Gulf in the east to the Jewish Kingdom of Morocco in the west, and today Imagine if the Syrian leadership responded and declared war ....

Today and after I saw and identified the so-called "Syrian revolution" I realized the wisdom of the Syrian leadership and the Syrian state, and realised the right time to respond to Israeli Aggression started with the start of the so-called "Syrian revolution" nearly two years ago, and the right place, unfortunately, is inside Syrian territory, and I ask those demanding respond direct to belive me ..

The Israeli attack on Jamaraya is nothing but a response to Syria's declared war on Israel and its masters, and their sleep cells inside Syrian territory, otherwise what is the interpretation of the so-called free Syria rebels attack on military airports and missile bases?? ....

Even Israel itself has a saying: he who kill the defense minister is the enemy, So why to start a war we the Syrians are fighting two years ago?.

One of the most important elements of victory in the war is to know your enemy within , the traitor and fifth pillars ..

There is a saying of Napoleon Bonaparte:

The commander may be predominantly, but he may not be surprised.

It seems that the leadership in Syria does not want to be surprised in the event of the outbreak of a third world war, and this explains the words of President al-Assad:

"If you know someone wants that splits please encourage him".

The preparations for the war are ongoing, meanwhile the Syrian leadership is waiting the fall of all the leaves of the zionist trees on Syrian country sides...

Do not be sad nor angry, Syria, despite the corruption is currently fighting the rebels of Zion and with God willinlig Syria will emerge victorios.

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The response to the raid comming , the Zionist entity previously launched several raids on Syria and paid for each raid, but the price for thid raid will be heavier, and the Zionist entity will regrets all wars waged. Syria could retaliate without media noise, as happened previously and Erdogan, who launched the war on Syria is screaming in pain more than the Syrians, the Syrian response is open and may be a strategicm, military or polymorphic...