ISRAEL BLEW APART SYRIAN NUKEPILE

“This was supposed to be a devastating Syrian surprise for Israel,” said an Israeli source. “We’ve known for a long time that Syria has deadly chemical warheads on its Scuds, but Israel can’t live with a nuclear warhead.”

Nobody's talking about this historical event, at least not in any major way. And the Islamazis aren't screaming about Israeli aggression. Hmmmmmmm. Perhaps because they are loathe to call attention to their North Korean provided nuclear facilities. Am Yisroel chai!

Israelis ‘blew apart Syrian nuclear cache’  Times Online

Intense speculation that Israel believed it had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea

• A tale of two dictatorships: The links between North Korea and Syria

IT was just after midnight when the 69th Squadron of Israeli F15Is crossed the Syrian coast-line. On the ground, Syria’s formidable air defences went dead. An audacious raid on a Syrian target 50 miles from the Iraqi border was under way.

At a rendezvous point on the ground, a Shaldag air force commando team was waiting to direct their laser beams at the target for the approaching jets. The team had arrived a day earlier, taking up position near a large underground depot. Soon the bunkers were in flames.

Ten days after the jets reached home, their mission was the focus of intense speculation this weekend amid claims that Israel believed it had destroyed a cache of nuclear materials from North Korea.

The Israeli government was not saying. “The security sources and IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers are demonstrating unusual courage,” said Ehud Olmert, the prime minister. “We naturally cannot always show the public our cards.”

The Syrians were also keeping mum. “I cannot reveal the details,” said Farouk al-Sharaa, the vice-president. “All I can say is the military and political echelon is looking into a series of responses as we speak. Results are forthcoming.” The official story that the target comprised weapons destined for Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite group, appeared to be crumbling in the face of widespread scepticism. Andrew Semmel, a senior US State Department official, said Syria might have obtained nuclear equipment from “secret suppliers”, and added that there were a “number of foreign technicians” in the country.

Asked if they could be North Korean, he replied: “There are North Korean people there. There’s no question about that.” He said a network run by AQ Khan, the disgraced creator of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, could be involved.

But why would nuclear material be in Syria? Known to have chemical weapons, was it seeking to bolster its arsenal with something even more deadly?

Alternatively, could it be hiding equipment for North Korea, enabling Kim Jong-il to pretend to be giving up his nuclear programme in exchange for economic aid? Or was the material bound for Iran, as some authorities in America suggest?

According to Israeli sources, preparations for the attack had been going on since late spring, when Meir Dagan, the head of Mossad, presented Olmert with evidence that Syria was seeking to buy a nuclear device from North Korea.

The Israeli spy chief apparently feared such a device could eventually be installed on North-Korean-made Scud-C missiles

It gets better. Read it all. Oh and La Shanah tova baby!

Related: Atlas Shrugs: NUKE NEXUS: North Korea and Syria
Bolton:NORK Nukes in Syria
Israel Struck Syria Nuke Sites.
Bolton: Nuke NORK meeting "profound mistake"
North Korea Firing Missiles
The North Korea Climbdown  

 

Comments

[x_dhimmi]

Very interesting. And remember, too, there is evidence (as opposed to proof) that Saddam's WMD was secreted to Syria prior to March 2003. Syria seems to be an illegal weapons dump.

[majdvmphd]

I've said all along to my family and friends that we'd be at war in some way, shape, or form with Syria and Iran before I came home from Iraq. Better now than before they have nukes. Let the USAF and USN play with their great toys. The alternative of waiting is not one we can afford. Shana tova.

[Miluimnik]

I have said it all along that we of the IDF stand alone against the Islamic menace.

Sorry "majdvmphd", but while you have busied yourself arming and training the Shia Insurgent Coalitions [that make up the Maliki government]in preparation for another war against Israel, we have been making the world a bit safer from the threat of a nuclear Islam. While US teams have spent billions in the last 8 months intalling Patriot missile systems on the route to Tehran....to protect the Saudis and Iranians from Israeli attacks.....we have defeated the Russians best electronic warfare systems and placed more Intel-Sats over enemy nations. (And we SHARE our satellite photos with the USA....who in return save money and share Israeli Intel and technology with our enemies. That makes us sorta' dumb eh?)

Here's a reason to celebrate;

http://video.google.com/
videoplay?docid=2295792449224502914

[john jay]

miluimnik:

i have advocated making israel the 51st state of the u.s.a., to assure the rest of the world that any attack against her is a direct attack on the u.s.

that is my support of israel.

and i would say nothing that would slight the israeli efforts against the islamic jihad, ever, and her fundamental exposure to that jihad, whose principle aim is the destruction of israel. nor would i say that u.s. policy has always been as enlightened as it might have been in support of israel.

i think it wrong, however, for you to assert in a tone that i deem somewhat caustic, that israel "stands alone" against the islamic menace.

simple fact refutes that assertion.--

u.s. troops stand and fight against the jihad in afghanistan, and were it not for u.s. pressure, the al queda would have freer run in pakistan.

the u.s. role in afghanistan is singular in commitment to the rest of the world.

as to our role in iraq. i would remind you that patriot missiles defended israel from iraqi missile attacks. i would remind you that american troops manned those sights. i would remind you that the recently deposed saddam hussein, deposed by non other than u.s. troops, was attempting to amass chemical, biological and atomic weapons to be delivered against israel, either by missiles or cannon. (oh, yeah, it could have been done.)

i would remind you that u.s. carrier task forces patrol the Mediterranean and indian oceans, along with a u.s. nuclear submarines, and a very large portion of the mission of those forces is the direct protection of israel, and combating the islamic jihad.

my very dear sir, no other nation in the world, has spent in blood or lives, or in resource, what the united states has expended in the last several years directly fighting the islamic jihad, and, indirectly, protecting the existence of the state of israel.

in afghanistan, in iraq, in yemen, and many far flung places in the world, americans have laid down their lives for these very goals.

i would remind you, kind sir, that the jets the idf flew into syria to attack these weapons stockpiles, were in all likelihood manufactured in the united states and sold to israel on very, very, very generous terms, substantially financed by my tax dollars and the tax dollars of americans.

as to the allegations that the u.s. has spent money installing missiles to protect the saudi's and the iranian's from israeli attack, i know nothing about any of that. i would not be surprised to learn that patriot systems have gone into saudi, but i would be astounded if anyone could substantiate an allegation that u.s. forces have been in iran doing so.

indeed, all of the information that i have at my disposal, which may be slight indeed compared to yours, would indicate that the u.s. military and the current u.s. administration contemplate and are planning a strike on the iranian nuclear facilities.

as to the intelligence sharing between the u.s. and israel. israel and the united states have shared intelligence assets since the mid 1950's. for a long time, israel's access to spy photography from out space was dependent upon u.s. sourcing, satellite or the blackbird. it is good that you have your own assetts. if you think that the u.s. is giving away intelligence data you have supplied to us, then cut us off. my guess is, that given any situation you might describe, that israel and the united states will consider it beneficial to continue the intelligence relationship we have shared for 50+ years, regardless of your views.

if you defeated the russians best electronic warfare systems, more power to you. i doubt that it was done without some u.s. involvement.

i will make this one categorical statement, which you probably will respond to, but i welcome the response.--

in all probability, there would be no israel as we speak, were it not for the diplomatic and military efforts of the united states during the last 60 years from the inception of israeli statehood, and were it not for the direct intercession of united states support at various times, and were it not for the u.s. role in combatting islamic jihad in afghanistan, and were it not for the u.s. role in defending israel from iraq, the rest of the arab states, and the islamic jihad sponsored by those states and the soviet union earlier and russia now.

in short, you may have your views on the wisdom of supporting a shia government in iraq. you are welcome to your views, and you might be surprised at the sympathy they would engender with the readers of this web site.

you are wrong to castigate the u.s., or u.s. service personnel, for any lack of personal courage or professional commitment in the fight against islamic jihad, or the to imply they are not equally committed to the defense of israel.

to much u.s. blood has been shed, to many u.s. lives have been given in battle, to support such nonsense. i think you sadly and profoundly mistaken in your views.

john jay

[majdvmphd]

"While you have busied yourself arming and training the Shia Insurgent Coalitions [that make up the Maliki government]in preparation for another war against Israel, we have been making the world a bit safer from the threat of a nuclear Islam."

A-hole, I'm a veterinarian (with a pharmacology Ph.D.) helping mostly Sunnis in an agricultural area of Babil Province along the sectarian fault that has all but pushed out al Qaeda. I assist veterinary clinics, agricultural unions, and farmers' markets so that these people work with us, instead of against us, which they are doing. I'm also assisting fish farmers (mostly Sunni and a big business and protein source in Iraq) and the Baghdad Zoo.

The U.S. doesn't set up anything to help defend shits in Iran from Israel. George W. Bush has supported Israel more than any other president in the history of the U.S., and even more so behind doors you don't know about, even in the IDF.

You sound more like a Frenchman than an Israel with your ingratitude for the assistance the United States has given Israel as a true ally. I JOINED the U.S. Army because the goals of the U.S. are consistent with supporting the future and safety of Israel. I VOLUNTEERED to go to Iraq in the Global War Against Islamofascism because of how that affects me as an American and as a Jew.

"That makes us sorta' dumb eh?"

No, attacking a fellow Jew you know nothing about and your ally in the United States, which, like it or not, is the best ally you have, is more than "sorta dumb". My education and experiences say otherwise. I hope you're enjoying Rosh Hashanah with your family while I am separated from mine. Try ASKING next time.

Thank you John Jay, l'shana tova.

[Miluimnik]

Uh...just exactly is the reason for arming the enemies of Israel? (And,,,the United States?)
Are we to believe that Egypt is in fear f a conflict with Tunis or the Sudan? Saudi Arabia's fighter fleet (Which can be viewed from our port city of Eilat)is there because of the Kuwaitis? Iranians? And don't get me started on the Palestinians.......(Ahsaf PLO-PA/Hamas-Jihad Islami) who sport US arms and training.

You are both historically and factually incorrect.

Chag Sameach.

[Miluimnik]

JJay; Are you with Vista, the Peace Corps, or do you work for some other non-military entity?

Israel receives LOANS that are paid back with extreme interest and EXTRAS. We have never, ever, had a single US soldier (Whom I train and respect) risk their life for the Jewish States. Not one drop of American military blood has been lost defending Israel.

I am a soldier...not a construction worker. We fight wars...we do not invent terror states (ala' the Carter Doctrine that has produced Islamic Iran, Islamic Iraq and Islamic Turkey.)we defend against them. We do not train the enemies of America to kill Christians and Jews.

The only American administration not dedicated to the destruction of Israel....was that of Ronald Reagan (OBM).

Google "Raid on the reactor"..watch it and listen carefully to General Alexander Haig's account of a different time.

L'Shana Tova

[mika.]

Miluimnik? You can't be that old. No way you're even 18. Anyway, the Americans have their own calculations to make, and by 'n large they've included Israel in their calculus. My only concern is the astronomic cost of this war. I really think it would have been smarter to have utilized the Kurds as an effective proxy for our mutual interests. Israel got burnt with the shiia in Lebanon. My feeling is that a similar scenario will play out with the shiia in Iraq.

[Miluimnik]

Mika---You're correct,,,,I am probably 16 years old, but, I read a lot. (Sarcasm alert!!!!)

I think we should hire the Chinese (PLA) to fight our wars and run the National Guard. transferring these duties to the "private sector" could save us billions of dollars....money that could then be used to fund the Palestinians and other freedom fighting groups (Free Kosovo Now!).

[Pamela Geller]

majdvmphd has been trying to post the following with no success so let me post it for him. He writes:

I think my post got lost, so sorry if this is redundant.

Look man, Jews everywhere are proud of Israel's strength, resolve, and intelligence, with the most powerful military for their size. However, like it or not Israel owes her very existence to the United States for funding and the wars we fight that Israel sometimes doesn't have to. Saddam threatened Israel with SCUDs, some with WMD warheads in 1991. He continued to posture against Israel and pay Pali homicide bombers' families $25K to kill Israeli civilians. Iran postures against us both, as does Syria. Also, like it or not, al Qaeda and Ahmadinejad cite U.S. support of Israel as their rationale to kill almost 3,000 of our civilians on 9-11. So everyone who has been injured or killed in Iraq and/or Afghanistan, sometimes with 3-4 tours of duty away from their families, Jews and Christians alike, has sacrificed to fight a common enemy, which in tunr helps insure the survival of Israel. I agree with that fight.

You are correct about Carter...he's an anti-Semitic moron. You're correct that Hizbollah is a common enemy, yet Reagan did essentially nothing after the Marine Corps barracks were bombed in Beirut. You're correct that Palis shouldn't get an ounce of support from the U.S. That has nothing to do with the war effort and the American Servicemember. You STILL show less respect for our efforts to support you than have the French. You STILL have not addressed anything that I stated in my previous post, because those are historical facts, as are the ones I've presented here. Are you a historian? You have provided zero evidence that what I presented is historically or factually inaccurate. You can't expect Americans to continue to support Israel with an obnoxious and tainted viewpoint such as yours. Thankfully, most Israelis don't feel that way, or at least they don't take pot shots against their greatest ally in the world on blog sites. Eliminate the U.S., Israel ceases to exist.

I will reiterate what JJ wrote above -

"You are wrong to castigate the U.S., or U.S. service personnel, for any lack of personal courage or professional commitment in the fight against islamic jihad, or the to imply they are not equally committed to the defense of Israel."

Further I will add that the U.S. took no military action against Israel when one of our ships was hit by Israeli fire. Shit, and accidents, happen. It in no way reflects on the genuine alliance. I've often stated on this blog that were it not for Israel's foresight in destroying the Iraqi nuclear power plant, our situation with/in Iraq would have been much worse. I support Israel in all she does to defend herself, and by default, others including the U.S. However, hindsight often reveals the mistakes of our involvement with thugs who were at another point, fighting against Communist U.S.S.R. or other greater enemies. For the most part, everyone in the immoral majority of the U.N. is Israel's enemy, so you don't have to worry about picking and choosing who you ally with. Bush 41 fought against Iraq when they launched SCUDs at you. Bush 43 has done far more than Reagan to support Israel.

That said, Jews are accountable to each other wherever they are in the world. Start acting like one. Just look at the photos in the left-hand column of the 3 Israeli soldiers we keep close to our hearts every day. Below is a prayer we say every Shabbat at Jewish services in Iraq, where I am a layleader. Immediately afterwards, we sing Hatikvah. I doubt you recite a comparable prayer for America. You're an ungrateful punk and I'm calling you out on it.

"Eternal G-d, like all the generations of Israel, we turn to You in hope. Your spirit pervades the world. Your love encompasses the earth. We pray for the peace of all lands and peoples. And we pray for our brothers and sisters in the land of Israel.

In our pilgrimage among the nations, our people have always turned in love to the land where Israel was born, where our prophets taught their imperishable message of justice and peace, and where our poets sang their deathless songs of love for You and of Your love for us and for all humanity.

Throughout the ages we prayed that Zion be restored; it has been for us the land of hope and promise. May the promise now come true in all its fullness; may a new light shine upon Zion restored. May we who live in lands of freedom be imbued with the knowledge that ALL JEWS, WHEREVER THEY LIVE, ARE ONE PEOPLE, RESPONSIBLE TO ONE ANOTHER BEFORE YOU. Willingly and joyfully may we share in the redemption of Zion and witness that day when once again Your Torah will go forth from the house of Israel and Your word from the tents of Jacob."

Amen

[Vince]

I'm on Miluimnik's side on this and I'm an American.

The US has a horrible way of treating its ally.

Time and time again the US has undermined what Israel has tried to do.

(Of course the great irony is last year's Hezballah war when the Israelis restrained and defeated themselves when they had the green light as never before)

I find it hollow to say that the US protected Israel against Iraq's SCUD since it was the US action which caused them to be launched in the first place.

The Israeli restraint was probably the first action in decades-long pattern of deterrent-destroying restraint that the Israelis were under pressure to show.

Why in the world is that idiot Rice arming FATAH. Why is there still a fiction of a peace process? Why are we giving aid to the worst people in the world? Why are we giving them lip service to promise them their eventual jihadi soverign state?

It's suicide for us and Israel.

[eavesdropper]

Vince - majdvmphd's point of view is from the front lines. He's a proud member of the US Military. He's in an O-5 in the Army, he's very passionate and loyal to the soldiers he serves with. He knows them like he knows his own brothers, and naturally he will defend them as anyone would a brother.

If not for our volunteers in the military, we wouldn't have the freedoms we enjoy. He knows we have the greatest country in the world because we are the kindest, most generous nation.

He's extremely well educated and well versed and knows his history. And it's in his DNA to defend America. He's defending his country's honor (the military) because he's in the thick of it right now.

BTW, John Jay, that was an outstanding post! Well done.

There's no doubt the USA has been a huge help to Israel and there's no doubt Israel has a track record of doing what it needs to do. We all wish Israel had finished the job last summer and pounded Hizballah into smithereans.

I agree, we shouldn't aid FATAH, or encourage a Pali state. I think it's suicide too.

[majdvmphd]

It seems to be working now...

Thanks eavesdropper. Actually, I'm an O-4, but I appreciate the field promotion :)

The Israelis did show more restraint than necessary, in almost every occasion, sometimes at the request of the United States. That request has not always been sound judgment.

However, to say that the actions of the U.S. were responsible for the launching of SCUDs by Saddam is no more responsible than saying that 9-11 is the fault of the U.S. because of our support for Israel. It is a "blame the victim" game, and you should know better than that, Vince. Saddam invaded Kuwait and was on the verge of realizing his dream of Babylon reborn through the acquisition of the Arabian Peninsula. Remember "Anschluss"? Then the Sudetenland followed by all Czechoslovakia? Then Poland?

As for the last "restraint" by Israel, that had nothing to do with President Bush or American Jewry and everything to do with the cowardice of the oblivious Ehud Olmert.