FLASH: Israel Bombs Targets Inside Syria
In response to the Saturday, Oct. 5 suicide bombing in Haifa, which killed 19 people, Israel launched bombing raids on camps inside Syrian territory on Sunday, Oct. 6. According to one well-placed Arab source, the Israeli action was taken, after the Quartet (U.S., Russia, European Union and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan) failed to strongly condemn Israel's continuing targeted assassinations of Palestinians, in their joint statement from New York City. The source indicated that he did not expect further Israeli military actions against Syria, and that he did not expect an outbreak of regional war. However, he warned that, in response to the flagrant Israeli provocations and violation of Syrian sovereignty, groups like Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad could escalate their operations against Israeli targetsincluding Israeli targets outside the "zone of conflict"ie. the Middle East.
Were Islamic Jihad to begin terrorist attacks on Israeli targets in Europe, it could mean a return to the kind of international terrorism that characterized the 1970s and '80s period.
The source added that the attack on Syria was also intended to be an Israeli message to Iran, which has already warned that the Israelis are planning attacks on the nuclear reactor at Bushear.
The language used by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, in announcing the Syrian attacks, was, according to the source, a verbatim repeat of the words used by President George W. Bush, in announcing the American attacks on Iraq. Israel, in effect, is declaring itself to be adopting the "Cheney Doctrine" of preventive war. The source also warned that the unprovoked attack on Syria will likely lead to an acceleration of Hezbollah attacks on northern Israel, meaning a major escalation of conflict in southern Lebanon.
See Mideast Digest for more developments.