Syria complains to UN over Israel 'attack'
BBC News online - 31 January 2013
Israel has not commented on reports of an attack on Wednesday
Syria has formally complained to the United Nations over a reported Israeli attack within its borders.
Syria's army said Israeli jets had targeted a military research centre north-west of Damascus on Wednesday.It denied claims by the US and others that lorries carrying weapons bound for Lebanon were hit.
Syria has said it reserves the right to defend itself, while its allies Russia and Iran have strongly denounced the attack.
Possible targets
- Jamraya Centre: Reported scientific research centre responsible for developing chemical weapons
- Weapons convoy: Lorries carrying Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles to Hezbollah bases in Lebanon
The Syrian army statement about
the incident, carried on state media, said Israeli fighter jets had
carried out a direct strike on a scientific research centre in Jamraya,
killing two people and wounding five.
Israel has declined to comment.
The latest developments have struck a country in turmoil. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad continues to cling to power despite a 22-month conflict that has killed more than 60,000 people.
Analysis
Amid a welter of contradictory reports and rumours, it seems to be established that Israel did mount a lightning air strike inside Syria, despite complete silence from Israeli officials.
That is their normal practice on such occasions. Additionally, they know that intervening in the complex Syrian internal conflict carries big political risks, not least being accused of teaming up with the rebels.
That is exactly what has happened, with Syria and its allies Iran and Hezbollah saying the attack exposed complicity between Israel, the West, and the Syrian opposition.
Israel knows that intervening in such a way would be likely to embarrass the rebels and strengthen President Assad politically. Whatever prompted it to act must have been compelling enough to override that consideration.
Israel has made it clear that arms transfers from Syria to Hezbollah would constitute a red line.
Most Western accounts believe such an arms convoy was the target. If the Jamraya complex was instead - or also - hit, as Damascus insists, the Israelis must have suspected that something seriously dangerous was going on there.
Syria's foreign ministry summoned the
UN commander in the Golan to deliver its formal protest, saying Israel's
action violated the 1974 disengagement agreement between the two sides,
who remain technically at war.
"Syria holds Israel and those who are protecting it at the Security Council responsible for the results of the attack and confirms its right to defend its land and sovereignty," Syria said in a letter to the UN, reported by state media.
But Syria itself is hardly in a position to do much, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.
Both Hezbollah and Iran are also under pressure at the moment, and Israel's calculation must be that none of those hostile parties has an interest in triggering a regional conflagration right now, our correspondent says.
Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi condemned the alleged air strike as an "overt assault based on the West's policy" to undermine stability in Syria.
His deputy minister was quoted as saying the raid would have "grave consequences for [the major Israeli city of] Tel Aviv".
There were strong words from Russia, a stalwart defender of Syria on the international diplomatic scene despite its warming trade and economic ties with Israel.
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."
Earlier Syria's ambassador to Lebanon warned Damascus could take a "surprise" decision to retaliate.
Weapons facility
The Syrian army statement said the Jamraya centre - which was focused on "raising our level of resistance and self-defence" - was damaged in the attack, and specifically denied reports that an arms convoy had been hit.
Israeli media reaction
"Israel is closer today to confrontation on the northern front more than it has been at any point since the Second Lebanon War." Alex Fishman, Yedioth Ahronoth"It could be seen as a hint to other countries, like Turkey and the US, that a military attack on Syria to topple the regime may be an option." Zvi Barel, Ha'aretz
"There have been many signs in recent days that winds of war are blowing in the north. But… an attack, which did or did not take place, will not lead to an immediate round of combat in the north." Amir Rapaport, Ma'ariv
"If Israel acted, as foreign publications say, the ball is in Assad's court. The problem is that in the current situation, he has no court and does not have much to lose. A wounded lion is a dangerous lion." Boaz Bismuth,Yisrael Hayom
It said "armed terrorist gangs" -
a term the government uses to describe rebel groups - had tried and
failed repeatedly to capture the same facility in recent months.
Lebanese military and internal security forces say there has been increased activity by Israeli warplanes over Lebanon in the past week, and particularly on Tuesday and the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Correspondents say Israel is also concerned that Hezbollah could obtain anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles, thus strengthening its ability to respond to Israeli air strikes.
Israel believes Syria received a battery of SA-17s from Russia after an alleged Israeli air strike in 2007 that destroyed a Syrian nuclear reactor near Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria, analysts say.
Wednesday's reported attack came days after Israel moved its Iron Dome defence system to the north of the country.
Labels: Chemical Weapons, Conflict, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, Syria
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, January 31, 2013
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