Syrian, Hizballah rockets for Palestinian anti-Israel proxy-reprisals. Syrian Sukhoi bombers over Cyprus
The Syrian and Hizballah armies Sunday, Sept. 8, finished supplying rockets to dozens of Palestinian groups, some invented ad hoc, and deploying them on the Syrian and Lebanese borders facing Israel, debkafile’s military sources disclose. An array of Katyushas, Grads and Fajr-5s, with ranges of up to 70 kilometers, is now in place. This development prompted the first deployment in the Jerusalem region Sunday night of an Israeli anti-missile Iron Dome battery.
The information reaching Israeli intelligence is that the newly-armed Palestinian groups fully intend targeting the Israeli capital, following the example of Hamas, which aimed missiles from the Gaza Strip at Jerusalem and Tel Aviv in November 2012.
In his interview to PBS’s Charlie Rose Show airing Monday, Bashar Assad spoke of “people aligned to Syria” carrying out “some kind of retaliation” for an American attack.
It now turns out that he intends using pro-Syrian and amorphous Palestinian groups as his instruments of retaliation, while at the same time disavowing responsibility for their actions.
In the south, likeminded Hamas and Jihad Islami groups in the Gaza Strip may try and join the rocket offensive against Israel. It will be hard for them to stand aside and watch, although Egypt’s counterterrorism offensive in Sinai is cutting into their resources.
The Israeli government’s assurances, last heard from Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon Sunday, that the Israeli public must carry on as usual – because running into “the full might of the IDF” will deter “anyone” thinking of hitting back at Israel – sharply contrasted with the Syrian and Hizballah preparations for proxy reprisals by Palestinians.
The minister sounded more credible when he said in the same breath: “We are ready for all the consequences – either of a US attack on Syria, or the absence of an attack. Whichever is decided we will be affected.”
The IDF’s high command could not miss the fact that the four Grad rocket attack from Lebanon on northern Israel’s Western Galilee took place on Aug. 22, the day after the chemical attack on eastern Damascus. It was meant as a warning from Damascus and its Hizballah ally for Israel to stay out of the Syrian conflict or else allied Palestinian groups would unleash their missiles in earnest.
For public consumption, Israeli officials pretended that the four rockets were fired by a vague “global Jihad” group, to disguise the truth that a pro-Syrian Palestinian group was in fact responsible.
Israel is not alone in putting an upbeat gloss on the facts.
Last Monday, Sept. 2, two Syrian Mig-29 fighters flew over the RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus, where American and French warplanes are waiting for the signal to go into action against Syria. It took the British Ministry of Defense a week to disclose that a pair of armed RAF Typhoons was scrambled to intercept the Syrian intruders, forcing them to turn tail before they entered Cypriot air space.
Amid the hush from London surrounding the incident, the Syrian air force tried its luck a second time Sunday, Sept. 8. This time two Sukhoi (Su-24) bombers flew over Akrotiri.
Those signals from Damascus ought to open the eyes of the optimists who are counting on Syria and its allies to avoid responding to a potential American attack.
WarSclerotic 
September 9, 2013 at 11:15 AM
Very nice. And, what now ? After it will become clear that no action will take place anymore? Will they take back those rockets from their minions? Will they succeed ? Or, they wont attempt even to do that.
You see, here, in our neighborhood, people are giving away missiles and sarin gas as candies. Nice people. Good neighborhood.
September 9, 2013 at 2:58 PM
In terms of Congressional approval, this wouldn’t be the first time the Obama administration acted without the approval of Congress, Luis. Then there’s always the possibility of a ‘false flag’ event to lend support to Obama’s plans. Meanwhile, everything is eerily quiet while military assets are positioned and chemical weapons are dispersed. Iran and company must be on their ‘best’ behavior so as not to give Obama a further excuse to go to war. Something’s bound to pop. Too many fingers on the trigger, too many reputations at stake, and too much military hardware to withdraw.
September 9, 2013 at 3:02 PM
One more point if I may. Now John ‘Genghis Kahn’ Kerry has given Assad one week to turn over his CW’s, yet another another red line. This time I think it’s a set up.
September 9, 2013 at 1:25 PM
There has always been and still is broad American public support for israel. However, at this moment in time America is war weary and no longer wants to be the worlds policeman. There are many domestic issue that are higher priority with Americans.
There are many out there who are saying America is no longer is a super power because of its new inward focus. You know what, so what! The United States will soon be energy independent and technologically independent, its future looks bright.
We are witnessing a paradigm shift in the geopolitical terrain in which regional actors will need to take more responsibility for their own neighborhoods. Israel for example needs to realize that it lives in a neighborhood where acts of disengagement and compromise is seen as a weakness, and only emboldens the barbarians that surround it. The weak horse gets slaughtered while the strong horse wins the day.
It’s time for Israel to take matters into its own hands and bring back some of that daring do it displayed so many years ago. No longer can Israel say, “we can’t they held us back.” Just like Masada, fortress Israel will be breached, its just a matter of time! It’s time Israel took responsibility for its own survival and stop being the weak horse!