Damascus – Palestinian Group Says Syria OKs Attacks On Israel

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    FILE - A Jordanian activist wearing a glove in the colours of the Syrian flag shouts slogans against Israel during a protest to show support to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and condemning an air strike in Syria, near the Israeli embassy in Amman May 5, 2013.  ReutersDamascus, Syria – President Bashar Assad’s regime has given a Palestinian militant group the go-ahead to set up missiles to attack Israel in the wake of recent Israeli airstrikes on the Syrian capital, a spokesman for the group said Tuesday.

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    Syria has hinted at possible retribution against Israel since the Jewish state carried out the airstrikes over the weekend, although official government statements have been relatively mild.

    In that light, the Assad regime’s decision to allow a minor Syria-based Palestinian group to prepare for attacks is largely seen as a face-saving gesture unlikely to escalate the confrontation with Israel.

    “Syria has given the green light to set up missile batteries to directly attack Israeli targets,” Anwar Raja of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command told The Associated Press.

    He said authorities also told the PFLP-GC that the group could carry out attacks independently without consulting Syrian authorities.

    Israel’s government has not formally confirmed involvement in the strikes on Syria. However, Israeli officials have said the attacks were meant to prevent advanced Iranian weapons from reaching Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia, an ally of Syria and foe of Israel.

    The airstrikes raised the possibility of a wider regional conflict with Syria, which is already engulfed in a civil war that has killed more than 70,000 people, as its focal point.

    Iran, a close ally of the Assad regime, has condemned the Israeli attacks and warned of possible retaliation.

    But on Tuesday, Iran’s foreign minister said it is Syria’s Arab neighbors — not Tehran — who should respond to the Israeli strikes.

    Speaking to reporters in Amman, Jordan, Ali Akbar Salehi said Arab nations “must stand by their brethren in Damascus.”

    The Israeli strikes were met with condemnation from Arab nations, even those who oppose Assad and support the rebellion against him, but the protests stopped there.

    Iran is deeply concerned with the fate of the Assad regime, which has allowed Syrian territory to serve as a conduit for Iranian weapons and other support to reach their proxy, Hezbollah. Tehran has supplied cash and weapons to help the Syrian government in its efforts to crush the anti-Assad revolt.

    Salehi warned of the possible repercussions if the government in Damascus was to fall.

    “The fallout from a vacuum in Syria will have adverse effects on its neighbors and the whole region,” he said. “There will be serious repercussions from a vacuum. It will be grave and nobody can predict the results.”


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    6 Comments
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    Boochie
    Boochie
    10 years ago

    Iran’s foreign minister said it is Syria’s Arab neighbors — not Tehran — who should respond to the Israeli strikes.

    again with the double talk – is the whole middle east chickens?

    Aryeh
    Aryeh
    10 years ago

    The Arabs trying to divert the war they are loosing to a war they will loose? Brilliant.

    VeyIzMir
    VeyIzMir
    10 years ago

    What about the 75,000 people that the regime killed with their own hands? Where is the “must stand by their brethren in Damascus” rhetoric there?

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    10 years ago

    Assad seems to have very little control over what’s going on in his country and encourgaging attacks on Israel is encouraging Israeli retaliation. Not showing great leadership at all.

    10 years ago

    Assad is a slimeball, who is much worse than his Father ever was!