Israel has conducted airstrike in Syria: U.S. official

Not saying the USA was "blameless" just saying is was not solely our idea. But we draw 98% of the ire and aggression from the arabs who hate them being there.

If you take a job you take the flak that goes with it.
Look at it this way for a simple comparison. In the early 50s France was drawing the ire and aggression in Indo-China, 20 years later it was the US getting it.
That is the result of policy choices America chose to take.
If you don't like the "blame" that goes with policies you choose then don't choose those policies. If you do choose those policies then don't complain about the "blame" that goes with it.

[Skybird]

Israel struck a chemical weapons research facility in or near Damascus now.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22417482

[Oberon]

Wondered when this would start. I expect Israel to be kept busy for a while, and it'll help keep Bennys coalition together a bit.

[Jimbuna]

This may well speed up the demise of Assads regime if it goes on for long.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Wondered when this would start. I expect Israel to be kept busy for a while, and it'll help keep Bennys coalition together a bit.

Please clarify.
What?

This may well speed up the demise of Assads regime if it goes on for long.

Or it could work backwards, the saudi backed militias are not exactly friendly towards Israel and there have already been problems with them in the DMZ.

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by MH

Please clarify.
What?

Well, with the Syrian government losing control over things like their chemical weapons supplies and research facilities, and the rise of Al'Qaeda in Syria, the situation is slowly becoming more perilous for Israel as the possibility of weapons being smuggled out to Hamas and the like increases. Whilst the Syrian civil war is good news for Israel in that it doesn't have to worry about the Syrian government crossing the Golan Heights, it's also bad news in that the fragmented situation in Syria means that it's now easier for rogue groups to pass weapons on to Hamas. So rather than MOSSAD needing to monitor one group (the Syrian government) they now need to monitor dozens.
So, Israel is going to have to take some steps to reduce the chances of Syrian weapons ending up in Palestine, particularly Syrian chemical weapons, and Israel is well known for pre-emptive action. It might well have been waiting for the US to make a move, but since that's not going to happen then it's going to get to work by itself. I can't see Syria putting up much resistance to Israeli strikes other than verbal condemnation, so it makes sense for Israel to act.
In regards to Benny, I refer to the rather strung together coalition which is governing Israel at the moment after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to achieve enough votes for Likud to govern by majority in the Knesset. I believe there are three or four parties in the coalition, and many people have given the coalition a rather limited lifespan, however the decision to pre-emptively strike targets in Syria in order to reduce the likelihood of them reaching Israeli soil is a decision which will likely be approved by all the parties involved in the coalition and boost Netanyahus standing within it, I can see The Jewish Home approving, Yisrael Beiteinu would probably approve too, Yesh Atid would probably not be too fussed but wouldn't disagree with it, and Likud would probably be approving too. Thus, by undertaking an action which on one hand improves Israeli security, and on the other hand, raises Netanyahus standing within the coalition, it is both a militarily and politically sound move to make, thus I am not surprised that it has happened, and I would not be surprised to see it continue until the Israeli government is certain that any and all threats to Israel that could originate within Syria are eliminated.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

Or it could work backwards, the saudi backed militias are not exactly friendly towards Israel and there have already been problems with them in the DMZ.

In DMZ there had been problems with Syrian army recently.
Some rebel's wounded had beet treated there as well.
Not saying they are friendly though....generally speaking.

Besides...
hizballah missiles and chemicals should not mix regardless of who is more saint than the other.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Well, with the Syrian government losing control over things like their chemical weapons supplies and research facilities, and the rise of Al'Qaeda in Syria, the situation is slowly becoming more perilous for Israel as the possibility of weapons being smuggled out to Hamas and the like increases. Whilst the Syrian civil war is good news for Israel in that it doesn't have to worry about the Syrian government crossing the Golan Heights, it's also bad news in that the fragmented situation in Syria means that it's now easier for rogue groups to pass weapons on to Hamas. So rather than MOSSAD needing to monitor one group (the Syrian government) they now need to monitor dozens.
So, Israel is going to have to take some steps to reduce the chances of Syrian weapons ending up in Palestine, particularly Syrian chemical weapons, and Israel is well known for pre-emptive action. It might well have been waiting for the US to make a move, but since that's not going to happen then it's going to get to work by itself. I can't see Syria putting up much resistance to Israeli strikes other than verbal condemnation, so it makes sense for Israel to act.
In regards to Benny, I refer to the rather strung together coalition which is governing Israel at the moment after Benjamin Netanyahu failed to achieve enough votes for Likud to govern by majority in the Knesset. I believe there are three or four parties in the coalition, and many people have given the coalition a rather limited lifespan, however the decision to pre-emptively strike targets in Syria in order to reduce the likelihood of them reaching Israeli soil is a decision which will likely be approved by all the parties involved in the coalition and boost Netanyahus standing within it, I can see The Jewish Home approving, Yisrael Beiteinu would probably approve too, Yesh Atid would probably not be too fussed but wouldn't disagree with it, and Likud would probably be approving too. Thus, by undertaking an action which on one hand improves Israeli security, and on the other hand, raises Netanyahus standing within the coalition, it is both a militarily and politically sound move to make, thus I am not surprised that it has happened, and I would not be surprised to see it continue until the Israeli government is certain that any and all threats to Israel that could originate within Syria are eliminated.

Well...you can see it this way if you like.
It almost looked like some grand conspiracy at first glance.
I personalty would be very happy for this coalition to hold.

When it comes to Syria it used to be one of the most quiet and lazy borders.
We had stopped worrying about attacks from Syria a long time ago.
This new situation is a game changer for now.

In DMZ there had been problems with Syrian army recently.
Some rebel's wounded had beet treated there as well.

And there was me thinking the FSA advancing up from Jordan along the DMZ and the Nusras who pushed south along the lebanese border to the DMZ who had been causing problems too.
So glad you put me straight, its only the Syrian army there and a few wounded rebels who appear to be a bit lost.

[MH]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

And there was me thinking the FSA advancing up from Jordan along the DMZ and the Nusras who pushed south along the lebanese border to the DMZ who had been causing problems too.
So glad you put me straight, its only the Syrian army there and a few wounded rebels who appear to be a bit lost.

You welcome.

[Skybird]

Assad is already oainting Israel as cooperating with terrorists. That way it could backfire against Israel if the Muslim crowds across the orient indeed would believe that.

For Israel, there seem to be no other practicable options than doing like it just did.

Now that Israel has seen what Obama's red line line getting crossed caused in announced "serious consequences" - essentially nothing, just now formally giving the fundamentalist militias weapons that before where financed by the CIA who gave money to the apparently broken Saudis who bought weapons with that CIA money on the black market and gave them to the rebels - , it must feel in creasingly lonely both with regard to Syria and Iran as well. That recently improved MOPs were demonstrated to an Israeli delegation to appease Israel, will not mean much for Jerusalem. Israel has no platform to deliver such weapons if it gets them, leaving the decisive control again to Barrack Red Line Obama, and I also do not believe that even repeated bombings with such weapons in one precision target slot can move whole mountains.

I am also wondering whether that is just a translation thing, or indicates more: German media recently said that president Red Line would still consider military options if - translated back from the German - the Iranians would use or consider the use of nuclear weapons. I wonder if that is just a slip of the German quality journalists, or really was said like that in original English, since before it always was said that military options would be considered before Iran gains access to nuclear weapons...!?

If Israel continues to sit still, that this is not because they put their trust in Obama. They do not, I have no doubt, they just realize that the Iranian job is far bigger than what they can handle all by themselves (assuming Jerusalem would not authorize the use of Israeli nukes first).

[Takeda Shingen]

You guys finally caved, huh?

[Oberon]

Originally Posted by Takeda Shingen

You guys finally caved, huh?

He started it!

[Takeda Shingen]

Originally Posted by Oberon

He started it!

And I was looking forward to see if the database would be skewed in favor of threads about foreign meats.