Israel Matzav

Bolton: New info on Syria strike coming out to pressure North Korea

In an interview with Fox News this morning, former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton says that the Bush administration is releasing information on the Israeli strike on a Syrian nuclear power plant last September to pressure the North Koreans to soften their positions. But the North Koreans have no intention of giving up their nukes. Got it? If this is true, it explains why many people in the Israeli defense establishment are upset that Olmert is allowing the US to make the information public.

However, the Israel defense establishment is strongly opposed to revealing any details of the attack in Syria and expressed concern that any airing of the details of the attack will result in lifting the strict censorship that was imposed in Israel on this incident.

Senior figures in the defense establishment and the Israel Defense Forces said in recent day that Israel must convince the Americans to deliver the report to Congress "in closed session."

Intelligence analysts in Israel maintain that any further release of the details on the strike will contribute to the already tense situation between Syria and Israel, which has been exacerbated in part because of Hezbollah's plans to avenge the assassination of the group's terrorist mastermind, Imad Mughniyah.

Any official release of the details of the attack and the nature of the installation may push Syria's Bashar Assad into a corner and put pressure him to respond, say intelligence officials.

In other words, the Israelis fear that not only will Syria feel pressured to respond, but North Korea will not be stopped from continuing to assist both Syria and Iran in their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Let's go to the videotape.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:51 PM