Israel Matzav

Assad hints he'll retaliate against Israel

In a rare television interview with the Sunday Times of London, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad hints that he will retaliate against Israel for last month's attack on a convoy moving weapons to Hezbullah in Lebanon.

Let's go to the videotape. The videotape does not include the segment about Israel, which follows below.

Assad told the paper that Syria had always retaliated to Israeli actions, “but we retaliated in our own way, and only the Israelis know what we mean. Retaliation does not mean missile for missile or bullet for bullet. Our own way does not have to be announced.”

At the beginning of February, Assad accused Israel of trying to destabilize his country by attacking a military research base outside Damascus, and warning Syria could “confront threats... and aggression” against it.

Israel has not confirmed its involvement in the Syrian attack. However, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, hinted in comments he made at a Munich Security Conference in February that Israel was behind the attack.

“I cannot add anything to what you have read in the newspapers about what happened in Syria several days ago,” he said. “But I keep telling frankly that we said – and that’s another proof when we say something, we mean it – we say that we don’t think [Syria] should be allowed to bring advanced weapons systems into Lebanon, and Hezbollah, from Syria when Assad falls.”

More here.

Labels: Bashar al-Assad, Syrian uprising

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:30 PM