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Showdown in Syria
FrontPage Magazine
P. David Hornik
5/30/2013
Excerpt:
A war of words and threats is shaping up over the Syrian issue. On one side stands Russia, the embattled Assad regime’s main backer along with Iran. On the other—not necessarily acting in any sort of unison—stand the United States, Europe, and Israel.
The Daily Beast reports that the Obama administration “has asked the Pentagon to draw up plans for a no-fly zone inside Syria that would be enforced by the U.S. and other countries such as France and Great Britain.”
That report prompted this probably deliberately ambiguous response from Pentagon spokesman Dave Lapan, who told the Daily Beast: “There is no new planning effort underway. The Joint Staff, along with the relevant combatant commanders, continue to conduct prudent planning for a range of possible military options.”
Meanwhile Israel’s leading daily Israel Hayom reports that the leak to the Daily Beast about planning for a no-fly zone came in response to Russia’s stated intention to provide Syria with the game-changing S-300 anti-aircraft system. The S-300 has a range of about 150 miles and would both endanger Israel’s own airspace and constrict its air force’s—or other Western air forces’—ability to operate over Syria and Lebanon.
Although the Russian-Syrian deal for the S-300 was inked in 2010, Russia had postponed delivery at Israel’s request. Reportedly, Israel’s (according to foreign reports) air strikes on Damascus targets earlier this month enraged Moscow and made it change its mind.
On Tuesday Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Rybakov said sending the S-300 to Syria might “help restrain some hotheads considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict.” Officials in Jerusalem interpreted “hotheads” to mean Israel.
That same day, though, Israeli defense minister Moshe Yaalon said the S-300 deliveries “have not taken place—I can attest to this—and I hope they do not. But if, by some misfortune, they arrive in Syria, we will know what to do.”
While the S-300 standoff is at this moment the main arena in the war of words and threats, there’s been further activity on the sidelines.
Earlier this week Sen. John McCain slipped into Syria from Turkey and met with members of the Free Syrian Army rebel group, who asked him for U.S. heavy weapons, a no-fly zone, and airstrikes on regime and Hizballah targets.
McCain, a harsh critic of the Obama administration’s reluctance to get militarily involved in the mayhem, seems oblivious to the fact that by this time the Free Syrian Army largely consists of Muslim Brotherhood supporters while the Syrian rebels in general are now dominated by Al Qaeda-linked and other radical Sunni elements.
.................................................. ......
View the complete article at:
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/davidho...sive-showdown/
FrontPage Magazine
P. David Hornik
5/30/2013
Excerpt:
A war of words and threats is shaping up over the Syrian issue. On one side stands Russia, the embattled Assad regime’s main backer along with Iran. On the other—not necessarily acting in any sort of unison—stand the United States, Europe, and Israel.
The Daily Beast reports that the Obama administration “has asked the Pentagon to draw up plans for a no-fly zone inside Syria that would be enforced by the U.S. and other countries such as France and Great Britain.”
That report prompted this probably deliberately ambiguous response from Pentagon spokesman Dave Lapan, who told the Daily Beast: “There is no new planning effort underway. The Joint Staff, along with the relevant combatant commanders, continue to conduct prudent planning for a range of possible military options.”
Meanwhile Israel’s leading daily Israel Hayom reports that the leak to the Daily Beast about planning for a no-fly zone came in response to Russia’s stated intention to provide Syria with the game-changing S-300 anti-aircraft system. The S-300 has a range of about 150 miles and would both endanger Israel’s own airspace and constrict its air force’s—or other Western air forces’—ability to operate over Syria and Lebanon.
Although the Russian-Syrian deal for the S-300 was inked in 2010, Russia had postponed delivery at Israel’s request. Reportedly, Israel’s (according to foreign reports) air strikes on Damascus targets earlier this month enraged Moscow and made it change its mind.
On Tuesday Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Rybakov said sending the S-300 to Syria might “help restrain some hotheads considering a scenario to give an international dimension to this conflict.” Officials in Jerusalem interpreted “hotheads” to mean Israel.
That same day, though, Israeli defense minister Moshe Yaalon said the S-300 deliveries “have not taken place—I can attest to this—and I hope they do not. But if, by some misfortune, they arrive in Syria, we will know what to do.”
While the S-300 standoff is at this moment the main arena in the war of words and threats, there’s been further activity on the sidelines.
Earlier this week Sen. John McCain slipped into Syria from Turkey and met with members of the Free Syrian Army rebel group, who asked him for U.S. heavy weapons, a no-fly zone, and airstrikes on regime and Hizballah targets.
McCain, a harsh critic of the Obama administration’s reluctance to get militarily involved in the mayhem, seems oblivious to the fact that by this time the Free Syrian Army largely consists of Muslim Brotherhood supporters while the Syrian rebels in general are now dominated by Al Qaeda-linked and other radical Sunni elements.
.................................................. ......
View the complete article at:
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/davidho...sive-showdown/