Report: Israel spots nuclear installations in Syria

[*jr]

Washington official says Israeli surveillance shows possible Syrian nuclear installation stocked by North Korea, Israeli Arab newspaper claims target of alleged raid last week was Syrian missile base financed by Iran

Ynetnews Latest Update: 09.12.07, 14:21 / Israel News

Israel believes that North Korea has been supplying Syria and Iran with nuclear materials, a Washington defense official told the New York Times. “The Israelis think North Korea is selling to Iran and Syria what little they have left,” he said.

The official added that recent Israeli reconnaissance flights over Syria revealed possible nuclear installations that Israeli officials estimate might have been supplied with material from North Korea.

Meanwhile on Wednesday the Nazareth-based Israeli Arab newspaper The Assennara cited anonymous Israeli sources as saying that Israeli jets "bombed a Syrian-Iranian missile base in northern Syria that was financed by Iran... It appears that the base was completely destroyed."

According to the Times, American officials confirmed Tuesday that Israeli jets launched an airstrike inside Syria. Sources said that Israel struck at least one target in northeastern Syria, but could not provide more details.

The most likely target was, according to some administration officials, weapon caches sent by Iran to Hizbullah through Syria.

North Korea commented on the incident Tuesday, calling it a "dangerous provocation", Chinese News Agency Xinhua reported on Tuesday.

"This is a very dangerous provocation little short of wantonly violating the sovereignty of Syria and seriously harassing the regional peace and security," a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea strongly denounces the above-said intrusion and extends full support and solidarity to the Syrian people in their just cause to defend the national security and the regional peace."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340 ... 29,00.html

[Grant]

"Advanced Russian Air Defense Missile Cannot Protect Syrian and Iranian Skies


September 7, 2007, 1:16 PM (GMT+02:00)


Russian-made Pantsyr S1 fire control and radar systems


DEBKAfile’s military experts conclude from the way Damascus described the episode Wednesday, Sept. 6, that the Pantsyr-S1E missiles, purchased from Russia to repel air assailants, failed to down the Israeli jets accused of penetrating northern Syrian airspace from the Mediterranean the night before.

The new Pantsyr missiles therefore leave Syrian and Iranian airspace vulnerable to hostile intrusion.

The Israeli plane or planes were described by a Syrian military spokesman as “forced to leave by Syrian air defense fire after dropping ammunition over deserted areas without causing casualties.” He warned “the Israeli enemy against repeating its aggressive action” and said his government reserved the right to respond in an appropriate manner.

Western intelligence circles stress that information on Russian missile consignments to Syria or Iran is vital to any US calculation of whether to attack Iran over its nuclear program. They assume that the “absolute jamming immunity” which the Russian manufactures promised for the improved Pantsyr missiles was immobilized by superior electronic capabilities exercised by the jets before they were “forced to leave.”

Syria took delivery in mid-August of 10 batteries of sophisticated Russian Pantsyr-S1E Air Defense Missile fire control systems with advanced radar, those sources report. They have just been installed in Syria.

Understanding that the Pantsyr-S1E had failed in its mission to bring down trespassing aircraft, Moscow hastened Thursday, Sept 6, to officially deny selling these systems to Syria or Iran and called on Israel to respect international law. This was diplomatic-speak for a warning against attacking the Russian-made missiles batteries stations where Russian instructors are working alongside Syrian teams.

Western intelligence circles maintain that it is vital for the US and Israel to establish the location and gauge the effectiveness of Pantsyr-S1E air defenses in Syrian and Iranian hands, as well as discovering how many each received.

They estimate that at least three or four batteries of the first batch of ten were shipped to Iran to boost its air defense arsenal; another 50 are thought to be on the way, of which Syria will keep 36.

The purported Israeli air force flights over the Pantsyr-S1E site established that the new Russian missiles, activated for the first time in the Middle East, are effective and dangerous but can be disarmed. Western military sources attribute to those Israeli or other air force planes superior electronics for jamming the Russian missile systems, but stress nonetheless that they were extremely lucky to get away unharmed, or at worst, with damage minor enough for a safe return to base.

The courage, daring and operational skills of the air crews must have been exceptional. They would have needed to spend enough time in hostile Syrian air space to execute several passes at varying altitudes under fire in order to test the Pantsyr-S1E responses. Their success demonstrated to Damascus and Tehran that their expensive new Russian anti-air system leaves them vulnerable.

Washington like Jerusalem withheld comment in the immediate aftermath of the episode. After its original disclosure, Damascus too is holding silent. Western intelligence sources believe the Syrians in consultation with the Russians and Tehran are weighing action to gain further media mileage from the incident. They may decide to exhibit some of the “ammunition” dropped by the Israeli aircraft as proof of Israel’s contempt for international law. A military response may come next.

Pantsir-S1 or Panzir (“Shell" in English) is a short-range, mobile air defense system, combining two 30mm anti-aircraft guns and 12 surface-to-air missiles which can fire on the move. It can simultaneously engage two separate targets at 12 targets per minute, ranging from fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, ballistic and cruise missiles, precision-guided munitions and unmanned air vehicles. It can also engage light-armored ground targets.

The Pantsyr S1 short-range air defense system is designed to provide point defense of key military and industrial facilities and air defense support for military units during air and ground operations.

The integrated missile and gun armament creates an uninterrupted engagement zone of 18 to 20 km in range and of up to 10 km in altitude. Immunity to jamming is promised via a common multimode and multi-spectral radar and optical control system. The combined missile and artillery capability makes the Russian system the most advanced air defense system in the world. Syria and Iran believe it provides the best possible protection against American or Israeli air and missile attack. Stationed in al Hamma, at the meeting point of the Syrian-Jordanian and Israeli borders, the missile’s detection range of 30 km takes in all of Israel’s northern air force bases. "



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2000-2007 DEBKAfile. All Rights Reserved.

[DawladSade]

[quote="*jr"]

According to the Times, American officials confirmed Tuesday that Israeli jets launched an airstrike inside Syria. Sources said that Israel struck at least one target in northeastern Syria, but could not provide more details.

[/quote]



Look at this blatant violation of a free nation's sovereignty! And these people wonder why the non-Israeli middle east is doing everything it can to become nuclear armed states, detering Israeli from prancing around the Middle East.

[Grant]

DaladSade,

Do Israel and Syria have a peace treaty, or are they technically still at war?

[*jr]

[quote="Grant"]DaladSade,

Do Israel and Syria have a peace treaty, or are they technically still at war?[/quote]

No, but there was a signed ceasefire and disengagement agreement between Israel and Egypt on January 1974, and with Syria in May 1974.

[Grant]

Jr,

So they are still technically at war and there have been multiple violations of the ceasefire on both sides?

Given the general Islamic attitude towards ceasefires and peace with Israel, I am not surprised at the Israeli position. Clearly Syria is not yet ready for escalation and is willing to accept the odd bombing in order to continue relying on the 1974 disengagement.

Do you suppose the Russians knew about the potential for Israeli jamming of the missiles when they sold them to Iran?

[*jr]

"So they are still technically at war and there have been multiple violations of the ceasefire on both sides?"


Israel seems to be the only one violating the signed ceasefire and the agreed disengagement so far. Israel is really flexing to hit Syria as America overshadows everything with a hit against Iran. This is extremely pre-meditated but will be presented seamlessly as spontaneous in the new mess bUsh is creating. This is his last chance really to get the aggressive agenda done. However, what is noteworthy is both Israel and Syria are keeping a low profile of this. The potential for war in that part of the world could affect life as we know it.

"Do you suppose the Russians knew about the potential for Israeli jamming of the missiles when they sold them to Iran?"

If and when America does invade Iran, sometime before the end of the next year, Israel may be inclined to preemptively attack Syria. Or, they may be wishing to send Syria a warning that Israel can do such a thing at their convenience. In either case, probing the Syrian radar defenses is a necessary first step, to better evaluate the Syrians' state of readiness. But it is hard to tell what the Israelis learned from Probing Syria's defenses.

[Unclebin-]

America will face a dead isreal if they attack iran. Fires will start all over The Middle east.

Saudi Royalty will be threatened and toppled you just wait and see.