Israel violates Syrian airspace

[Che Guava]

...or so says the Syrian gov't....

Syria 'fires on Israel warplanes'

Syria has said its air defences opened fire on Israeli warplanes after they violated its airspace in the north of the country.

Syrian officials said the defences forced the jets to drop ammunition over deserted areas and turn back, according to the official news agency, Sana.

Israel's military said it would not comment on the reports.

Israel and Syria remain technically at war and tensions between them have been rising in recent months.

The Syrian government has insisted that peace talks can be resumed only on the basis of Israel returning the Golan Heights, which it seized in 1967.

Israeli authorities, for their part, have demanded that Syria abandon its support for Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups before talks can begin.

The last peace talks between the two countries broke down in 2000.

'Enemy aircraft'

A Syrian military spokesman said the Israeli warplanes had flown into Syrian airspace at around 0100 local time on Thursday morning, Sana reported.

"The Israeli enemy aircraft infiltrated into the Arab Syrian territory through the northern border, coming from the Mediterranean heading toward the eastern region, breaking the sound barrier," he said.

They were then engaged by Syrian air defence forces in the Tall al-Abyad, an area 160km (100 miles) north of Raqqa and near the border with Turkey, witnesses said.

"Air defence units confronted them and forced them to leave after they dropped some ammunition in deserted areas without causing any human or material damage," the spokesman said.

Pilots sometimes jettison ammunition or extra fuel to make their aircraft lighter and easier to manoeuvre.

Syria's Information Minister, Mohsen Bilal, told al-Jazeera TV that his government was "seriously studying the nature of the response".

"Israel in fact does not want peace," he said. "It cannot survive without aggression, treachery and military messages."

Tensions

Officials in Damascus said Syrian forces last fired at Israeli warplanes in June 2006, when they flew over the summer residence of the Syrian president in Lattakia, while he was inside.

The Syrian armed forces have a wide array of anti-aircraft weapons

Over the past few months, the leaders of both countries have both stressed that they do not want war.

But both sides have also been preparing for possible conflict.

In June, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert insisted his country did not want war with Syria, and that he had communicated this to Damascus through diplomatic channels.

He also repeated his warning that a "miscalculation" could spark hostilities between the two.

Mr Olmert's statement came after the Israeli military staged major exercises in the Golan Heights. Syria is also reported to have recently built up its armaments along the border.

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One must wonder what might have been the outcome if the roels had been reversed...


...assuming it's true, of course

 

[skadistic]

One must wonder what might have been the outcome if the rolls had been reversed...

The Israelis would have actually shot something down.

 

[Che Guava]

The Israelis would have actually shot something down.

...and then what?

 

[skadistic]

...and then what?

Gone to the UN and filed a formal protest......

 

[JohnRM]

Syrian Air Defenses comprise a bunch of decades old aircraft and obsolete decades old, low-altitude surface-to-air missile batteries. Syria was supposed to be getting some new MiG-29SMT, but I don't believe delivery has been made yet. It is very unlikely that the Syrian military forced Israel to do anything.

 

[Warman17]

Officials in Damascus said Syrian forces last fired at Israeli warplanes in June 2006, when they flew over the summer residence of the Syrian president in Lattakia, while he was inside.

Sending a message me thinks, no?

 

[Ecofarm]

Was there a peace agreement between Syria and Israel that I missed?

 

[Elrohir]

The Israelis would have actually shot something down.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Kozmos]

Yay a new war is brewing....

 

[MobBoss]

I wouldnt be bragging that I shot....and then missed what I was aiming at.

Doesnt seem to me to be a good deterrant for prevent it from happening again.

 

[Colonel]

bah, screw a war I just want to see the IAF bring Syria's government back to the stone age. Come on a few weeks of intensive air campaign and that country won't be able to speak right let alone fire back. Yay for the second best Air Force in the world.

 

[George2816]

bah, screw a war I just want to see the IAF bring Syria's government back to the stone age. Come on a few weeks of intensive air campaign and that country won't be able to speak right let alone fire back. Yay for the second best Air Force in the world.

Screw that you and the right-wing talk shows are the reason that people hate american's

 

[Colonel]

lol Considering I'm saying that Israel should finally shut up the people who have attacked them since their inception. Its a simple matter of if your going to attack someone and hope they get driven into the sea, you should expect to be blown to hell.

 

[Amin001]

Bombing some brown people sounds like alot of of fun huh?

No wonder they think we are satan.

 

[Elrohir]

Screw that you and the right-wing talk shows are the reason that people hate american's

Can you at least try not to spout stupidity in every single post? Honestly George, give it a rest already - it's obvious to everyone that you really don't know what you are talking about.

 

[Colonel]

Bombing some brown people sounds like alot of of fun huh?

No wonder they think we are satan.

I'm not saying we should do it, I said Israel as it isn't our fight unless the Israelis ask for our help which would be doubtful.

 

[bigdog5994]

Screw that you and the right-wing talk shows are the reason that people hate american's

commie is that you? or maybe its red stranger

 

[George2816]

I'm not saying we should do it, I said Israel as it isn't our fight unless the Israelis ask for our help which would be doubtful.

HMM don't israel ask us for miltary hardware IN last summer's "war"?

 

[George2816]

commie is that you? or maybe its red stranger

It has never been illegal to be a "commie". ANd so what if i am a "commie".
BTW labeling someone a "commie" just because they disagree with you is completely wrong and bigot (Unless of course you are the 20%'ers then nothing short of a preacher telling you bush is wrong for this country. Nothing will change your mind!)

 

[Colonel]

buying and selling military arms doesn't mean helping them in a campaign. We sell them arms no matter whats going on. I was referring to military and logistical support.