Trial run to regional chaos

Sept.10, 2007

Trial run to regional chaos


IT WOULD appear that the Israelis were running yet another rehearsal for air strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities as reports indicate an increasing clamour in Washington and Israeli circles for military action in the escalating tension with Tehran.
That is what is indicated by the presence of Israeli aviation fuel tanks that were apparently dropped in Turkey near the Turkish-Syrian border last week.
Obviously, Israel is planning a repeat of its 1981 attack on Iraq's nuclear plant, which it suspected of being building site for nuclear weapons. It is also known that Israel has acquired the long-range capability to strike at some of Iran's nuclear facilities, including those located underground. The Israeli air force is now equipped with refuelling planes for such missions and also "bunker-buster" bombs that could successfully target underground facilities protected by concrete layers.
Syria has reported that its air defences opened fire against Israeli aircraft which violated its airspace on Thursday. Israel has kept a pointed silence on the incident and some Israeli officials have used the opportunity to accuse Syria of seeking a war with the Jewish state and of sponsoring "terrorism." They also claim that Syria could never be expected to seek peace with Israel.
Well, the whole episode is deceitful, to say the least. Syria has clearly indicated that it is seeking peace with Israel, but not on terms set by the Jewish state. Israeli leaders might not want to acknowledge the reality, but that posture does not do away with the world's understanding of the Syrian position.
It is almost certain that Israel is planning military action against Iran, and Tehran has vowed that it would hold the US responsible for any strikes against its nuclear or other facilities regardless of who actually carries out the attack — in short a perfect recipe for worsening the instability in the region resulting from the US-led invasion of Iraq and the ongoing crisis in the chaotic country.
The truth that Israeli aircraft were in Syrian space as part of a trial run for action against Iran also explains why the US has opted not to make any comment.
Something needs to be done and done fast. The situation threatens to send the regional situation spinning out of control and it is a prospect no one in the region or beyond wants, except of course Israel, whose leaders seem to have convinced themselves that their country would be able to ride out the repercussions of its actions.
The only party which could probably restrain Israel is the US, but it is Washington which supplied and equipped the Jewish state with the advanced weapons, equipment and technology for long-range military action. And it is also known that no US administration could ever restrain Israel when the Jewish state is determined and has made up its to do something.
Where does that leave the region? We could only hope that sensible minds would prevail in Washington in order to apply pressure of a level that is warranted in order to restrain Israel from pursuing its disasterous designs.