(TIME) Karl Vick - Israel's determination to strike discreetly in Syria was undone by leaks, the most credible of which, on CNN, was attributed to U.S. officials. That report infuriated the Israeli security establishment. "What on earth are the Americans thinking when they finger Israel as responsible for the strikes in Syria?" Alex Fishmen asked in a Yediot Ahronot commentary. "Past experience suggests that we shared information with them on our operational activity so as to prevent embarrassment and surprise, but Washington is selling our secrets on the cheap." Though Israel clearly wants the freedom to prevent Syria's government from sharing advanced weapons with Hizbullah, the Jewish state tries to do it without being drawn into Syria's civil war. In the hours after the explosions, neither Assad nor Israel even acknowledged that things had blown up. If either government spoke publicly of the strikes, Assad would be obliged to strike back.
2013-11-04 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive