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The Syrians Don't Know What They Saw

[Ynet News] Ron Ben-Yishai - The Syrians don't know what they saw Wednesday night on the radar screens and what they fired at. Israel has no interest in helping them understand what they saw. It is reasonable to assume, however, that the Syrians will not turn the recent aerial incident into a catalyst for launching hostile activities against Israel. The Syrians cannot say with certainty or prove that there was an aircraft, and they are also unable to describe the route used by that unidentified object. This happens often as part of intelligence efforts: One side spots something and then sends up a trial balloon via the media in order to be able to complete the missing details through the response. This is probably why the IDF Spokesperson's Office says, "We do not comment on reports of this nature." Whether the Syrians saw something or not, whether it was an Israeli aircraft or something belonging to another country - there is no reason why Israel should help the Syrians in their interpretation efforts, helping them improve their aerial defense system. What is really worrying is the Syrian information minister's declaration that his country "would find the way to respond to the Israeli infiltration." It is possible that Syria is now looking for an excuse to initiate an escalation with Israel. However, it appears that Syria still does not view itself as ready for an all-out war with Israel.
2007-09-07 01:00:00
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