‘We have strategic weapons and we’re capable of responding,’ says official in Damscus; Russia: West has no proof of chemical attack
A senior Syrian official on Monday issued a first direct warning that if attacked, his country would retaliate against Israel. Khalaf Muftah, a senior Baath Party official who used to serve as Syria’s assistant information minister, said in a radio interview that Damascus would consider Israel “behind the [Western] aggression and [it] will therefore come under fire.”
“We have strategic weapons and we’re capable of responding,” he said. “Normally the strategic weapons are aimed at Israel.”
Muftah concluded with a warning that “If the US or Israel make the mistake of taking advantage of the chemical issue… the region will go up in flames… that will affect security not only in the region but across the world.”
His words were echoed by Iranian officials, who on Monday shrugged off the threat of a US attack on its close ally Syria, but said that if such a strike were to take place, Israel would suffer.
“[The Americans] are incapable of starting a new war in the region, because of their lacking economic capabilities and their lack of morale,” said Mohammad Reza Naqdi, the commander of the Republican Guards’ elite Basij force.
“No military attack will be waged against Syria,” said Hossein Sheikholeslam, a member of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly. “Yet, if such an incident takes place, which is impossible, the Zionist regime will be the first victim of a military attack on Syria.”
Israeli military officials have indicated they believe it unlikely that Syria would target Israel if the US or others intervened, but Israel has reportedly been taking security precautions just in case.
“Our hand is always on the pulse,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday. “Our finger is a responsible one and if needed, is on the trigger. We will always know how to protect our citizens and our country against those who come to injure us or try to attack us.”
The Syrian and Iranian statements Monday came as Britain reportedly pushed for US action on Syria in the wake of a horrific alleged chemical weapons attack on civilians outside Damascus. According to a report from the Times of London, British Prime Minister David Cameron wants a strike in the coming days while outrage over the alleged attack is still fresh. British Foreign Minister William Hague said in an interview with the BBC on Monday that action could be taken even without the full support of the UN Security Council.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that Western nations calling for military action against Syria have no proof the Syrian government is behind the alleged chemical weapons attack.
France, Britain, Israel and some US congressmen have said military action against Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime should be an option if it has used such weapons. A UN team is on the ground investigating the August 21 attack that left hundreds dead.
Lavrov said in a news conference that the countries calling for action have assumed the role of “both investigators and the UN Security Council” in probing the incident.
“They cannot produce evidence, but keep on saying that the ‘red line’ has been crossed and they cannot wait any longer,” he said.
Lavrov likened the situation in Syria to the run-up before the 2003 military operation in Iraq. He warned against military intervention in Syria, saying “the use of force without a sanction of the UN Security Council is a crude violation of the international law.”
Russia’s foreign policy chief also blamed the Syrian opposition for manipulating reports of the attack in order to derail a peace conference on Syria. Lavrov said Russian and US experts were days away from meeting up to arrange a peace conference in Geneva on Syria.
“This hysteria will definitely work against this meeting,” he said.
In Syria, a UN vehicle belonging to a team investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons in Damascus was shot at by snipers Monday as experts were moving to investigate the incident, which left hundreds dead.
“I don’t have any doubts that it will be said that the firing came from the other side. But all this is moving in one direction and doesn’t inspire optimism,” Lavrov said.
Hitler didn’t try to kill all the jews,he just wanted them gone from Germany and Europe.What we need is for some other force to finish off all the jews in the world and until that happens,we will never know peace or what it feels like to have a country free of war and usury.
Hitler didn’t try to kill all the jews,he just wanted them gone from Germany and Europe.What we need is for some other force to finish off all the jews in the world and until that happens,we will never know peace or what it feels like to have a country free of war and usuary.
Will you read history first Adam before making any comment. Cant you notice? If US attack Syria, they will attack Israel in retaliation? what a highest form of stupidity. Why not attack US? why Israel? The God of Israel said: I will bless those who bless Israel and I will curse those who curse Israel.
I wish they do strike israel. Seriously, who do they think they are? They didnt even exist till after their extermination. God i so wish Hitler finished them all of ffs.
Spoken like a true Arab rag head, If Syria were stupid enough to launch missles on Israel, they would find their entire military capability wiped out before they could say “God is Great.”
Lt… It’s also stupid for American soldiers to be cannon fodder for Israel. A lot of us were deeply affected by 9-11 and wanted to go kill some “bad guys” in Afghanistan and Iraq , the only problem is we didn’t invade Israel and kill the REAL ” Bad Guys”, instead a lot of Good Americans died and are still dying in the Middle East where we really don’t belong. Israel LOVES the fact that we killed Millions of their Muslim enemies.
Ok, I get it, you don’t like Israel for one reason or the other. On that point we will have to agree to disagree. Frankly, I would trust Israelis coverning my backside in a tough situation than I would the Palestinians any day. American men and women should not be cannon fodder for anyone, including the big oil interests or the Military-Industrial Complex, whcih are in it strictly for money. I will agree, we do not belong in the middle east or any of the other places where America is trying to play policeman to the world.
You think Israel is covering your back? Israel is the one that is getting America into so many Wars, as Osama Bin Laden stated the reason for his war on America was because of Americas support for Israel which by no doubt an oppressive occupier.
Numan, what I said is that I would trust Israel to watch my back iin a fight, not that they were watching out backs. Let’s not be niave here. Israel is looking out for their own interests first and foremost. Considering those who have physically tried to destroy them over the years, can you blame them for that. Mabye you can, I do not. Actually when you get down to where the rubber meets the road, that is what the United Staes should be doing. Quit playing Policeman, Santa Claus and Big Brother to the world and focus full efforts on taking care of the American people. For American kids to go to bed hungry every night and there are some that do, is an inexcusable matter. Instead of giving a shit about our own people most of the traitors in Congress are serving “Special Interest” masters who pay to keep them in office. If people want real change, we need to clean house in Congress and dump all those self serving bastards into the bottomleess pit. Now you know how I feel about that.
Calling people names like ‘Rag Head’ or ‘Gook’ does nothing to either understand or solve the situation.
Civil discourse is for communicating with others who while disagreeing, respond in the same manner. Pardon me, but I have zero tolerance for a person who wishes all Jews had been exterminated by Hitler. For folks like that, I am perfectly capable of speaking a language they clearly understand. Sorry, but this imperfect Christian does not turn the other cheek.
I could not agree more, this is what a big part of the problem is. Cheers
Good and Evil are equal opportunity employers; you cannot condemn a whole country or people because of some of them. If so, I suggest you check the USA; the ONLY country to use nuclear weapons against another people…if there is such a thing as’ collective guilt’ what does that make you?
All the country’s mentioned in this article have a central bank owned by guess who , its all theater but the suffering brought by the puppet masters is reality .
Depending on who’s story you believe, either this is the end of the world, or the beginning of the new world.
The ‘elite’ are wanting to start WW3 because the world has been bankrupt since 2008, and they’ve been papering over the cracks ever since hoping no-one would notice.
The new pope has signed a new law that starts on September 1st that says that heads of state can now be imprisoned for war crimes, so most of the ‘elite’s’ whipping boys are gonna end up in the slammer, leaving them with no puppets to run ‘their’ world, and no-one wanting the job, so the game is over, and this is their last ditch attempt to murder us all. If i can’t have the world, no-one can, that is their attitude.
We really should form SAS type small armies and go and round them up and jail them. Killing them would be too good for them, we need to take their freedom from them, and all our money back, and see how they like it.
Let the U.S. Military strike Syria, then Iran will strike Israel, then the U.S. will strike Iran, then Russia will strike the U.S. which in return will bring in the Chinese .
russia will not strike at the usa no way, and china wants nothing to do with this at this point.the nato allies are too strong still and russia and china both know this .russia is just trying to act like they can do something but they can not short of a world ending nuclear war.
At this point, anything can happen!
To me this farce smells strongly like a replay of faulty intelligence on weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq that was used to scam the American people into believing that mess was justified. Here we are again, with the Military-Industrial complex and their backers in Congress pushing to get us into another shooting conflict for the sole purpose of profit. With the incompentent government we have in place, the end will always justify the means.
Of COURSE afterwards, they will say “a result of faulty intelligence…”
Unfortunatedly, to redress the ME balance of power, Syria should resort to a nuclear stalemate with israel and warmongering states. It is enough for them to know that
Assad has that capability to stop terrorist support. Jews know the danger of radiation
as they were instigators of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But the Holy Book has a different
answer for hebrews misbehaviour. To be passed by the edge od the sword by neighboring
nations perhaps could be coincident with a total devastation of the place. The entire World
is suffering under the planning made with the “Protocols of the learned Elders of Zion”, a must and synthetic explanation of what is happening around the globe. Pakistan should pass
some “strategic developments” to Assad and that would be good enough to even stop
Pakistan internal turmoil.
Although I don’t promote nuclear armament ,it does seem as a checkmate solution.
The United States needs to butt out of it’s misguided “Nation Building” adventures and let the Arabs solve their own problems. Somehow, they managed to survive thousands of years without Uncle Sam’s help and can do it again. Of course, we have the Republican War Hawks pushing for actiion so their BFF’s in the Military-Industrial Complex can put more billions of tax dollars in their pocket for the cruise missles fired and bombs dropped. The Democrats are devoid of any Foreign Policy and Obama’s leftist advisors are gazing at the crystal ball trying to figue out what to do. This is our corrupt and dsyfunctional government at work folks, using your tax money to bankroll thier mistakes. Fire them all is the answer.
If we had NOT been lied to so many times before in the West we could give an honest opinion or validation, the way it is now we average people have no idea what the truth actually is.
I think we’ve all had enough of war BUT does that mean we should just sit back & watch a dictator kill all those who dare question his insidious dominance ?
I think if it was my country I would hope the west would intervene, a dictatorship of ANY way, shape or form is surely detrimental to the major population of that country, they sure as hell DON’T deserve how they’re being treated, I think we would all agree with that.
Just once wouldn’t it be great if politics & religion were set aside & all agreed that this is so wrong & stopped the killings BUT with Iran, Russia & China promising retaliation if action is taken against Syria it is a very complex problem.
This is over simplifying it but if Assad is NOT stopped it could mean more nations becoming dictatorships & compounding the problem tenfold however if action is taken it must be in a minimised way to reduce the retaliation threatened. There are many Russian, Chinese & even Iranians who are irate that their country would risk everything to protect a parasite like Assad.
Whatever happens I hope it is a limited exchange with a hasty peace initiative thrashed out by ALL the powers involved because once again it is the innocent in society that pay the highest price in these wars.
I wish you all well & enduring peace.
gjs,go to hell you government troll,or are you so brainwashed,you actually believe their no proof lies!!!!!!!
If that’s the best you can add to a debate it’s pretty bloody pathetic !
No wonder the world is in trouble with raving lunatics such as yourself loose in society.
Ask yourself the question: “Has any country in the world where we have helped depose a dictator (Iran, Iraq, Lybia, Egypt) been better off afterwards? The answer is a qualified, “No.” Also keep in mind, a vast majority of those people in Syria including the so called rebels hate everything we stand for and would kill Americans without hesitation. Frankly, speaking only for myself, I could give a rats ass what those people do internally and let them resolve their own problems the way they always have. America needs to butt out.
Remove your own dictator in America, (Obama) then think about removing another nations dictator . the U.S. Government and Obama will soon meet the dead end .
Ok Leo I’ll bite, what is the “dead end” and what happens then?
GJS… We the American people sit back and watch OUR Dictator Obama kill civilians with Drone strikes every day in countries where Congress has NEVER declared WAR or even congressional approved military Involvement . These Countries are Pakistan, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, Syria , Iraq and Afghanistan. Afghanistan was the only country given Congressional approval to Declare war on the Taliban and Al Qaeda (a CIA trained group). Iraq was based upon LIES from ZOG, just like the current situation in Syria. Are The American people or even our Military stopping the Madman Barry Soetero? NO
The Zionists have no problem sacrificing IS RA EL. They sacrificed their people in WWII by financing both sides of the war. This would be no different. The real criminals are the wealthy elite who plan these wars and use servicemen as tools in foreign policy. We are nothing but fodder to the elite who consider themselves gods.
To them the world is a game to play for greater wealth and power. They care nothing of the people of this world and they really do not care for this world itself.
If there were ANY evidence that they had “well meaning” in mind they would be focusing on stopping Fukashima. Instead they caused the Gulf oil tragedy and destroyed an ecosystem. They were instrumental in the destruction of Fukashima as a planned event. The Stuxnet virus was found in reactor core 3’s control system.
Remove the worldly elite and wealthy criminal politicians. Create a voluntary unpaid council system. Make it criminal for people in these positions to garner wealth from criminal activities while in office.
Jail the criminal bankers and render them equal with the people take their ill gotten wealth and repair the world.
You should be running the government 5 War!!
Your comments are hard to argue against. I can’t remember who but one of the founding fathers (USA) scoffed when asked if he thought Politicians should be paid, he answered what sort of man would want to be paid for such a great honour, boy how things have changed !
Wise words and very good to see from American war vets.
This is headed for a MAJOR confrontation .
no . syria is just going to get some missles shot at them and then syria will do nothing in response but complain or maybe some terroist attacks on israel or usa, thats all they can do