ISRAELI - The Salt Lake Tribune

President Assad says Syria able to face Israel

Tue, 07 May 2013 20:27:01 MDT

President Assad says Syria able to face Israel

By BARBARA SURK The Associated Press

Updated May 7, 2013 08:27PM MDT

Beirut • In his first response to Israel’s weekend airstrikes, President Bashar Assad said Tuesday that Syria is capable of facing Israel, but stopped short of threatening retaliation for the strikes near the Syrian capital of Damascus. Assad spoke after a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, who paid an unexpected visit to Damascus. Iran, one of Syria’s closest allies, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militia allied with both Assad and Tehran, have become increasingly involved in S...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Rubin: Israel steps up to the plate

Tue, 07 May 2013 01:01:04 MDT

Rubin: Israel steps up to the plate

By Jennifer Rubin The Washington Post

Updated May 7, 2013 01:01AM MDT

By Jennifer Rubin The Washington Post The Washington Post reports: “Israeli forces have carried out an airstrike against a shipment of sophisticated missiles bound for the Lebanese political and military organization Hezbollah, officials in Washington, Lebanon and Israel told reporters Saturday. . . . Lebanese authorities and residents had already reported unusually intense Israeli overflights during the previous 48 hours, suggesting the warplanes may have struck their target from Lebanese air...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Israeli airstrike in Syria aimed at Iran

Mon, 06 May 2013 17:20:53 MDT

Israeli airstrike in Syria aimed at Iran

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and KARIN LAUB The Associated Press

Updated May 6, 2013 05:20PM MDT

Beirut • From Israel’s perspective, its airstrikes near Damascus were more about Iran than Syria: Tehran’s shipment of guided missiles destroyed in the weekend attacks would have posed a potent threat had the weapons reached Iranian proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon. While Israel says it has no interest getting involved in the Syrian civil war, it could find itself drawn into the conflict if Syrian leader Bashar Assad’s Iranian patrons continue to use his territory to ship arms to Hezbollah. Repeated I...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Israeli airstrike in Syria aimed at Iran

Mon, 06 May 2013 20:36:19 MDT

Israeli airstrike in Syria aimed at Iran

By JOSEF FEDERMAN and KARIN LAUB The Associated Press

Updated May 6, 2013 08:36PM MDT

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Israeli airstrikes on Syria prompt threats, anger

Sun, 05 May 2013 23:51:51 MDT

Israeli airstrikes on Syria prompt threats, anger

By KARIN LAUB and JOSEF FEDERMAN The Associated Press

Updated May 5, 2013 11:51PM MDT

Beirut • Israel rushed to beef up its rocket defenses on its northern border Sunday to shield against possible retaliation after carrying out two airstrikes in Syria over 48 hours — an unprecedented escalation of Israeli involvement in the Syrian civil war. Syria and its patron Iran hinted at possible retribution, though the rhetoric in official statements appeared relatively muted. Despite new concerns about a regional war, Israeli officials signaled they will keep trying to block what they se...

Israeli raids in Syria highlight Arab conundrum

Sun, 05 May 2013 23:56:29 MDT

Israeli raids in Syria highlight Arab conundrum

By SARAH EL DEEB and BRIAN MURPHY The Associated Press

Updated May 5, 2013 11:56PM MDT

Cairo • Five weeks ago, the head of the Arab League capped a summit in Qatar with an impassioned appeal to strengthen the rebel fighters trying to bring down Syrian President Bashar Assad. On Sunday, he denounced Israeli’s airstrike into Assad’s territory as a dangerous threat to regional stability. The contrast reflects a fundamental conundrum for Arab leaders. Nearly all Arab states have sided with the rebel forces seeking to topple Assad and inflict a blow to his main ally, Iran. And Sunday’s...