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Analysis: ‘It’s not a war Syria could win’: Israel’s air strike may be a taste of things to come, experts predict
Israel’s air strike in Syria may be a taste of things to come, say security experts. If Israel is considering an air strike on Iranian nuclear facilities it must ensure Hezbollah, an Islamist group in Lebanon and a proxy for Iran, does not get its hands on weapons that could cause the Jewish state problems — like anti-aircraft missiles.
“I would anticipate that this isn’t going to be the first Israeli air strike designed to degrade Hezbollah’s military capabilities over the next year,” said Gary Gambill, associate fellow at the Middle East Forum.
“If Israel is considering a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, then Hezbollah’s capacity to retaliate is going to be an important factor.”
Israeli airstrike hits truck convoy in Syria that may contain weapons bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon
Israel conducted an airstrike inside Syria overnight near the border with Lebanon, hitting a convoy of trucks, U.S. and regional officials said Wednesday.
The regional officials said Israel had been planning in the days leading up to the airstrike to hit a shipment of weapons bound for the Islamist militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. They said the shipment included sophisticated, Russian-made SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles, which would be strategically “game-changing” in the hands of Hezbollah.
The Arab Spring, the Syrian civil war what they mean for the conflict in Gaza
A lot has happened since the 2008/09 Gaza conflict. While the rebellion in Syria means the Jewish state can expect little substantial interference from one of its long-time adversaries, the Mavi Marmara incident in 2010 means Israel can also expect little public support from Turkey. Here’s a look at the geopolitical situation in the region today.
Middle East on the brink of war: analysis
As Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad clings to power with the quiet backing of regional powers Iran and Russia, the Middle East may be sliding slowly into war.
Squeezed between the rebellions of a bloody Arab Spring and growing fears of a possible military response to Iran’s growing nuclear threat, the region is becoming increasingly unstable.
“I would be very surprised if it turned into a Russian-American war, but this could be a Mid-East war: Hezbollah, Hamas, Iran, Syria, Israel all having at each other,” said Jack Granatstein, military historian and senior research fellow at the Canadian Defence and Foreign Affairs Institute.
National Post editorial board: Hezbollah is set to overplay its hand
See all of Gary Clement’s cartoons and check out our full visual archive.
Extremist Islamic group Hezbollah has been blamed in the assassination of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafik Hariri, causing the country’s government to collapse.
See all of Gary Clement’s cartoons.
