Israel says Syria test-fired 3 missiles

[Corlyss_D]

When you want to send a message, tape it to a scud . . .
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Syria fires Scuds over Turkey 'to taunt US'
By Tim Butcher, Middle East Correspondent
(Filed: 04/06/2005)

Syria has staged a defiant display of strategic firepower by test-firing Scud missiles for the first time in four years, Israeli security sources said yesterday.

The officials, citing intelligence data, said the missiles, using North Korean technology and designed to carry chemical warheads, were launched last week from northern Syria.

One missile was fired towards the Mediterranean, the Israeli officials said, and broke up over the Turkish province of Hatay, shedding debris over two villages.

Israeli security sources said Syria's attempt to fire a missile over Turkey, a Nato country, was intended as a snub to America.

Washington has led a fierce campaign against Syria over the past year, blaming it for backing insurgents in Iraq and leading the chorus that forced Damascus to withdraw from Lebanon.

It is believed Israel has acquired film footage of the launches, which involved two Scud D variants, with a range of 400 miles, and one Scud B, with a range of 190 miles.

There have been suspicions that Syria has been buying missile technology from North Korea, and Israel will analyse what advances it has made in terms of targeting.

Any evidence that Syria can accurately launch Scud missiles, possibly with air-dispersed chemical weapons, raises dramatically the likelihood of pre-emptive Israeli military action.

When Israel was hit by Scuds launched by Saddam Hussein's regime in 1991, it was persuaded not to retaliate by evidence that the missiles were inaccurate and had modest payloads.

America was silent about the latest Syrian launches, but Turkey confirmed that missile debris had landed around two villages in the southern province of Hatay.

The Turkish foreign ministry said Syria had assured it that the incident was "just an accident'' during routine military training

[jbuck919]

I do not understand why the sailing of a U.S. fleet in the direction of Syria now two weeks ago has been treated as non-news. My colleague was reading it aloud from Stars and Stripes and I was joking about rumors and my other colleagues where stating that they are not just rumors. Usually armchair is not ahead of what you can read in the New York Times or see on CNN.

Then I made a joke about the Chinese taking advantage of the opportunity, should we invade Syria while so thoroughly engaged elsewhere, of finally invading Taiwan. Except that it was not much of a joke.

[Ralph]

I do not understand why the sailing of a U.S. fleet in the direction of Syria now two weeks ago has been treated as non-news. My colleague was reading it aloud from Stars and Stripes and I was joking about rumors and my other colleagues where stating that they are not just rumors. Usually armchair is not ahead of what you can read in the New York Times or see on CNN.

Then I made a joke about the Chinese taking advantage of the opportunity, should we invade Syria while so thoroughly engaged elsewhere, of finally invading Taiwan. Except that it was not much of a joke.

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No, it's hardly a joke that we are very overdrawn and can not deploy assets to meet a new and unavoidable military challenge. And the Army and Marine Corps recruiting goals slide further from attainment almost every month. And forget about the Reserves and the National Guard.