Israel can still amaze and astound
There’s a new legend in the making. It’s set near Dayr az-Zawr in north-eastern Syria, and features Sayeret Mat’kal, a special operations unit of the Israeli Defence Force. Not only did Israel destroy, on 6 September 2007, a suspected nuclear weapons project on which North Korea was allegedly collaborating, but it sent commandos in to seize firm evidence first.
The Times of London has the story, and a great story it is. (Via Limbic Nutrition.)
It’s been 40 years since the Six Day War, in which Israel amazed (and mostly delighted) the world by defeating the Arab enemies vowed to its destruction. This feat, pulled off against overwhelming numerical disadvantage and with only “even-handedness” from the US and ill-disguised condemnation from the UN to counter full Soviet support for the Arab armies, is what put Israel on the map for the watching world. This was followed up by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat 34 years ago and the astounding Entebbe Raid three years later. And it’s been fully 26 years since a daring raid on the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak entered the annals of military feats of the beleaguered state. Only then they didn’t have to get there on foot first.
Information remains sketchy about the Syrian operation. After the relative failure of last year’s attempt to eject the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hizbollah terrorist organisation from its entrenchment in the south of Lebanon, the details emerging from this assault suggest that the Israelis remain capable of defending their country, and aren’t ready to bow out of the fight against terrorism and unconventional weapons proliferation in the Middle East.
One commenter calls it “naked aggression”1. This is typical of much of the modern world’s characterisation of any Israeli military action, no matter whether it’s defensive, retaliatory or placatory. I, for one, am looking forward to the book.
- Update: it appears to have been deleted as at 26/9/2007 [↩]
