Outside the Beltway

Israeli Jets Buzz Syrian President’s Home

James Joyner
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Israeli warplanes buzzed the home of Syrian President Bashar Assad in a not-so-subtle message that he should help pressure the Hamas government of the Palestinian Authority to pressure terrorists to release a 19-year-old soldier they’ve taken hostage.

Israeli warplanes buzzed the seaside home of Syria’s president and bombed Hamas targets in Gaza on Wednesday to pressure Palestinian militants to free a kidnapped Israeli soldier. Fighter jets also knocked out electricity and water supplies for most of the 1.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip. Three bridges also were destroyed to keep militants from moving Cpl. Gilad Shalit, 19, who was taken hostage Sunday by three Hamas-affiliated groups.

Israeli military officials said on condition of anonymity that warplanes flew low over the home of Syrian President Bashar Assad because he has sheltered Hamas leaders, who Israel blames for masterminding the kidnapping.

At some point, I suppose, one’s patience runs out. Still, this is akin to swatting a gnat with a sledgehammer.

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10 responses to “Israeli Jets Buzz Syrian President’s Home”

  1. madmatt Avatar
    madmatt

    What can justify screwing with 1.3 MILLION people for the sake of one soldier who knew the risks….why do we support these people again?

  2. Bithead Avatar
    Bithead

    I dunno, James.
    That gnat has been pretty damned destructive over the years, wouldn’t you say?

  3. Steven Plunk Avatar
    Steven Plunk

    The Palestinians dug a tunnel under the border to attack an Israeli border post. They killed two and took a hostage. In most of the world this is an act of war, which Hamas would not disagree.

    This is not about one soldier but about one country being constantly attacked by a group of savage barbarians. Somebody needs to learn a lesson about being grownups in a grownup world.

  4. Jim Henley Avatar
    Jim Henley

    Just to be pedantic about terminology for a minute, wouldn’t “war criminals” be more appropriate in this instance than “terrorists?” It’s not terrorism to capture an enemy soldier. But it’s certainly a war crime to threaten to execute one if your enemy doesn’t behave like you want. Per those outmoded Geneva Conventions AG Gonzales finds so quaint.

  5. James Joyner Avatar
    James Joyner

    Jim: Fair point vis-a-vis soldiers. I’m just characterizing “Hamas” generally as a terrorist organization and its members thereby “terrorists.”

    To the extent this is a faction operating outside the sanction of the Hamas-led government (and who the hell knows, really) I’m not sure they can be characterized as “war criminals” since they have no duty as private actors to follow the Geneva conventions. Palestinian soldiers, yes, renegade guerillas, no.

  6. Ugh Avatar
    Ugh

    So the implication from Israel to Syria is, what? That we can kill Assad at a time and place of our choosing?

  7. legion Avatar
    legion

    Jim,
    That’s what makes this particular incident so…. interesting. It isn’t Syria that dug the tunnel & is holding that soldier, it’s Hamas. Israel’s position tho, is that Syria was at least aware of the plan or is sheltering Hamas (or even actively supporting them).

    If I was Assad, I’d give all my Hamas buddies a little lecture on “plausible deniability”. Or maybe I’d just get G. Gordon Liddy to do it…

  8. Jim Henley Avatar
    Jim Henley

    James, I am pretty sure that “private actor” belligerents do have affirmative duties under the Geneva Conventions. So my international law prof taught us back in collitch anyway. They routinely flout them – most notably the requirement to wear “identifying insignia” while on an operation – but they exist.

    legion, it’s unclear on what basis the Israelis are engaging in military operations in Syrian airspace. They clearly aren’t worried about possible Syrian reprisals, though, which is the best bellwether of the TRUE balance of power in the region I’ve seen in awhile. (As opposed to all this “existential threat” nonsense one hears from Israel’s partisans.)

  9. Herb Avatar
    Herb

    To bad they didn’t “accidentally” drop a JADAM

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