Military group gets green light to attack Israel
Source: Agencies |
May 8, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PRESIDENT Bashar Assad's government has given a Palestinian militant group the go-ahead to set up missiles to attack Israel in the wake of recent Israeli air strikes on the Syrian capital, a spokesman for the group said yesterday.
Syria has hinted at possible retribution against Israel since the Jewish state carried out the airstrikes on Damascus over the weekend, although official government statements have been relatively mild.
"Syria has given the green light to set up missile batteries to directly attack Israeli targets," said Anwar Raja of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
He said authorities also told the PFLP-GC that the group could carry out attacks independently without consulting Syrian authorities.
"Practically, the Syrian stand has always been supportive of the Palestinian resistance and Syria provides the Palestinian resistance with all capabilities including all kinds of weapons," Raja said.
The PFLP-GC is a small Palestinian militant faction that the US has designated a terrorist organization.
In the 1960s through 1980s, PFLP-GC militants hijacked an Israeli airliner, machine-gunned another at Zurich's airport, and blew up a Tel Aviv-bound Swissair plane, killing all 47 aboard. In 1987, a PFLP-GC guerrilla flew from Lebanon into Israel on a hang-glider and killed six soldiers before being shot dead.
While the group earned notoriety for its past attacks on Israel, it has been eclipsed in the past 20 years by the other Islamic militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Israel's government has not formally confirmed involvement in the strikes on Syria. However, Israeli officials have said the attacks were meant to prevent advanced Iranian weapons from reaching Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.
Iran has condemned the Israeli attacks and warned of possible retaliation.
Iran's foreign minister said yesterday Syria's Arab neighbors should respond to the Israeli strikes.
Speaking to reporters in Amman, Jordan, Ali Akbar Salehi said Arab nations "must stand by their brethren in Damascus."
The Israeli strikes were met with condemnation from Arab nations, even those who oppose Assad and support the rebels.
Syria has hinted at possible retribution against Israel since the Jewish state carried out the airstrikes on Damascus over the weekend, although official government statements have been relatively mild.
"Syria has given the green light to set up missile batteries to directly attack Israeli targets," said Anwar Raja of the Damascus-based Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.
He said authorities also told the PFLP-GC that the group could carry out attacks independently without consulting Syrian authorities.
"Practically, the Syrian stand has always been supportive of the Palestinian resistance and Syria provides the Palestinian resistance with all capabilities including all kinds of weapons," Raja said.
The PFLP-GC is a small Palestinian militant faction that the US has designated a terrorist organization.
In the 1960s through 1980s, PFLP-GC militants hijacked an Israeli airliner, machine-gunned another at Zurich's airport, and blew up a Tel Aviv-bound Swissair plane, killing all 47 aboard. In 1987, a PFLP-GC guerrilla flew from Lebanon into Israel on a hang-glider and killed six soldiers before being shot dead.
While the group earned notoriety for its past attacks on Israel, it has been eclipsed in the past 20 years by the other Islamic militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Israel's government has not formally confirmed involvement in the strikes on Syria. However, Israeli officials have said the attacks were meant to prevent advanced Iranian weapons from reaching Lebanon's Hezbollah militia.
Iran has condemned the Israeli attacks and warned of possible retaliation.
Iran's foreign minister said yesterday Syria's Arab neighbors should respond to the Israeli strikes.
Speaking to reporters in Amman, Jordan, Ali Akbar Salehi said Arab nations "must stand by their brethren in Damascus."
The Israeli strikes were met with condemnation from Arab nations, even those who oppose Assad and support the rebels.
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