Syria warns Israel of retaliation
Syria and Israel are still trading accusations and threats a week after an Israeli strike on a target outside Damascus.
The attack was the first of its kind in 30 years.
Syria then submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council condemning the strike and calling on the Council to help prevent further Israeli attacks.
But the resolution still does not have the backing of a majority of Council members.
Now Syria has said that if Israel strikes again it will retaliate.
If Syria comes under renewed Israeli attack there will be retaliation.
This is what Boushra Kanafani, a spokeswoman for the Syrian foreign ministry, said here in Damascus.
She added that her country had the right to use all means at its disposal, to exercise its right to self-defence if it was attacked again.
She did not elaborate on what the means were.
Target dispute
Israeli reaction was quick. An Israeli spokesperson has already said that countries like Syria which support terrorist organisations carrying out attacks against Israeli civilians are legitimate targets.
Israel claims that the target of the Israeli strike on Sunday was a training camp for radical Palestinian militants.
Syria maintains it was a civilian area but it has so far not allowed the media to visit the site.
Asked why Syria had sealed off the area of the strike, Mrs Kanafani simply replied there was no reason to put Syria's credibility under scrutiny.
In other words, if Syria said the target was a civilian site, the world just had to believe it.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Hezbollah's secretary general, Syyed Hassan Nasrallah, has warned that his guerrilla movement will retaliate if Israel conducts more strikes on Syria and Lebanon.
Hezbollah is backed by Syria and has often been used by Damascus to put pressure on Israel.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3183788.stm
Syria and Israel are still trading accusations and threats a week after an Israeli strike on a target outside Damascus.
The attack was the first of its kind in 30 years.
Syria then submitted a draft resolution to the UN Security Council condemning the strike and calling on the Council to help prevent further Israeli attacks.
But the resolution still does not have the backing of a majority of Council members.
Now Syria has said that if Israel strikes again it will retaliate.
If Syria comes under renewed Israeli attack there will be retaliation.
This is what Boushra Kanafani, a spokeswoman for the Syrian foreign ministry, said here in Damascus.
She added that her country had the right to use all means at its disposal, to exercise its right to self-defence if it was attacked again.
She did not elaborate on what the means were.
Target dispute
Israeli reaction was quick. An Israeli spokesperson has already said that countries like Syria which support terrorist organisations carrying out attacks against Israeli civilians are legitimate targets.
Israel claims that the target of the Israeli strike on Sunday was a training camp for radical Palestinian militants.
Syria maintains it was a civilian area but it has so far not allowed the media to visit the site.
Asked why Syria had sealed off the area of the strike, Mrs Kanafani simply replied there was no reason to put Syria's credibility under scrutiny.
In other words, if Syria said the target was a civilian site, the world just had to believe it.
Meanwhile in Lebanon, Hezbollah's secretary general, Syyed Hassan Nasrallah, has warned that his guerrilla movement will retaliate if Israel conducts more strikes on Syria and Lebanon.
Hezbollah is backed by Syria and has often been used by Damascus to put pressure on Israel.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3183788.stm
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