Foreign Affairs Discussion Group Message Board

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next

From: c.hinton	10/2/2007 12:39:01 PM
	Read Replies (2) of 281500

Israel lifts state censor on Syrian air strike By Tim Butcher in Jerusalem Last Updated: 4:08pm BST 02/10/2007 Israel gave the strongest hint yet it was responsible for a mysterious air strike on a target in Syria last month when the country’s censorship office subtly watered down its rules for reporting the incident. While the censors had previously insisted any reports from Israel of the air strike were attributed to foreign media sources, this condition has been dropped. The organisation was at pains to point out that this was not the same as Israel taking official responsibility for the air strike. advertisement The change meant the Israeli state censor would no longer seek to prosecute any news organisation that reported an attack took place. No other change in the censorship of this story was made - meaning the Israeli government continued to decline to comment on the target attacked, the force used and the success or otherwise of the attack. Foreign sources, mostly in America, have suggested the target was some sort of joint nuclear facility between Syrian and North Korea which was successfully demolished by Israeli F15 long-rang attack aircraft. The loosening of the censorship around the story came as a relief to the Israeli media which is not used to such tight-lipped behaviour from government officials. The change prompted intense reporting and analysis by local newspapers, anxious about the potential impact on relations between Israel and Syria, two of the Middle East’s most implacable foes. It is understood the censorship office dropped its condition of attributing all news to foreign sources after President Syrian President Bashar Assad admitted publicly the Israeli air force had carried out an attack. In an interview with BBC Radio, President Assad said IAF jets had hit an “unused military building” in his country. The attack, in the early hours of September 6, put Syria in an awkward position as it wanted to complain about Israeli ‘provocation’ but did not want to betray too much about what had been hit. So Damascus issued a very lukewarm complaint about the attack and then let the issue die away until Mr Assad’s public confirmation.

Report TOU Violation

Share This Post

Public Reply Prvt Reply Mark as Last Read File

Previous 10 Next 10 Previous Next