Top Syrian Rebel: Israel Attacked Missiles With Submarine

David Lev

A top Syrian rebel official on Monday said that the IDF had indeed attacked Latakia over the weekend – not from the air, as had been reported, but from the sea. “Israel used a submarine to attack the missiles,” Mustafa Abd al-Karim told a Russian news station Monday.

According to weekend reports, Israeli forces on July 5 destroyed a cache of Russian-made Yakhont anti-ship missiles as they were docked at the port of Latakia in Syria. Israel did not confirm or deny the report, first broadcast on CNN, and Syria initially denied that the attack had taken place at all, but Israeli television stations released satellite photos showing that the bombing had taken place.

CNN quoted several U.S. officials as saying that Israeli planes had bombed the missiles, and a report quoted in Ha'aretz said that Israeli fighter planes were seen in the skies of the Syrian city of Al-Haffah, located east of Latakia.

In the interview with Russya al-yum, an Arabic-language Russian satellite broadcaster, Al-Karim said that “the attack was carried out by an Israeli submarine. At least five missile batteries were destroyed.”

A separate report earlier Monday by another Russian satellite broadcaster, Russia Today, said that Israeli planes launched from an air base in Turkey bombed the missiles. Turkey denied the allegation, with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu saying that Turkey “would not be involved in such a strike, and anyone who says it was is just trying to harm Turkey's reputation.”

Signs and Events

US Journalist: Snowden Greatest Threat to US in Nation's History

Rina Tzvi

[source: Arutz Sheva]

American journalist and political commentator Glenn Greenwald has claimed that National Security Agency leaker, Edward Snowden, poses more of a threat to the U.S. than anyone in the country’s history.

Greenwald, whose collaborations with Snowden for The Guardian exposed U.S. surveillance programs, said that as a result, U.S. officials should hope Snowden stays safe because if not, a mass of harmful information would become public.

“Snowden has enough information to cause more damage to the U.S. government in a minute alone than anyone else has ever had in the history of the United States,” Greenwald told the Argentinian newspaper La Nacion.

“If something were to happen, those documents would be made public. This is your insurance policy,” he said.

“The U.S. government should be on your knees every day praying that nothing happens to Snowden, because if something happens, all information will be revealed and that would be their worst nightmare,” Greenwald added.

Greenwald’s interview comes as Snowden remains in the Moscow airport, where he has remained been for almost three weeks.

Bolivia, Nicaragua and Venezuela have offered Snowden asylum, despite intense pressure from the United States.

Signs and Events

David Cameron warned arming Syrian rebels could embroil Britain in all-out war

David Cameron abandoned plans to arm the Syrian rebels after being warned by military chiefs that it could embroil British forces in an all-out war.

David Cameron, the Prime Minister Photo: ASSOCIATED PRESS

By Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent

6:00AM BST 15 Jul 2013

Senior military figures have warned the Prime Minister that with the momentum on the side of President Assad's regime, sending small arms and missiles is unlikely to make a difference.

There are also growing concerns that arms sent to Syria could end up in the hands of extremists rather than moderate rebels, potentially presenting a long-term threat to British security.

More significant military intervention, such as introducing a no-fly zone over Syria, could mire Britain in a conflict for months because of the strength of the regime's air defences.

The move represents a significant climb-down by Mr Cameron. He and his Foreign Secretary, William Hague, have been keen to act. In May he demanded an end to the EU arms embargo to give him more options.

His wife, Samantha, was reportedly pushing for him to take a more robust response after being moved by the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

She travelled to a refugee camp in her role as a charity envoy with Save the Children, where she met children who have been left traumatised by the conflict.

She said at the time: "As a mother, it is horrifying to hear the harrowing stories from the children I met today. No child should ever experience what they have. With every day that passes, more children and parents are being killed, more innocent childhoods are being smashed to pieces.".

However, Mr Cameron has been told by Tory whips that there is little prospect of winning a vote on arming rebels in the Commons.

His decision has been swayed by the advice of military chiefs at the National Security Council, who raised concerns about the strength of the Syrian military.

A source close to Downing Street last night confirmed that Mr Cameron is not planning to arm Syrian rebels.

British forces will instead draw up plans to help train and advise moderate elements of the opposition forces fighting the regime.

John Kerry, the US Secretary of State is attempting to push rebels and the regime to the negotiating table.

However, British government sources have expressed frustration that they have little idea what he is seeking.

Ministers believe it could take 18 months before President Assad is forced to the negotiating table, although it could take significantly longer after the advance of the Syrian government forces.

Downing Street said: "No decision has been taken to supply arms to the opposition. The NSC continues to review the decision in Syria and to examine all the options closely."