Netanyahu: 'I knew about Syrian attack'
CBNNews.com
September 29, 2007
CBNNews.com - JERUSALEM, Israel - In a television interview Wednesday evening, Likud chairman and opposition leader Binyamin Netanyhu said he was briefed "from the first minute" on Israel's September 6 attack on a Syrian installation.
Also, according to a report in The New York Times Wednesday, Israel informed the U.S. of its plans beforehand, though President Bush remained tightlipped about the matter.
For more, hear Richard Miniter, Washington editor for Pajamas Media, give his analysis.
"Saying 'I'm not going to comment on the matter' means I'm not going to comment on the matter," Bush said.
Two weeks ago, Israeli pilots carried out a top-secret mission over Syria, allegedly to destroy a Syrian nuclear weapons facility.
"When the prime minister takes action in important and necessary matters and generally when the government is doing things for the security of Israel, I give it my endorsement," Netanyahu told Channel One news anchor Haim Yavin.
"I was party to this matter, I must say, from the first minute and I gave it my backing, but it is still too early to discuss the subject," he said.
When asked if he congratulated the prime minister on the operation's success, Netanyahu said, "Personally, yes."
The admission made him the first senior Israeli official to speak out on the incident and drew a furious response from the prime minister's office and the political left.
Others came to the Likud leader and former prime minister's defense.
"Netanyahu's statements were unfortunate but caused no harm," Member of Knesset Yuval Steinitz told Army Radio.
"This is a tempest in a teacup," he said and trying to "inflict damage on Netanyahu himself is inappropriate," he said.
"It is a pity that the aides of the worst prime minister in the history of the state seek out every opportunity to incite against Netanyahu and permit themselves to use language that is lowly and contemptible, albeit typical," MK Gilad Erdan said.
"Although I am not a member of Netanyahu's party," MK Effi Eitam , "I condemn the wrongful way in which the prime minister's office is attacking Netanyahu in a personal and ugly manner in the name of national defense," Eitam said.
"His comment did not harm Israel's security, and Olmert's aides would do well to examine judgment and statements during the Second Lebanon War," he said.
Meanwhile Syrian officials continue to scoff at the media speculation on the attack.
"All this rubbish is not true," said Syrian Cabinet minister Bouthaina Shaaban, speaking of North Korea's nuclear involvement with Syria.
"I don't know how the imagination has reached such creativity," she said, calling speculation of a North Korean shipment to Syria "fabricated stories that have no value and truth."
She said, "Regrettably, the international press is busy justifying an aggression on a sovereign state and the world should be busy condemning it instead of inventing reasons and aims of this aggression."
Source: Haaretz
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