Equipo Nizkor - Israel's Damascus attack kills 'at least' 15 troops from Bashar al-Assad's elite Republican Guard.

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07May13

Israel's Damascus attack kills 'at least' 15 troops from Bashar al-Assad's elite Republican Guard

Doctors at the military Tishreen Hospital have reported that more than 100 Syrian soldiers were killed in the strike, with many more injured. As the fog of confusion hanging over Sunday's events clears, the total death toll is likely to exceed 120.
"At least 15 [Republican Guard] soldiers were killed, and dozens more are missing" Rami Abdel Rahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights watchdog, said on Monday.
"These three sites (targeted) would usually have around 150 soldiers in them, but it's not clear if they were all there at the time of the strikes."
The Republican Guard is a formidable fighting force of around 25,000 highly trained soldiers, headed by Bashar al-Assad's notoriously brutal younger brother Maher. Stationed in the densely militarised area of Mount Qasioun near the presidential palace, the crack unit has a strategic, panoramic view of the capital. Its military supplies and stockpiles of weaponry are believed to be buried inside the mountain.
Ephraim Inbar, a leading Israeli security advisor, believes that the deaths were "collateral damage" that Bashar al-Assad would have expected in exchange for the support of the Iranians and continued transfer of weapons to Hizbollah.
"If Assad wants the support of Iran he needs to continue to support Hizbollah. He will have reasoned, I may get it from Israel now and again, but I will continue because I need Iran," Professor Inbar said.
"The ability of Assad to swallow casualties is very high," he added.
Damascus residents, rebels and unnamed Western officials have reported that Israeli jets launched a series of SPICE glide bombs from Lebanese airspace shortly before dawn on Sunday hitting the Republic Guard base along, a nearby store of strategic long-range missiles guarded by Hizbollah militants and the Jamraya military research centre, believed to be the Assad regime's primary chemical weapons facility. Among the regime's most clandestine institutions, Jamraya employees are forbidden from speaking with foreigners, particularly during periods of crises.
Given the significance of the target and the mounting death toll, analysts have expressed their concern that Israel may have overplayed with this latest of three suspected Israeli attacks on Syrian targets this year.
Monday's edition of Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth questioned the wisdom of the latest two strikes warning in its leader that Israel may well find itself having conducted "one strike too many Israel is walking a tightrope and it could tear." The Haifa municipality has announced that 11km of tunnels under Mount Carmel will be cleared as a civilian shelter in the event of an assault on Haifa and the airspace in northern Israel was closed to civilian air traffic.
The Israeli leadership, however, has remained tight-lipped on its alleged strikes and displayed little fear of retaliation.
Yair Golan, commander of Israel's northern forces, said confidently on Monday that there was little chance of a war with Syria. "It is always right to prepare and train, but there are no winds of war," he said at a Golani Brigade event.
Despite menacing noises emanating from the outraged Syrian and Lebanese leaderships, Benjamin Netanyahu flew as scheduled into China on Sunday evening for a five-day visit. The Israeli prime minister was greeted with a chilly reception in Beijing.
"We oppose the use of military force and believe any country's sovereignty should be respected," Hua Chunyin, spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday, referring obliquely to the Israeli strike without naming Israel.
"China also calls on all relevant parties to begin from the basis of protecting regional peace and stability, maintain restraint and avoid taking any actions the would escalate tensions and joint safeguard regional peace and stability."
[Source: By Phoebe Greenwood, Tel Aviv, The Telegraph, London, 07May13]

Syria War
This document has been published on 07May13 by the Equipo Nizkor and Derechos Human Rights. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.