No sooner had Bashar Assad fled to Russia, and the Syrian army collapsed, with soldiers pulling off their uniforms as they ran away from their bases in an attempt to escape from vengeful rebels, that the IDF began a systematic campaign to destroy as much of the Syrian army’s weaponry as it could. It struck weapons depots and airbases. One strike overnight in the coastal city of Tartus, for instance, was so massive that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group quoted a scientist in Turkey as saying it had registered on the Richter scale as the equivalent of a category-3 earthquake. Israel laid waste to most of Assad’s heavy weapons and air defenses. Hundreds of targets all over Syria were hit. Israel’s fighter jets inflicted severe damage on Syria’s most strategic weapons: fighter jets and helicopters, Scud missiles, UAVs, cruise missiles, surface-to-sea precision-guided missiles, surface-to-air missiles, surface-to-surface missiles, radars, rockets, and more. Israel estimated that within a week of Assad’s fall, 80-90% of the Syrian army’s major weapons had been destroyed.
The IAF has continued since that first massive attack to bomb other sites where it has detected the presence of weapons, and military assets like airbases, that managed to escape destruction in that first bombing campaign. And now, Israel is not only depriving Syrian jihadists of the wherewithal to harm Israel, but has also been delivering a message to Turkey. That country’s despotic ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on March 30, the last day of Ramadan, prayed for “mercy upon the martyrs” of Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and a “speedy recovery” for their wounded terrorists, and asked “May Allah devastate and destroy the damn Zionist Israel.” He means it, and he has been establishing bases in northeast Syria, a country he wants to turn, as Israel’s Defense Minister Katz has said, into a “protectorate” of Turkey.
More on the latest Israeli bombings, that targeted several air bases, and a mysterious “scientific research facility,”can be found here: “Israel steps up Syria strikes, says Turkey aims for ‘protectorate,’” Reuters, April 3,
Israel stepped up airstrikes on Syria overnight, declaring the attacks a warning to the new Islamist rulers in Damascus as it accused their Turkish allies of trying to turn the country into a Turkish protectorate.
The strikes, targeting air bases, a site near Damascus and the southwest, put renewed focus on Israeli concerns about the Islamists who deposed Bashar al-Assad in December, with Israeli officials viewing them as a rising threat at their border.
The Israeli army, which seized ground in the southwest after Assad was toppled, said its forces killed several militants who opened fire on Israeli troops operating in that area overnight. Syria’s state news agency SANA said that Israeli shelling had killed nine people in the area.
The “message” was aimed particularly at Turkey, which had intended to take over the T-4 airbase, as well as make use of the airbase in Homs. Now Israel has severely damaged the former, and totally destroyed the latter. The IDF is showing what it can do by way of stymying Turkey’s plans in Syria and warning an increasingly erratic and threatening Erdogan that Israel will do what it takes to prevent the Turkish leader from turning Syria into a Turkish protectorate.
Katz said in a statement that Israel’s armed forces would remain in buffer zones within Syria and act against threats to its security, warning Syria’s government it would pay a heavy price if it allowed forces hostile to Israel to enter.
Reflecting Israeli concerns about Turkish influence in the new Syria, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accused Ankara of playing a “negative role” there, in Lebanon and other regions.
“They are doing their utmost to have Syria as a Turkish protectorate. It’s clear that is their intention,” he told a press conference in Paris.
The Syrian foreign ministry said the Israeli strikes were an unjustified escalation aimed at destabilizing the country, calling on the international community to put pressure on Israel to “stop its aggression.”
No, it is the jihadists in Damascus who have destabilized the country by filling the country’s minorities with fear. The Alawites are in a slough of despond, following on the massacre of a thousand Alawites, mostly civilians, by Sunni gangs that included members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The Druze have decided not to place their militia under the control of the Syrian army and have reached out to Israel for possible protection. One Druze village, Hader, has even asked Israel to annex it. As for the Kurds, they are alarmed by the Turkish military outposts that Al-Sharaa — who was supported by Turkey during his years as head of the rebel group HTS — has allowed to be built. They know that the Turkish troops are intent on suppressing the Kurds in Syria, in order to prevent them from linking up with the Kurds in Turkey.
By destroying so much of Syria’s weaponry, the IAF has helped to “demilitarize” and “stabilize” Syria because the jihadists in Damascus are now so weakened that they cannot, much as they would like to, impose their will on the Kurds, the Alawites, the Druze.
One major military airbase in Hama was completely destroyed, and another in Homs has been put out of commission for a while, and that “scientific research facility” — chemical weapons? Biological weapons? — near Damascus, has also been destroyed.
Erdogan prayed on March 30 to Allah, that he might “devastate and destroy” the Zionist state of Israel. His prayer, as his generals don’t dare to tell him, clearly wasn’t heard. And Israel’s campaign to “demilitarize” Syria will continue, relentlessly, on.
Wellington says
Good to know. Israel is doing what it has to do, what it must do.
And there will be no protests on American college campuses about Alawites or other minorities in Syria getting oppressed or slaughtered, just as there will be no protests of the carnage against Christians by Muslims in numerous African nations. Hypocrisy and stupidity of the first order on display at so-called institutions of higher learning.
OLD GUY says
You have that right, or is it supported by the money from muslim/islamic countries in these schools bank accounts?
Rob Porter says
Wellington, As delighted as I am that Israel is hammering Syria, destroying its weapons and frustrating the imbecilic Erdogan, I wish it would carpet bomb or napalm big gatherings of Ahmed al-Sharaa’s troops.
Wellington says
A truly beautiful sentiment, Rob Porter. Yes, I too wish this would happen because terminating evil people from the world is always an upside for mankind.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Evidence for the West – particularly US – that Turkey, rather than Russia, is the biggest threat to Israel, as well as Western interests in the region
Wellington says
Your point is well taken, Infidel. Too bad the Turkey of Ataturk, no lover of freedom or democracy to be sure but still an inveterate enemy of the world’s worst religion and a most practical man, is no longer around or personnel carrying on his Machiavellian legacy doing so and which legacy was not harmful to the West. Alliances with non-democratic forces which can aid democratic forces should not be shunned as foolish Western liberals like Jimmy Carter have been doing for a half century or more.
And thanks for that mention on another thread about the young Shapiro, now Governor of my state, while only around 20 getting things “correctly” about the Middle East situation. I had largely forgotten about that—and evidence as James Lincoln noted that college education can so very often make you dumber. Yes, Shapiro was sharper at 20 than at 50, thanks I’m sure in part to “higher education.”
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Precisely my point. Israel and Russia have their differences, but within Syria, both made it a point to cooperate and not to confront each other. Even when Israel was blowing out Iranian installations in Syria
Israel’s biggest threat is Turkey – an even bigger threat than Nasser’s Egypt ever was. Although I daresay if Egypt flips and turns on Israel – it has been behaving in a pretty hostile manner the last 2 decades – Israel could face its greatest threat ever. Hope that the Iranian regime comes down before that happens
On Shapiro, I agree w/ you. Although the way the Dems are doubling down on their sociopaths like Jasmine Crockett, I doubt that there will be much of a Center-Left constituency left in the party for him to count on in 2028. Which is why I suggested that he and Fetterman follow the footsteps of Manchin and Sinema – either switch parties or at least go independent
Patrick says
I think Israel and America, have had enough, Islamic attacks on Israel, Hamas in Palestine/Gaza, the Mediterranean Sea (Houthis) and potential attacks from Syria via Erdogan in Turkey. Also Hezbollah in Lebanon. Areas where Islamic attacks have become the norm and up until now, with little repercussions.
Force is the anecdote against Islam, unfortunately, Islam in America is becoming an issue, I’m fearful Trump doesn’t have a clue.
Daniel Triplett says
I suggest everyone who wants to influence Trump about Islam/Jihad/Muslims do so by messaging him in his Truth Social and X accounts. That’s likely the best opportunity because we know at minimum he personally reads, not all, but at least some of the posts on his account and actually retweets many of the posts he likes.
If we all do this together with high volume, we increase the probability of the message getting in front of his eyes. Intriguing memes, Jihad Watch links, and personal philosophies about the Islamic War are all excellent posts to send the President on his Truth Social and X accounts.
And don’t just communicate with the President, include all his closest national security advisors as well. They get far less traffic than POTUS, so perhaps the odds of them laying eyes on your post are even greater. Plus, everyone else will see your post too and become informed — people who may not understand the threat yet.
@realDonaldTrump (he owns Truth Social)
@JDVance and/or @VP
@petehegseth and/or @SecDef
@MikeWaltz47
@CIADirector
@TulsiGabbard
@StephenM
@DODResponse
@elonmusk
Patrick says
I think Israel and America, have had enough, Islamic attacks on Israel, Hamas in Palestine/Gaza, the Mediterranean Sea (Houthis) and potential attacks from Syria via Erdogan in Turkey. Also Hezbollah in Lebanon. Areas where Islamic attacks have become the norm and up until now, with little repercussions.
Force is the anecdote against Islam, unfortunately, Islam in America is becoming an issue, I’m fearful Trump doesn’t have a clue.
Patrick says
I think Israel and America, have had enough, Islamic attacks on Israel, Hamas in Palestine/Gaza, the Mediterranean Sea (Houthis) and potential attacks from Syria via Erdogan in Turkey. Also Hezbollah in Lebanon. Areas where Islamic attacks have become the norm and up until now, with little repercussions.
Force is the anecdote against Islam, unfortunately, Islam in America is becoming an issue, I’m fearful Trump doesn’t have a clue.
sporticus says
“quoted a scientist in Turkey as saying it had registered on the Richter scale as the equivalent of a category-3 earthquake”.
What number would the Turkish scientist give for the protests in support of the Mayor of Istanbul?
Luchtpint says
Israel’s policies make an awful lot of sense.
First, stop the mullahs of Iran from meddling in the vicinity, and second: stop the neo-Ottomans from filling the vacuum.
All very rational and a well-balanced approach. The IDF is the smartest military force around.