4 ms·

An interesting article but I was left guessing why either the US or Israel would attack a military airport near Damascus and why doesn't anyone bat an eyelid. I

• ufmace 10y ago
  Last I read, they were trying to destroy missiles they had reason to believe were heading to Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Can't say for sure, but it's perfectly plausible. Nobody needs to be formally at war for it to happen. The Israelis have an interest in stopping advanced weapons going to Hezbollah, but have no interest in fighting a war against the Assad regime. The Assad regime doesn't have anything to gain by complaining about it either. They look weak if they talk about it and don't respond, and the last thing they need right now is to either look weak, or pick a fight with one of the most powerful militaries in the area. They've got enough on their plate trying to exercise physical control over their country and retain some semblance of legitimacy in the eyes of the rest of the world. Who else is going to complain? Russia would rather keep it quiet - an attack against their ally means they have to either respond, or look like they're abandoning them. Russia doesn't want to be seen as abandoning their allies, or to pick a fight with a strong American ally, possibly drawing American into the fight. America doesn't have anything to gain either - they don't want to castigate a close ally over a relatively low-impact mission to suppress terrorist activity, and they sure don't want Israel going to war against the Syrian regime.