Israel: Syria tanks enter Golan DMZ

[Bosonic]

Source: AP

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel's military says three Syrian tanks have entered the demilitarized zone in the Golan Heights.

A military spokeswoman says Israel complained to the U.N. peacekeeping force in the area after the tanks entered Saturday.

The spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with military protocol, did not elaborate. The relatively low-key response suggested Israel did not see the armor as an immediate threat.

Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_ISRAEL_SYRIA?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-11-03-10-51-46

[geckosfeet]

1. Not an immediate threat - but Syria is just pissing eveybody off.

Syria must have forgotten the ass whipping they got during the six day war.

[Johnyawl]

2. Syria is obviously trying to provoke an incident...

..."Quick, rally around Assad boys, the jews are after us again!"

Hopefully Israel will continue the low key response.

[iandhr]

3. I think the senior Israeli brass is smart enough to know what Assad is trying to do.

[plethoro]

4. I agree with you here, except I'm certain the incident that I think they are trying

to provoke is far larger than the one you think they are trying to provoke. I think they are trying to get Hezbollah moving and start hitting the northern territories. In my opinion we are closing in on the beginning of the end here. I have a good idea what most of the participants will do. It's the two large ones, Russian and China that I wonder about. To what advantage is it to either of them to have Iranian oil shut off?

[Johnyawl]

5. They're definately playing with fire, and if they provoke Israel into attacking...

...Assad's tanks and Air Force will disappear in a couple of hours, and the rebels will pretty much have a free hand. It will all happen far too fast for Iran, China and Russia to do anything but complain. Assads forces will be smashed, and the rebels will be consolidating their control, and squabbling with one another.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Or they're chasing rebels in a local village, as the press reports indicate.

[Johnyawl]

8. That's certainly a possibility.

I had not seen that info until you posted it.

[harmonicon]

7. Ah... but if your analysis is right...

I doubt that's anything Israel would want. They may see Syria as a sort of enemy right now, but that's nothing compared to the radical Islamist government which would likely replace the present Syrian regime should these "rebels" be successful.

[Johnyawl]

9. I think you're correct on how the Israeli's feel about Assad & the rebels.

Which is why a couple of tanks that may be chasing rebels have brought no reaction from them except a mild protest. But given their track record, they're only going to tolerate so many syrian tanks in the DMZ. The Israeli's have proven time and again that they will strike the enemy that threatens them today, and then deal with the consequences tomorrow.

[David__77]

10. Israel should hope that Assad pulls through.

If the Salafists consolidate their power in the region, Israel is doomed, as is secularism, democracy, peace, and economic development.

[JackRiddler]

11. Nonsense.

Syria is in a civil war. Hostile forces are maneuvering in a chaotic situation and may cross borders (fleeing or following). Obviously Assad would never choose at this point to start a war with Israel or Turkey! Give us a break.