Is the Syrian countdown clocking ticking?

Could Basher days be numbered? Ynet News has published this:

The London-based Arabic language newspaper Al-Hayat reported Saturday that “Washington has information according to which Israel gave Damascus 72 hours to stop Hizbullah’s activity along the Lebanon-Israel border and bring about the release the two kidnapped IDF soldiers or it would launch an offensive with disastrous consequences.”

The report said “a senior Pentagon source warned that should the Arab world and international community fail in the efforts to convince Syria to pressure Hizbullah into releasing the soldiers and halt the current escalation Israel may attack targets in the country.”

Al-Hayat quoted the source as saying that “the US cannot rule out the possibility of an Israeli strike in Syria,” this despite the fact that the Bush administration has asked Israel to “refrain from any military activity that may result in civilian casualties.”

The IDF continues the papering Beirut with paper and strategic missile strikes. Ynet carries this report of the activity:

Lebanese sources said Saturday that some 70 people, mostly civilians, were killed thus far since the beginning of Israel’s offensive in the county last Wednesday. The air strikes in Lebanon continued Friday and Saturday, with Lebanon police reporting that the Israeli Air Force attacked targets in the northern city of Tripoli, located some 90 kilometers (55 miles) north of the capital Beirut. Warplanes also attacked gas stations and petrol tanks along the coastal highway linking the capital Beirut to the south.

Lebanon police also said three civilians were killed in an aerial attack in the Lebanese Valley, near the border with Syria. According to reports, the IAF also bombarded two bridges in the area as well as communications facilities. Additional attacks were reported ion south Lebanon.

Seventeen Lebanese citizens were injured overnight during an IAF attack on the Damor Bridge; earlier witnesses reported that warplanes attacked a petrol facility near the village of Ras el-Ayin in south Lebanon. At around midnight it was reported that five people were killed and eight others were wounded in another IAF strike in the south; among those killed were two Syrians working in Lebanon.

As part of the ongoing campaign against Hizbullah, IAF planes dropped leaflets on Beirut criticizing the terror group’s chief, Hassan Nasrallah. The leaflet includes a caricature of Nasrallah, who is depicted as a Cobra snake about to swallow the Lebanese capital.

The IAF did target the headquarters of Nasrallah and it is reported that Nasrallah was not in the 11 storey building at the time. I suppose one cannot win them all.


Hugo Chavez wades in with his two pesos against the Israelis. Of course, some might give credence to Chavez’s judgment concerning the judicious use of excessive forces since Chavez uses it regularly against his perceived political opponents.

In case you had any doubts; Syria backs both Hezbollah and Lebanon.

The Syrian Ambassador to the US throws a hissy fit and stalks out when Israeli Ambassador Danny Avalon suggests that they appear together on a MSNBC broadcast.

Ha’aretz is reporting that the missing body of an Israeli sailor has been recovered and that contrary is earlier reports the Israel vessel was hit not by a drone but an Iranian made C-802 missile.

Hezbollah has managed to launch Katyusha rockets as far inland as Tiberias approximately 35 kilometers from the Lebanese border.