saying it was so doesn't make it so

CNN’s Christiane Amanpour is reporting the alleged IAF strike last week on Syria was a weapons transfer from Iran in Syria. Taken from the Jerusalem Post account:

The Israel Air Force jets that allegedly infiltrated Syrian airspace early last Thursday apparently bombed an Iranian arms shipment that was being transferred to Hizbullah, CNN reported Tuesday. A ground operation may also have been part of the foray, according to the network. Neither Jerusalem nor Damascus have confirmed the report. But Damascus has denied the presence of any Israeli ground forces on its territory.

CNN said the operation involved ground forces and that the aerial strike left "a great hole in the desert." Although it did not name a specific source, the network cited "US government officials." The jets have been identified by the Turkish authorities as IAF F15Is, Israel's long-range bomber, after fuel tanks were found in Turkish territory.

The CNN report said the IAF's targets were likely weaponry delivered to Syria that was possibly intended for use by Hizbullah. CNN's chief international correspondent, Christiane Amanpour, delivered the report and quoted sources saying that Israel was "very happy" with the results of the operation. Damascus complained to the United Nations about an "aggression and violation of sovereignty," saying Israeli warplanes dropped "military munitions" in Syria, the country's ambassador to the UN said Tuesday.

A US military official described the Israeli incursion as an air strike "deep into Syria" that succeeded in hitting a target. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was an intelligence issue, said he did not know what that target was. Syria has called the incursion a "hostile act," but has been largely silent on the details of what happened. Israeli officials have refused to comment.

Baloney. Phooey. I haven’t heard the CNN report but I can’t help wondering if Christiane Amanpour got to slip a few “God’s Jewish Warriors” in. CNN should be so ashamed. If only it were so. Look, if anyone else was running the country or even if Sharon (from his coma) was; it would be feasible and probable.

No IAF jets are going to target anything outside of Israeli airspace without the direct authorization from the Israeli Prime Minister, and after last summer’s misadventures in Lebanon, Olmert isn’t about to give the IAF a green light to risk an air strike on anything which could potentially go south in a big way in the blink of an eye.

Let me put it another way. If the best the Olmert Cabinet is prepared to do is complain to the UN when Israeli school children are deliberately targeted and under fire in Israel proper - the Olmert cabinet will not give the green light to the IDF act to against Syria. Who knows, maybe it was a USAF kind of Op, but everybody agreed to call it the IAF to save a lot of faces.