Assad’s propaganda machine has dreamed up a novel twist to get out of looking weak by not retaliating against Israel. Actually it was Israel that retaliated against Assad’s victories over “Zionist rebels.”
“It was the Israeli enemy that was retaliating” by bombing Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles headed for Hizbullah, according to Syria’s government-controlled television, which interviewed Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij. “It was retaliating for our military operations against the armed gangs.”
The neat reverse logic lets Syrian President Bashar Assad off the hook against charges by the rebels that the lack of a Syrian attack on Israel following the bombing proves how weak he is.
Lest there be concern that no one is threatening to retaliate, Iran has taken up the slack.
Again with the help of reportage from Syria’s official television station, visiting Iranian National Security Council director Saeed Jalili assured Assad that the Islamic Republic will “assist you in any way you choose to respond to the Zionist aggression.”
“Just like it regretted all its wars… the Zionist entity will regret its aggression against Syria,” said Jalili.