Last night, I wrote about the large attack in Syria on a base populated by Iranians. This morning, more details have come out to indicate just how large an attack it was. Here's the key: according to European observers, whatever happened in Syria registered as an earthquake on seismometers at 2.8. Normally, air/missile attacks would not do that. The reports so far indicate that the target was an underground factory built by Iranians with North Korean help that produced precision targeted missiles as well as storage facilities for those missiles. Most likely, Israel hit the facility with a bunker buster missile, i.e., one that penetrates deep into the ground before it explodes. The "earthquake" would then be the result of the missiles and the factory exploding in response to the strike. Even a bunker buster missile alone would not cause the sensors to register an earthquake.
According to reports from Syria, at least three sites were hit by missiles in the attack. Unlike previous events, the Syrians, Russians and Iranians have not claimed that they shot down any of the incoming missiles. There are reports, however, of up to 38 dead at the military bases with most of them being Iranians. There is also a report that the Iranian general in charge of the factory project was included among the dead.
It's still hard to know what actually happened here. Was this an Israeli strike that stopped focusing on shipments of weapons to Hezbollah and instead attacked a facility making them? Was this strike aimed at preparations underway in Syria for a strike by Iran on Israel (one which Iran has been loudly promising)? Was the USA aware of the strike before it occurred? Remember, Secretary of State Pompeo was just in Jerusalem and met with the Israeli prime minister two days ago. Is the strike a demonstration of the type of technology that could take out the Iranian nuclear sites in the event that Iran restarts its program? Did Russia get a warning about the strike in advance? That would not be surprising at all. The last important question, of course, is what will the response be from Iran?
According to reports from Syria, at least three sites were hit by missiles in the attack. Unlike previous events, the Syrians, Russians and Iranians have not claimed that they shot down any of the incoming missiles. There are reports, however, of up to 38 dead at the military bases with most of them being Iranians. There is also a report that the Iranian general in charge of the factory project was included among the dead.
It's still hard to know what actually happened here. Was this an Israeli strike that stopped focusing on shipments of weapons to Hezbollah and instead attacked a facility making them? Was this strike aimed at preparations underway in Syria for a strike by Iran on Israel (one which Iran has been loudly promising)? Was the USA aware of the strike before it occurred? Remember, Secretary of State Pompeo was just in Jerusalem and met with the Israeli prime minister two days ago. Is the strike a demonstration of the type of technology that could take out the Iranian nuclear sites in the event that Iran restarts its program? Did Russia get a warning about the strike in advance? That would not be surprising at all. The last important question, of course, is what will the response be from Iran?
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