The World According to Olmert

PM Olmert: "We can't reveal IDF operations"

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert praises IDF for 'courageous', 'unusual' operations but does not mention reported Israeli overflights in Syrian airspace

9 September 2007

by Roee Nahmias

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert praised the IDF for its "courageous" and "unusual" operations at Sunday's cabinet meeting, but did not directly refer to the reported overflights in Syrian airspace or to the capture, according to Palestinian sources, of a top Hamas official in the Gaza Strip.

"I want to express my appreciation of the security forces's courageous and unusual operations that are aimed at impeding the activities of terror groups," he said.

"These are operations whose nature we cannot always reveal to the public, naturally. There were numerous operations that Israel carried out against leaders of terror groups, and these operations will continue without hesitation. Anyone who sends terrorists will be targeted wherever he is," Olmert said.

The Syrian government said last week that Israeli aircraft entered Syrian airspace from the Mediterranean Sea before dawn Thursday and jettisoned fuel tanks near the Turkish border as they broke the sound barrier.

A Lebanese newspaper reported Sunday that Syria began a large call-up of reserve soldiers in preparation for a possible military confrontation with Israel.

The An-Nahar daily said Syria was also spearheading a diplomatic campaign against Israel by sending its foreign minister to Ankara where he would present Turkish officials with concrete proof of Israel's aerial violation of Syrian airspace.

Turkey pressed Israel for explanations over the incident on Saturday.

Israel has remained largely mum over the reports and Olmert ordered government ministers not to speak to the media about the incident.

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem held talks with ambassadors of European countries in Damascus before flying to Ankara, Arabic media outlets reported Sunday.

Footage of fuel tanks along the Turkish-Syrian border was shown Saturday on Turkish TV. Turkish military experts said the tanks were dropped by Israeli pilots to make their aircraft lighter, which facilitates a faster escape out of Syrian airspace.

European diplomats linked the incident to Iran's nuclear program, saying the overflights were aimed at identifying discreet aerial passages to Iran from northern Syria.

IDF Chief of Staff Lit-Gen Gabi Ashkenazi is expected to voice his opposition to a large-scale military operation against terror groups in the Gaza Strip in light of the tension along Israel's border with Syria.

Israel is weighing a military operation in Gaza as pressure mounts on the government to quell daily rocket attacks against southern
towns and kibbutzim.

Palestinian sources reported Saturday that an undercover IDF unit snatched a top Hamas official from his car in southern Gaza few days ago.

Israeli experts said Mahawesh Al-Kadi possesses key information about Hamas's arms smuggling from Egypt as well as the kidnapping of IDF Corporal Gilad Shalit by Hamas-led gunmen last year.