PRESIDENT Bashar al Assad has outlined to Lebanese visitors that he is seeking a ‘strategic response’ to the recent Israeli air strike on the outskirts of Damascus which killed and injured up to 500 people.
He told them ‘Syria could “easily” respond to Israeli air strikes by firing a few rockets at Israel.’
‘But we want strategic revenge, by opening the door of resistance and turning all of Syria into a country of resistance.’
He continued: ‘Syria will give Hezbollah everything in recognition of its support and will follow the militant group’s model of “resistance” against Israel.’
His comments, published by Al-Akhbar, were made during meetings with Lebanese visitors in Damascus and were intended to refute any suggestion that Israeli raids on Syrian targets would halt assistance to the Shi’ite group Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Al-Akhbar continued to quote Assad: ‘For the first time we feel that we and they are living in the same situation and they are not just an ally we help with resistance.
‘We have decided that we must move forward towards them and turn into a nation of resistance like Hezbollah, for the sake of Syria and future generations.
‘After the strike, we are convinced that we are fighting the enemy now, we are pursuing its soldiers deployed throughout our country,’ Assad continued.
Hezbollah is a long-time ally of the Syrian regime and has sent fighters to battle alongside Assad’s troops, particularly in the Qusayr border areas of the central province of Homs.
Damascus has made no secret that it has supplied Hezbollah with missiles and arms and ammunition, and that it intends to continue doing so.
Israel has warned repeatedly that it will not allow Syria to transfer advanced weaponry to the Lebanese group.
Israeli warplanes hit targets inside Syria early on Friday and Sunday mornings, raising fears that it was driving the whole region into a new great war.
• Meanwhile, in a new blow at the Palestinians, Israel has given the go-ahead to build nearly 300 homes in the settlement of Beit El near Ramallah.
The announcement came just two days after a propaganda report that Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu had quietly ordered a freeze on tenders for new settler homes to give a chance to US-led efforts to revive the moribund peace talks with the Palestinians.
The Israeli Civil Administration has given the green light for 296 housing units at Beit El.
