Sending a message

The Washington Times reports on its eye-opening interview with Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz: “Israel warns of terrorist training.” Among the nuggets revealed by Mofaz in the interview is that “Israel’s October bombing of an Islamic Jihad terror camp near the Syrian capital of Damascus included a jet fighter buzzing near one of President Bashar Assad’s palaces. The daring low-level mission was meant as a signal to Mr. Assad that more punishing attacks would come unless Damascus stops sponsoring attacks on Israel from Syria-dominated Lebanon.”
The Times account continues: “‘I believe Bashar Assad is a very strange leader,’ Mr. Mofaz said of the son of the late, longtime Ba’athist leader of Syria, Hafez Assad. ‘He has very strange behavior.’… Mr. Mofaz said intelligence showed that the attack [that triggered the Israeli bombing] was ordered by Islamic Jihad headquarters in Damascus. He said he thinks Mr. Assad got the message sent by the Israeli jet fighters. ‘We know that Bashar Assad was very confused after this attack, and he was starting to understand we do not accept such events in Israel, especially when the order is coming from Damascus,’ Mr. Mofaz said.”

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