Boston Herald June 23, 2014

Expert: Israeli forces willing to target Syria

But air strikes don’t signal intent for war

By Jack Encarnacao

Israel's series of air strikes on war-torn Syria in retaliation for the border killing of an Israeli teenager was designed to warn off President Bashar al-Assad, and is not a sign that Israel intends to get overtly involved in Syria's calamitous civil war.

Jim Walsh, a terrorism and Mideast expert at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said yesterday's strikes on nine Syrian targets -- including a military headquarters -- demonstrate Israel is willing to hit strategic targets if Syrian aggression leads to public outcry.

"I'm sure the Israeli public, if one of their own is killed, wants Israel to strike back, just like Americans would feel the same way," Walsh said. "Israel's not looking to enter the Syrian civil war in a direct way with large use of military forces. They have had many air strikes during these last three years when they see a target of opportunity. This is not the first, it won't be the last."

The Israeli military said it carried out the strikes in response to an explosion that killed a 15-year-old Israeli boy who was traveling in a car near the border fence. Israeli Defense Forces claim the explosion was the result of a deliberate attack from inside Syria.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli military spokesman, said in a statement that Israel "will not tolerate any attempt to breach Israel's sovereignty and will act in order to safeguard the civilians of the state of Israel."

"In response to the attack, IDF forces fired at military positions in Syria," Lerner said. "The IDF will continue to watch the northern border and react to developments in the field accordingly."

Human rights observers estimate that more than 140,000 people have been killed in Syria since the beginning of protests against the al-Assad regime in March 2011. John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org, said the strikes likely are to stem hostilities from crossing the border.

"The Israelis have retaliated and the Syrians are just going to sit there and take it," Pike said. "Whatever they come back with, the Israelis will then come back with 10 times more."