The Friends of israel Syrian oppositions keep asking the same question time and again whenever they're cornered with their special relations with NATO member states & their stooges in the region especially Turkey: If the Syrian regime as it claims is against israel, why didn't its army attack israel since the 1973 war? And why is the Golan Heights the calmest front for israel in 40 years?
This particular argument is a multi-level deception and failed propaganda, and to be honest with you, so many Syrians fall short of noticing both.
Firstly: The argument is put by those same individuals who are anti-Syrian regime and claim to be anti-israel as well and working under the NATO shield to undermine the Syrian state. Aren't those same NATO sponsored, Turkey based, Gulfies financed opposition members of the same opposition that vowed to cut ties with Iran, Hizbollah and HAMAS when the only parties in the region that actually resist israel's aggressions are Syrian existing regime, Iran, Hizbollah and HAMAS? Needless to say that Syrian army actually fought directly with israelis army in more than a war in many field battles in Lebanon, and Sultan Yaqob battle is just an example in 1982. The continuous support of the Syrian army to the Lebanese resistant movements led to the israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in the year 2000. While Hizbollah stood up to an israeli all out war in 2006 and managed to preserve the sovereignty of Lebanon then in addition to creating a fear balance with the israeli army, and don't forget when we mention the israeli army that means the entire US arsenal is under their hands in addition to billions of US Dollars every year. HAMAS when it was a resistance movement before shifting to its mentors in the radical Islamic movement the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan), stood along with its fellow factions in the Palestinian resistance to a brutal israeli aggression in the year 2008 against a besieged, highly dense, populated Gaza strip, and managed to fight back. Iran also fights a continuous covert battle with israel since the Islamic revolution took out the Iranian Shah from power. None of those parties would have managed to win their struggle without the support of the current Syrian 'regime'.
Yet, those who vowed to break this alliance between Syria, Iran, Hizbollah and HAMAS, though they managed to take out HAMAS which now is replaced with 'Islamic Jihad' faction, those are the same blaming the current Syrian 'regime' of not being anti-israel enough by not waging a direct war from the Golan Heights.
Secondly, they try to give an impression that it's the Syrian people not the Syrian 'regime' that are resisting israel's aggressions, which is a very ridiculous and shallow concept taking in consideration that Egyptians count about 3.5 times as the Syrians, yet their former and now existing regimes was blocking Gaza strip and holding a humiliating 'peace treaty' with israel called the Camp David treaty. How come the Egyptian people didn't support Gaza and the Palestinian cause like their counterparts in Syria? Isn't it because the 'regime' in Syria is the one supporting the Palestinian cause in addition to the people and unlike elsewhere in the Arab world?
Thirdly, to wage a direct war with a nuclear state you need a nuclear shield, this shield existed during the 1973 war and that's why the Syrians along with the Egyptians launched the war then after securing the former Soviet Union nuclear shield. Of course before the Egyptian president then Sadat betrayed his Syrian ally late Assad senior and started negotiations under the table with israel while the Syrian army was still fighting on its front, along with an air-bridge by the USA, the israelis moved their entire focus to the Syrian front since they had nothing to fear at the Egyptian front, and even then the Syrian army fought an honourable war of attrition.
Fourthly, to launch a war you need an economy that can afford the direct cost of the war and can stand consequences of the war's aftermath. Without this cover no wise country can launch a war unless the war is forced against it, and since israel and its sponsors didn't launch a direct war over that period and the Syrian 'regime' managed to dodge a war with NATO Turkey over the PKK sponsorship in 1998, Syria wasn't forced to fight a defence war. Syria does not get any support from any ally except in small mutual agreements and tiny financed projects with interest, comparing with the overwhelming financial aid israel gets from USA, Germany and other Western countries. In the 1973 war, Syria and Egypt got the backing of some Arab countries' leaders including late Sheikh Zayed of UAE and assassinated late king Faisal of Saudi. While we noticed the current Saudi regime's reaction to the 2006 war between Hizbollah and israel and which sides it took along with other members of the Arab countries. 2008 israeli aggression on Gaza is another example.
Fifthly, Syria never grasped its breath during its history, it was pushed from one confrontation to another by Western & israeli plots, from ending the Lebanese civil war, to the israeli invasion of Lebanon that lasted from 1982 to 2000, in addition to the previous one in 1978. Plus the hostility from Iraq and Jordan during Saddam and late King Hussein of Jordan, and just for the history, both backed a similar conflict inside Syria that we are witnessing now, by supporting terrorist radical Muslim Brotherhood movement 1976 - 1982. Then there was the 8 years of war between Iraq & Iran that kept all the region on its feet during that period, since Syria was the only Arab state that supported Iran and earned the hatred of all its Arab brothers for that before they realized that Syria's stand was the correct one after Iraq invaded Kuwait, and then Syria contributed in the liberation of Kuwait! Then came the US led invasion of Iraq and the presence of quarter a million NATO troops at the borders and all the negative consequences all these events had on the Syrian economy including the influx of refugees: almost half a million Palestinian since 1948, 1967 and 1982 till now; over 1.2 million Iraqis in 2003 till now, to thousands of Lebanese during the many Lebanese conflicts till now and on.
Despite all of the above, the Syrian 'regime' didn't waste an opportunity and managed to modernize and beef up its defence capability with a well equipped, well trained, mobilizable, fast, effective army, and by securing self-sufficiency in food and necessities, which led to minimal effects of the huge sanctions the country's facing since 1956.
Give Syria a nuclear shield with an economic backing and it'll retrieve the Golan Heights within 2 hours. Without those two shields and with the continuation of plotting by the brothers before the enemies against Syria, it'll be difficult for the Syrians to launch such a war unless forced into it in defence, and that's why the Syrian leadership kept reminding its foes that if it's attacked it would have no other choice but the Samson option, as once late Assad senior said: "If we were forced into a war with israel both of our states will be sent back 100 years in history, (due to the devastation), but 100 years ago there was no israel".
Do you know now why the Golan Heights were the calmest during the past decades? In case you didn't get it yet, let me know in the comments below and I'll explain further, but make your inquiries direct to the point.
My friend, you have written a very interesting article that I read with interest. I do want to ask you though, do you really believe the following:
ReplyDelete"Give Syria a nuclear shield with an economic backing and it'll retrieve the Golan Heights within 2 hours"?
All my respect for the brave Syrian army, but, as you mention earlier, fighting israel = fighting the entire US stockpile of most modern weapons and unlimited militarhy & financial support of most modern technology. In this light, I would find it difficult to imagine the above statement being reality.
Given the size of the plateau, manpower Syria can mobilize, previous experiences with israeli's IDF (their speed in running away), 2 hours are more than enough.
DeleteTo take a decision on to interfere directly by the US Army in such event would take longer than 2 hours, especially considering the complications like Oil Interests in the region and the fact that US Navy commanders can be no more stupid or maybe arrogant they keep sending potential hostages in front of Iran, each ship would take one Revolutionary Guard to take it down (they have more than 15,000 ready human-torpedoes who would only be graduated if they can paint the Iranian flag/ leader's portrait or the slogan Death to America on an enemy's ship).
It's easier than you think, but requires a full sway attack and intention.
Syria and its camp has the intention but waiting the best time, with or without a nuclear shield, Syria has stated that any future war it would consider the Samson option: all in all out war. Late president Hafez Assad made sure he set this strategy and when once asked what if israel with its strong airforce attacks? He replied: 1st their planes can launch a successful attack (then, he died the year 2000), the planes won't find its launch pad to return to, and in a new war, the entire region would go back 100 years in time, the only difference: 100 years ago there was no israel.
So why not wait further, their economy is collapsing because they're based on the US tax payers, which more awareness in the USA is happening on why they should suffer for israelis to enjoy their money? Then the enhanced power of Syria & its camp is no secret. Thus less losses by the day for any future combat, or let's say an existence war.