| This warning to Assad was confirmed after the New York Times quoted an unnamed Israeli official as contacting the paper to warn: “Israel is determined to continue to prevent the transfer of advanced weapons to Hizballah” and “is considering further military strikes on Syria to stop the transfer of advanced weapons to Islamic militants. Their transfer to Hizballah will destabilize and endanger the entire region. If Syrian President Assad reacts by attacking Israel, or tries to strike Israel through his terrorist proxies, he will risk forfeiting his regime, for Israel will retaliate,” the NYT quotes an Israeli official as saying. |