All's Not Quiet on the North-Eastern Front

Israeli warplanes violated Syrian airspace last week, and without consequence. So what? Well, the problem is that they flew over the summer residence of Syrian President Bashar Assad, just reminding him that they could kick his, you know, anytime they pleased. President Assad, impotent to respond to the danger at the moment it reared its ugly face, now apparently plans to strike Israel with missles.
map © Third Temple


Syria, of course, received some pretty cool missle technology from the Iranians. Picture this ugly scenario for the US and President Bush:

Israel is our number one ally. We are ready to go to war with Iran soon. North Korea is lobbing missles now.


We could have a major military conflict breaking out in a lot of different areas very soon.


Israel captured a chunk of Syria in the Six-Day War (1967) known as the Golan Heights - real estate Syria has been trying to get back since that humiliating defeat. If they capture this highland, they have a strong position to rain down artillery all over Israel (see picture below).


Note that the "Sea of Galilee" in the Bible is referred to on the map below by the Roman name, Lake Tiberias, and the map above by the modern name, Lake Kinneret.

map and image below © Jewish Virtual Library