Israel goes public on 2007 destruction of suspected Syrian reactor, warns region
Israel for the first time confirmed that it bombed a suspected Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007, saying on Wednesday that the strike removed a major threat to Israel and the region and was a “message” to others.
The first public acknowledgement by Israel that its F-16 and F-15 warplanes carried out the Sept. 6, 2007, bombing of the partially constructed Al-Kubar facility near Deir al-Zor was made after military censors lifted a more than 10-year order that had barred Israeli officials from discussing it.
The strike had already been extensively reported on abroad, and discussed by U.S. officials. Israel, however, kept quiet to avoid provoking Syrian reprisals and a possible regional war.
The Israeli military released newly declassified operational footage, photographs and intelligence docu...