Syria: A Farewell to Arms

Everybody talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it. This chestnut could apply to Syria’s dreaded chemical weapons. Except Israel is systematically destroying President Bashar Al-Assad’s most feared weapons of mass destruction factories, along with the rest of the army Syria has built for decades with Moscow’s help. Rather than receiving thank-you notes, however, Israel is being pilloried for, wait for it, violating Syria’s sovereignty. “It is the responsibility of those who are taking the reins of power inside Syria first and foremost to secure and destroy any chemical weapons that they find in areas that they control,” the Department of State’s spokesman, Matthew Miller, told Al Arabiya. To the end, the Biden administration sticks to a fictional world where finger wagging would make more of a difference than action. No one yet knows who will rule Syria, let alone their intentions.Which is why Prime Minister Netanyahu said yesterday that Israel wants peace with the new Syrian regime — “but if it allows Iran to re-establish itself in Syria, to facilitate transfer of Iranian or any other arms to Hezbollah, or if it attacks us, we will respond forcefully and exact a heavy price.” To paraphrase President Reagan, Israel is verifying before it trusts: Syrian Jihadists are professing moderation, but they better not own Mr. Assad’s arms. As our Benny Avni reported yesterday, the Israel Defense Force used a window of opportunity to obliterate one of the most menacing Mideast armies. The scene is reminiscent of the destruction in 1967 of the entire Egyptian air force in the first hours of the Six Day War. In 48 hours this week the IDF used detailed intelligence to destroy the air force, navy, missile arsenal, air defenses — the entire war machine that Russia and Mr. Assad took decades to build in Syria. One major target was a “scientific institute” near Damascus, which the regime used to store and manufacture chemical arms and other WMDs. Israelis believe that with its two-day bombing, Syria’s chemical weapons are no more. The rest of the world looks on. America is appealing to “those who take the reins” — and the United Nations’s chemical watchdog is hoping — for “Syria” to report on what chemical weapons they find. Also at the UN, as Mr. Assad was losing control, the General Assembly demanded Israel leave the Golan Heights and return it to “Syria.” Instead, Israel took over a demilitarized zone there. “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop,” the UN envoy to Syria groused. Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey — which has captured areas in northern Syria — decry Israel’s violation of Syria’s “territorial integrity.” One who declined to join the chorus is Ahmad Hussein a-Sharaa, known as Abu Mohammed al- Jolani. The leader of the largest anti-Assad militia, he has the best chance to emerge as Syria’s next strongman. “Syria will not wage a new war with Israel,” he says. “Our biggest threat is Hezbollah and the Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Syria.” America is yet to learn, though, the agenda of a man still designated a terrorist, with a $10 million price on his head. Talks at Washington and London about removing Mr. al-Jolani’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from the terrorism list might one day prove prescient. For now, Israel is making sure that, words aside, the Jihadists have no access to one of the Mideast’s most formidable arsenals. President Obama’s unrealized “red line” on chemical weapons gave way to Russia’s — and Iran’s — control of Syria. Moscow built up Mr. Assad’s arsenal, including chemical facilities. Contrast Mr. Obama’s action with Israel’s destruction in 2007 of a Syrian facility, which removed global fears of a nuclear-armed Assad regime. Now gone too is the fear of post-Assad chemical-armed gangs. Sometimes military action works better than hopes borne of the fear of escalation. That fear has guided President Biden’s Mideast policy. Israel’s action led to the fall of the Assad regime. Now his arms are gone too. Good going all around.

Syria: A Farewell to Arms

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