Assad and Ahmadinejad. Together and apart
Photo: AFP
'Syria refused to join war against Israel'
According to diplomatic cable, Iranian officials asked Damascus to help them fight Jewish state in case of war but were turned down
Syria refused to fight on Iran's side in case of a military stand-off between Tehran and Israel following an attack on its nuclear facilities, an American document published by WikiLeaks revealed on Wednesday.
The statements in the document, dated December 20, 2009, were probably made by a diplomatic source who spoke with American Embassy officials in Damascus.
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Yitzhak Benhorin, AFP
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According to the report, official Iranian sources visited Syria at the beginning of the same month in order to solidify alliances ahead of a possible Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The quoted diplomatic source claimed the Iranians told their Syrian counterparts that it was not a question of will Israel attack, but rather a question of when it will attack.
Damascus told the Iranians in response not to expect Syria, Hezbollah or Hamas to take part in this war.
According to the source, Syrian officials replied by saying that Iran was strong enough to develop its own nuclear program and fight against Israel. The Iranians, on their part, were not so pleased with the response.
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