Worries mounted in the region following US intentions to bomb Syria over conflicting reports of an alleged chemical attack that is widely believed to have been carried out by Syria militants to open the way for their Western and Arab supporters to attack the crisis-hit country.
Israeli intelligence information is widely believed to have played a central role in paving the way for justifying US attack on Syria.
The US has conspicuously insisted that the story is “undeniable” even though they have never presented any proof of it, but the secret “proof” which is never put forth for public scrutiny apparently comes straight from Israeli intelligence.
Israeli military intelligence told the US they had wiretapped the Syrian government and heard them talking about using chemical weapons, insisting that “proved” that they were the ones who did it.
A large delegation of senior Israeli security officials is currently in Washington holding talks with top administration officials led by US National Security Adviser Susan Rice.
Israel has been pushing these stories multiple times, always citing dubious secret evidence that the public never gets to see.
The administration, itself a big fan of secret proof that they don’t have to defend, has been only too eager to latch on to the idea, and it has now pushed them into an impending war.
The call for military action against Syria intensified after foreign-backed opposition forces accused the government of President Bashar al-Assad of launching a chemical attack on militant strongholds in the suburbs of Damascus last week.
The Syrian Army strongly rejected any role in the alleged chemical attack, saying the accusations were fabricated to distract a visiting team of the UN chemical weapons experts and to cover up militants' losses.
During a news conference on Tuesday in Damascus, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem challenged the US and its allies to present evidence that the government had used chemical weapons.
"We are hearing war drums around us. If they want to launch an attack against Syria, I think using the excuse of chemical weapons is not true at all. I challenge them to show what proof they have,” Muallem said.
He also said that the first one benefiting from a US attack on Syria is Israel and al-Qaeda-linked extremist groups.
SHI/BA