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US Envoy Warns Israeli Strike in Syria Nearly Sparked Turkey Clash
An Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria on August 18 nearly triggered a direct military confrontation with Turkey. U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, warned that neither Turkey nor the United States was notified in advance of the operation, which occurred close to the Turkish border.
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What happened
- 01U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack warned that an Israeli airstrike in Syria on August 18 nearly sparked a direct conflict with Turkey.
- 02Neither Turkey nor the United States was notified in advance of the Israeli operation targeting the Abu al-Duhur airbase near the Turkish border.
- 03The Israeli military conducted eight strikes on the airbase, damaging its runway and infrastructure, with no casualties reported.
- 04Israel claimed the strike aimed to prevent Turkish military entrenchment, a claim denied by the Turkish Ministry of Defense.
- 05Barrack urged the United States to intervene to stop Israeli military operations in Syria.
- 06The ambassador stated that neither Israel nor Turkey desires a direct military confrontation, describing Israel as too smart to start one.
- 07Barrack expressed skepticism regarding military interventions in the Middle East, calling a potential U.S. ground intervention in Iran futile.
- 08U.S. policy in the Middle East is undergoing a reassessment and adjustment rather than a withdrawal, according to Barrack.
During the operation, Israeli aircraft conducted eight strikes that damaged the runway and infrastructure of the airbase, though no casualties were reported. Israel stated the raid was necessary to counter Turkish military entrenchment at the base. The Turkish Ministry of Defense denied this claim, stating that no Turkish military delegation was present at the site during the strike.
Ambassador Barrack suggested it might be time for the United States to intervene to halt Israeli military operations in Syria. While noting that Turkey could have quickly scrambled its jets in response to the strike, he downplayed the likelihood of a direct clash, stating that neither country desires a conflict and that Israel is too smart to start a real confrontation with Turkey.
Addressing broader regional policy, Barrack expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of military interventions in the Middle East, calling any potential U.S. ground intervention in Iran futile. He described current U.S. policy as a reassessment and adjustment of its regional presence rather than an abandonment or withdrawal.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
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