America and Israel: Imperial Partners in CrimeStephen Lendman The latest incident ups the stakes. On May 4, The New York Timesheadlined Israel Bombs Syria as the US Weighs Its Own Options, saying: An unnamed US official said Israel bombed a target in Syria overnight Thursday. (Washington) consider(s its own) military options, including carrying out (its) own airstrikes. According to Reuters, (t)he attack took place on Friday after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus security cabinet approved it in a secret meeting on Thursday night. These type meetings often precede imminent action. Theyre held to approve them. CNNs Pentagon correspondentBarbara Starr said (t)he United States believes Israel has conducted an airstrike into Syria, two US officials tell CNN. An unnamed Israeli military source said (w)e will do whatever is necessary to stop the transfer of weapons from Syria to terrorist organizations. We have done it in the past and we will do it if necessary the future. According to the NYT, (t)he target was not a Syrian chemical weapons facility. The same unnamed US official said a building was struck. Lebanons Daily Star said (e)ight Israeli warplanes violated Lebanons airspace in a span of 14 hours, flying over large swarths of the country, Army officials announced Friday. Israeli military aircraft do so almost daily. This time was different. Lebanese overflights were unusually high. At 7PM local time, they began. Two Israeli warplanes entered Lebanese airspace west of Sidon. They conducted aerial maneuvers. They left four hours later. Ten minutes before they departed, another two warplanes entered entered Lebanese airspace west of Jounieh. More maneuvers followed. They returned to Israel after midnight. At 12:35 AM, another sortie of two warplanes entered Lebanese airspace near Beirut. They also conducted maneuvers. They left before 3:15 AM. At 6 AM, two more warplanes overflew overflew all Lebanese regions. They left at 8:50 AM. Overflying another nations airspace without authorization violates international law. Israel does it regularly. Lebanon is violated virtually daily. Multiple daily overflights happen often. Usually its for reconnaissance. Other times its for targeted strikes or war. An updated Reuters report headlined Israel confirms Syria strike, says hit Hezbollah-bound missiles. On Saturday, an unnamed Israeli official admitted the airstrike. Claiming it was to destroy Hezbollah-bound missiles doesnt wash. More on that below. Mossad-connected DEBKAfile (DF) headlined Israel Air Force bombs Syrian chemical and other targets from Lebanon, Golan, saying: Bombing occurred from Lebanese air space and the Golan starting Friday and continuing until early Saturday. According to US sources, 16 IAF warplanes took part. Some sources said the target attacked was a convoy transporting chemical arms (to) Hizbollah. Israeli and US sources lack credibility. DF said Washington gave Israel a video demonstration of its upgraded bunker buster bomb (Massive Ordnance Penetrator MOB). On Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported it. It said the Pentagon did so to combat Iran. At issue is targeting its most heavily fortified and defended nuclear site. Fordow is well protected. Its deep underground. On May 3, Michel Chossdovsky said: In October 2009, the Pentagon confirmed (its intention) to use the Mother of All Bombs (MOAD) against Iran. Doing so would cause mass casualties. The upgraded version would cause many more. MOABs are WMDs in the true sense of the word. (Their) hidden objective (is) mass destruction and mass civilian casualties with a view to instilling fear and despair. Perhaps Washington plans using it against Syria for the same purpose. Longstanding policy is destroying targeted nations. Its been that way since WW II. Todays weapons are far more powerful than earlier ones. In short order, theyre able to annihilate humanity entirely. It can happen whether or not planned. Details of Israels latest attack are sketchy. It wasnt the first lawless IDF action. For sure it wont be the last. Last November, IDF tanks shelled cross border six times in one week. Anti-tank missiles and other munitions were used. In February, Israeli warplanes struck several Syrian targets. Reports alleged a weapons and munitions convoy heading for Lebanon was targeted. Previous articles discussed what happened. They asked why Assad would send vitally needed weapons and munitions to Lebanon? It makes no sense. He needs all he can get. If reports were accurate, evidence would have corroborated them. None was forthcoming. At the time, DEBKAfile said Obama green light(ed) Israel to attack. Doing so revealed Israels involvement in Washingtons war. So is NATO. Naked aggression is longstanding alliance policy. It very much reflects how Israel and America operate. Imperial priorities matter most. Rule of law principles are discarded. War is a way of life. Both nations prioritize it. Theyre warrior states. Syrias being systematically ravaged. It may be entirely destroyed before conflict ends. Israels latest attack ups the stakes. It appears nakedly transparent. On the one hand, Israels flexing its military muscle. On the other, its daring Syria to respond. Doing so would likely trigger Washington-led NATO full-scale intervention. Perhaps Israel would get involved. Anything can happen any time. An unnamed Israeli Washington embassy spokesman declined commenting on Fridays incident. He said only that Israel is determined to prevent the transfer of chemical weapons or other game-changing weaponry by the Syrian regime to terrorists, specially to Hezbollah in Lebanon. These type statements dont wash. No evidence corroborates allegations about Syrian chemical weapons use or transfers. Fabricated claims heighten tensions. Doing so heads things closer to all-out war. Libya 2.0 appears likely. Launching it could come any time. Note: Early Sunday morning, Israel bombed Syria for the second straight day. Powerful blasts shook Damascus. Massive fires followed. Washington and Israel share joint responsibility. Hindsight may show that these attacks began full-scale intervention. Its too early to know for sure. A follow-up article will discuss more. Part 2: America and Israel: Imperial Partners in Crime (Part II) Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.His new book is titled How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking, Government Collusion and Class War.Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/ 