U.S. envoy says Israel did not warn the U.S. before a recent Syria airstrike
- The U.S. special envoy to Syria said Israel did not warn the United States before striking the Abu Duhur air base in northern Syria this week.
- Tom Barrack said the strike could have risked escalating tensions with Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States.
- Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz disputed Barrack's account, saying Israel informed senior Syrian officials and transferred intelligence to relevant U.S. authorities.
- The strike damaged the base but caused no casualties, and Israel said it acted because Syria was close to allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.
The U.S. special envoy to Syria said Israel carried out an airstrike on the Abu Duhur base in northern Syria without warning Washington in advance. Tom Barrack said the operation raised concerns because it could have drawn Turkey, a NATO ally of the United States, into a wider confrontation.
Barrack said Israel may have been acting on intelligence that Turkish activity in the area was increasing, but said the Americans and Turks were not told ahead of time. He also suggested a possible miscommunication within the Israeli military and intelligence system.
Israel's defense minister rejected the envoy's account, saying the strike was authorized after warnings were not heeded and that Israel had intelligence indicating Turkey intended to use the base against Israel. The exchange added to already strained Israeli-Turkish relations, while the strike itself caused damage but no casualties.
美国特使称以色列在近期叙利亚空袭前未向美国发出警告
美国驻叙利亚特使表示，以色列本周对叙利亚北部阿布杜胡尔基地实施空袭前，没有提前向华盛顿通报。汤姆·巴拉克说，这次行动引发担忧，因为它可能把土耳其这一美国的北约盟友卷入更大范围的对抗。
巴拉克说，以色列可能是根据情报判断该地区的土耳其活动正在增加，但美方和土方事前都没有得到通知。他还提到，袭击也可能与以色列军方和情报系统之间的沟通失误有关。
以色列国防部长否认了这位特使的说法，称空袭是在警告未被理会后获准实施，以方掌握的情报显示土耳其打算利用该基地针对以色列。此次交锋加剧了本已紧张的土以关系，而空袭本身造成了损失，但没有人员伤亡。