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\b \cf2 BY PAULA HUNT \b0 \
\ Syria\'92s charge that Israel was behind an
airstrike near Damascus last week that was intended to stabilize its government has finally
been addressed by Israel. Kind of.\ Here\'92s {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.foxnews.com/"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 FOX News}}:\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \b \'93Defense minister Ehud Barak said he
can't offer much information beyond what was has already been reported, but then added
the strike proves \'91when we say something we mean it.\'92"
\b0 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 News organizations are offering various interpretations of Barak\'92s
ambiguous response, which didn\'92t explicitly deny, confirm or admit Israel\'92s involvement.\u8232
\u8232 Israeli media network {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/164849#.UQ6n0Fqlt40"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 Arutz Sheva}} reports the defense minister:\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \'93Obliquely acknowledged
that indeed, Israel had carried out the strike.\'94\u8232 \u8232 \'93{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/israel-hints-at-responsibility-for-airstrike-in-syria/2013/02/03/4cfb93c0-6e02-11e2-b35a-0ee56f0518d2_story.html"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 The Washington Post}}\'94 describes Barak\'92s response as:\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \'93Hinting
that his government had been behind the attack.\'94\ According to Lebanon\'92s \'93{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Feb-03/204857-assad-accuses-israel-of-seeking-to-destabilize-syr.ashx#axzz2JrbNDgny"}}{\fldrslt \cf3 \ul \ulc3 The Daily Star}},\'94 Barak:\uc0\u8232
\u8232 \'93Implicitly confirmed it staged an air strike on Syria last week.\'94\
\pard\pardeftab720\sa240 {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/03/syrian-opposition-talks-russia-iran"}}{\fldrslt
\cf3 \ul \ulc3 The Guardian}} phrases it another way, reporting that Barak:\uc0\u8232 \u8232
\'93Appeared to confirm widespread reports that it was targeted at anti-aircraft missiles
bound for Hezbollah in Lebanon.\'94\u8232 \u8232 Barak, who has also served as Israel\'92s
prime minister, announced in November he will be leaving his office as defense minister
and politics altogether when the country\'92s next government is formed.\u8232 \
}