Rebels tried to kill Assad's top aides, Israel confirms [View all]
Source: Haaretz
Rebels tried to kill Assad's top aides, Israel confirms
By Barak Ravid | May.25, 2012 | 1:12 AM
Israel has reliable information showing that despite Syria's official denials, an attempt was made to assassinate several top regime officials four days ago, senior Israeli officials said yesterday.
The information shows that Syrian President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, and several other senior officials were indeed poisoned, just as the Free Syrian Army claims. But prompt medical treatment saved their lives.
Israel views this as an important milestone in the ongoing revolution: It shows the opposition has penetrated Assad's inner circle, casting doubt on the regime's stability.
"The Syrian revolt is no longer in faraway cities; it's reached the leaders of the regime," one senior Israeli official said. "An assassination on a similar scale in the future could accelerate the regime's collapse. The opposition has the tools to reach the heads of Assad's regime, and in this case, it's been proven."
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