'All options' open if Syria gives Hezbollah missiles: US

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WASHINGTON — The United States said Wednesday it considered "all options" on the table if Syria is found to have supplied Scud missiles to Hezbollah, posing a major threat for Israel.

Jeffrey Feltman, the assistant secretary of state for the Middle East, said the United States would have "really, really serious concern" if Syria delivered such high-grade weapons to the Lebanese Shiite militia.

"If these reports turn out to be true, we're going to have to review the full range of tools that are available for us in order to make Syria reverse what would be an incendiary, provocative action," Feltman said.

"The United States has shown in the past that we are able to act," he told a congressional hearing. "I expect that all options are going to be on the table looking at this."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gL2mvHdXBCI3WD_1pBVPNKm2srxA

[Bonobo]

1. If they take those missiles, Israel will make them regret it. Mark my words.

Bad mojo.

[bemildred]

2. This is the US making threats here, not Israel. nt

[azurnoir]

3. Hariri Denies Syria Supplied Scuds to Hezbollah

"Israel is trying to reproduce the same scenario for Lebanon. The rumours about Scud are only a pretext for threatening my country," he said, calling the claims "false."

Israeli President Shimon Peres has publicly accused neighbouring Syria of sending Hezbollah Scuds.

Washington summoned the top Syrian diplomat Monday to address what it called "provocative behaviour" over the potential transfer of the missiles, which it said could be a threat to Lebanon and Israel.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/21/world/international-uk-lebanon-hezbollah-hariri.html

[Prometheus Bound]

4. I've never quite understood the significance of this "all options open" statement.

It would only have significance to me if some options had absolutely been ruled out at some time.

But I don't immediately recall that ever having been said.

[bemildred]

5. It is basically a form of dick-waving, a threat.

Generally for domestic political consumption, that is a form of domestic political posturing intended to show that the utterer is not an "appeaser" etc. It does, of course, make little sense if taken literally, since one rarely sees something publically taken "off the table".