Channel 2 News reported that the attack’s target was a S-125 surface-to-air missiles battery.

Satellite images of the area obtained by Channel 2 show the Russian-made Neva missiles, as well as a SA-3 missile battery, that also includes a command center with a radar to track the missiles’ targets and broadcasting anthenas to track the missiles as they are launched. The missiles have a range of 35km. and a 70k. warhead.

Reports: Syrian air base destroyed in missile attack from sea | JPost | Israel News – 10/31/2013.

The casual reader Syrian war news may be subject to many impressions from the media but can no longer “see” or sort the chaos involved in Syria’s agony.

RT and the alternative press of which it has become a part will probably get in its digs as it did back in July by accusing Turkey of enabling an Israeli-borne attack on a shipment of Russian Yakhont anti-ship missiles.

Reference: INTERNATIONAL – Turkish FM denies Israel used Turkish base in Syria attack – 7/15/2013

Syrian President Bashar al Assad has made no secret of his contempt for Israel or his intentions to target the Jewish state with the intent of deflecting attention from his own failings.  A little more than a month again in the latest of rants, he had said, “We have weapons that could blindside Israel.”  Indeed, it’s possible, but it’s possible too that he will find himself with fewer of them this afternoon, which is not to say Israel is the only party that could have or would have done it.

______

In the murky period associated with Assad’s chemical weapons deployment, the British seem to have alternately prepared for a strike on Syria and reversed tracks on the same.

Reference: SAS hunting Syrian missiles as Allies prepare for bombing blitz – Mirror Online – 8/28/2013; Cameron forced to rule out British attack on Syria after MPs reject motion | World news | The Guardian – 8/29/2013.

How far did that reversal go?

Did intelligence stand down?  Were agents retrieved?

Back in July, MI6 seems to have been worried about Assad’s chemical weapons stocks finding their way to the Al Qaeda affiliates operating in Syria and with Chinese and Russian meddling on the high tech side of the stew.

Reference: MI6 boss – ‘UK could face Syrian rebel gas attack’ – The Scotsman – 7/11/2013.

I would think it doubtful that British military and security operations have backed off the theater at all but rather gone about their missions more quietly than during the potential run-up to a punitive strike in relation to the chemical weapons imbroglio.

______

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces a dilemma. He is invested in a peace process at home with the Kurdish Workers’ Party, or PKK, and its imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan. And Turkey has a flourishing relationship with Iraqi Kurdistan, whose oil and natural gas it needs desperately. Yet the permissive attitude of the Turkish state toward the jihadists battling the Syrian Kurds has been a source of trouble for Erdogan. He has gone a long way toward keeping the jihadists at arm’s length.

The Kurds Get a Second Chance in Syria – Bloomberg – 10/30/2013.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has had to navigate the slim channel between NATO’s interests and those of the Muslim Brotherhood, on whose behalf he appears to be struggling in the Egyptian quarter of the middle east mess, and outright affiliation with the Al Qaeda affiliates that have apparently slipped across his borders to badger Christians and Kurds in Syria’s northern regions.

Who is cooperating with whom in Syria?

Whatever the true state of affairs may be as regards each aspect of the fighting in Syria, one probably will not find it on the front pages of newspapers.

The desk analysts consigned to perusing clippings may have cause to believe they’ve been left with looking over the shell of a very rotten egg.

Reference: The Spies Inside Damascus – By Ronen Bergman | Foreign Policy – 9/19/2013.

______

I’d rather turn “data” into “information” than turn out lists, but data for lists comes fast and quick and paints its own picture.  This insert, another brief melange, might suggest how hot the spy games are getting around the mixed motivation fighting inside Syria.

German citizen charged with spying for Syria – 10/29/2013.

Top Syrian intelligence officer killed by rebels – Alarabiya.net English | Front Page – 10/17/2013.

Spies Against Armageddon by Dan Raviv and Yossi Melman – 10/16/2013; Jihadists flooding into northern Syria put Turkey on edge | Fox News – 10/15/2013.

German spies say Syria jets in Iran | Sky News Australia – 10/6/2013.

Australian spies confirmed chemical use on civilians by Syrian regime | News.com.au – 10/5/2013.

Networks of Spies Aid Syria Gas-Attack Probe – WSJ.com – 8/23/2013.

Sir John Sawers: Poor pay and conditions making Britain’s spies ‘unwilling to go the extra mile’ | Mail Online – 7/22/2013.

Nest of Spies: Syria detects ‘spy rocks’ lodged by Israel – Alarabiya.net English | Front Page – 4/1/2013.

______

For more than four decades, Syria’s ruling family — President Bashar Assad and his late father, Hafez — has depended on informants — or the fear of them — to help keep the population in line.

“It was a regime of informants,” Aqidi said.

In Syria, fear of spies pervades rebel and government ranks alike – latimes.com – 10/24/2013.

In America’s entertainment culture, the statement “Trust no one” has developed a life all its own, but also one largely in jest; of course, with the post-9/11 domestic black operations elephant of a budget, that good humored acceptance of some potential invasive probing may change; however, for war torn Syria, there’s no humor or good natured winks to be found: the spies would seem to have swarmed one another’s offices and outposts.

______

Mr. Obama delivered what U.S. officials describe as an unusually blunt message: The U.S. believed Turkey was letting arms and fighters flow into Syria indiscriminately and sometimes to the wrong rebels, including anti-Western jihadists.

Seated at Mr. Erdogan’s side was the man at the center of what caused the U.S.’s unease, Hakan Fidan, Turkey’s powerful spymaster and a driving force behind its efforts to supply the rebels and topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Turkey’s Spymaster Plots Own Course on Syria – WSJ.com – 10/10/2013.

______

In unusually blunt public remarks, Prince Turki al-Faisal called Obama’s policies in Syria “lamentable” and ridiculed a U.S.-Russian deal to eliminate Assad’s chemical weapons. He suggested it was a ruse to let Obama avoid military action in Syria.

“The current charade of international control over Bashar’s chemical arsenal would be funny if it were not so blatantly perfidious. And designed not only to give Mr. Obama an opportunity to back down (from military strikes), but also to help Assad to butcher his people,” said Prince Turki, a member of the Saudi royal family and former director of Saudi intelligence.

Saudi Arabia warns of shift away from U.S. over Syria, Iran | Reuters – 10/22/2013.

Stop with the posturing, please.

Let the truth out.

______

Today’s alternative and blithely anti-Semitic Far Gone and Leftward Press seems to be conflating today’s explosion 30 minutes south of Latakia with Israel and the old “Davy Crocket” tactical nuclear weapon.

I’m not waiting on the radiation reports.

The one thing certain about today’s blast is the real journalists are absent, the politically venal are present and active, and whatever pictures and news reports make into the still news vetting mainstream media tell very little about what has happened or what is happening in combat inside Syria.

Additional and Cited Reference In Loosely Reversed Chronological Order

Reports huge blast ‘destroys Syrian air defence base’ at Latakia; Israel blamed | Herald Sun – 10/31/2013.

“A Syrian Missile Base was Attacked” – 10/31/2013.

Massive Explosion at Syrian Base, Israel Blamed – Middle East – News – Israel National News – 10/31/2013.

Articles: British Progressives Join the Sunni-Shia War in Syria – 10/31/2013.

The Kurds Get a Second Chance in Syria – Bloomberg – 10/30/2013.

Kuwaiti paper: Israel bombed Syrian missile shipment to Hizballah – 10/23/2013.

Assad: We have weapons that could blindside Israel | The Times of Israel – 9/26/2013.

SAS hunting Syrian missiles as Allies prepare for bombing blitz – Mirror Online – 8/28/2013

US officials claim Israeli strike in Latakia missed some Yakhont missiles – Threat Matrix – 7/31/2013.

INTERNATIONAL – Turkish FM denies Israel used Turkish base in Syria attack – 7/15/2013: ““Turkey will neither be a part nor a partner of such ‘attacks.’ The ones who claim this want to damage Turkey’s power and reputation,” he said. “It is out of the question that Turkey and Israel are part of a joint military operation.”

MI6 boss – ‘UK could face Syrian rebel gas attack’ – The Scotsman – 7/11/2013.

Israel Air Force Targets SA-17 SAM sent to Hezbollah – Defense Update – Military Technology & Defense News – 1/31/2013.