Israel only wised up to Damascus's bid for
nukes after it found Gaddafi had managed to run a similar program
covertly. Armed with the facts, Olmert had to decide whether to strike
Main image by courtesy of Israel Defense Forces
Eight F-15s and F-16s took off from the Hatzerim and Ramon air bases, in the south of the country, an hour or so before midnight on September 5, and flew silently toward their target. Protected by sophisticated electronic jamming systems that blinded Syria’s air defenses, the Israeli planes had no trouble dropping tons of explosives on the target, which was camouflaged as an agricultural farm, and were able to confirm visually that, in three potent minutes, it had been flattened. The danger that an Arab enemy bordering Israel would attain the doomsday weapon was removed.