Naval Race in the Far East?
Early in September, Israeli F-15s bombed a remote part of the Syrian desert three days after a North Korean merchant ship docked in that country. At first the Israeli press was forbidden to discuss the attack, but hints later emerged in various places, including the United States, that the Israelis had destroyed a Syrian nuclear installation, perhaps one involved with Iran. The Syrians were uncharacteristically quiet about the blatant Israeli violation of their airspace, but the North Koreans protested vehemently. What was going on?