It happened in the Syrian city of Hama. When Aziz Asber climbed into his car sometime during the night between Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, he had no idea that it would be the last time. The headrest of his seat exploded with an earsplitting blast, killing Asber and his driver instantly. When the smoke cleared, it was discovered that Asber was the head of Department 4 of the Syrian Scientific Research Center, an institute spearheading the Bashar al-Assad regime’s development of nonconventional weapons. Its labs in the town of Masyaf in Hama province had been bombed on numerous occasions over the past two years and sustained major damage. These bombings were attributed to Israel and its alleged decision to destroy the joint Syrian-Iranian-Hezbollah “Precision Project.” The goal of this project was to install a “kit” on Syrian and Hezbollah missiles, improving their precision considerably and thereby posing a strategic threat to Israel’s military superiority.
It now looks like Israel had decided to take matters up a notch. Sources in the Syrian regime have already blamed Asber’s assassination on the Israeli Mossad. While Israel has maintained its silence, it would be hard to find anyone in the Middle East who did not get the hint. From now on, not only are the weapons facilities in danger, but the scientists working there are as well. According to several publications in the West, the Mossad’s policy is now to deter anyone involved in the development of nonconventional weapons or any other weapons, for that matter, that might pose a threat to Israel. From now on, they bear sole responsibility for whatever happens to them.