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Reform Party of Syria pushing false IDF/AF F-16 kills
February 14, 2005 (by
Lieven Dewitte) -
The internet newspaper worldtribune.com reported last week that Israel Air Force F-16s intercepted and downed two Syrian MiG-29 Fulcrums over the Mediterranean on Sept. 14, 2004.
The article was based on a false report from the Washington D.C.-based Reform Party of Syria, a group which has tried for years to sway public opinion in favour of Syria.
The report from the Reform Party of Syria was based on a dubious story about a September 2001 incident in which IDF/AF F-15 Eagles allegedly downed two Syrian MiG-29 Fulcrums. Apparently, the Reform Party of Syria (RPS) kept the story, but changed that date and the type of aircraft involved. All other details (including pilot names) were identical.
Israeli F-16s did down Syrian aircraft in the past however. On April 28th, 1981 for example, an Israeli F-16 of the 'First Jet Squadron' scored the first F-16 air-to-air kill by downing a Syrian Mi-8 'Hip' helicopter over Riak, near the Lebanese town of Zahle. Five hours later, another Syrian Mi-8 fell prey to another F-16 of the same squadron.
Update: RPS officially retracted the story on 14 Feb and apologized for the harm they caused. They said they made an unintentional mistake.
The report from the Reform Party of Syria was based on a dubious story about a September 2001 incident in which IDF/AF F-15 Eagles allegedly downed two Syrian MiG-29 Fulcrums. Apparently, the Reform Party of Syria (RPS) kept the story, but changed that date and the type of aircraft involved. All other details (including pilot names) were identical.
Israeli F-16s did down Syrian aircraft in the past however. On April 28th, 1981 for example, an Israeli F-16 of the 'First Jet Squadron' scored the first F-16 air-to-air kill by downing a Syrian Mi-8 'Hip' helicopter over Riak, near the Lebanese town of Zahle. Five hours later, another Syrian Mi-8 fell prey to another F-16 of the same squadron.
Update: RPS officially retracted the story on 14 Feb and apologized for the harm they caused. They said they made an unintentional mistake.
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