Syrian military expert Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Haytham Hassoun said in a July 3 show on Al-Ikhbariya TV (Syria) that the only way to create actual deterrence against Israel is by obtaining nuclear weapons.
According to a report by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), he said that if Israel has nuclear weapons, Arab countries should as well. Still, Arab countries have been forced to make do with “passive defense” and conventional weapons.
Hassoun also said that “an active approach, in this case, means obtaining nuclear weapons. Who said the Zionist entity is entitled to possess such weapons, but Syria or Egypt are not?”
He continued: “It is no use saying, ‘I do not want to possess nuclear weapons.’ We must have this weapon if we can. I can present many examples. How come the U.S. does not dare to attack North Korea? Because North Korea has nuclear weapons.”
