The move on Syria

Syria, Nukes and Deterrence -Elliot Chodoff

As the cloud of secrecy continues to hover over the Israeli Air Force (IAF) strike against Syria some ten days ago, a number of conclusions may be drawn from the event...

[I]t is unlikely the IAF strike was aimed at arms shipments to Hizbullah. While these...are both a violation of UN resolutions and a threat to Israel's security, it is highly unlikely that Israel would commit aircraft to such an operation deep in Syria.

Syria, having acquired and deployed an extremely dense array of Russian antiaircraft weaponry, was shown to be incapable of preventing the IAF from reaching its target and returning home safely.

[T]he objective of the strike was not to send messages to either Syria or Iran. Israel has a rather well developed telephone network for that purpose. If the North Koreans feel that they have lost something in the operation, and we presume that their protests are not referring to the "cement" listed as cargo on the ship from that country that docked in Syria days before the strike, it would seem that the axis of evil -Iran, Syria, and North Korea- is still alive and kicking.

The strike was meant to destroy a target of strategic importance, and it succeeded. [T]here is now one less [threat] to concern ourselves with for the time being. Maintaining national security is an ongoing, endless task.

If a message is to be understood from the operation, it is to the West: pay attention ladies and gentlemen, this is how it's done. Again.
[Mideast: On Target]

UPDATE:

Nuclear Suspicions Linked to Raid in Syria -Mark Mazzetti & Helene Cooper

American and Israeli officials who have received briefings from Israeli sources said that the raid was an attempt by Israel to destroy a site that Israel believed to be associated with a rudimentary Syrian nuclear program.
[New York Times]