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A
new book by Watergate reporter Bob Woodward, "Fear: Trump in the
White House", says Trump told his defense secretary that he
wanted to have Assad assassinated in response to a chemical
attack on Syrian civilians in April 2017.
The book said James Mattis, the defense secretary, told Trump he
would "get right on it" but instead developed a plan for a
limited air strike that did not threaten Assad personally.
Trump tweeted that quotes attributed to Mattis were "made up
frauds, a con on the public". Mattis dismissed the book as "a
uniquely Washington brand of literature".
"I do not know of any such instruction. He (Trump) is also
denying it, by the way," Israeli Intelligence Minister Yisrael
Katz told Tel Aviv radio station 103 FM.
"In any event, what can be said is that in the framework of the
coordination between the United States and Israel ... the
subject of the Syrian regime is certainly part of the
discussions. Israel did not take a decision to topple Assad."
While formally neutral on the 7-year civil war in neighboring
Syria, Israel has carried out scores of air strikes against
suspected attempts by Assad's Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah
allies to set up permanent posts or advanced arms.
Under decades of Assad family rule, Syria has maintained a Cold
War-style hostility toward Israel. Katz said Israel did not see
a better alternative to Assad among Syrian rebel groups.
"Of course his (Assad's) actions are terrible actions, and
something that we abhor and condemn. Those opposing him, ISIS
and others, are not a side that we think are better. We took
care to preserve our interests," Katz said.
Woodward gained national fame for his reporting on the Watergate
scandal in the 1970s, and has since written a number of books
that provide behind-the-scenes glimpses of presidential
administrations and other Washington institutions.
For this book, Woodward spoke to top aides and other insiders
with the understanding that he would not reveal how he got his
information, said the Washington Post, which published excerpts
from the book on Tuesday.
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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