Samsung just held a small preview event in Helsinki, Finland, where we briefly had the chance to play with some of its latest devices. The Intel-powered Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 was there, along with the smaller Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. We also grabbed a few moments with the Galaxy S 4 mini as well as the Galaxy S 4 Active, both of which seemed kinda predictable but nevertheless managed to leave a good impression. There was no sign of the new Galaxy Ace 3 or the heavily rumored Galaxy S 4 Zoom, and we weren't able to grab video of any of the products, but we do have a gallery for you below and some very early impressions if you read on.
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I am having some issues completing an assignment for my programming class. This deals with phone number dissection. I have most of the work done but I cannot seem to make the breakthrough on what is wrong with my code. I keep getting the same error: ".class" expected and ";" expected.
I have consulted with my prof and he gave me a hint on what is wrong however, I have no clue what is is talking about. Can anyone decipher? Here's what he said, "You need to break the number apart inside the constructor."
Below is my program:
/*************************************************************************************** * JCDissector.java * JR Camana * * This program dissects a phone number into its individual pieces. ****************************************************************************************/
public class JCDissector { String colonSeparated; //string holding the entire phone number separated by colons String countryCode; //country code of a phone number int areaCode; //area code of a phone number int prefix; //prefix numbers in a phone number int number; //last four digits of a phone number
public JCDissector(String colonSeparated) { this.colonSeparated = colonSeparated; } //end constructor
public String getPhoneNumber(int i) { return this.colonSeparated; } //end getPhoneNumber
public String getPhoneNumber(1) { countryCode = colonSeparated.subString(0,colonSeparated.indexOf(':')); }
public String getPhoneNumber(4) { String tempNumber = colonSeparated.subString(colonSeparated.lastIndexOf(':')); number = Integer.parseInt(tempNumber); }
}//end JCDissector
/*************************************************************************************** * JRCamanaProg1.java * JR Camana * * This program is the Phone class for the driver JRCamanaProg1.java file. ****************************************************************************************/
public class JRCamanaProg1 { public static void main(String[] args) { JCDissector phone = new JCDissector("1:919:882:5000"); System.out.println(phone.getPhoneNumber(int i)); System.out.println(phone.getPhoneNumber(4)); System.out.println(phone.getPhoneNumber(1)); System.out.println(phone.getPhoneNumber(3)); System.out.println(phone.getPhoneNumber(2)); } }// end main
Is This A Good Question/Topic? 0
Replies To: Java Phone Number Dissection Error
#2 Hqtitan ?
Reputation: 4
Posts:31
Joined:28-August 10
Re: Java Phone Number Dissection Error
Posted Yesterday, 05:45 PM
Rather than trying to pull the section in the method to get that section, you should do the dissection and set your phone number section variables when the object is constructed. I don't think that this has much to do with the errors you are receiving, but it could prevent errors further down the line.
With the way you have this set up now, the instance variables countryCode, areaCode[/li], prefix, and [il]number remain undefined until the corresponding method is called. You can't/shouldn't control what order the methods will be called, because a different user might not know exactly how this has been set up, and won't use it the same way that you are. You're also running the dissection every single time the method is called. Rather than run it every time, run it once in the constructor and store the values in the variables.
You will also get problems with not returning anything in your methods, since you have specified that they should return a String.
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Hunt for Truth?s Rebuttal to the Audubon Society?s Support for the Proposed Statewide Lead Ammunition Ban (AB 711) for Hunting in California.
Truth Behind Lead Ammo Bans
Hunt For Truth
California - -(Ammoland.com)- The following is an excerpt of The Audubon Society?s ?Facts Sheet? recently published in support of AB 711, and the Hunt for Truth?s response to ?Their? alleged facts.
Their ?Myth? ? The 2007 ban on the use of lead ammunition in the range of the California condor hasn?t worked, despite high levels of compliance among hunters.
Their ?Fact? ? The situation for condors and other wildlife species has improved because of the ban. A recent study by researchers at the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center found that lead exposure in both Golden Eagles and Turkey Vultures declined significantly after the condor ban was implemented.
Their ?Fact? ? Condors continue to suffer because it only takes a small amount of lead in the environment to do a great deal of damage. One contaminated carcass can easily jeopardize six or more condors feeding on the same carcass.
Their ?Fact? ? While preliminary studies of condors in its California range from 2008 indicate that lead levels are declining, a more comprehensive study completed in 2012 by UC Santa Cruz researchers found that condors continue to be exposed to deadly levels of lead.
Their ?Fact? ? The California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported high levels of compliance a year after the 2007 law went into effect, but further reports from the field unfortunately call that result into question. With fewer than 200 wardens patrolling the entire state at any given time, compliance with the law from both lawful hunting and unregulated activities due to poaching is difficult to measure.
The Truth: Blood-lead levels in California condors have not declined for within the ?condor zone? because condors are being significantly exposed to alternative sources of bioavailable lead, including documented evidence of lead paint chip and lead-contaminated microtrash ingestion.? The AB 821 lead ammunition ban (the Ridley-Tree Condor Preservation Act) has done nothing to prevent the alternative sources of lead in the condor zone.
The Truth: The paper by researchers at the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center was fatally flawed.? The authors attempted to compare blood-lead levels in golden eagles and turkey vultures before and after the AB 821 lead ammunition ban.? However, 70% of the authors? blood-lead tests were taken after a lead ammunition ban was put into place at Tejon Ranch, but those samples were characterized as pre AB 821 lead ban blood-lead tests. Despite the flaw, this paper is still cited and is a prime example of the faulty science used by self-proclaimed environmentalists.
The Truth: Several scientific studies have shown that it is extremely difficult to poison raptors with metallic lead, even with constant forced feeding of large amounts of metallic lead shot with food over extended periods of time.In contrast, it is quite easy to poison raptors and other wildlife when they exposed to an alternative source of soluble lead such as lead paint chips and other lead-contaminated microtrash.
The Truth: A paper published by The Wildlife Society found that lead ammunition fragments in game carcasses were not a source of lead exposure or poisoning in large carnivores and concluded that hunting season has no effect on the blood-lead levels in large carnivores. In addition, the study?s data indicate a continuous, year-round alternative source.
Their ?Myth? ? Non-lead bullets cost twice as much as lead bullets, and aren?t nearly as accurate.
Their ?Fact? ? A recent comprehensive review of the market for non-lead ammunition concluded that ?there is no major difference in the retail price of equivalent lead-free and lead-core ammunition for most popular calibers.?
Their ?Fact? ? The researcher found that ?lead-free ammunition has set benchmark standards for accuracy, lethality, and safety. Lead-free bullets are made in 35 different calibers and 51 rifle cartridge designations. Thirty-seven companies distribute internationally ammunition made with lead free bullets.
Their ?Fact? ? Never before has non-lead ammunition been so affordable and the price continues to decline.
The Truth: The price of non-lead ammunition has dropped, but it still costs more than lead-based ammunition, up to 30% more. Additionally, the ultimate cost is the unknown effects on wildlife that come from using alternative ammunition such as copper, which has been shown to be toxic, and tungsten, which has been shown to be a carcinogen.? In general, alternative ammunition metals are known to have harmful effects on wildlife, and are likely to cause many new problems if lead is no longer available.
The Truth: The availability of non-lead ammunition in different calibers is questionable at best, and there are still many calibers that are not available.? Even if the caliber is being made and marketed, hunters are still reportedly having a difficult time finding and purchasing the ammunition.
Their ?Myth? ? There is no evidence that poisoned birds got the lead from ammo/gut piles. Lead could be coming from other sources.
Their ?Fact? ? The UC Davis Wildlife Health Center study showed that blood lead concentration in turkey vultures was significantly higher during the deer hunting season compared to the off-season, and blood lead concentration also increased with increasing intensity of wild pig hunting at study sites.
Their ?Fact? ? The UC Santa Cruz researchers definitively identified the isotopic fingerprint of lead from ammunition and associated it with the source of exposure and poisoning in condors.
The Truth: Most of the condors? diet is cattle carcasses from nearby ranches, not hunters? gut piles. Cattle are very prone to lead poisoning. Feeding on lead-poisoned cattle is more dangerous than feeding on lead ammunition because the lead in the cattle is more bioavailable than the lead in ammunition.
The Truth: The UC Davis Wildlife Health Center study regarding turkey vultures is fatally flawed.? The authors did not properly assess the California Department of Fish & Wildlife?s hunter?s take data, which was integral to their conclusions. Even with the flawed assumptions, methodologies and conclusions by the UC Davis researchers, self-proclaimed environmentalists still cite the paper, despite the faulty science.
The Truth: The UC Santa Cruz researchers claimed that they identified the lead source of exposure and poisoning in condors using an isotopic compositional analysis. The truth is that isotopic compositional analysis cannot be used to positively identify a single source of lead from commercially available ammunition.
Their ?Myth? ? Non-lead ammunition is not as accurate or effective as lead ammunition.
Their ?Fact? ? It is the effectiveness of non-lead ammunition that first ignited interested in alternatives to lead. Safari Club International was the first to sing non-lead ammunition?s praises during safari hunts in Africa. Many hunters are voluntarily changing ammunition type because of the improved ?knock down? power and accuracy of non-lead ammunition.
Their ?Fact? ? A 2006 survey by the Arizona Game and Fish Department found that hunters overwhelmingly approved of both the accuracy and performance of non-lead ammunition compared to their experience with lead.
The Truth: Because most alternative metals are less dense than lead, they lose energy and velocity in flight faster than lead and retain less down-range energy. For rifle ammunition, alternative metals are able to offer similar performance to lead at close range, but the generally lower density of non-lead alternatives undermines their ballistic performance above 100-150 yards and makes lead a superior ammunition for long-range targets. In addition, bullets used for large game mammals during safari hunts in Africa are generally of solid construction, not the expanding design usually approved for taking big game in North America. Lead ammunition also provides superior terminal performance and a more humane kill, as harder alternative ammunition can allow game to escape and remain in the field to die.
The Truth:? Bullets used for large game mammals during safari hunts in Africa cannot be compared to the bullets used for taking big game in North America. The bullets used in safari hunts are generally of solid construction while the bullets used in North America are designed to expand. Comparing the two different types of bullets is like comparing apples with oranges.
Their ?Myth? ? Federal law preempts any lead ammunition limits because of the body armor piercing issue.
Their ?Fact? ? This is just the latest red herring generated by the manufacturing industry intended only to slow the progress of lead ammunition abatement policy. The industry?s claims are especially dubious given that they continue to manufacture and sell non-lead ammunition for sporting purposes, despite their alleged legal concerns. Their ?Fact? ? The federal law banning armor piercing ammunition has been on the books since 1968 and contains a specific exemption for ?sporting purposes.? The law has never been interpreted as prohibiting ammunition for hunting purposes, and ATF has made no effort to interfere with either the longstanding federal waterfowl ban on lead ammunition or California?s recent condor habitat ban.
The Truth: The ATF has made a determination that non-lead ammunition for rifles and handguns meets the tests for armor piercing ammunition, because of its chemical composition.? Add in the fact that various makes and models of handguns exist that can shoot virtually all of the alternative ammunition. Thus, it is illegal under both state and federal laws to use or possess such armor piercing ammunition. To date, ATF has not granted any waivers for alternative ammunition under the ?sporting purpose? exemption.
Their ?Myth? ? Alternatives to lead ammunition are also highly toxic and problematic for the environment.
Their ?Fact? ? While non-lead ammunition does contain substances that can be considered toxic under some circumstances, there is absolutely no evidence that these materials pose anything close the environmental threat that lead ammunition presents.
The Truth: Alternative ammunition containing bismuth, tungsten, copper, and jacketed steel have all raised various concerns among conservationists. Recent studies show that bismuth has been found to leach into the soil and groundwater and interfere with soil bacteria. Other studies demonstrate that tungsten, which is transformed to a soluble form by oxidation, can accumulate in the spleen of wildlife and possibly cause immune system disorders. Even copper has been shown to be toxic under certain circumstances, and has been found to be the primary cause of mortality in certain condors exposed to copper fragments and microtrash containing copper.
The Truth: Lead ammunition from the Civil War has been in the field for over a century with no negative environmental impact. Minie balls found on 150 year-old battlefields retain most of their shape and mass because metallic lead is not very soluble and does not tend to migrate.? In other words, lead ammunition does not tend to dissolve and wash away in surface or ground water and is not the threat that environmentalists claim.
Their ?Myth? ? This campaign is a thinly disguised effort to limit hunting.
Their ?Fact? ? As noted above, hunters have been shifting toward non-lead ammunition for both technical and conservation reasons for years.
Their ?Fact? ? A 1991 federal ban on the use of lead shot for hunting waterfowl had little impact on the number of hunting licenses issued in California, and subsequently enabled the resurgence of many populations of ducks, geese, and other species being killed off by poisoning from lead shot.
Their ?Fact? ? The 2007 requirement of non-lead ammunition in the condor range did not reduce the number of deer tags issued.
Their ?Fact? ? Condors and eagles benefit from animal remains left over from hunting if lead contamination is not a factor. Hunting can actually be a conservation benefit by increasing available food supplies for scavenging species.
The Truth: AB 711 is sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States.? Nearly two decades ago, the present Humane Society President and CEO Wayne Pacelle stated, ?We are going to use the ballot box and the democratic process to stop all hunting in the United States.?We will take it species by species until all hunting is stopped in California.?Then we will take it state by state.?
The Truth: Hunting is Conservation. There are many conservation benefits of hunting. The population of elk, whitetails, ducks, wild turkeys, and pronghorns has increased dramatically thanks to the money and hard work by hunters to restore and conserve habitat. Additionally, the tax hunters pay for their equipment has raised more than $2 billion for wildlife conservation, which comes to about $280 million per year. Most important, hunting is a wildlife management tool that helps balance wildlife populations with its habitat, which in turn limits property damage (e.g., crops) and curtails outbreaks of disease.?
Their ?Myth? ? This campaign is taking advantage of current anti-gun sentiment.
Their ?Fact? ? Each of the sponsoring organizations supported the use of non-lead ammunition long before the recent political push for gun control legislation.
Their ?Fact? ? Audubon?s founder first extolled the risks from lead ammunition in 1894, and Audubon was the primary sponsor of the 2007 legislation.
The Truth: There is no dispute that the sponsors of this bill have been pushing for a lead ammunition ban for many years, but they are using the current anti-gun sentiment and tried and true scare tactics to push their ?get the lead out? campaign.? These anti-lead ammunition groups seized the opportunity despite the California Fish and Game Commission?s urging to ?allow us the opportunity to try to make this work before you go to the legislature and get a bill going. That?s what rushed it through the last time.?Give us an opportunity [to address this issue] first.??
The Truth: The California Fish and Game Commission set up a working committee to investigate both sides of the lead ammunition debate, and to make an informed decision based on the facts and sound science. But before the working committee even started, the lead ammunition ban proponents disregarded the Commission?s admonishment, circumvented the Commission?s committee process, and convinced an assembly member to introduce AB 711 in the legislature, where the science will not be scrutinized.
Their ?Myth? ? This law would place an undue burden on all gun owners.
Their ?Fact? ? Assembly Bill 711 only creates a requirement for non-lead ammunition for hunting in California.
Their ?Fact? ? This excludes law enforcement, home security, target shooting, and other non-hunting uses.
The Truth: The undue burden on all firearms owners is based on the limited availability and the higher cost of non-lead ammunition. The cost of non-lead ammunition is up to 30% higher than traditional lead-based ammunition and non-lead ammunition is not available in all calibers. With the ATF?s determination that non-lead ammunition for rifles and pistols meets the test for armor piercing ammunition due to its chemical composition, if AB 711 is passed hunters may not be able to hunt because there will be no legal ammunition for hunting in California.???????????????????
?
HuntforTruth.org The Hunt for Truth and like-minded wildlife and natural resource conservation groups continue to review various regulatory threats to traditional hunting and shooting sports. Where the science leads to a wise management conclusion, we support wildlife managers in their efforts to conserve our natural and wildlife resources. But where the science is faulty, politically biased, distorted or unsupportable, we continue to work tirelessly to expose the truth. Visit: www.HuntforTruth.org
When Jon Rubinstein left HP, it wasn't certain whether he would retire (again) or once more respond to the siren's call of technology. Clearly, he couldn't resist -- Qualcomm has confirmed that Rubinstein is joining its board of directors. It's not hard to understand why the firm would be interested, mind you. Between NeXT, Apple, Palm and HP, Rubinstein has extensive experience with Silicon Valley technology in general, and mobile in particular. While Qualcomm is already doing blockbuster business without his help, it no doubt wants to keep the money train going. Us? We're just happy to see a familiar name back in the limelight.
May 5, 2013 ? A handheld diagnostic device that Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators first developed to diagnose cancer has been adapted to rapidly diagnose tuberculosis (TB) and other important infectious bacteria. Two papers appearing in the journals Nature Communications and Nature Nanotechnology describe portable devices that combine microfluidic technology with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to not only diagnose these important infections but also determine the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains.
"Rapidly identifying the pathogen responsible for an infection and testing for the presence of resistance are critical not only for diagnosis but also for deciding which antibiotics to give a patient," says Ralph Weissleder, MD, PhD, director of the MGH Center for Systems Biology (CSB) and co-senior author of both papers. "These described methods allow us to do this in two to three hours, a vast improvement over standard culturing practice, which can take as much as two weeks to provide a diagnosis."
Investigators at the MGH CSB previously developed portable devices capable of detecting cancer biomarkers in the blood or in very small tissue samples. Target cells or molecules are first labeled with magnetic nanoparticles, and the sample is then passed through a micro NMR system capable of detecting and quantifying levels of the target. But initial efforts to adapt the system to bacterial diagnosis had trouble finding antibodies -- the detection method used in the earlier studies -- that would accurately detect the specific bacteria. Instead the team switched to targeting specific nucleic acid sequences.
The system described in the Nature Communications paper, published on April 23, detects DNA from the tuberculosis bacteria in small sputum samples. After DNA is extracted from the sample, any of the target sequence that is present is amplified using a standard procedure, then captured by polymer beads containing complementary nucleic acid sequences and labeled with magnetic nanoparticles with sequences that bind to other portions of the target DNA. The miniature NMR coil incorporated into the device -- which is about the size of a standard laboratory slide -- detects any TB bacterial DNA present in the sample.
Tests of the device on samples from patients known to have TB and from healthy controls identified all positive samples with no false positives in less than three hours. Existing diagnostic procedures can take weeks to provide results and can miss up to 40 percent of infected patients. Results were even stronger for patients infected with both TB and HIV -- probably because infection with both pathogens leads to high levels of the TB bacteria -- and specialized nucleic acid probes developed by the research team were able to distinguish treatment-resistant bacterial strains.
The Nature Nanotechnology paper, being issued online today, describes a similar system using ribosomal RNA (rRNA) -- already in use as a bacterial biomarker -- as a target for nanoparticle labeling. The investigators developed both a universal nucleic acid probe that detects an rRNA region common to many bacterial species and a set of probes that target sequences specific to 13 clinically important pathogens, including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
The device was sensitive enough to detect as few as one or two bacteria in a 10 ml blood sample and to accurately estimate bacterial load. Testing the system on blood samples from patients with known infections accurately identified the particular bacterial species in less than two hours and also detected two species that had not been identified with standard culture techniques.
While both systems require further development to incorporate all steps into sealed, stand-alone devices, reducing the risk of contamination, Weissleder notes that the small size and ease of use of these devices make them ideal for use in developing countries. "The magnetic interactions that pathogen detection is based on are very reliable, regardless of the quality of the sample, meaning that extensive purification -- which would be difficult in resource-limited setting -- is not necessary. The ability to diagnose TB in a matter of hours could allow testing and treatment decisions within the same clinic visit, which can be crucial to controlling the spread of TB in developing countries."
Hakho Lee, PhD, of the MGH Center for Systems Biology. co-senior author of both papers, notes that the system will also have important applications in developed countries. "The capacity of the system not only to identify bacterial species but also to differentiate factors such as antibiotic resistance will help clinicians treat patients with the 'right' drugs from the start, which also helps reduce the emergence of treatment-resistant strains. The fact that this device requires only a tiny drop of the sample to be tested will be helpful in instances when specimens can be hard to obtain, such as treating children or seniors."
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
BEIRUT (AP) ? Israel rushed to beef up its rocket defenses on its northern border Sunday to shield against possible retaliation after carrying out two airstrikes in Syria over 48 hours ? an unprecedented escalation of Israeli involvement in the Syrian civil war.
Syria and its patron Iran hinted at possible retribution, though the rhetoric in official statements appeared relatively muted.
Despite new concerns about a regional war, Israeli officials signaled they will keep trying to block what they see as an effort by Iran to send sophisticated weapons to Lebanon's Hezbollah militia ahead of a possible collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.
Israel has repeatedly threatened to intervene in the Syrian civil war to stop the transfer of what it calls "game-changing" weapons to Hezbollah, a Syrian-backed group that battled Israel to a stalemate during a monthlong war in 2006.
Since carrying out a lone airstrike in January that reportedly destroyed a shipment of anti-aircraft missiles headed to Hezbollah, Israel had largely stayed on the sidelines. That changed over the weekend with a pair of airstrikes, including an attack near a sprawling military complex close to the Syrian capital of Damascus early Sunday that set off a series of powerful explosions.
The Israeli government and military refused to comment. But a senior Israeli official said both airstrikes targeted shipments of Fateh-110 missiles bound for Hezbollah. The Iranian-made guided missiles can fly deep into Israel and deliver powerful half-ton bombs with pinpoint accuracy. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was discussing a covert military operation.
Syria's government called the attacks a "flagrant violation of international law" that has made the Middle East "more dangerous." It also claimed the Israeli strikes proved the Jewish state's links to rebel groups trying to overthrow Assad's regime.
Syria's information minister, Omran al-Zoubi, reading a Cabinet statement after an emergency government meeting, said Syria has the right and duty "to defend its people by all available means."
Israeli defense officials believe Assad has little desire to open a new front with Israel when he is preoccupied with the survival of his regime. More than 70,000 people have been killed since the uprising against Assad erupted in March 2011, and Israeli officials believe it is only a matter of time before Assad is toppled.
Still, Israel seemed to be taking the Syrian threats seriously. Israel's military deployed two batteries of its Iron Dome rocket defense system to the north of the country Sunday. It described the move as part of "ongoing situational assessments."
Israel says the Iron Dome shot down hundreds of incoming short-range rockets during eight days of fighting against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip last November. Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets into Israel during the 2006 war, and Israel believes the group now possesses tens of thousands of rockets and missiles.
The Iron Dome deployment followed a surprise Israeli drill last week in which several thousand reservists simulated conflict in the north. In another possible sign of concern, Israel closed the airspace over northern Israel to civilian flights on Sunday and tightened security at embassies overseas, Israeli media reported. Israeli officials would not confirm either measure.
Reflecting fears of ordinary Israelis, the country's postal service, which helps distribute government-issue gas masks, said demand jumped to four times the normal level Sunday.
Israel's deputy defense minister, Danny Danon, would neither confirm nor deny the airstrikes. He said, however, that Israel "is guarding its interests and will continue to do so in the future."
"Israel cannot allow weapons, dangerous weapons, to get into the hands of terror organizations," he told Army Radio.
Israeli defense officials have identified several strategic weapons that they say cannot be allowed to reach Hezbollah. They include Syrian chemical weapons, the Iranian Fateh-110s, long-range Scud missiles, Yakhont missiles capable of attacking naval ships from the coast, and Russian SA-17 anti-aircraft missiles. Israel's airstrike in January destroyed a shipment of SA-17s meant for Hezbollah, according to U.S. officials.
Israeli officials said Sunday they believe that Iran is stepping up its efforts to smuggle weapons through Syria to Hezbollah because of concerns that Assad's days are numbered.
They said the Fateh-110s reached Syria last week. Friday's airstrike struck a site at the Damascus airport where the missiles were being stored, while the second series of airstrikes early Sunday targeted the remnants of the shipment, which had been moved to three nearby locations, the officials said.
None of the Iranian missiles are believed to have reached Lebanon, said the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing a classified intelligence assessment.
The attacks pose a dilemma for the embattled Assad regime.
If it fails to respond, it looks weak and opens the door to more airstrikes. But any military retaliation against Israel would risk dragging the Jewish state and its powerful army into a broader conflict. With few exceptions, Israel and Syria have not engaged in direct fighting in roughly 40 years.
The airstrikes come as Washington considers how to respond to indications the Syrian regime may have used chemical weapons in its civil war. President Barack Obama has described the use of such weapons as a "red line," and the administration is weighing its options.
The White House declined for a second day to comment directly on Israel's air strikes in Syria, but said Obama believes Israel, as a sovereign nation, has the right to defend itself against threats from Hezbollah.
"The Israelis are justifiably concerned about the threat posed by Hezbollah obtaining advanced weapons systems, including some long-range missiles," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. He said the U.S. was in "close coordination" with Israel but would not elaborate.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague also seemed to back Israel, telling Sky News that "all countries have to look after their own national security."
Iran condemned the airstrikes, and a senior official hinted at possible retribution from Hezbollah.
Gen. Masoud Jazayeri, assistant to the Iranian chief of staff, told Iran's state-run Arabic-language Al-Alam TV that Tehran "will not allow the enemy (Israel) to harm the security of the region." He added that "the resistance will retaliate to the Israeli aggression against Syria." ''Resistance" is a term used for Hezbollah and the Palestinian Hamas, another anti-Israel militant group supported by Iran.
Iran has provided both financial and military support to Hezbollah for decades and has used Syria as a conduit for both. If Assad were to fall, that pipeline could be cut, dealing a serious blow to Hezbollah's ability to confront Israel.
Israel appears to be taking a calculated risk that its strikes will not invite retaliation from Syria, Hezbollah or even Iran.
But Salman Shaikh of the Brookings Doha Center in Qatar warned: "All this could lead us into a wider conflict."
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Federman reported from Jerusalem. Associated Press writers Ian Deitch and Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem and Bassem Mroue and Ryan Lucas in Beirut contributed to this story.
