Sixteen years ago, tonight just after midnight - IDF fighter jets took off toward northeastern Syria to destroy a nuclear reactor North Korea was building on behalf of Bashar al-Assad.
It was one of the more amazing operations carried out by Israel in its 75 years and reinforced what is known as the Begin Doctrine, according to which Israel will stop its enemies from obtaining a nuclear weapons capability.
With the Middle East undergoing a fast-paced nuclearization - Iran's program and Saudi interest in domestic enrichment are just two examples - this is a story that, even 16 years later, carries relevance for Israel and the entire world.
The pilots were brave and amazing and the IDF was correct in its intelligence assessments and planning.
It should be noted that the Israeli decision was made even though the Bush Jr. administration was against the mission.
The Middle East, and probably the entire world, would look a lot different today had Israel not done so.
NEWSRAEL: Prior to the air attack was a mission by secret IDF ground troops that infiltrated Syria and took samples of the ground near the reactor back with them in protective boxes in order to be 100% sure that no mistake was made. One can only imagine the danger these troops were in to complete such a mission.