Wednesday, November 9, 2011

In the news:

Another day approaches and the rhetoric between Israel and Iran continues to increase. The article below could have been called "Tipping Points: Which one will be first?".

Iran prepping for missile attack on Israel

Iran has been preparing Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon to retaliate in the case of Israeli strikes against Tehran's nuclear sites, according to Egyptian security officials speaking to WND.

The security officials said Tehran was convinced the Jewish state was going to attack its suspected nuclear sites in September, prompting Iran to hold joint military drills with Gazan jihad groups in August, including with Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

Similar drills were held in August with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.


This is interesting for several reasons. First, the above scenario has been discussed frequently as one possible scenario which would be in line with biblical prophecy - the idea that any Iranian-Israeli conflict could lead to Iran's use of their proxies (the so-called 'inner circle' surrounding Israel, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, Gaza, Egypt etc.) to attack Israel, completing the Isaiah 17 prophecies, then followed by the epic battle of Gog-MaGog (Ezekiel 38-39).

Those drills were conducted by Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, the officials said. The exercises focused largely on coordinated missile onslaughts from both Gaza and Lebanon aimed at blanketing the Jewish.

According to the Egyptian security officials, any attack against Iran or Syria would result in an immediate Iranian missile campaign against Israel using proxies in Gaza and Lebanon.


Also of interest in this article is this often discussed idea:

While the media focus has largely been on Iran, there is information indicating an international campaign could target Iran's ally, Syria.

Damascus officials claimed to WND that NATO troops are currently training in Turkey for a Turkish-led NATO invasion of Syria.

Any deployment would come under the banner of the same "Responsibility to Protect" global doctrine used to justify the U.S.-NATO airstrikes in Libya.

A Turkish-U.S.-NATO strike could have immediate implications for Israel.


The Syrian president warned in a recent interview with a U.K. newspaper that foreign intervention in Syria would cause an "earthquake" across the region and create another Afghanistan, while directly threatening the Jewish state.


Israel believes it could carry out strikes on Iran with under 500 civilian fatalities

Ehud Barak raised the prospect of military action with Iran once again as he hinted that splits in the international community over imposing sanctions regarded as crippling enough by Israel could leave the Jewish state with no option but to take matters into its own hands.

But he insisted that claims of huge destruction in Israel were overblown and that the country could survive the retaliation.
"There is no way to prevent some damage," he said. "It will not be pleasant. There is no scenario for 50,000 dead, or 5,000 killed – and if everyone stays in their homes, maybe not even 500 dead."

Israel believes that Iran is intent on moving the bulk of its nuclear production underground within months, after which it will be harder than ever to launch effective military action.


Ahmadinejad vows no retreat on nuclear program

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday declared that Tehran will not pull back "even a needle's width" from its nuclear path, even after an incriminating UN report on its nuclear program.

You should know that this nation will not pull back even a needle's width from the path it is on," he said in a speech carried live on Iranian state television. "Why do you damage the agency's dignity because of America's invalid claims?" he asked.


ADL 'deeply disappointed' by Sarkozy-Obama exchange on Netanyahu

The Anti-Defamation League said it was "deeply disappointed" by the private exchange between French President Nicholas Sarkozy and U.S. President Barack Obama in which the two leaders were overheard making critical remarks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"In light of the revelations here, we hope that the Obama Administration will do everything it can to reassure Israel that the relationship remains on a sure footing and to reinvigorate the trust between President Obama and Prime Minister Netanyahu, which clearly is not what it should be," Foxman continued.

"What is sad is that we now have to worry to what extent these private views inform foreign policy decisions of the U.S. and France - two singularly important players in the peace process."


France calls for UN Security Council meeting over 'worrying' Iran nuclear report

France said on Wednesday it wanted to convene the UN Security Council and could push for unprecedented sanctions against Iran after an International Atomic Energy Agency report said Iran had worked to develop an atomic bomb design.

Israel did not rush to respond to the IAEA report. The Prime Minister's Office said in a statement on Tuesday that Israel is studying the report and will issue a response later. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his cabinet ministers not to discuss the report with the media until further notice.

Government officials said that Israel is waiting with its response because it wants to evaluate the world's response to the IAEA findings and does not want to appear to be leading the international community.


"Iran Navy can patrol off coast of US"

On Tuesday, Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari said that international law permits all countries to send their naval ships to the open seas, and naval forces of the Islamic Republic are also allowed to sail in these waters, the Mehr news agency reported.

He went on to say that the Iranian Navy has the right to sail in waters near the coast of the United States because the coastal waters beyond the territorial waters of the country are regarded as the open sea.


Also in the news:

TV and radio broadcasts will hapt for the nation's first simultaneous emergency alert

Undersea Volcano Now Just 70 Meters from Surface

OWS Rushing USA to Point of No Return

McCain wants Bill Clinton for Mideast peace role

10 comments:

Caver said...

The fact that Israel believes they could carry out a first strike and then take on all their neighbors while suffering less than 500 civilian casualties is huge. Well, really huge....IMHO.

I don't see how they can do it...but that is assuming everyone will do exactly as they have been told to react.

They won't. People panic...people try to run and grab the family pet or save the picture of Grand Ma or a box of munchies to carry them through.

If they knew the "incoming" would be limited to high explosives, I could see it. If, however, the incoming contained Chemical and biological warheads that is a situation of an entirely different nature. Each and every air duck could empty into a room which becomes a mini gas chamber.

Chemicals and biological make up the bulk of Syrian warheads and many have been transferred to Hezbo control if numerous reports are to be believed. I find it hard to believe that once the first powder keg goes bang, this won't go all the way.

Troubling times.

Seth said...

I'm right there with you, Caver. Too many volatile situations going on at the same time for one thing to just be an isolated incident. Once it starts, I can't see it stopping. The stage has been being set for months, even years little by little. You can just feel the tension rising, and very soon something's gotta give. And shortly after it gives, we'll go.

Maranatha!

Robin said...

The Israelis are more prepared than any nation on earth to face such an onslaught. And while I too find it difficult to imagine how it's possible to suffer so few casualties, it's possible the casualty count is being purposefully minimized to psych both the Iranians AND Israelies.

But we know, at least in the case of the Isaiah 17 battle, Israel will suffer a great loss.

So McCain is calling on Obama to send Bill Clinton to strike up a Middle East Peace plan, huh? Don't you know THAT'S got to be stuck in Hillary's craw? LOL

Caver said...

Just a possibility....that Israel is counting on their threat to treat any chemical or biological weapon hit as any WMD and retaliate with nukes will keep them safe from WMD.

I just don't see it. When the enemy hits, I think its going all the way.....rather quickly.

We shall see....I think.

Expected Imminently said...

Caver
Thee, me and thine may very well do as you suggest - except every Israeli citizen is a soldier, from the elderly to the young, they are very well trained and disciplined.

Our guide, an off duty Captain in the IDF treated us like soldiers; gave us our instructions about safety on the coach etc and he expected us to GO! GO! GO! when he said so! - and we did! :)

Anonymous said...

http://dailycaller.com/2011/11/09/french-germans-explore-idea-of-smaller-euro-zone/

gearedup2go said...

According to the Jerusalem Center for Public affairs, Hizbullah is discussing missile fire on Tel Aviv while dispatching forces to conquer Galilee.
Also:

~Hizbullah forces are being trained to fire at least ten thousand missiles, right at the war's outset, at military and strategic targets such as airfields, military camps, and vital facilities including maritime ones, followed by the firing of rockets from launch sites whose location will come as a surprise to Israel.

~The operational plan was formulated in tandem with senior Iranian strategic experts and will include a force of five thousand fighters who have recently trained in Iran, tasked with taking over designated zones in northern Israel including Nahariya, Shlomi, and Carmiel.

~It was said that engineering units of the Iranian army had mined areas in the eastern Bekaa Valley that were seen as possible landing sites for Israeli special forces, and that Hizbullah had equipped itself with "smart" Iranian anti-tank missiles that can disrupt the defensive systems of Israel's Merkava tanks.

gearedup2go said...

(cont'd)
Regarding Syria:

"Hizbullah is discussing the question of whether Bashar Assad will take part in the war, and is not excluding this possibility, particularly in light of Syria's domestic situation. On 27 October 2011 the newspaper Al Akhbar, which is close to Hizbullah, disclosed that Nasrallah had met with Assad a few days earlier in Damascus. It said Nasrallah had come to explain to Assad why Hizbullah insists that the Lebanese government stop contributing to the funding of the international investigatory commission (the STL) on former Lebanese premier Hariri's murder. Assad, according to the paper, did not give a clear answer on the issue and only emphasized the need to maintain the Lebanese government's representation. If such a Nasrallah-Assad meeting indeed occurred, it can reasonably be assumed that the subject of a military conflict with Israel was central to it."

fmr Ambassador John Bolton has stressed there are only 2 options for America: 1) strictrer sanctions on Iran, or 2) war. It looks to be that it's door #2 and Israel will be doing the dirty work. : /

Expected Imminently said...

Hello Geared

What I saw on Sky; the option of tougher sanctions against Iran will do nothing to prevent their determination to build an Atomic weapon. So really, if they do want it stopped, a conflict is the only option.

They said certain 'items' had no other use than as an integral part of a weapon.e.g. a Metal 'box' about the size of two double-decker buses, can only be toward detonation as it served no other purpose! I forget the other items, but they were for the same i.e. not required for making energy.

The ticking bomb has nearly ticked it's last tock, it seems!

God bless us and save us. :-\

Maranatha! You know it makes sense! \O/

Unknown said...

I love Israel, but 500 is a joke. The Iranians will kill that many just in the Saudi Oil fields.