US & Israel Sign Murder-Suicide Pact
Babba Zee
Outraged Spleen of Zion
Allman Bros. ~ Whipping Post
American crews will control US FBX-band radar granted Israel DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
August 19, 2008, 12:43 PM (GMT+02:00)
In granting Israel the powerful FBX-T radar system to enhance its early warning resources against incoming missiles, Washington laid down a strict hands-off proviso. The system will be installed at a US base in the southern Israeli Negev. It will be off-limits to Israelis and managed exclusively by American personnel.
This discovery, revealed here for the first time by DEBKAfile's military sources, has aroused astonished rancor in senior Israel army circles. They questioned the judgment of prime minister Ehud Olmert, defense minister Ehud Barak, foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Shaul Mofaz, who leads the Israeli side of the twice-annual strategic dialogue with the US, and chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi in accepting this proviso.
Even Poland, one officer commented, looked after its sovereignty and only signed its defense pact with the United States for the installation of missile interceptors on its Baltic coast after the Americans agreed to instruct Polish crews in their future operation.
Yet none of the Israeli officials involved in the radar transaction saw fit to carry this point. The FBX-T was requested to allow Israel's Arrow missile defense system to engage a Shehab-3 missile about halfway through its 11-minute flight from Iran, several times sooner than the Arrow's Green Pines radar is capable of doing.
The FBX-T can track objects in space such as a missile tipped with a chemical, germ or nuclear warhead.
When they swung the deal in Washington last month, Barak and Ashkenazi said the Israeli Defense Forces would acquire a major resource and Israel a valuable shield against enemy missiles.
But they erred badly in failing to demand its integration in Israel's national interceptor system for four reasons:
1. Israel will have no denied direct access to the data gathered by the system and can only hope the American operators will pass on the information as and when Israel needs it for self-defense rather than when it suits US interests.
2. The FBX-T will not only be able to track Iranian and Syrian missiles and aircraft but also keep watch on Israeli operations, giving the Washington a handle for stalling them. DEBKAfile's military sources point out that the Americans are suddenly in a hurry to have the system deployed in the Negev as soon as September. They will then be in position to forestall a possible Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran's nuclear installations should one be decided in Jerusalem.
3. US experts say the FBX-T radar will lengthen the Israeli Arrow anti-missile system's range for detecting incoming Iranian missiles several times over. This is technically accurate, but in practice this enhanced capability is entirely contingent on a Pentagon order to the American crews in the Negev to activate a link between them.
4. Barak and Ashkenazi said on their return from Washington that they had procured US consent to links between Israel's early warning and missile interceptor systems, the X-band radar (which can pick up a missile 2,000 km from target) and also the American JTAGS satellites (which detects a missile launch).
This is not the case.
Any links between the IDF's radar and interceptors and the JATG satellites must be channeled through the X-band radar base in the Negev and are not direct. The data passed to Israel will be subject to pre-selection by American decision-makers.
Several billion dollars of US and Israeli funds have been sunk into developing the Arrow, which Israeli officials until recently claimed was a match for Iran's Shehab-3 ballistic missiles. It turns out now that the Arrow and its Green Pine radar pick up incoming missiles only when they are 800 km short of their target. Israel applied for the FBX-T radar to extend that range to 2,000 km from its territory. But as long as the system is operated exclusively by American personnel, its usefulness for shielding Israel against enemy missiles will circumscribed.
AUGUST 13, 2008:
U.S. puts brakes on Israeli plan for attack on Iran nuclear facilities
By Aluf Benn
The Americans viewed the request, which was transmitted (and rejected) at the highest level, as a sign that Israel is in the advanced stages of preparations to attack Iran. They therefore warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine American interests. They also demanded that Israel give them prior notice if it nevertheless decided to strike Iran. As compensation for the requests it rejected, Washington offered to improve Israel's defenses against surface-to-surface missiles. Israel responded by saying it reserves the right to take whatever action it deems necessary if diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's nuclearization fail.
Senior Israeli officials had originally hoped that U.S. President George Bush would order an American strike on Iran's nuclear facilities before leaving office, as America's military is far better equipped to conduct such a strike successfully than is Israel's. Jerusalem also fears that an Israeli strike, even if it succeeded well enough to delay Iran's nuclear development for a few years, would give Iran international legitimacy for its program, which it currently lacks. Israel, in contrast, would be portrayed as an aggressor, and would be forced to contend alone with Iran's retaliation, which would probably include thousands of missile strikes by Iranian allies Hezbollah, Hamas and perhaps even Syria. Recently, however, Israel has concluded that Bush is unlikely to attack, and will focus instead on ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on Tehran. It prefers to wait until this process has been exhausted, though without conceding the military option.
Israel's assumption is that Iran will continue to use delaying tactics, and may even agree to briefly suspend its uranium enrichment program in an effort to see out the rest of Bush's term in peace. The American-Israeli dispute over a military strike against Iran erupted during Bush's visit to Jerusalem in May. At the time, Bush held a private meeting on the Iranian threat with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and the Israelis presented their request for certain specific items of military equipment, along with diplomatic and security backing. Following Bush's return to Washington, the administration studied Israel's request, and this led it to suspect that Israel was planning to attack Iran within the next few months. The Americans therefore decided to send a strong message warning it not to do so. U.S. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen both visited here in June and, according to the Washington Post, told senior Israeli defense officials that Iran is still far from obtaining nuclear weapons, and that an attack on Iran would undermine American interests.
Therefore, they said, the U.S. would not allow Israeli planes to overfly Iraq en route to Iran. The Americans sent a similar message to Iraq, which had objected vociferously to the idea of its air space being used for an Israeli attack on Iran. These private messages were accompanied by a series of leaks from the Pentagon that Israel interpreted as attempts to thwart any possibility of an attack on Iran. For instance, the Americans revealed details of a major Israel Air Force exercise in the Mediterranean; they also said they doubted Israel had adequate intelligence about Iran's nuclear facilities. In addition, Mullen spoke out publicly against an attack on Iran. Two weeks ago, Barak visited Washington for talks with his American counterpart, Robert Gates, and Vice President Richard Cheney. Both conversations focused on Iran, but the two Americans presented conflicting views: Gates vehemently opposes an attack on Iran, while Cheney is the administration's leading hawk.Barak presented Israel's assessments of the Iranian situation and warned that Iran was liable to advance its nuclear program under cover of the endless deliberations about sanctions - which have thus far produced little in the way of action. He also acknowledged that effective sanctions would require cooperation from Russia, China and India, all of which currently oppose sanctions with real teeth. Russia, however, is considered key to efforts to isolate Iran, and Israeli officials have therefore urged their American counterparts in recent months to tone down Washington's other disputes with Moscow to focus all its efforts on obtaining Russia's backing against Iran. For instance, they suggested that Washington offer to drop its plan to station a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic - a proposal Russia views as a threat, though Washington insists the system is aimed solely at Iran - in exchange for Russia agreeing to stiffer sanctions against Iran.
However, the administration rejected this idea. In an attempt to compensate Israel for having rejected all its proposals, Washington then offered to bolster Israel's defenses against ballistic missiles. For instance, Gates proposed stationing an advanced radar system in Israel and linking Israel directly into America's early warning satellite network; he also offered increased American funding for the development of two Israeli missile defense systems - the Arrow-3, an upgrade of Israel's existing Arrow system for intercepting ballistic missiles, and Iron Dome, a system designed to intercept short-range rockets. In addition, Washington agreed to sell Israel nine Super Hercules long-range transport aircraft for $2 billion.
However, it would not agree to supply Israel with any offensive systems. Now, Israel is awaiting the outcome of the latest talks between the West and Iran, as well as a formal announcement of the opening of an American interests section in Tehran. Israel views the latter as sure proof that Washington is not planning a military strike.7/31/08: Olmert to Quit AFTER ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER
8/17/08: Israel to free 200 MORE prisoners as Rice visits Mideast
Ian Gillan ~ Gethsemane
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
~ Genesis 12:3
Want more Babba Zee and scenes from the Outraged Spleen? Try these recent posts: * Missing Links vs the Fall of Night & the Mares it Rides in on * 3 Wood: Dollars vs Euros * INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING UPDATE : GEORGIA |
by Babba Zee
images: Outraged Spleen of Zion
Source: US & Israel Sign Murder-Suicide Pact
US & Israel Sign Murder-Suicide Pact
Babba Zee
Outraged Spleen of Zion
Allman Bros. ~ Whipping Post
American crews will control US FBX-band radar granted Israel DEBKAfile Exclusive Report
August 19, 2008, 12:43 PM (GMT+02:00)
In granting Israel the powerful FBX-T radar system to enhance its early warning resources against incoming missiles, Washington laid down a strict hands-off proviso. The system will be installed at a US base in the southern Israeli Negev. It will be off-limits to Israelis and managed exclusively by American personnel.
This discovery, revealed here for the first time by DEBKAfile's military sources, has aroused astonished rancor in senior Israel army circles. They questioned the judgment of prime minister Ehud Olmert, defense minister Ehud Barak, foreign minister Tzipi Livni, Shaul Mofaz, who leads the Israeli side of the twice-annual strategic dialogue with the US, and chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi in accepting this proviso.
Even Poland, one officer commented, looked after its sovereignty and only signed its defense pact with the United States for the installation of missile interceptors on its Baltic coast after the Americans agreed to instruct Polish crews in their future operation.
Yet none of the Israeli officials involved in the radar transaction saw fit to carry this point. The FBX-T was requested to allow Israel's Arrow missile defense system to engage a Shehab-3 missile about halfway through its 11-minute flight from Iran, several times sooner than the Arrow's Green Pines radar is capable of doing.
The FBX-T can track objects in space such as a missile tipped with a chemical, germ or nuclear warhead.
When they swung the deal in Washington last month, Barak and Ashkenazi said the Israeli Defense Forces would acquire a major resource and Israel a valuable shield against enemy missiles.
But they erred badly in failing to demand its integration in Israel's national interceptor system for four reasons:
1. Israel will have no denied direct access to the data gathered by the system and can only hope the American operators will pass on the information as and when Israel needs it for self-defense rather than when it suits US interests.
2. The FBX-T will not only be able to track Iranian and Syrian missiles and aircraft but also keep watch on Israeli operations, giving the Washington a handle for stalling them. DEBKAfile's military sources point out that the Americans are suddenly in a hurry to have the system deployed in the Negev as soon as September. They will then be in position to forestall a possible Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran's nuclear installations should one be decided in Jerusalem.
3. US experts say the FBX-T radar will lengthen the Israeli Arrow anti-missile system's range for detecting incoming Iranian missiles several times over. This is technically accurate, but in practice this enhanced capability is entirely contingent on a Pentagon order to the American crews in the Negev to activate a link between them.
4. Barak and Ashkenazi said on their return from Washington that they had procured US consent to links between Israel's early warning and missile interceptor systems, the X-band radar (which can pick up a missile 2,000 km from target) and also the American JTAGS satellites (which detects a missile launch).
This is not the case.
Any links between the IDF's radar and interceptors and the JATG satellites must be channeled through the X-band radar base in the Negev and are not direct. The data passed to Israel will be subject to pre-selection by American decision-makers.
Several billion dollars of US and Israeli funds have been sunk into developing the Arrow, which Israeli officials until recently claimed was a match for Iran's Shehab-3 ballistic missiles. It turns out now that the Arrow and its Green Pine radar pick up incoming missiles only when they are 800 km short of their target. Israel applied for the FBX-T radar to extend that range to 2,000 km from its territory. But as long as the system is operated exclusively by American personnel, its usefulness for shielding Israel against enemy missiles will circumscribed.
AUGUST 13, 2008:
U.S. puts brakes on Israeli plan for attack on Iran nuclear facilities
By Aluf Benn
The Americans viewed the request, which was transmitted (and rejected) at the highest level, as a sign that Israel is in the advanced stages of preparations to attack Iran. They therefore warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine American interests. They also demanded that Israel give them prior notice if it nevertheless decided to strike Iran. As compensation for the requests it rejected, Washington offered to improve Israel's defenses against surface-to-surface missiles. Israel responded by saying it reserves the right to take whatever action it deems necessary if diplomatic efforts to halt Iran's nuclearization fail.
Senior Israeli officials had originally hoped that U.S. President George Bush would order an American strike on Iran's nuclear facilities before leaving office, as America's military is far better equipped to conduct such a strike successfully than is Israel's. Jerusalem also fears that an Israeli strike, even if it succeeded well enough to delay Iran's nuclear development for a few years, would give Iran international legitimacy for its program, which it currently lacks. Israel, in contrast, would be portrayed as an aggressor, and would be forced to contend alone with Iran's retaliation, which would probably include thousands of missile strikes by Iranian allies Hezbollah, Hamas and perhaps even Syria. Recently, however, Israel has concluded that Bush is unlikely to attack, and will focus instead on ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on Tehran. It prefers to wait until this process has been exhausted, though without conceding the military option.
Israel's assumption is that Iran will continue to use delaying tactics, and may even agree to briefly suspend its uranium enrichment program in an effort to see out the rest of Bush's term in peace. The American-Israeli dispute over a military strike against Iran erupted during Bush's visit to Jerusalem in May. At the time, Bush held a private meeting on the Iranian threat with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and the Israelis presented their request for certain specific items of military equipment, along with diplomatic and security backing. Following Bush's return to Washington, the administration studied Israel's request, and this led it to suspect that Israel was planning to attack Iran within the next few months. The Americans therefore decided to send a strong message warning it not to do so. U.S. National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen both visited here in June and, according to the Washington Post, told senior Israeli defense officials that Iran is still far from obtaining nuclear weapons, and that an attack on Iran would undermine American interests.
Therefore, they said, the U.S. would not allow Israeli planes to overfly Iraq en route to Iran. The Americans sent a similar message to Iraq, which had objected vociferously to the idea of its air space being used for an Israeli attack on Iran. These private messages were accompanied by a series of leaks from the Pentagon that Israel interpreted as attempts to thwart any possibility of an attack on Iran. For instance, the Americans revealed details of a major Israel Air Force exercise in the Mediterranean; they also said they doubted Israel had adequate intelligence about Iran's nuclear facilities. In addition, Mullen spoke out publicly against an attack on Iran. Two weeks ago, Barak visited Washington for talks with his American counterpart, Robert Gates, and Vice President Richard Cheney. Both conversations focused on Iran, but the two Americans presented conflicting views: Gates vehemently opposes an attack on Iran, while Cheney is the administration's leading hawk.Barak presented Israel's assessments of the Iranian situation and warned that Iran was liable to advance its nuclear program under cover of the endless deliberations about sanctions - which have thus far produced little in the way of action. He also acknowledged that effective sanctions would require cooperation from Russia, China and India, all of which currently oppose sanctions with real teeth. Russia, however, is considered key to efforts to isolate Iran, and Israeli officials have therefore urged their American counterparts in recent months to tone down Washington's other disputes with Moscow to focus all its efforts on obtaining Russia's backing against Iran. For instance, they suggested that Washington offer to drop its plan to station a missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic - a proposal Russia views as a threat, though Washington insists the system is aimed solely at Iran - in exchange for Russia agreeing to stiffer sanctions against Iran.
However, the administration rejected this idea. In an attempt to compensate Israel for having rejected all its proposals, Washington then offered to bolster Israel's defenses against ballistic missiles. For instance, Gates proposed stationing an advanced radar system in Israel and linking Israel directly into America's early warning satellite network; he also offered increased American funding for the development of two Israeli missile defense systems - the Arrow-3, an upgrade of Israel's existing Arrow system for intercepting ballistic missiles, and Iron Dome, a system designed to intercept short-range rockets. In addition, Washington agreed to sell Israel nine Super Hercules long-range transport aircraft for $2 billion.
However, it would not agree to supply Israel with any offensive systems. Now, Israel is awaiting the outcome of the latest talks between the West and Iran, as well as a formal announcement of the opening of an American interests section in Tehran. Israel views the latter as sure proof that Washington is not planning a military strike.7/31/08: Olmert to Quit AFTER ELECTIONS IN SEPTEMBER
8/17/08: Israel to free 200 MORE prisoners as Rice visits Mideast
Ian Gillan ~ Gethsemane
I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse;
~ Genesis 12:3
Want more Babba Zee and scenes from the Outraged Spleen? Try these recent posts: * Missing Links vs the Fall of Night & the Mares it Rides in on * 3 Wood: Dollars vs Euros * INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING UPDATE : GEORGIA |
by Babba Zee
images: Outraged Spleen of Zion
Source: US & Israel Sign Murder-Suicide Pact
The anti-war blogosphere has been awash with stories about a frightening, imminent attack by the U.S. and Israel on Iran.
Someone in Iran must be paying attention.
Iran has moved ballistic missiles into launch positions, with Israel’s Dimona nuclear plant among the possible targets, defence sources said last week.
The movement of Shahab-3B missiles, which have an estimated range of more than 1,250 miles, followed a large-scale exercise earlier this month in which the Israeli air force flew en masse over the Mediterranean in an apparent rehearsal for a threatened attack on Iran’s nuclear installations. Israel believes Iran’s nuclear programme is aimed at acquiring nuclear weapons.
Some sources say the Iranian attack on Israel has already begun--in the form of Hizbullah's constant barrage of rockets. As YNetNews puts it, "There is, however, a very serious twist to this war: It is no secret that Iran is using Lebanese territory as a frontline zone for an assault on northern Israel."
Hizbullah's rockets continue to pound Israeli cities, towns, and villages, creating a wave of Israeli refugees fleeing the north.
The displaced northerners can be seen all over Tel Aviv: They are families, young people, and children, all searching for accommodation and a place to rest.
The constant attacks by Hizbullah are creating daily, heart wrenching tragedies. Israelis are being killed and injured after trying to take cover from rocket barrages, or for simply going to work.
Is the missile movement the first warnings of a direct Iranian attack? A defensive move? Or, is it just Middle Eastern bluster and posturing, with Iran content to let Hizbullah do the heavy lifting?
The sources said Iran was preparing to retaliate for any onslaught by firing missiles at Dimona, where Israel’s own nuclear weapons are believed to be made.
Major-General Mohammad Jafari, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, told a Tehran daily: “This country [Israel] is completely within the range of the Islamic Republic’s missiles. Our missile power and capability are such that the Zionist regime – despite all its abilities – cannot confront it.”
An editorial in a government newspaper, Jomhouri Eslami, said: “Our response will hit right at their temple.”
US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen, arrived in Israel Saturday for talks with top Israeli defense officers. There was speculation that this visit was about Israel seeking permission from the U.S. for an attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“Although the visit had been planned well in advance, we got the feeling he was coming to make sure we’ll obey the strict timetable agreed with the US,” said an Israeli defense source.
Is it all just saber-rattling? Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has threatened to "wipe Israel off the face of the map", once Iran acquires nuclear weapons.
Are we seeing the prep work of an Israeli response to Ahmadinejad's nuclear threats?
Regardless, one suspects that the anti-war crowd won't be staging any protests about the Hizbullah attacks on Israeli citizens anytime soon.
by Mondoreb
Source/image:
* Iran's attack on Israel has begun
* Iran ready to strike at Israel’s nuclear heart
* civitatensis
src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js">
WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- As the American Israel Public Affairs Committee met in Washington, U.S. President George Bush Wednesday suspended plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
The White House released a memo to the secretary of state ordering a six-month suspension in preparations for moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv.
The order also coincided with a visit to the Oval Office by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
"I hereby determine that it is necessary, in order to protect the national security interests of the United States, to suspend for a period of six months" plans to move the embassy, the president's memo said. "My administration remains committed to beginning the process of moving our embassy to Jerusalem."
The issue of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel has always been a sticking point in the Arab world and negotiations for establishing a Palestinian state have included demands the city be returned to Palestinian control.
Israel captured the Old City in the 1968 Arab-Israeli War.
[See also: "Abbas: Temple Mount "100% Islamic" at the Outraged Spleen of Zion.]
The State Department does not recognize Jerusalem, Israel as a place of birth for passports .....
because the U.S. government does not recognize all of Jerusalem as part of Israel.
"Those were the Days" - The Leningrad Cowboys
by Babba Zee
images: Outraged Spleen of Zion
Source: US suspends Move of Embassy--Again!
--George Bush, January 10 2008 radio address
George Bush isn't the only one who says the darndest things.
Assud the Matyrdom Rabbit, and his sidekick, 11-year-old Saraa continue their merry martyrdom-promoting ways on Hamas kiddie TV program "Pioneers of Tomorrow".
No carrots for Assue when he's wanting a snack.
A JEW-eating rabbit named Assud has become the newest star of a militant Palestinian children's television show after the death of his "brother".
The Pioneers of Tomorrow children’s series produced by Palestinian group Hamas and made famous by a Mickey Mouse-looking character declaring jihad on Israel and the US, introduced Assud the Bunny.
Assud - who said in his first episode that he would “get rid of the Jews, Allah willing, and… will eat them up” - replaced his brother, Nahoul the Bee, according to the translation from the Middle East Media Research Institute.
Give me a "D"! An "E"! "A"! And a "T"! An "H"!
"What's that spell?"
"DEATH!"
"CULTURE of DEATH!"
reminder for the U.S. Secretary of State Condi Rice
Little Green Footballs showcase the latest adventures of the cuddly bunny, in a video, as he takes the Danes to his woodshed.
Yes, it’s Assud the Jew-eating Hamas rabbit, appearing again on the Hamas kid’s show Pioneers of Tomorrow with zombie child host Saraa, urging Palestinian children to boycott Danish products, kill anyone who “insults” Mohammed, and wipe out Israel.
The culture of death is alive and well on Palestinian kiddie TV.
The wascally wabbit began his wind-up to the recorded part of the LGF post with a cheery, "Martyrdom for the sake of Allah is what we hope for, right?"
Saraa (little 11-year-old girl who's the kiddie host): What do you have to say to this criminal, the cartoonist who affronted the Prophet by drawing him?"
Assud: "I say to him what you already said: you criminal, you low-life, you scum of the earth--right, Saraa?
Allah willing, the day will come when you regret this."
Hannah Montana, it ain't.
Assud kicked off his TV career with a bang--just like a suicide bomber.
In an interview with the program’s host, a young girl purportedly named Saraa Barhoum, Assud talked about becoming martyrdom.
"We are all martyrdom-seekers, are we not, Saraa?” Assud said on the show.
Saraa said: “Of course we are. We are all ready to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of our homeland. We will sacrifice our souls and everything we own for the homeland."
According to the program’s plotline, Nahoul died because he could not leave Gaza to seek medical treatment from neighbouring Egypt.
Nahoul himself replaced the program’s original star, Farfur the Mouse, who was “killed by an Israeli soldier”.
So who knows how long Assud will be around until something happens to him--in the Palestinian TV animal sense of the word.
One might suggest that before any more lofty pronouncements are issued by U.S. leaders on how a Palestinian state will "enhance stability" of the region, that those leaders be forced to watch 2 or 3 hours of the "Pioneers of Tomorrow" kiddie show.
You can tell a lot about parents by what they teach their children.
Or by what they let them watch on TV.
by Mondoreb
Images:
* Hamas unveils jew-eating bunny
* President Bush discusses the Israel-Palestine Peace process
* memri
* blog TV
* scottthong
* israelmatzav
Source: Video: Jew-Eating Rabbit Threatens Denmark
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
Doug Ross Provides Accurate Historical Shorthand
Israel-Palestine
Doug Ross may have tapped into a previously-unconsidered source of power: gnomes.
That is the only explanation for the many fine multimedia presentations that Doug lays out over at Doug Ross @Journal: there must be many gnomes laboring in the dark, working on Doug's various projects.
We've been meaning to mention one that caught our eye on Christmas Eve about "What Really Happened" in the Middle East concerning the Israelis and Palestinians and the creation of the state of Israel.
But it slipped our mind.
We were over at DR's this afternoon and saw a photo from the post and it reminded us again.
As the world's attention turns to the town of Bethlehem, it's worth revisiting the question: what really happened in the Middle East? Why is it so dysfunctional? What prevents people of all religions from living in peace? The highlights of The Terrorism Awareness Project's presentation are worth reviewing.
Below are the next three photos in the post, of Hezbollah attacking Haifa in 2006.
The presentation goes on to explain the history of the creation of the Jewish state of Israel, something you won't get if use Jimmy Carter or the European Union as a reference source.
It's also something you won't get if you follow the news in the Mainstream Media.
History to the MSM is what occurs between the shampoo and blow-dry portions of yesterday's daily hair care cycle.
Many is the time we've explained the history of the Middle East in the 20th century after World War I and the British mandate of Palestine: both on radio and in print.
We've actually done some work on a similar post, but we shelved it--at least for a while--after looking at Doug's handiwork.
NOW, we'll just send the curious or misinformed over to Doug Ross @Journal to look at "What Really Happened".
Accurate, historical shorthand is always valuable in this fast-paced, largely-ignorant a-go-go world that we live in.
by Mondoreb
images: Doug Ross @Journal
Source: What Really Happened
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
The September 9 Attack on Syria: Israeli Electronic Warfare Capabilities Beyond Any Yet Displayed
0 comments
An awesome display of electronic warfare capabilities by Israel in September sparked a sharp reaction in Russia today. It all may bode ill for Iran tomorrow.
Electronic warfare capabilities reached new heights during the September 9 Israeli attack on Syria. That was the revelation from the November 25 issue of Aviation Week & Space. The revelations apparently touched a nerve somewhere in Russia.
Today Pravda carried a story imparting their own spin to the events described in AW&S, along with an interview with Richard J. Aldrich and an editorial wrap-up that featured a scary prediction.
The article packed an informational punch. The authors of the AW&S piece, David A. Fulghum, Robert Wall and Amy Butler, covered a lot of ground.
Among the highlights were: the elements of the electronic attacks carried out by the Israelis; methods the Israelis used to penetrate Syrian air defenses undetected; an Israeli claim that rejected any link between the Syrian and Iranian nuclear programs; and a rebuttal to that claim by John Bolton.
First, the highlights of the Aviation Week & Space article, "Israel Shows Electronic Prowess".
Elements of the electronic attack:
Elements of the attack included some brute-force jamming, which is still an important element of attacking air defenses, U.S. analysts say. Also, Syrian air defenses are still centralized and dependent on dedicated HF and VHF communications, which made them vulnerable. The analysts don’t believe any part of Syria’s electrical grid was shut down. They do contend that network penetration involved both remote air-to-ground electronic attack and penetration through computer-to-computer links.
“There also were some higher-level, nontactical penetrations, either direct or as diversions and spoofs, of the Syrian command-and-control capability, done through network attack,” says an intelligence specialist.
The penetration by non-stealthy aircraft using electronic means:That ability of nonstealthy Israeli aircraft to penetrate without interference rests in part on technology, carried on board modified aircraft, that allowed specialists to hack into Syria’s networked air defense system, said U.S. military and industry officials in the attack’s aftermath. Network raiders can conduct their invasion from an aircraft into a network and then jump from network to network until they are into the target’s communications loop. “Whether the network is wireless or wired doesn’t matter anymore,” says a U.S. industry specialist (AW&ST Nov. 5, p. 32; Oct. 8, p. 28; Feb. 19, p. 31). Now development of the technology in Israel is being confirmed.
The links between the various nuclear programs:Israeli officials reject any suggestion that the Syrian and Iranian nuclear programs were or are linked in any way. “I don’t think Iran knew anything about what Syria was doing,” says a long-serving member of the Israeli parliament with insight into military affairs. “I don’t think they would have told the Iranians. They didn’t need Iranian assistance because they had help from the North Koreans.”
John Bolton disputes that view:However, John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, disagrees. “I’d be very surprised if the Syrians were to engage at least without Iranian acquiescence,” he says. And, “it may be beyond that,” he tells Aviation Week. Since Syria alone lacks both the funding and expertise for a nuclear weapons program, it would logically turn to Pyongyang for technology and oil-rich Tehran for funding, he says.
Moreover, Bolton says the use of network attack is a clever move by the Israelis. He contends that it will serve as a deterrent for Iran. Or, at the very least, it sends a message that even the advanced, Russian-built air defense systems won’t protect Iran’s nuclear activities.
Next, the Pravda take.
The Russian paper starts out first with a claim that the U.S. provided monitoring assistance during the attack itself.The U.S. provided Israel with information about Syrian air defenses before Israel attacked a suspected nuclear site in Syria, Aviation Week & Space Technology is reporting in its Nov. 26 edition.
The U.S. was monitoring the electronic emissions coming from Syria during Israel's Sept. 6 attack, and while there was no active American engagement in the operation, there was advice provided, according to military and aerospace industry officials.
The first event in the raid involved Israel's strike aircraft flying into Syria without alerting Syrian air defenses. The ultimate target was a suspected nuclear reactor being developed at Dayr az-Zawr. But the main attack was preceded by an engagement with a single Syrian radar site at Tall al-Abuad near the Turkish border, Aviation Week reports.
Next, Pravda poses several questions concerning the attack to Richard J. Aldrich.Pravda.Ru has interviewed Professor Richard J Aldrich, Department of Politics and International Studies University of Warwick, to find out more about US interference into the conflict between Israel and Syria.
Pravda.Ru: Can we speak here about the US interference into the conflict between Israel and Syria?
Richard Aldrich: Not really. Intelligence and technical co-operation amongst friendly countries is now so widespread that it is hardly meaningful to talk about 'interference'. Many European countries also exchange intelligence with Israel. Indeed, during the Cold War, Israel even exchanged intelligence with the Soviet Union. Even intelligence rumored to come from Israeli espionage operations inside the United States!
In this case, Aviation Week has made it clear that it was Israeli personnel and units that undertook these electronic operations, not Americans.
However, there are important benefits from this close relationship for both the United States and Israel. Israel clearly benefits from very advanced technological assistance in the area of electronic intelligence and network warfare which may have helped with this operation. Equally, it is likely that the United States received reports on the operational effectiveness of this equipment in return. In short, the operation against Syria would have provided the US military with great opportunities to see the latest secret equipment under "live battle conditions". This is always considered to be invaluable.
Pravda.Ru: It is well-known fact that most part of Syrian strategic objects is operated by Russia. Is there a possibility that it was US intelligence operation against Russia?
Richard Aldrich: Not really. It is unlikely that Russia has given its latest air defense equipment to friendly countries in the Middle East and so the United States would not learn much about current Russian capabilities by looking at Syrian Air Defense. Its more likely that the United States would gather useful intelligence against Syria itself during this operation. The information might also be useful against another regional power operating similar types of equipment.
Pravda.Ru: Can we speak here that this operation will launch a new war in the field of electronic and digital technologies?
Richard Aldrich: Electronic warfare has been around a long time and had already reached quite a level of sophistication during the Second World War. However, the new aspect of this operation was the use of network attacks. It appears that the command and control systems of the Syrian military were directly attacked by Israelis using computers as weapons. This is a specialist form of military hacking. For many years there has been an active debate about how practical and realistic the idea of pure 'network warfare' really is. During the wars in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s this activity seemed to be limited to fairly trivial "denial of service" attacks.
Finally, the Pravda piece sums up with a scary prediction--especially if you're a Russian military planner or ally.Now, perhaps we have seen the first live example of the military application of network warfare.
One of the troubling issues with network warfare is that it is hard for the victim to know if they have been attacked - or merely suffered a network failure. Even if they are sure they are being attacked, they can't always tell who is attacking them?
For this reason, Israel's attack on 6 September appears to herald a frightening new era in the realm of electronic warfare.
All this happened in the last couple of days; it's a lot of information.
And it's only the parts that we know.
by Mondoreb
notes by: Little Baby Ginn
[image: bsos.umd.edu]
Sources:
Pravda, "USA Helps Israel Only to Test Its Arms Under Live Battlefield Conditions"
Aviation Week & Space, "Israel Shows Electronic Prowess"
Death by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
This just in: nature abhors a vaccuum. Film at 11.
No real news to write about? No problem.
If you're the creative type, you play a game of 'what if' and get someone to comment on it. The result: hot copy ready to serve up to readers.
That's a recipe used to put together the following story. Reporter A has to write about something, but instead starts day-dreaming. What if they put on a peace conference and something concrete came out of it. What if Israel would decide to withdraw from the West Bank? What if...well you get the story.
And so did Report A, who dug up a quote from a ranking Hamas official to comment on the scenario. There were no surpises: the Hamas leader said, in effect, "You leave, we move in". More of the usual in the Middle East from Yahoo News:A top Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip warned on Friday that the Islamist movement would seize control of the West Bank if Israel withdrew from the occupied territory.
Hamas wants land held by Israel? How can that be? The story continues
"Israel says the party in power in Ramallah (Fatah) serves its interests and if Israel withdraws from the West Bank, Hamas will take control. That's true," Mahmud Zahar told a party rally in Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.
Little Green Footballs has this to say about the peace conference-party crashers from Hamas:
He called on Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party to "learn the lesson of what happened in Gaza" -- where nearly five months ago Hamas routed the moderate leader's loyalists and security officers in the coastal enclave.
Zahar also said an international meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that the United States is preparing to host later this month would fail.Here’s an alternative opinion from Hamas on the upcoming Annapolis “peace conference” between Israel and the Fatah party, at which Israeli PM Olmert seems determined to make serious concessions on the issue of withdrawing settlements in the West Bank: Hamas says it will seize West Bank if Israel withdraws.
This was a story that had to written--on a slow news day. As a slow news day in the Middle East usually means a day without a bomb blast and death, so that's not a bad thing.
This story could have just as easily been filed under "science" with the headline, "Nature Abhors a Vaccuum".
by Mondoreb
[image:usaidmaps]
Back to Front Page.
For those of you reading about U.S. Foreign Policy and wondering "What the @$#*&!"? RAPH offers a reassuring view at the inner workings of America's approach to the thorny Israeli-Palestinian problems.
And now, a collective sigh of relief is heard.
Back to Front Page.
