War with Israel

[dana b]

 

[dana b]

 

[BlandOatmeal]

Dana,

The maps are beautiful, and represent much work; but I don't agree with the reasoning behind them. For my purposes here, "Egypt", "Israel" and "Assyria" are geographical areas in the same approximate place they have always been: Egypt in Egypt, Israel in Israel and Assyria in Syria and Iraq.

Thank you.

PS. Next time, try to post images that are a bit smaller, so they don't run the text off the page.

 

[BlandOatmeal]

Egypt's new prosecutor resigns amid judicial feud with president
Egypt's prosecutor, Talaat Ibrahim, resigns as tensions persist between judges and President Mohamed Morsi.

December 18, 2012

CAIRO — Egypt's public prosecutor, appointed by President Mohamed Morsi last month, resigned from his post Monday amid ongoing tension between the nation's judiciary and the president...

-- Egypt's new prosecutor resigns amid judicial feud with president - latimes.com

Isaiah 19 predicts a massive social upheaval in Egypt, Syria and Iraq -- which seems to explain the absence of those countries in the Ezekiel 38 prophecy. This appears to be underway in all three places.

 

[BlandOatmeal]

Another explosion at Hezbollah arms depot in Lebanon
December 17, 2012 ⋅ 11:25 pm

Another large explosion at a Hezbollah arms depot struck the southern town of Tairharfa in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel on Monday, the Lebanese official news agency reported.

Lebanese security officials said Hezbollah had cordoned off the area of the explosion. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

The blast went of in an abandoned house belonging to a man from the Haidar family, according to security sources . The sources said the house was used as a storage facility for Hezbollah arms and ammunition.

South Lebanon is considered a stronghold of The Hezbollah militant group , an ally of the embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Andrea Tenenti, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping force in the area, UNIFIL, said its team was able to reach the site of the explosion and is investigating. Tenenti did not know what caused the blast and said there were no reports of casualties.

The situation along the Israel-Lebanon border has been tense in the past months due to the civil war in neighboring Syria and Israel’s recent military operation in Gaza.

Hezbollah arms a problem for Lebanon
Commenting on the blast in south Lebanon on Monday, the Phalange Party said in a statement after its weekly politburo meeting: “The explosion reveals the persistence of the problem of the possession of non state arms in Lebanon.”

It also reveals that United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 is not being implemented given that it demonstrates that the region south of the Litani River is not devoid of weapons.

Furthermore, the manner in which Hezbollah reacted in light of the explosion “poses a new challenge to the authority of the Lebanese army and U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon, which demands the resumption of efforts to resolve the conundrum of the illegal possession of arms,” it added.

According to the reports, the blast went of in an abandoned henhouse belonging to a man from the Haidar family. They said it was used as a storage facility for arms and ammunition.
AP/ agencies

Resolution 1701 was part of the cease-fire agreement that the US forced upon Israel in 2006. It provided for a UN force to ensure that no weapons were brought to Hizbullah in South Lebanon, in exchange for the Israeli armed forces withdrawing from the region. Under this UN regime, over 30,000 rockets have been moved into South Lebanon -- making a mockery of UN-sponsored cease-fire agreements.

The explosion was probably a work accident, showing that Hizbullah is preparing for something. Hizbullah is pro-Assad. Because Syrian President Assad recently bombed a Palestinian so-called "refugee" district in Damascus, Hizbullah may be planning an attack on Israel to show that they are really "Pro-Palestinian" (being "Pro-Palestinian" generally means killing Jews).

-- http://www.yalibnan.com/2012/12/17/another-explosion-at-hezbollah-arms-depot-in-lebanon/#more-50660

 

[BlandOatmeal]

Moscow fires warning shot across bow of US naval-based ABM
Published: 17 December, 2012, 14:20

​

The guided missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain.
(AFP Photo / Clinton Beaird)​

A top Russian official says a US missile defense system near Russia’s border is strategically destabilizing and may prompt an arms race. Speaking on the threat of mobile, naval-based elements of the US missile defense system “suddenly appearing” on Russia’s coastline, Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said such an event would trigger “the harshest reaction from Russia."

"We must consider the effective protection of our strategic nuclear forces," Rogozin said in an interview with the magazine Voyenny Parade (‘Military Parade’).

Rogozin, while not elaborating on what Russia’s response would be, noted that Russia is taking definite steps to counter American ships “equipped with the Aegis integrated naval weapons system.”

Russia has warned its US and NATO partners on numerous occasions that unless the two sides can reach an acceptable agreement over NATO plans to unilaterally build a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe, another arms race is inevitable. Ironically, it was US President Barack Obama – the same American leader who pushed for a “reset” with Moscow – who introduced the current missile defense plans that may include stationing Aegis missiles aboard US warships in the Black Sea.

Washington says the missile defense system, which is capable of intercepting short- to intermediate-range ballistic missiles, is vital for protecting Eastern Europe from “rogue states,” like Iran and North Korea. At the same time, however, the western military alliance ignores Moscow’s concern the strategic balance may be upset. In fact, NATO even refuses to provide Moscow with written, legal guarantees that the system will not in the future target Russian territory.

Judging by Rogozin’s strong words, it seems that another arms race has already begun.

"U.S. missile defense in its current form is obviously destabilizing and prompting an arms race between Russia and the U.S. and NATO," Rogozin noted.

Russia is considering ways of “suppressing and penetrating” the missile defense system in ways that will guarantee “unacceptable damage to any aggressor, and force it to resist the temptation to test Russia's strength,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.

Rogozin, who served in a previous capacity as Russia’s NATO envoy, explained his use of blunt language.

"We must be frank about this. I was the Russian envoy to NATO for four years and I know what language they understand best of all," he said.

-- Moscow fires warning shot across bow of US naval-based ABM — RT

Zechariah 14 predicts a nuclear war, devastating the nations of the world after an attack against Israel. According to the passage, this will be the result of "brother against brother", rather than of an Israeli attack. It seems that the US and Russian brothers are already hard at work, fostering mistrust between each other.

 

[BlandOatmeal]

Paris confirms presence of aircraft carrier in waters outside Syria

French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle ( File Photo)
Tue Dec 11, 2012 4:22PM GMT

Paris has confirmed that the French aircraft carrier, Charles De Gaulle, has now stationed in the Mediterranean Sea, just outside Syria.

French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told BFMTV on Tuesday that although French Marines are onboard the vessel, it does not mean that France is preparing for a military intervention in Syria.

He, however, justified the presence of the French aircraft carrier in waters just outside Syria as part of Paris’ policy to maintain military readiness in the face of any threat.

The French minister also said that the vessel is not conducting a military exercise in the region.

USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and at least five British warships, which are also carrying a large marine force, are also in the region.

On 20 March 2011, the Charles de Gaulle was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea to enforce a Western-backed no-fly zone over Libya.

Le Drian also denied reports claiming that the French military has gone into a secret state of alert and that it is ready for intervention in Syria.

French Defense Minister said that the Syrians must decide their future; however, he warned that France would take a very strong position against Syria if it uses chemical weapons, calling it a red line.

On December 3, US President Barack Obama claimed that Syria intends to use chemical weapons against the militants and warned against the consequences of such a move.

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen also warned on Tuesday that any use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government would prompt an immediate military response.

This comes while Damascus has refuted the allegations.

HM/PKH-- PressTV - Paris confirms presence of aircraft carrier in waters outside Syria

This obviously contradicts what I said earlier (per a DEBKA article) that the US was withdrawing its naval forces from near Syria.

 

[BlandOatmeal]

​

Russian warships sail for Syria, large anti-submarine ship for waters near Iran

​

DEBKAfile Special Report December 18, 2012, 7:11 PM (GMT+02:00)
Tags: Russian warships Syria chemical weapons Mediterranean

Russian warships set out Tuesday, Dec. 18, for two Middle East flashpoint destinations: Naval sources in Moscow reported that two assault ships, a tanker and an escort vessel were detached from the Baltic Fleet and are sailing for the Syrian port of Tartus – possibly to evacuate Russian citizens. A second naval group led by Russia’s largest anti-submarine vessel, the Severomorsk, is on its way to the Gulfs of Aden and Oman close to the Persian Gulf and Iran.

The ships destined for Syria are the Russian fleet’s two largest amphibious assault vessels, the Kaliningrad and the Alexander Shabalin, which is a cruiser converted to a guided missile frigate renamed Yaroslav the Wise, the SB-921 rescue and tug ship, and the Lena military tanker.
Russian military sources say this flotilla will relieve the Black Sea Fleet’s task force vessels deployed off the Syrian coast since November.

The Severomorsk heading for waters near the Persian Gulf is escorted by ships which Russian sources have not named as well as a military tanker and a supply and rescue ship.

debkafile’s military and Moscow sources report that, while the Russians are undoubtedly concerned with the fate of the 20,000 Russian nationals remaining in war-torn Syria, the type of warships dispatched to Tartus do not fit the description of evacuation craft. They look more like a major Russian naval buildup opposite the Syrian coast.

For one thing, they are larger and more formidable than the Black Sea fleet ships they are relieving: the medium, amphibious assault ships, the Novocherkassk and Saratov, each of which carries 250 marines. The new arrivals each carry 520 marines and 25 amphibious tanks.

For another, if it becomes necessary to evacuate large numbers of Russian refugees in a hurry, they are likely to be lifted out by air rather than by sea. Large transports are already on hand, touching down almost daily at Damascus and Aleppo airports with a continuous supply of weapons, ammunition and spare parts for replenishing the army loyal to Bashar Assad...

-- Russian warships sail for Syria, large anti-submarine ship for waters near Iran

A Russian article concerning the dispatch of the Severomorsk, is that it is going there to combat Somali pirates. If this is true, then are we to believe that the Somali pirates are now using submarines?

DEBKA is notorious for its alarmist reporting; but I note that the current buildup by all sides around Syria appears to be much more than the fleet NATO deployed against Libya; and that wasn't an alarm; it was the real thing.

 

[marshlewis]

Israel was not forced into peace by the US in 2006. As i remember the US dragged its feet in negotiating a ceasefire well beyond the point of plausible deniability.
The simple fact of the matter is that hezbollah shut down the Israeli economy with its missile campaign and Israel realized that it could not suppress it with air power nor a quick ground campaign. Israel suffered a decisive strategic defeat.

 

[Skarl]

Why has this entire thread become a blog for general Middle East news?

 

[marshlewis]

Why has this entire thread become a blog for general Middle East news?

its not to bad either as long as you can handle the editorials.

 

[FreeinChrist]

MOD HAT


This thread is way off topic. The topic is found in the OP. Thread will remain closed permanently.