WarSclerotic

‘Iran outdoes N. Korea’s long-ra… JPost – Iranian Threat – News.

  Iran has overtaken North Korea in the development of long-range sophisticated missiles, as demonstrated by the recent launch of a number of new missiles during military maneuvers in Iran, Uzi Rubin, the former head of Israel’s Homa Missile Defense Agency, said on Thursday.

According to Rubin, during the Great Prophet War Games held earlier this month, Iran displayed a new ballistic missile that has been converted to be used against ships. This is considered a significant breakthrough since most anti-ship missiles are cruise missiles that fly parallel to the water’s surface while this missile takes a ballistic course toward its target.

“This is a direct threat on the US Navy along Iran’s coast,” Rubin said. “The Iranians took a Fateh-110 rocket, which is also in Hezbollah hands, installed on it a guidance system and turned it into an anti-ship missile.”

Rubin’s remarks came ahead of a missile defense conference later this month near Tel Aviv, which will be attended by senior defense officials from around the world, including US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Space and Defense Policy Frank Rose, US Missile Defense Agency Deputy Director for International Affairs Rob Helfant and the deputy defense minister of the Czech Republic.

“The Iranian’s missile program is running ahead and the moment they have a nuclear weapon, they will have the means to launch it,” Rubin said.

Earlier this week, diplomatic sources warned that Iran was preparing to install centrifuges for higher-grade uranium enrichment in an underground bunker.

Preparatory work is under way at the Fordow facility, tucked deep inside a mountain to protect it against any attacks, and machines used to refine uranium could soon be moved to the site near Qom, the sources said.

The Islamic republic said in June it would shift production of uranium that is enriched to 20 percent purity to Fordow from its main Natanz plant this year and triple its output capacity, in a defiant response to charges that it is trying to make atomic bombs.

Tehran only disclosed the existence of Fordow two years ago after Western intelligence detected it and said it was evidence of covert nuclear activities.

The facility has yet to start operating.

IAF hits total of six targets throughout Gaza – JPost – Defense.

  Israel Air Force aircraft carried out air strikes against a total of six targets throughout the Gaza Strip overnight Thursday, in direct response to the firing of high-trajectory projectiles by Palestinian terrorists at western Negev communities, the IDF Spokesperson announced.

Two children were reportedly lightly injured after IAF aircraft bombed two smuggling tunnels in southern Gaza and four Hamas terrorist targets in the northern and central parts of the Hamas-controlled territory, the IDF confirmed.

The ordnance used in the airs trikes struck the intended targets accurately and precisely, the IDF added.

The IDF will not tolerate attempts to harm Israeli citizens and solders and will continue to operate against any and every individual who resorts to terrorism against the state, the spokesperson vowed.

The IDF views Hamas exclusively responsible for events occurring in Gaza and placed the blame on the terror group for disrupting the peace.

Shortly before the confirmation by the IDF, Palestinian witnesses and Hamas officials reported IAF fighter jets had bombed four Hamas training camps.

Palestinian news agency Ma’an reported that aircraft bombed a target south of Gaza City, with no reports of injuries as well as targets in Khan Younis.

Earlier Thursday, five Kassam rockets fired from Gaza struck the Sha’ar Hanegev and Hof Ashkelon regional councils. No damages or injuries were caused in the attack.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Bolton: Ignore Palestinian Ploy, Concentrate on Iran Threat « Commentary Magazine.

Iran prepares for nuclear work i… JPost – Iranian Threat – News.

  VIENNA – Iran is preparing to install centrifuges for higher-grade uranium enrichment in an underground bunker, diplomatic sources say, a development that is likely to add to Western worries about Tehran’s atomic aims.

Preparatory work is under way at the Fordow facility, tucked deep inside a mountain to protect it against any attacks, and machines used to refine uranium could soon be moved to the site near the clerical city of Qom, the sources said.

The Islamic Republic said in June it would shift production of uranium enriched to 20 percent purity to Fordow from its main Natanz plant this year and triple output capacity, in a defiant response to charges that it is trying to make atomic bombs.

Tehran only disclosed the existence of Fordow two years ago after Western intelligence detected it and said it was evidence of covert nuclear activities. The facility has yet to start operating.

“They are preparing (for the centrifuges to be installed) in Fordow,” one diplomatic source said.

Refined uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power reactors and also, if enriched to much higher levels, provide material for atomic arms.

Iran’s June announcement that it would move and boost output has drawn censure from the West, which has imposed increasingly tough sanctions on Tehran to try to force it to halt enrichment.

Carrying out the process in Fordow could provide greater protection for Iran’s uranium-purifying centrifuges against any US and Israeli air strikes.

Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and says it is enriching uranium for electricity production and medical applications.

But its decision in early 2010 to raise the level of enrichment from the 3.5 percent purity needed for normal power plant fuel to 20 percent worried countries that saw it as a significant step towards the 90 percent needed for bombs.

Three Kassams fired from Gaza Strip, IAF hits … JPost – Defense.

  A Kassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip exploded in a field near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council Wednesday morning, according to Army Radio. No injuries or damage was reported.

Earlier, the IAF struck two targets in the northern Gaza Strip overnight Tuesday, which the IDF described as sites used for weapons production. Direct hits on the targets were recorded, the IDF spokesperson said.
The airstrikes were in response to two rockets that were fired from the Strip into Israeli territory Tuesday night.

The Kassam rockets exploded in the western Negev. No injuries or damage was reported, although one landed near a local kibbutz.

Over the weekend, the IAF attacked tunnels in the northern strip in response to rocket fire.

Late last week, an IDF soldier was lightly wounded by an explosive device that was detonated near his vehicle along the Gaza border fence.

U.S. must soon decide whose side is it on in Syria – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says President Assad has lost all legitimacy, indicating that instead of supporting reforms, Washington may now push for regime change.

By Zvi Bar’el

“President Assad is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him remaining in power…from our perspective, he has lost legitimacy,” U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Tuesday – suggesting for the first time that Washington may support toppling the Syrian regime.

Although Clinton was responding to attacks on the U.S. and French embassies in Damascus by pro-Assad protesters, her words indicate a sharp deterioration in the relations between the two countries.

	President Assad speaking this week. Even though the uprising in Syria is far from over, it has already changed the balance of power in the Middle East.
	Photo by: AP

Just last January, two days after riots erupted in Tunisia, the U.S. sent an ambassador to Syria for the first time after a six-year diplomatic freeze. Washington assumed it could engage in a political dialogue with Damascus, and considered Syria a future partner in stabling the security situation in Iraq and curbing Iran’s regional influence.

When the demonstrations broke out in Syria, the U.S. avoided taking a firm stand against Assad, but rather stated that the Syrian regime must introduce reforms, uphold a democracy and stop suppressing the protests. Moreover, the sanctions put forward against Syria were intended to force the existing regime to comply with the protesters’ demands, but not to oust Assad or dismantle his political mechanisms.

Washington estimated that Assad will stay in power anyway, and that perhaps that would serve U.S. interests better by blocking Iran’s influence from extending into Syria – as it is in Iraq – in addition to her already strong sway over Lebanon.

Therefore, the U.S. saw in the prospect of a national dialogue between the authorities and the opposition a possibility for leverage that would change the regime’s policies without toppling it. Syrian opposition members have also claimed that they came under U.S. pressure to engage in dialogue and reconcile with the government.

Indeed, some opposition members who took part in the national dialogue conventions refrained from calling for Bashar’s departure and limited their demands to political and economic reforms. By doing so, they infuriated other opposition groups who demand reforms be introduced only after the regime changes.

It seems now that Washington also understands the Syrian national dialogue is nothing but a government attempt to show it is willing to introduce reforms, but without including a detailed plan or a timeline.

Together with the attack against the U.S. embassy in Damascus (which invoked bitter memories of the Iranian Revolution of 1979), Washington will soon need to decide whether it is willing to stand by the protesters through force or settle for diplomatic steps. One of these steps might be recalling the U.S. ambassador from Damascus, but this may present President Obama with a dilemma – the ambassador was appointed without Congress’s approval, knowing very well it would not have supported the move. Therefore, this appointment is limited to a one year period. Obama knows if he recalls the ambassador it will be extremely difficult to appoint a new one – unless the Syrian regime changes.

Syria says Clinton’s remarks on A… JPost – Diplomacy & Politics.

  BEIRUT – Syria denounced on Tuesday a statement by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which she said Syrian President Bashar Assad had lost legitimacy and was “not indispensable.”

“Syria strongly condemns the statements of the American foreign minister… these remarks are provocative and aim at continuing the internal tension,” Syria’s state news agency SANA said.

Earlier Tuesday, France condemned Syria and said the United Nations Security Council’s failure to speak out against the violent repression of pro-reform protests there was becoming “unbearable.”

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said China and Russia were blocking adoption of a UN resolution and that this was not acceptable.

“President (Bashar) Assad has gone way beyond the limit. The UN Security Council’s silence on Syria is becoming unbearable,” Fillon said in an interview on Europe 1 radio.

The comments came following events on Monday, when crowds loyal to Assad attacked the US and French embassies in Damascus, three days after the French and US ambassadors visited the city of Hama in a show of support for pro-democracy protests. British Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt joined in the condemnation of the attacks in an official statement released Tuesday, saying “Syrian authorities have failed to discharge their responsibility under international law to protect diplomatic missions…The damage done to the US and French missions is clearly intended as a response to the visit to Hama late last week by their Ambassadors in Syria. I reassert the right under international law of all diplomats to freedom of movement.”

Following Monday’s events, Clinton demanded that the Syrian government fulfill its diplomatic obligation to protect foreign embassies in the country. The State Department said mobs assaulted both the US embassy compound and the US ambassador’s residence, but that no staff were injured or ever in any imminent danger.

Clinton, speaking at a Washington press briefing with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, also called on Assad’s regime to halt its violence against protesters and begin a process of democratic reform.

Syria U.S. Embassy Attacked By Bashar Assad Regime Supporters.

By BASSEM MROUE

BEIRUT — Witnesses say Syrian pro-government protesters have attacked the U.S. embassy compound in Damascus, causing damage.

The witnesses said the protesters smashed windows and raised a Syrian flag on the compound on Monday. They also wrote anti-US graffiti referring to the U.S. ambassador as a “dog,” the witnesses said.

The protests were over visits by the U.S. and French ambassadors last week to the opposition stronghold of Hama in central Syria.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

BEIRUT (AP) – A witness in Syria’s capital says security guards at the French Embassy have fired into the air to drive back protesters taking part in two-pronged demonstrations outside the French and American embassies in Damascus.

The protests Monday come days after the U.S. and French ambassadors visited the opposition stronghold of Hama in central Syria. The witness says crowds were not allowed to get near the U.S. Embassy.

The witness, Hiam al-Hassan, says about 300 people had gathered outside the French Embassy. Hundreds others were at the American diplomatic compound.

The protests coincide with government-organized talks in Damascus on possible political reforms after four months of unrest against the regime of President Bashar Assad.

Iran says its missiles reached Indian Ocean for first time – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Two long-range missiles within range of striking Israel said to have been tested at the beginning of 2011.

By Reuters

Iran said on Saturday it test-fired two long-range missiles into the Indian Ocean earlier this year, the first time it has fired missiles into that sea, according to state television.

“In the month of Bahman (January 21 – February 19) two missiles with a range of 1,900 kilometers were fired from Semnan province (in northern Iran) into the mouth of the Indian Ocean,” Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace division, told a news conference some of which was shown on television.

	Iranian clerics wait for launch of a Shahab-2 missile, Qom, Iran, June 28, 2011.
	Photo by: AP

Iran usually tests its missiles in extensive deserts in the heart of the country, so the firing into the Indian Ocean is an unusual move, aimed to prove Tehran’s longstanding claims it can hit targets beyond its borders.

Television showed a missile being fired but the announcer did not specify if the pictures were of the Indian Ocean test-firing. No pictures were shown of a target being hit at sea.

The announcement came after a 10-day military exercise by the elite Guards that was designed to deter Iran’s enemies by showing Iran is ready and able to hit back at U.S. bases in the Middle East and at Israel.

The United States and Israel have not ruled out military strikes on Iran if necessary to stop it getting nuclear weapons.

Iran says it has home-made missiles with a range of 2,000 kilometers, designed specifically to hit U.S. interests and Israel. But it denies it is seeking nuclear bombs and the means to deliver them.

Analysts have often doubted Iran’s claims of technological progress in its defense industry which is under tight international sanctions due to Western concerns it is seeking nuclear weapons capability.

Hajizadeh said U.S. spy planes were operating in the area where the missiles hit. “It is interesting that they did not publicize it,” he said.

The Associated Press: Iranian commander: US carriers target if attacked.

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press – 38 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A senior Revolutionary Guard commander threatened Saturday that U.S. aircraft carriers would be targeted if Iran came under attack amid a standoff with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program.

Iran has often warned of major retaliation if they faced a military strike from Israel or the West, but the latest comments appear tailored to emphasize the expanding range of Iranian missiles following 10 days of war games. The exercises included unveiling underground missile silos that Iran says is capable of multiple launches.

“Aircraft carriers … are moving targets. If the enemy threatens us, we will target them,” said Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the commander of the Guard’s aerospace force, in comments broadcast on state TV.

Hajizadeh also confirmed that Iran secretly conducted missile tests in February that he claimed hit targets at the “mouth of the Indian Ocean” — an apparent reference to areas near the Strait of Hormouz at the southern end of the Gulf. Hajizadeh gave no further details. In April, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard said Iran’s arsenal is capable of striking “remote regions outside the Persian Gulf.”

Iran has tried to project its military might outside the Gulf, where the U.S. has several air bases and the home port of the Navy’s 5th Fleet in Bahrain.

Iran has said its missiles can reach Israel and U.S. military bases in the region. Two Iranian warships entered the Mediterranean in February for the first time since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, and an Iranian submarine returned this week after a journey that included the Red Sea.

Iran also says it has the ability to produce missiles with an even greater range than those currently in its arsenal, but won’t manufacture them because Israel and U.S. bases are already within reach.

Last month, British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the House of Commons that Iran has conducted covert tests of ballistic missiles since October in addition to the publicly announced military maneuvers.

Hajizadeh only confirmed that missile tests were carried out. It was not clear if the covert tests in February were the same as claimed by Hague.

The Islamic Republic remains locked in a standoff with the West over its nuclear program, which the U.S. and its allies suspect is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Iran denies the charges, and says the program is only for peaceful purposes.

Iran conducts several war games every year as part of its military self-sufficiency program that started in 1992, and frequently unveils new weapons and military systems during the drills.