WarSclerotic

Israel Defends against Missiles with SMS – Defense/Security – News – Israel National News.

SMS: Missile blast. Take cover

Israel news photo: IDF

Israel will soon deploy a country-wide SMS messaging system that warns citizens of incoming missiles – in case they are not intercepted.

The Home Front Command conducted tests on Sunday of a text message system that will warn residents in real time, according to location, of incoming missiles and rockets.

Sunday’s test was conducted in the central part of the country in four languages – Hebrew, Arabic, English and Russian.

The system was first tested during the “Turning Point 5” civil defense drill, earlier this year, when which alerts were sent to residents of a number of localities in Israel.

The Turning Point 5 drill last June involved 250 soldiers participating in a test run in the Gaza Belt area.

The test was interrupted because Partner Communications, which operates the Orange cell phone system, complained that the exercise’s alert system did not work on its Samsung C5130 phones.

The SMS system gives an early warning to residents in emergencies, including those other than incoming missiles. The new but expensive Iron Dome system also is being expanded to defend citizens against incoming missiles.

It has had a high success rate, but its drawbacks are that every city needs its own system, which is very expensive. Each missile costs approximately $100,000, while a Kassam short-range rocket costs terrorists less than $800 to assemble.

Hamas terrorists began producing Kassam missiles after the start of the Second Intifada, also known as the Oslo War, 11 years ago.

The first rocket it fired had a range of only two miles, but the missiles’ range has been improved, and they can now reach urban centers such as Ashkelon.

The only previous warning system that the IDF has developed is the Code Red system, a siren that is sounded after a Kassam launch is detected, giving residents of areas close to Gaza only 15 seconds to run for cover.

Barak: Cracks in US Mideast Hegemony – Defense/Security – News – Israel National News.

Ehud Barak

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Monday that there are “cracks” in the “dominance and hegemony” of the United States in the Middle East. He spoke before the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where he gave an analysis of the strategic, political and security situation at the beginning of the new civil year.

Barak said that the economic crisis in the United States and an “overloaded table” of internal problems diminishes the American’s will and capability to project strength. Therefore, there are cracks in its hegemony and dominance in the Middle East. Still, he said, the US continues to be the sole superpower.

There is potential for new challenges along the northern border and in the south, he said. The Sinai could turn into a terror hotbed. Loss of control by Bashar Assad in Syria could spill over and affect the Golan Heights and “larger areas,” he warned – presumably meaning Lebanon.

The so-called “Arab spring” events have influenced the Iranian regime, he added. Iran is worried about losing its strategic tie to Syria and is also concerned about “internal effects” in Iran as a result of the Syrian uprising.

Barak estimated that the chance for “crippling sanctions” on Iran is low but said that the recent pronouncements by the US Defense Secretary and the Head of Joint Chiefs of Staff “raise the bar” of pressure in Iran.

Barak: Assad ‘Only Has Weeks’ – Defense/Security – News – Israel National News.

Ehud Barak

Israel news photo: Defense Ministry

According to Defense Minister Ehud Barak the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has only ”a few weeks” before it loses control of the already tempestuous country.

”The Assad family has no more than a few weeks to remain in control in Syria,” Barak told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense committee on Monday.

”There is no possibility in the current situation of evaluating what will happen the day after Bashar’s fall,” he said.

Barak warned the committee the fall of the Assad family could have implications for the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

”In the north, there may be possible implications from Syria on the Golan Heights and a broader area as the result of the loss of control,” he said on Monday in a separate statement released by his office.

Syrian opposition leaders have said that Israel will “likely remain an enemy” in the eyes of any government they head.

Assad has been at the helm of a a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy activists that UN Human Rights officials estimate has killed more than 5000 civilians since ‘Arab Spring’ protests erupted in Syria early in 2011.

But his embattled regime has become increasingly unstable at the now 10-month protest movement has been augmented not only by broad Western and Arab League sanctions, but a growing armed insurgency by the Syrian Free Army.

Led by dissident Syrian generals given safe-haven by Turkey, the SFA has launched a persistent and deadly gueurilla campaign against Assad’s forces as its ranks have swelled to an estimated 20,000 army defectors.

Syrian officials say some 2,000 security personnel have been killed in the unrest, mostly by “foreign backed terrorists.”

Assad has asserted for months that the radical Sunni Al Qaeda terror organization has found a home among elements of the Syrian opposition.

Recent reports that several al-Qaeda front groups in Lebanon have been funneling arms to armed opposition groups in Syria have become a major point of contention in Beirut’s halls of power.

Assad and his Hizbullah allies have insinuated Lebanese opposition figures who recently met with Saudi officials in Riyadh are linked to anti-Assad insurgents in Syria.

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies have sought to isolate Assad as a means of undercutting rival Iran’s axis of influence in the region.

IMRA – Monday, January 2, 2012 Iran currency slips to record low (30% below official rate) after new US sanctions.

Iran’s currency, the rial, slipped to a record low on Sunday, the day after the United States imposed extra sanctions targeting the Islamic republic’s central bank and financial sector.

The state news agency IRNA and an Iranian website tracking the currency said the rial’s street value at money changers’ slid to around 16,000 to the
dollar.

That represented a huge difference with the official central bank rate of
11,179 rials to the dollar.

On Saturday, US President Barack Obama signed the new sanctions into law.

The measures aim to further squeeze Iran’s crucial oil revenues, most of
which are processed by the central bank, by making foreign firms choose
between doing business with the Islamic republic or the United States.

They were being imposed as part of a Western push to force Iran to halt its
nuclear programme, which the United States and its allies believe is being
used to develop atomic weapons despite Tehran’s denials.

Iran, the second-biggest producer in OPEC after Saudi Arabia, depends on oil sales for 80 percent of its foreign revenues.

The European Union is mulling an embargo on buying Iranian oil, on which a decision could be announced at an EU foreign ministers’ meeting at the end of the month.

Iranian leaders and military officials have warned that extra Western
sanctions could push them to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the
entrance to the Gulf.

Twenty percent of the world’s oil passes through the strait, making it the
“most important choke point” globally, according to the US Energy
Information Administration.

Iranian naval forces are to complete 10 days of war games near the strait on Monday with an exercise practising tactics to close the channel if they are so ordered, the ISNA news agency quoted spokesman Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi as saying.

Barak: Iran worried about unrest in Arab world – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak tells Knesset committee that Iran fears internal turmoil inspired by Arab Spring uprisings; says Israel must be ready for all developments.

By Haaretz

The Arab Spring is having an effect on the Iranian regime, Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday while briefing members of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee members on changes taking place in the Middle East.

Barak noted that Iran is troubled by the recent developments in Syria, and especially by the possibility of losing its alliance with the Assad regime.

Barak also stated that Iran is worried that the recent unrest in the Arab world may lead to similar turmoil among the Iranian population, and that Israel’s security forces must be ready for any sort of development.

“Even those who are not security experts understand that resources and attentiveness are necessary in order to respond to regional challenges,” Barak said.

During the meeting, Barak emphasized that the Iranian nuclear program is “progressing despite the setbacks, sanctions and the external pressures,” but that the likelihood of the world adopting “paralyzing sanctions” against the regime is fairly low.

Furthermore, Barak noted that in light of Egypt’s Islamic parties making major strides in the first round of elections, the Egyptian Parliament will “implement an anti-Israel agenda,” although there is no credible threat of Egypt canceling its peace treaty with Israel.

Arab League chief: There is no doubt Syrian forces are killing civilians – Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Israel News.

Nabil Elaraby says protesters are being shot by Assad forces despite presence of Arab monitors, calls for a complete cease-fire.

By Jack Khoury, Reuters and The Associated Press

Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said Monday that there is no doubt that Syrian forces are killing civilians, a week after Arab monitors were sent into the country to check whether President Bashar Assad is launching a violent crackdown on protesters.

Elaraby, addressing a news conference on Monday, said that Syrian forces continue to shoot protesters despite the presence of monitors from the organization and calls for a complete cease-fire.

	Demonstrators burning an image of Syrian President Bashar Assad during a demonstration after Friday prayers in Baba Amro in Homs, December 16, 2011
	Photo by: Reuters

He also called on the opposition and ordinary Syrians to aid the observers by sending them names of relatives or friends they think are detained.

He said that the Arab League monitors will continue their mission in Syria, and 30 more observers will join the team. He said the purpose of their mission is to examine whether Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime is using violence to fight against the protesters and whether the regime in Syria allows non-violent protesters.

Meanwhile, armed Syrian rebels captured dozens of members of the security forces by seizing two military checkpoints in the northern province of Idlib on Monday, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

It said the army deserters also clashed with security forces at a third checkpoint, killing and wounding an unspecified number of troops loyal to President Bashar Assad.

Rami Abdelrahman, director of the British-based Observatory, said Monday’s operation took place in the Jabal al-Zawiyah region of Idlib. It was not immediately clear how many people had been killed or captured by the rebels, he said.

At least 150 people have been killed since the observers began their mission last Tuesday to verify the compliance of President Bashar Assad’s regime with an Arab League peace plan aimed at ending the regime’s 9-month-old crackdown on anti-government protesters. Assad agreed to the plan on Dec. 19.

The Associated Press: Iran’s navy tests cruise missile as part of drill.

By NASSER KARIMI, Associated Press – 30 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran test-fired a surface-to-surface cruise missile on Monday during a drill that the country’s navy chief said proved Tehran was in complete control of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the passageway for one-sixth of the world’s oil supply.

The missile, called Ghader, or Capable in Farsi, was described as an upgraded version of a missile that has been in service before. The official IRNA news agency said the missile “successfully hit its intended target” during the exercise.

No other details were released about Ghader. An earlier version of the same cruise missile had a range of 124 miles (200 kilometers) and could travel at low altitudes. There were suggestions it could counter the U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf.

Iran’s 10-day navy drill, which ends Tuesday, was Tehran’s latest show of strength in the face of mounting international criticism over its nuclear program. The exercise came amid conflicting comments from Iranian officials over Tehran’s intentions to close the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. warnings against such an ominous move.

“The Strait of Hormuz is completely under our control,” Iran’s navy chief Adm. Habibollah Sayyari said after Monday’s test. “We do not allow any enemy to pose threats to our interests.”

The latest version of the Ghader was delivered in September to the naval division of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, which is assigned to protect Iranian sea borders. At the time, Tehran said the missile is capable of destroying warships.

“In comparison with the previous version, the highly advanced Ghader missile system has been upgraded in terms of its radar, satellite communications, precision in target destruction, as well as range and radar-evading mechanism,” said Rear Adm. Mahmoud Mousavi, a spokesman for the drill.

State TV showed footage Monday depicting the launch of two missiles, which were fired into the sky and which the TV said could hit targets “hundreds of kilometers (miles) away” from the point of origin. The broadcast said two more missiles, with a shorter range, were also tested Monday.

“We conducted the drill … to let everybody know that Iran’s defense and deterrence powers on the open seas and the Strait of Hormuz are aimed at defending our borders, resources and our nation,” said Sayyari, the navy chief.

The testing comes a day after Iran test-fired an advanced surface-to-air missile called Mehrab, or Altar in Farsi, which was described as medium-range.

Iran had said the sea maneuvers would cover a 1,250-mile (2,000-kilometer) stretch of water beyond the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, as well as parts of the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.

A leading Iranian lawmaker said Sunday the maneuvers served as practice for closing the Strait of Hormuz if the West blocks Iran’s oil sales. After top Iranian officials made the same threat a week ago, military commanders emphasized that Iran has no intention of blocking the waterway now.

Mousavi on Sunday also emphasized that Iran has no plan to choke the strait. “We won’t disrupt traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. We are not after this,” the semiofficial ISNA news agency quoted him as saying.

Mousavi said the drill was “tactical” and meant to show Iran was capable of assuming full control over the strait in case this became necessary.

The West fears Iran’s program aims to develop atomic weapons — a charge Tehran denies, insisting it’s for peaceful purposes only.

Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Barak: Iran is feeling the pressure – Israel News, Ynetnews.

Defense minister says Tehran not oblivious to pressures exerted by the West despite US’ seemingly ‘softer’ stance

Moran Azulay

Defense Minister Ehud Barak briefed the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on regional developments Monday.

Barak told the committee that Iran was “feeling the pressure” exerted by the West, and stressed that while the United States’ hegemony in the region may be fraying, its strategic cooperation with Israelis close.

“We see the situation in Iran almost identically,” he said, but remained mum as to the possibility of a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Washington’s dominance in the region in faltering because the US administration has to contend with a “full internal agenda,” Barak explained. Nevertheless, the United Statesremains the “only true superpower,” he added.

Barak further added that Tehran was “feeling the effects of the Arab Spring. It’s concerned with the events in Syriaand the possibility of losing its strategic link with Damascus; as well as with the possibility of protests in Iran getting out of hand.”

Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons despite the hurdles posed by the West, the defense minister said. “The chances of imposing truly crippling sanctions are slim, but on the other hand Iran’s Central Bank and its petroleum industry are under a lot of pressure.”

Barak reiterated that all signs are indicating to the fact that “Assad’s regime in Syria in on its last legs… it’s hard to say when it will meet its end, but there’s no doubt that it’s nearing the end of its days.”

Syria, he noted, has yet to come up with an alternative to the current regime: “The international community understands that, which is why – at this point – it’s refraining from intervening in Syria.”

The Arab world’s aversion of Syrian President Bashar Assad‘s brutality also serves a pressure factor on Damascus and, as are the dwindling ranks of the Syrian Army and the dire financial and political straits the country has been gripped by since March 2011.

“The regime’s fall will be a massive blow to the Iran-Syria-Hezbollah axis,” he concluded.

Iran test fires 2 long-range mis… JPost – Iranian Threat – News.

The European Union is considering a ban – already in place by the United States – on imports of Iranian crude.

The US Fifth Fleet reacted to Iran’s threat to stop oil flows, saying it will not allow any disruption of traffic in the Gulf.

The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action against Iran if diplomacy fails to resolve the Islamic state’s nuclear row with the West.

Iran said it had no intention to close the Strait of Hormuz.

“No order has been given for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. But we are prepared for various scenarios,” state television quoted navy chief Habibollah Sayyari as saying.

DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism, Security.

DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 2, 2012, 9:30 AM (GMT+02:00)

Assad with his top generals

As Arab League monitors fail in their mission to curb brutal regime violence in Syria and the ten-month popular defiance continues to rage, President Bashar Assad is digging in for a full-scale civil war:  debkafile reports exclusively that a fortress is under construction for the Syrian ruler, family, his loyal generals and ruling elite in the northwestern Alawite (Al-Ansariyyah) Mountains – should Damascus become too hot for them.

From there, the Assads will continue to fight for their survival.
These mountains have the only dense forests in the vicinity of Syria’s Mediterranean coast. The Al-Ansariyyah range averages 32 kilometers (20 miles) in breadth and a peak elevation of just over 1,200 meters. The tallest mountain, Nabi Yunis east of Latakia, is 1,562 meters (5,125 feet) high. The range slopes down from its northern tip to an average altitude of 900 meters (3,000 feet) and 600 meters in the south.
Our military and intelligence sources report Syrian engineering corps crews working at speed to build a fortified encampment, partly inside caves and tunnels, on the wooded slopes. Its perimeter is enclosed with anti-tank defenses armed with anti-air batteries.
When finished, the camp will be one of the most heavily fortified strongholds in the Middle East.
In support of the Syrian dictator, large groups of Alawite families began moving in the last week of November from the mixed towns of Latakia, Hama and Homs to new homes in the encampment – apparently on a signal from Assad’s intelligence and security services.
Fortified facilities stocked with supplies are being provided for Alawite families unable to leave their towns and villages.

This mass relocation encompasses around a million Alawites, or a third of the 3.5 million members of this deviant offspring of this ruling Shiite Muslim faith, which numbers just over one-tenth of Syria’s total population.
By reestablishing his headquarters in a mountain fortress, Bashar Assad hopes to achieve two goals:
1. To keep his Alawite following out of harm’s way in a full-scale civil war. They face bitter Sunni revenge for the brutal persecution its adherents have suffered from Assad father and son for 37 years.
2. Clustering Alawite families in protected cantons will guarantee their loyalty to Bashar Assad and his clan.
Our Middle East sources report that not all Alawite clan leaders are willing to following the ruler into his mountain bastion. Some communities have gone over to the other side, for the first time in the ten-month popular uprising against his regime.
In the flashpoint Homs and Hama regions, a dozen Alawite village chiefs have struck deals with local rebel militia chiefs including the Free Syrian Army for guaranteed immunity from attack provided their sons refuse to join Assad’s state-backed private paramilitary Shabiha.

The inability of Assad and his henchmen to prevent these desertions from his own clan betokens the president’s declining authority beneath the bloody surface of the contest in the strife-torn country.