WarSclerotic

White House defends position on I… JPost – Diplomacy & Politics.

Iran nuclear program: Clever threat to attack the U.S. aimed at Israel | Full Comment | National Post.

Reuters An Iranian surface-to-sea missile is fired during war games near the Strait of Hormuz.

As tensions remain high between the Israelis and Iranians, the latter have made a bold, but clever, move: They have threatened to retaliate against American targets if Israel bombs Iran.

The U.S. isn’t stupid, of course. It knows full well that its bases in the region are within range of Iran’s medium- and intermediate-range ballistic missiles. Just like its bases in Asia are vulnerable to Chinese or North Korean missiles. This is why the U.S. has been rushing to develop local ballistic-missile defences, based aboard warships, that can provide local protection from incoming missiles.

Those defences, though, while generally successful during tests, are not a guarantee. No defensive system is perfect. If Iran fires a volley of missiles at the U.S. Navy base in Qatar, for example, some will undoubtedly be shot down, but others won’t be. Iran could hurt the U.S. badly, probably worse than it could hurt Israel, which has significant anti-missile defences and also has the benefit of being further away (thus giving it more reaction time and putting it out of range of Iran’s medium-range missiles).

Interestingly, however, Iran’s threat is not based on the damage it could do to the U.S. A concerted Iranian missile strike on U.S. forces in the region could kill a lot of U.S. personnel and destroy expensive military equipment. But the U.S. would still be able to mount a counter-strike, using only conventional weapons, that would devastate the Iranian military and the ruling regime. But this is still good news for Iran — because launching that kind of counter-strike would be the last thing the U.S. would want to do.

That’s the real method behind Iran’s madness. It knows it cannot defeat the U.S. in a conventional war, but it knows that the U.S. doesn’t want to fight one. But if Iran does attack U.S. bases, kills U.S. troops and destroys U.S. military assets, the United States would be compelled to respond. And not a mild response, either, like lobbing a few cruise missiles at an intelligence headquarters or something of a similarly limited response.

If U.S. bases were under attack, the U.S. would need to respond so decisively as to eliminate the continuing threat to their forces. That would mean taking out Iran’s air force. All of it. Ditto its navy. It would mean hunting down and bombing any missile that hadn’t yet been launched before it could be. And it would mean doing as much damage as possible to the Revolutionary Guards.

Such an outcome would be terrific for Israel, of course. And well within the military capabilities of the U.S. But it would be an expensive, bloody and complicated mess. U.S. allies in the region would freak out that bases on their soil were being attacked. Casualties on the U.S. side could be heavy. All sorts of pricy and high-tech munitions would be expended. In contrast to recent U.S. or Western operations, there would be a high likelihood of the Iranian’s shooting down attacking planes or sinking enemy ships. Iran is not Iraq or Libya. Iran has teeth.

There is also, of course, the political dimension. The U.S. election is six weeks away. If re-elected, President Obama won’t be any more inclined to do battle with the mullahs then than he is now. And a President Romney would need to focus on fixing the U.S. economy and building an international profile. A war with Iran would complicate the former and seriously compromise the latter. Romney might see value in talking tough on Iran during an election campaign. But the last thing he’ll want is a shooting war soon into his first term.

All of this is in some ways reminiscent of the Cuban Missile Crisis. President John F. Kennedy famously warned the Soviets that any missiles fired by Cuba at any neighbouring country would trigger a full U.S. retaliatory response against the Soviet Union. Iran is playing a similar card here, telling a distant nation that it will be dragged into a fight that it might be otherwise tempted to dismiss as a regional skirmish. To avoid having to deal with this headache, the U.S. will be redoubling its already strong pressure on Israel to hold is fire and be patient.

That was Iran’s goal, of course. It doesn’t want a war with the U.S., either. But it knows that the U.S. has already decided that war is off the table. Computer viruses, sanctions, assassinations, sure. But not war. Iran’s playing on that, to box in Israel. It’s a clever move.

National Post
mgurney@nationalpost.com

Iran accuses Israel of ‘threatening’ U.S. with allegations of Iranian nuclear weapon – The Washington Post.

In New York, defiant Ahmadinejad says Israel will be “eliminated” – chicagotribune.com.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad looks on at the opening ceremony of the OIC summit in Mecca (SUSAN BAAGHIL, REUTERS / August 15, 2012)

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday disregarded a U.N. warning to avoid incendiary rhetoric and declared ahead of the annual General Assembly session that Israel has no roots in the Middle East and would be “eliminated.”

In remarks to reporters in New York, he also said he does not take seriously the threat that Israel could launch a military strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities, denied sending arms into Syria, and called economic conditions in his sanctions-hit country “not as bad as they are portrayed.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear sites and has criticized U.S. President Barack Obama’s position that sanctions and diplomacy should be given more time to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran denies that it is seeking nuclear arms and says its atomic work is peaceful, aimed at generating electricity.

“Fundamentally we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists. … We have all the defensive means at our disposal and we are ready to defend ourselves,” Ahmadinejad said.

He is in New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. His speech is scheduled for Wednesday.

On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met with Ahmadinejad and warned him of the dangers of incendiary rhetoric in the Middle East. Ahmadinejad did not heed the warning.

Ahmadinejad alluded to his previous rejection of Israel’s right to exist. “Iran has been around for the last seven, 10 thousand years. They (the Israelis) have been occupying those territories for the last 60 to 70 years, with the support and force of the Westerners. They have no roots there in history,” he said, speaking to reporters through an interpreter.

The modern state of Israel was founded in 1948.

“We do believe that they have found themselves at a dead end and they are seeking new adventures in order to escape this dead end. Iran will not be damaged with foreign bombs,” Ahmadinejad said, referring to Israel.

“We don’t even count them as any part of any equation for Iran. During a historical phase, they represent minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated,” Ahmadinejad added.

In 2005, Ahmadinejad called Israel a “tumor” and echoed the words of the former Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, by saying that Israel should be wiped off the map.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a brigadier general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was quoted on Sunday as saying that Iran could launch a pre-emptive strike on Israel if it was sure the Jewish state was preparing to attack it.

Ahmadinejad said the nuclear issue was one ultimately between the United States and Iran, and must be resolved with negotiations.

He added, “The nuclear issue is not a problem. But the approach of the United States on Iran is important. We are ready for dialogue, for a fundamental resolution of the problems, but under conditions that are based on fairness and mutual respect.”

“We are not expecting a 33-year-old problem between the United States and Iran to be resolved in a speedy fashion. But there is no other way besides dialogue,” Ahmadinejad said.

U.S. President Barack Obama will underscore his commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and address Muslim unrest related to an anti-Islamic video in his speech to General Assembly on Tuesday, the White House said.

‘BULLYING COUNTRIES’

Ahmadinejad also addressed a high-level meeting on the rule of law at the United Nations on Monday, saying states should not yield to international law as imposed “by bullying countries.”

In the past, Ahmadinejad has used his U.N. speeches to defend Iran’s nuclear program and to attack Israel, the United States and Europe. He has questioned the Holocaust and cast doubt on whether 19 hijackers were really responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

Western envoys typically walk out of Ahmadinejad’s speeches in protest.

Ahmadinejad said on Monday that Iran – under U.N., U.S. and European Union sanctions over its nuclear program – is used to economic restrictions and is not severely affected by them.

“The conditions in Iran are not as bad as they are portrayed by some,” Ahmadinejad said, adding that his country can survive without oil revenues.

Ahmadinejad added that Iran’s economy is in much better shape that that of the EU, which he said was “on the verge of disintegration and collapse.”

Iran has held several rounds of talks this year on the nuclear issue with six world powers: the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain – as well as Germany. The six powers are represented by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said last Wednesday that he and Ashton had agreed to defer more nuclear talks until the latter had consulted the six powers on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week.

There will be high-level side meetings on Iran’s nuclear program and the Syrian conflict during the General Assembly, but U.N. diplomats do not expect either issue to be resolved soon.

‘WE SEEK PEACE IN SYRIA’

The United Nations and Western officials have accused Iran of supplying weapons to Syria’s pro-government forces, while Syria’s government has accused Qatar and Saudi Arabia of arming rebels determined to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Ahmadinejad rejected the charge that Iran was sending arms to Syria. “The so-called news that you alluded to has been denied vehemently, officially,” Ahmadinejad said in a response to a question. “We seek peace in Syria. We like and love both sides. … We see both sides as equally our brothers.”

“In Syria, the intervention and meddling from outside have made conditions that much tougher,” Ahmadinejad said. “We must help to quell the violence and help … (facilitate) a national dialogue.”

A U.N. Security Council panel of independent experts that monitors sanctions against Iran has uncovered several examples of Iran transferring arms to Syria. The United States and Britain say they are providing non-lethal assistance to Syria’s rebels such as communications equipment, but not arms.

Ahmadinejad also addressed the issue of a California-made anti-Islam video, “The Innocence of Muslims,” that has sparked anti-American protests around the Muslim world. He appeared to reject Washington’s position that while it condemns the video’s content, freedom of expression must be upheld.

“Freedoms must not interfere with the freedoms of others,” Ahmadinejad said. “If someone insults, what would you do? … Is insulting other people not a form of crime?”

Since the controversy over the video erupted this month, some Muslim leaders have reiterated calls for a U.N. measure outlawing insults to Islam and blasphemy in general.

Ahmadinejad also was asked about a move by an Iranian religious foundation, in response to the “The Innocence of Muslims,” to increase its reward for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie.

“Where is he now?” Ahmadinejad asked of Rushdie. “Is he in the United States? If he is, you shouldn’t broadcast that for his own safety.”

Rushdie, an Indian-born British novelist who has nothing to do with the video, was condemned to death in 1989 by Khomeini, Iran’s late leader, over his novel “The Satanic Verses,” saying its depiction of the Prophet Mohammad was blasphemous.

Iran has a two-term limit for presidents. Ahmadinejad, widely seen as out of favor with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, ends his second term next year. “But that does not mean I will be separating myself from politics,” he said.

(Writing by Michelle Nichols and David Brunnstrom; Editing by Will Dunham)

Iran tests domestic-made anti-aircraft defense system – Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper.

Weapons test is designed to show Iran is ready for any Israeli, U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear strike.

Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during the high-level meeting of the General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York September 24, 2012. Photo by ReutersBy Reuters | Sep.24,2012 | 6:04 PM | 2

Iran successfully test-fired a domestically made anti-aircraft system, the country’s English-language Press TV reported on Monday.

“The mid-range system … is capable of intercepting targets at a range of 50 kilometers (30 miles) and can fly at an altitude of 75,000 feet,” the report on Press TV’s website said.

As Israel makes increasing hints it may launch air strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, the weapons test is designed to show Iran is ready for any such Israeli or U.S. attack.

An Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, said at a military parade displaying the weapons last Friday that: “The system has been manufactured with the aim of confronting (hostile) U.S. aircraft.”

“The Ra’d air defense system is the first completely indigenous system of the Sepah (Revolutionary Guard), which has been designed and manufactured by committed Iranian technicians in the struggle for self-sufficiency,” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying by the Mehr news agency.

Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards’ aerospace arm, was quoted on Sunday as saying Iran might launch a pre-emptive strike on the Jewish state if it was sure Israel was about to attack.
Iran began developing the system after Russian President Dmitry Medvedev banned the delivery of the high-precision S-300 air defense system to Iran, saying it would violate expanded UN sanctions. Iranian officials said after Russia scrapped the sale that Tehran had decided to build its own model of the S-300.

Ahead of his visit to the United Nations in New York, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the Washington Post that Iran did not take seriously Israeli threats of an attack on its nuclear facilities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has criticized U.S. President Barack Obama’s position that sanctions and diplomacy should be given more time to stop Iran’s nuclear program, increasing speculation of Israeli military action ahead of U.S. elections in November.

Tehran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and says its atomic work is peaceful.

Obama describes wave of Middle East violence, murder of U.S. ambassador to Libya as ‘bumps in the road’ | Mail Online.

President Barack Obama referred to recent events in the Middle East, including violent attacks on embassies and the terrorist murder of a US ambassador and three other Americans, as ‘bumps in the road’.

The comment came in Obama’s CBS ’60 Minutes’ interview that aired on Sunday night. 

Steve Kroft, the interviewer, asked: ‘Have the events that took place in the Middle East, the recent events in the Middle East given you any pause about your support for the governments that have come to power following the Arab Spring?

Obama responded: ‘Well, I’d said even at the time that this is going to be a rocky path. The question presumes that somehow we could have stopped this wave of change. 

Bumps in the road: The President said the killing of ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans in Libya was some of the ‘bumps in the road’ along the ‘rocky path’ to Middle Eastern peace

Terror attack: It took the White House some days to admit the sacking of the consulate in Benghazi was pre-planned

‘I think it was absolutely the right thing for us to do to align ourselves with democracy, universal rights — a notion that people have to be able to participate in their own governance. 

‘But I was pretty certain and continue to be pretty certain that there are going to be bumps in the road because, you know, in a lot of these places, the one organizing principle has been Islam.’ 

Sean Smith, another diplomat, and former U.S. Navy SEALs Glen Doherty and Tyrone Woods were also killed.

Republicans leapt on Obama’s ‘bumps in the road’ comment. Ari Fleischer, former press secretary to President George W. Bush said on Twitter: ‘I guess when u win a Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing “an attack that kills an Ambassador is just a ‘bump in the road.’

Criticism: Obama faced anger from those who saw his ‘bumps in the road’ comment as too dismissive

The Obama administration initially insisted the attack was a spontaneous result of anger about the movie and had nothing to do with al-Qaeda or U.S. policy in the region.

After the head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Centre told Congress the attack was terrorism, Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney then stated: ‘It is, I think, self-evident that what happened in Benghazi was a terrorist attack.

‘Our embassy was attacked violently and the result was four deaths of American officials.’

On the same day as the five-hour Benghazi consulate attack, in which RPGs and mortars were used, the U.S. embassy in Cairo was targeted by a mob that tore down the American flag and replaced it with a black Islamic flag.

There were also attacks on U.S. missions in Tunis, Sana’a, Khartoum and Islamabad.

Stevens, the first U.S. ambassador to be murdered since 1979, was a fluent Arabic and French speaker widely viewed as one of the greatest American diplomatic assets in the region. 

A diary written by Stevens and obtained by CNN after being found in the wreckage of the Benghazi consulate revealed that he had been concerned about security threats in the city and a rise in Islamic extremism.

A White House official firmly rejecetd this, telling ABC News: ‘It’s just not true that he was characterising the attack in Benghazi – the question doesn’t even make mention of it. He’s speaking about broad trends.’

Ahmejinadad flashes peace sign and dismisses war talk as chaotic U.N. convenes… and an Iran commander warns of ‘World War III’ | Mail Online

Ahmadinejad said he doesn’t take seriously Israel’s threat to strike Iran’s nuclear sites as he attended UN General Assembly in New York

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 16:21 GMT, 24 September 2012 | UPDATED: 16:25 GMT, 24 September 2012

Iran does not take seriously Israeli threats of attack but is prepared to defend itself, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Monday, adding that Israel has ‘no roots’ in the history of the Middle East and would be ‘eliminated’.

The Iranian president made the remarks as he attended the U.N. General Assembly in New York today where he flashed the peace sign for the cameras.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hinted Israel could strike Iran’s nuclear sites and has criticized U.S. President Obama’s position that sanctions and diplomacy should be given more time to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Iran denies that it is seeking nuclear arms and says its atomic work is peaceful, aimed at generating electricity.

Sign of the times? Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gestures as he attends the high level meeting on rule of law in the United Nations General Assembly

‘Fundamentally we do not take seriously the threats of the Zionists. … We have all the defensive means at our disposal and we are ready to defend ourselves,’ Ahmadinejad told reporters in New York, where he is due to attend the UN General Assembly.

‘While we are fully ready to defend ourselves, we do not take such threats seriously,’ he said, speaking through an interpreter.

The modern state of Israel was founded in 1948.

‘We do believe that they have found themselves at a dead end and they are seeking new adventures in order to escape this dead end. Iran will not be damaged with foreign bombs,’ Ahmadinejad said, referring to Israel.

‘We don’t even count them as any part of any equation for Iran. During a historical phase, they represent minimal disturbances that come into the picture and are then eliminated,’ Ahmadinejad added.

In 2005, Ahmadinejad called Israel a ‘tumor’ and echoed the words of the former Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, by saying that Israel should be wiped off the map.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, a brigadier general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was quoted on Sunday as saying that Iran could launch a pre-emptive strike on Israel if it was sure the Jewish state was preparing to attack it.

Global meeting: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad addresses diplomats during the high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the Rule of Law at the United Nations headquarters in New York

Ahmadinejad said the nuclear issue was one ultimately between the United States and Iran, and must be resolved with negotiations.

‘The nuclear issue is not a problem. But the approach of the United States on Iran is important. We are ready for dialogue, for a fundamental resolution of the problems, but under conditions that are based on fairness and mutual respect,’ he said.

‘We are not expecting a 33-year-old problem between the United States and Iran to be resolved in a speedy fashion. But there is no other way besides dialogue.’

Iran has held several rounds of talks this year on its nuclear issue with six world powers. The six are the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council – the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain – as well as Germany. The six powers are represented by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said last Wednesday that he and Ashton had agreed to defer more nuclear talks until the latter had consulted the six powers on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week.

On Sunday U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met Ahmadinejad and warned him of the dangers of incendiary rhetoric in the Middle East.

Ahmadinejad is due to speak at a high-level meeting on the rule of law at the United Nations on Monday and then to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.

In the past, Ahmadinejad has used his U.N. speeches to defend Iran’s nuclear program and to attack Israel, the United States and Europe. He has questioned the Holocaust and cast doubt on whether 19 hijackers were really responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States in 2001.

Western envoys typically walk out of Ahmadinejad’s speeches in protest.

There will be high-level side meetings on Iran’s nuclear program and the Syrian conflict during the General Assembly, but U.N. diplomats do not expect either issue to be resolved soon.

The United Nations and Western officials have accused Iran of supplying weapons to Syria’s pro-government forces, while Syria’s government has accused Qatar and Saudi Arabia of arming rebels determined to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

Ahmadinejad rejected the charge that Iran was sending arms to Syria.

‘The so-called news that you alluded to has been denied vehemently, officially,’ Ahmadinejad said in a response to a question. ‘We seek peace in Syria. We like and love both sides. … We see both sides as equally our brothers.’

‘In Syria the intervention and meddling from outside have made conditions that much tougher,’ Ahmadinejad said. ‘We must help to quell the violence and help … (facilitate) a national dialogue.’

A U.N. Security Council panel of independent experts that monitors sanctions against Iran has uncovered several examples of Iran transferring arms to Syria. The United States and Britain say they are providing non-lethal assistance to Syria’s rebels such as communications equipment, but not arms.

Ahmadinejad also addressed the issue of a California-made anti-Islam video, “The Innocence of Muslims,” that has sparked anti-American protests around the Muslim world. He appeared to reject Washington’s position that while it condemns the video’s content, freedom of expression must be upheld.

“Freedoms must not interfere with the freedoms of others,” Ahmadinejad said. “If someone insults, what would you do? … Is insulting other people not a form of crime?”

Since the controversy over the video erupted this month, some Muslim leaders have reiterated calls for a U.N. measure outlawing insults to Islam and blasphemy in general.

Ahmadinejad also was asked about a move by an Iranian religious foundation, in response to the “The Innocence of Muslims,” to increase its reward for the killing of British author Salman Rushdie.

“Where is he now?” Ahmadinejad asked of Rushdie. “Is he in the United States? If he is, you shouldn’t broadcast that for his own safety.”

Rushdie, an Indian-born British novelist who has nothing to do with the video, was condemned to death in 1989 by Khomeini, Iran’s late leader, over his novel “The Satanic Verses,” saying its depiction of the Prophet Mohammad was blasphemous.

Iran’s Military Is Practicing Mine-Laying In The Persian Gulf – Business Insider.

Iran’s fast boats have practiced placing mines n the Caspian Sea while the U.S. Navy practices sweeping them up in the Persian Gulf in a show of brinksmanship between the two countries as tensions rise in the region over Iran’s nuclear program.

At Iran’s Caspian port of Noushahr, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini was on hand to observe the mine laying practice Sept. 17 by military speedboats backed up by an Iranian frigate.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy and about 30 other nations in the Gulf have started the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise 2012 (INCMEX).

The exercises come as Israeli leaders have reportedly discussed a possible attack to cripple Iran’s growing nuclear program. Iran has also repeatedly threatened to shut down the oil lifeline, the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a massive military buildup by the U.S. and the Gulf states over the past year.

Iran initially dismissed ongoing U.S. and allied naval maneuvers as empty posturing as Iranian leaders explained the motivation to hold a naval mining exercise.

However, a day after the start of the mining exercise, the Iranian navy launched one of Iran’s Russian-made “Kilo” class submarines and a frigate carrying anti-ship cruise missiles, the Fars news agency reported.

Iran’s actions in the Caspian and the Gulf were in response to INCMEX and the military buildup by the U.S. and Gulf allies, said Ramin Mehmanparast, an Iranian foreign ministry spokesman.

Outside forces have attempted to “trample the interests of countries of the region to secure their own interests and provoke instability and insecurity,” Mehmanparast said in a statement.

The U.S. has put two carrier battle groups in the Gulf and nearby waters indefinitely, bolstered the anti-missile defenses of the Gulf states, and deployed an F-22 Raptor squadron from the Massachusetts Air National Guard to the region.

The INCMEX exercise began Sept. 17 with meetings of senior allied leaders from participating countries at U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain to “exchange ideas and view the latest mine hunting, sweeping and neutralization technologies,” according to a Fifth Fleet statement.

On Sept. 20, ships were underway to conduct “mine hunting operations; helicopter mine countermeasure operations; international explosive ordnance disposal, diving operations and small boat operations focused toward underwater improvised explosive devices.”

The sea drills were continuing through Sept. 26 in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden, but will steer clear of the Strait of Hormuz itself.

“We’re prepared to make sure there is stability in the region. We understand that one of the threats that’s possibly presented to us is a threat of mines,” Vice Adm. John Miller, commander of the Fifth Fleet, told the Associated Press on Sept. 20.

“We’ve seen that in history so it’s not unthinkable. And so it’s important on an international basis that we can clear those mines from the water,” Miller said.

The U.S. Navy needed the minesweeping practice, said Christopher Harmer, a retired Navy commander who served with the Fifth Fleet in Bahrain.

“Historically, the U.S. Navy just has not paid much attention to mines,” Harmer said.

The Europeans have much more experience with minesweeping from World Wars I and II than the U.S., whose home waters were never seriously threatened by mines, Harmer said.

“We do not put a lot of money into minesweeping,” said Harmer, a research analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, but the Navy’s mind-set changed earlier this year as Iran ratcheted up threats to close the Straits of Hormuz  if Israel and the U.S., separately or jointly, attacked its nuclear sites.

Adm. Jonathan Greenert, the chief of Naval Operations, boosted the number of wooden-hull minesweepers in the Persian Gulf to eight and also sent eight anti-mine MH-53 helicopters to the Fifth Fleet.

Both the minesweepers and the helicopters are equipped with the Sea Fox, the German-developed underwater drone built to track mines and destroy them with an explosive warhead.

The Strait of Hormuz is about 25 miles wide. The sea lanes in either direction are only two miles wide with a two-mile buffer zone in between. Iran has warned repeatedly that it could easily shut down the passage through which about 20 percent of the world’s oil is shipped.

Greenert and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have agreed that Iran has the capability to close the Strait, but they project the U.S. Navy could open it up again in about five days.

The Fifth Fleet billed INCMEX as “wholly defensive” and not aimed at a particular country, but defense analysts said the intent was clear.

“It’s obviously directed at Iran,” said Michael Connell, an Iran specialist at the Center for Naval Analysis. “There are no other mine threats in the area.”

The Iranians “view themselves as under siege,” Connell said, and their own mine laying exercise reflected a siege mentality. The Iranian exercise in the Caspian was small scale “but the fact that they’re doing it obviously is intended to send a message” to the U.S., Connell said.

Female sniper: I didn’t think twice – Israel News, Ynetnews.

( God, I’m proud of this country… – JW )

Soldier who killed terrorist recounts events leading to attack on Egyptian border; says ‘I did what had to be done.’ Meanwhile, it has been revealed that another female soldier hid behind bush during incident, was feared to have been kidnapped

Yoav Zitun

As the story behind last week’s deadly terror attack on the Egyptian border unfolds, Corporal S., who has been commended on her performance during the incident, recounted the chain of events for the first time.

S. said that even after seeing Corporal Netanel Yahalomishot dead in front of her, she did not hesitate to attack the terrorists.

“I didn’t think twice. I jumped out of the hummer and did what had to be done. I ran under fire until I reached Netanel, but when I saw his condition, I told my commander there was nothing we could do to save him and we must move on,” she said.

S. explained how it all began: “All of a sudden we heard a female soldier shout on the radio ‘We’re under fire.’ I then told the driver to drive to her location. We didn’t know what to expect. It was the battalion’s first encounter with terrorists.”

‘I knew what had to be done’

S. said that while driving to the scene, she thought of her parents. “I was also worried about the soldier on the radio. The whole unit deserves praise, not just me. It takes a lot of courage to remain calm under pressure.”

After Yahalomi was killed, S. managed to kill one of the terrorists who was carrying powerful explosives. “One of the terrorists exploded right in front of us,” she said.

S. then managed to make her way to one of the injured soldiers Mati Yalovski. “I told him to stay strong and most importantly stay awake.”

S. finally said that she was very proud of herself. “It is a privilege. Not everyone goes through such an ordeal.”

Corporal S. further said that she did not always want a combat position in the army. “Initially, I wanted to be a paramedic but I later realized that I wanted to have a combat role.”

She emphasized the importance of serving in a combat unit and contributing to the State of Israel.

Not so heroic

Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, the IDF has learned that not all soldiers followed protocol during the incident: One of the soldiers, who was afraid of facing the terrorists, hid behind a bush throughout the attack and stayed there even after it ended.

According to the investigation, the soldier was in a patrol jeep when the shooting began. She immediately called it in and informed her superiors.

While other soldiers were under fire, the soldier in question hid behind a large bush for an hour and a half.

Shortly after the attack, as the unit commander began “counting heads” in order to see if all members of the unit were there, they were stunned to realize that one of their own was missing. They immediately thought that she had been kidnapped by the terrorists and taken into Sinai.

‘I didn’t think twice’

Helicopters and search units were immediately called to the scene to search for the missing soldier. She was later found by her commanders, dehydrated behind a bush.

The soldier said she was afraid to shoot back at the terrorists out of fear a “gun fight” would commence. “I thought I didn’t have a chance against them.”

The soldier was reprimanded by her commanders shortly after.

An initial military investigation launched into the incident reveals that the terrorists took advantage of the arrival of African infiltratorsand the fact that IDF soldiers left their post to offer them water.

The terrorists then emerged from their hiding spot, approached the four fighters who remained at the post and opened fire, killing Yahalomi.

Israel has ‘no roots’ in Middle East history: Ahmadinejad.

Monday, 24 September 2012

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said his country does not take seriously Israeli threats of attack, but is prepared to defend itself. (AFP)

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