“In a world where nuclear weapons could soon be in the hands of a rogue nation like Iran, an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be fully justified. Despite its ban on aggressive war, Article 51 of the United Nations Charter clearly recognizes a state’s inherent right to self-defense. Thus, Israel has full authority to act unilaterally or collectively in its self-defense.”
“The latest round of American sanctions are aimed at shutting down Iran’s central bank, a senior US official said Thursday, spelling out that intention directly for the first time. The sanctions, broadly aimed at forcing Tehran to shift course on its nuclear program, targeted Iran’s crucial oil sector and required foreign firms to make a choice between doing business with Iran or the United States.”
The Purim Joke
Yup. Ahmadinejad, the modern reincarnation of Haman of Persia is both a test for the civilized world and a trial for Israel. The future is looking more and more like the past - Yaakov Kirschen
ϟ U.S. and Israel Preparing for ‘Biggest Defense Drill Ever’
The Associated Press reported that the “Austere Challenge 12” drill is designed to improve defense systems and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli forces.
While the drill follows a ten-day Iranian naval exercise near the Strait of Hormuz, the IDF told AP the drill with the U.S. was planned long ago and is not tied to recent events.
Israeli and U.S. officials told AP the exercise would be the largest-ever joint drill by the two countries.
ϟ US Warns Iran Not to Close Strait of Hormuz
The Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet warned Iran that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz will “not be tolerated.”
A spokesman for the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet said Wednesday it will not allow any disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
“The free flow of goods and services through the Strait of Hormuz is vital to regional and global prosperity,” the fleet said in a statement released to Reuters.
“Anyone who threatens to disrupt freedom of navigation in an international strait is clearly outside the community of nations; any disruption will not be tolerated,” the statement added.
The statement came after Iran threatened to stop ships moving through the strategic oil route as a part of a “military drill.”
Last week Iranian parliament member Parviz Sarvari told an Iranian media outlet that “soon we will hold a military maneuver on how to close the Strait of Hormuz. If the world wants to make the region insecure, we will make the world insecure.”
The threat was repeated by Iran’s chief naval officer on Tuesday.
Asked whether the Fifth Fleet would take specific measures in response to Iran’s threat to close the Strait, the fleet said it “maintains a robust presence in the region to deter or counter destabilizing activities,” without providing further detail.
However, United States has long maintained any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would be regarded as “an act of war.”
Concerns Iran might move to close the strategically vital Strait - through which 40% of the world’s oil supplies flow - began to mount after students in Tehran sacked the British embassy earlier this year.
Western officials, who said Tehran had prompted the violent demolition as a “dramatic piece of political theater.” Britain, France, and the Netherlands closed their embassies in Iran and ejected Tehran’s envoys from their capitals.
Several other European nations – including Italy and Germany – censured Iran for the incident.
The incident also prompted a new, more stringent round of sanctions from the European Union and United States targeting Iran.
ϟ PM: West not backing rhetoric on Iran with deeds
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is stepping up criticism of Western powers for ineffective sanctions against Iran, telling a Foreign Ministry gathering certain unnamed countries are not matching their tough rhetoric on Iran with a willingness to apply crippling sanctions.
The Jerusalem Post learned that Netanyahu, in a closed address Monday to Israel’s ambassadors and head of missions abroad meeting in the Foreign Ministry, said the expressed desire by certain countries, led by the US, to strengthen sanctions on Iran was “welcome and important.”
But the test of stiffening the sanctions is to take action against both Iran’s petrochemical industry and central bank, he said.
“There is no possibility of talking about crippling sanctions without these steps being taken immediately and with force,” he said.
Netanyahu said that while he didn’t know whether such “crippling” sanctions would stop Iran’s nuclear program, he was certain they would make things difficult enough for the Iranian government that it would have to reconsider its actions.
But if the sanctions were not imposed, he said, this would be interpreted by the Iranians as a sign the West did not truly have the will or intent to stop them.
Netanyahu’s National Security Council head, Yaakov Amidror, addressed the same gathering Monday, and said Israel’s “number one mission” was to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear arms.
If Iran gets the bomb, he said, it would be a different Middle East and a different world.
ϟ Ya’alon: Israel Can Prevent Iran from Getting a Nuclear Bomb
Vice PM Ya’alon at a Likud Anglo event: If the West doesn’t stop the Iranian nuclear program, Israel will - and it can do so.
Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Strategic Affairs, Moshe Ya’alon, spoke on Sunday at a Likud Anglo event in Jerusalem. In his talk, Ya’alon spoke about the security issues Israel currently deals with.
Addressing the relatively calm security situation right now, despite the rocket barrages coming from Gaza once in a while, Ya’alon said that on the whole, terror groups such as Hizbullah, Hamas and groups based in Egypt cannot afford to attack Israel at the moment and are thus remaining relatively quiet.
Ya’alon also spoke about the peace process in the Middle East, emphasizing that Israel is not interested in signed pieces of paper and agreements which might be broken later. He added that instead, Israel is focusing on shared interests to forge alliances, noting that Israel has already developed such relationships.
Ya’alon also addressed the Iranian nuclear threat, saying that if the West does not move soon enough to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, Israel will do it alone. He emphasized that Israel has the capabilities to do so.
“The U.S. military’s fast-approaching Dec. 31 exit from Iraq, which has no way to defend its airspace, puts Israel in a better place strategically to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iraq has yet to assemble a force of jet fighters, and since the shortest route for Israeli strike fighters to Iran is through Iraqi airspace, observers conclude that the U.S. exit makes the Jewish state’s mission planning a lot easier.”
ϟ Epitaph for an Iranian general
Remember Major General Hassan Moqaddam, of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, who was killed in one of those “accidents” that have been happening so frequently at sensitive Iranian military sites?
It turns out he had a request his tombstone should say, “Here lies the man who wanted to destroy Israel.”
Such a touching request cannot be denied.
Here’s my version:
(Source: elderofziyon.blogspot.com)
“The Senate unanimously approved tough new sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank amid fears of Tehran developing a nuclear weapon. The 100-0 vote Thursday was for an amendment to the defense bill.”
“Iranian Defense Minister General Ahmad Vahidi said Israel would be attacked with 150,000 missiles if it launches any military action against the Islamic Republic, the Iran Independent News Service reported Sunday.”
ϟ A former Mossad director who gets it
Lately, we’ve had a lot of nonsensical statements about Iran and other matters from former Mossad directors Meir Dagan and Ephraim HaLevy. By comparison, former Mossad director Danny Yatom (pictured) is a breath of fresh air. Yatom has it straight: The fallout from a strike against Iran can never be worse than a nuclear Iran.
“There is a big argument over whether to attack Iran or not,” Yatom said. “The argument is legitimate. Some say Israel will pay a high price, no matter who does the attacking.”I’ve noted before that Danny Yatom is a straight shooter, whether or not you agree with him. And he’s right about this. We Israelis have to honestly evaluate our reality and react accordingly.
“As difficult a price it may be, and even if those predicting apocalyptic results are correct – and I don’t think they are – this is still not as bad as the threat of an Iranian nuclear bomb,” he argued.
Israel can’t afford to find itself in the position of having “to wake up every morning and ask, ‘Will they go crazy and throw a bomb on us or not?’” Yatom said, adding that “the damage that an Iranian nuclear bomb can cause is so great.”
It was impossible to stake the nation’s security on predictions by those who claim a nuclear Iran can be deterred, and that the Iranian regime would not launch a nuclear attack, he said.
Yatom acknowledged that rocket attacks would likely ensue from Lebanon and Gaza following a strike, but added that Israel’s response would be “so painful and crushing that rockets will come to an end.”
“Civilian facilities and infrastructures in Lebanon and Gaza will be hit. Innocent civilians could be hurt. But the barrage of rockets will no longer be falling over our heads,” he added.
The world did not have much time left to act on Iran, the former Mossad head warned, adding that “there is an evaluation that they crossed the red line. They have the knowledge to make the bomb. All that is needed now is the decision to do it… The world has a year, probably less.”
He also doubted that sanctions would be effective.
Addressing the option of targeting Iran with covert operations, Yatom said that whether or not Israel was linked to such acts, they “won’t stop Iran. They either will have the bomb or not. I think force will have to be used. I don’t think Israel should lead. This is a world problem… [But] should the world stand on the sidelines, Israel will be fully entitled to use its natural right to self-defense.”
