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 Iran starts nuclear work in Fordow bunker
Iran has started enriching uranium deep inside a mountain, diplomatic sources said on Monday, a move likely to further escalate a dispute with the West over Tehran’s atomic activities.
They said uranium enrichment to a fissile purity of 20 percent had begun at the Fordow underground site near the Shi’ite Muslim holy city of Qom.
Iran’s mission to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Vienna-based UN nuclear watchdog, was not immediately available for comment.
(Source: jpost.com)
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.
ϟ US commander visits Israel to finalize missile drill
Photo by: US Navy
Israel is moving forward with plans to hold the largest-ever missile defense exercise in its history this spring amid Iranian efforts to obtain nuclear weapons.
Last week, Lt.-Gen. Frank Gorenc, commander of the US’s Third Air Force based in Germany, visited Israel to finalize plans for the upcoming drill, expected to see the deployment of several thousand American soldiers in Israel.
The drill, which is unprecedented in its size, will include the establishment of US command posts in Israel and IDF command posts at EUCOM headquarters in Germany – with the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Middle East.
The US will also bring its THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) and shipbased Aegis ballistic missile defense systems to Israel to simulate the interception of missile salvos against Israel.
The American systems will work in conjunction with Israel’s missile defense systems – the Arrow, Patriot and Iron Dome.
US defense secretary Panetta says during CBS interview that US, Israel share common concern and if Tehran proceeds with developing nuclear weapon “we will take whatever steps necessary to stop it.”
