US ponders denying Israel arms needed for conflict with Iran

Posted by Matt in March 13th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Debkafile, Defense Minister, Defense Secretary, Ehud Barak, Espionage, Flare, Hillary Clinton, Hostilities, Iran Military, Israel, Israel Conflict, Israel Military, jerusalem, Military Items, Robert Gates, Secretary Of State, Secretary Robert, Terrorism Security, Washington Sources

debkafile’s military and Washington sources report: The Obama administration is considering withholding from Israel military items urgently needed in case of a flare-up of hostilities with Iran. This would further ratchet up the mounting row over Israel’s decision to build another 1,600 homes in E. Jerusalem. The requests were filed by defense minister Ehud Barak [...]

Are Lebanon and Israel Headed for War? – ABC News

Posted by Matt in February 15th, 2010 | 2 comments

Published in Israel, Middle East, Abc News, Beirut, Casual Observer, Fear Of War, hezbollah, Hostilities, Israel, Israel News, Israel War, Israeli Army, Last War, Lebanon, Lebanon War, People, Tension, War News

To the casual observer, people on the streets of Beirut show no fear of war. But talk to many Lebanese today, and you’ll soon find war is very much on their minds.
Neither side wants to be guilty of starting the next war, but people in Lebanon say tension is now so high the smallest [...]

Israel: A Regional War May Be Approaching

Posted by Matt in February 8th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, War, Coastline, Enemies, Explosives, Fatah, Foreign Minister, Hamas, Hassan Nasrallah, Hizbullah, Hostilities, Iran, Israel, Israel War, Last Saturday, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, New Ways, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Proxies, Regional War, Syria

A regional war may well be approaching. The actions and statements of Iran and its Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian proxies over the past week or so indicate that this is what Israel’s enemies are gunning for.
The latest developments are menacing. Last Saturday, Iran’s unelected president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threatened to open up a new round of [...]

Analysis: As Hamas loses control, the risk for Israel grows | The Jewish Chronicle

Posted by Matt in January 14th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, Aims, Anniversary, Control, Control Risk, Defence Chiefs, Gaza, Hamas, Hostilities, Israel, Jewish Chronicle, Lull, Matter Of Time, Outbreak, Time Analysis

Israel’s defence chiefs uniformly predicted, on the anniversary of Operation Cast Lead, that the lull around Gaza was temporary. Hamas had rearmed and had not changed its basic aims, they warned; a new outbreak of hostilities was simply a matter of time.
Analysis: As Hamas loses control, the risk for Israel grows | The Jewish [...]

Hamas tested rocket with a longer range, Israel says — latimes.com

Posted by Matt in November 3rd, 2009 | no comment

Published in Missiles, arsenal, Egypt, Gaza, Hamas, Hostilities, Iran, Israel, Israeli Officials, Jewish State, Last Winter, Latimes, Launch, Mediterranean Sea, Palestinian Territory, tunnels

Israeli officials said the launch into the Mediterranean Sea was the latest sign of the rebuilding and upgrading of Hamas’ arsenal since the Jewish state’s crippling 22-day offensive in Gaza last winter, but did not appear to foreshadow an imminent renewal of hostilities. They said the rocket had been supplied by Iran, smuggled in pieces [...]

Is China Dangerous?

Posted by Matt in October 13th, 2009 | no comment

Published in China, Amp, Arts Entertainment, Astonishing Growth, Book Readers, China Hands, China Relations, China Today, Chinese Politics, Chinese Rulers, Clinton Administration, Communist Regime, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Detractors, Digital Cameras, Expert Analysis, Hostilities, Hu Jintao, Insecurity, Internal Politics, International Crisis, Invaluable Insight, Jiang Zemin, Laptop Computers, Lays, Magazine News, No Doubt, Palin, Political Cartoons, President Hu Jintao, President Jiang Zemin, Secretary Of State, Sleeping Giant China, Specter, superpower, Three Decades, Wasilla

But in raising the specter of U.S. conflict with China, Palin was not, in the main, wrong.
For a compelling discussion of just how not-wrong, treat yourself to China: Fragile Superpower by Susan L. Shirk, the Clinton administration’s deputy secretary of state for U.S.-China relations. Shirk lays out the ways in which China’s domestic political insecurity [...]

Georgia Prepares to Repel Russian Aggression

Posted by Matt in February 25th, 2009 | no comment

Published in Conflict, Russia, War, Army, Arrival Of Spring, February 12, Georgia, Georgian Times, Hostilities, Military Analyst, Pavel Felgenhauer, Provocation, Russia, Russian Aggression, Speculation

Speculation over a possible military provocation by Russia against Georgia intensified after the statement by Pavel Felgenhauer, a well-known Russian military analyst, that Russia will try to renew hostilities with Georgia with the arrival of spring:
…
At present the Georgian army is much less battle-ready than it was before August. As a result, “the security and [...]