The other threat to Israel | The Call

Posted by Matt in March 18th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Accuracy, Economy, Game, Guided Missile, Heart, hezbollah, Israel, Israel Population, Israelis, Lebanon, Missile Attacks, Missiles, Target, Tel Aviv

Other threats are more serious. One day soon, Hezbollah will have access to missiles with the range and accuracy to effectively target Tel Aviv from anywhere inside Lebanon. That will be a game-changer for Israel’s security, its economy, and its politics. More than half of Israel’s population and the heart of its economy are centered [...]

Fears that Iran Wants to Trigger Mideast War

Posted by Matt in March 11th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Israel, Middle East, War, Allies, Confrontation, Economic Sanctions, Envision, Fears, Gaza, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East, Mideast War, Neighbors, New War, Nuclear Activities, Sanctions On Iran, Syria, tehran, United States, West Bank, World Citizen

As the United States steps up its campaign to impose economic sanctions on Iran, fears are growing in Washington and in the Middle East that Iran will try to trigger a new war in the region in order to shift attention from its nuclear activities, throw the U.S. and its allies off balance, and put [...]

Dinner in Damascus: What Did Iran Ask of Hizballah?

Posted by Matt in March 3rd, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Colleague, Counterterrorism Blog, damascus, Fly, Fly On The Wall, hezbollah, Hizballah, Iran, Lebanese Border, Lebanon, Schenker, Target

My colleague David Schenker and I argue in an article on the state of Hizballah that a successful Hizballah attack against an Israeli target — whether on the Israeli-Lebanese border or abroad – to avenge the assassination of Imad Mughniyah two years ago last month could set off another round of fighting similar to that [...]

Israel simulation prepares for two-front war with Hamas and Hizbullah

Posted by Matt in February 28th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, War, Exercises, Frontier, Gaza Strip, Hamas, Hizbullah, Israel, Israel Army, Israel War, Lebanon, Simulation, Syria

Officials said the Israel Army has been conducting exercises in preparation for a two-front war. They said the military envisions fighting along the southern Israeli frontier with the Gaza Strip as well as with Lebanon and Syria.
Israel simulation prepares for two-front war with Hamas and Hizbullah

Syria, Lebanon host Iranian troops, Qatar also willing

Posted by Matt in February 27th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Syria, Countries, Debkafile, Defense Treaties, Doors, Espionage, Hard Edge, Iran, Iranian Troops, Israel, Lebanon, Military Sources, Qatar, Syria, Syria Lebanon, Terrorism Security

Iran further consolidated its anti-US coalition and honed its hard edge against Israel this week with two important defense treaties signed with Syria (covering Lebanon) and Qatar, home to the biggest US air base outside America. These treaties opened doors for Iranian troops to be stationed in all three countries. According to debkafile’s military sources, [...]

War game shows how attacking Iran could backfire – KansasCity.com

Posted by Matt in February 21st, 2010 | 2 comments

Published in Iran, Israel, War, Attacking Iran, Brookings Institution, Clash, Game Shows, Gaza Strip, Israel, Lebanon, Middle East Policy, Neighbors, Nuclear Challenge, Nuclear Weapons, Persian Gulf, Proxies, Reinforcement, Saban Center For Middle East Policy, Simple Solution, Straits Of Hormuz, Tank, War Game, World Game

Apparently, the war game doesn’t include the use of nuclear weapons by Israel to obliterate its neighbors.
Instead, Iran attacks Israel, both directly and through its proxies in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip. It misinterprets U.S. actions as weakness and mines the Straits of Hormuz, the world’s chief oil artery. That sparks a clash and [...]

Iran’s web of secret wars

Posted by Matt in February 19th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Combating Terrorism, Conflict, Conflicts, Cooperation, Eritrea, Gaza, International Security, Iran, Lebanon, Liaisons, Minimal Involvement, Nuclear Program, Rebels, Regimes, S System, Somalia, Tie Down, Uranium Enrichment, Wages, Western Resources

As the world focuses on Iran’s uranium enrichment and its stance on the nuclear program there is a potentially much larger threat of Iranian power to international security taking place. Iran fuels conflict within the Middle East and beyond in an attempt to consolidate its influence and tie down western resources in these conflicts. This [...]

AFP: Hezbollah threatens Israel’s infrastructure if attacked

Posted by Matt in February 16th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Israel, Middle East, Afp, Beirut, Ben Gurion Airport, Guerilla, Hassan Nasrallah, hezbollah, infrastructure, Israel, Israelis, Jewish State, Lebanon, Rafiq Hariri, Southern Suburbs, Stronghold, Tel Aviv Airport, Video Link

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed on Tuesday to unleash his guerilla group’s military might on Israel’s infrastructure, including Tel Aviv airport, should the Jewish state attack Lebanon.
“I say to the Israelis: if you attack Beirut’s Rafiq Hariri airport we will attack Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv,” he said in comments transmitted via video link [...]

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 [...]

Iran: Finish Off [Israel] “Once and For All” if it Strikes

Posted by Matt in February 11th, 2010 | no comment

Published in Iran, Israel, Finding A Way, Gaza, Hizbullah, Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Irib, Lebanon, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Middle East, Military Operation, Phone Conversation, President Bashar Assad, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Reuters, State Broadcaster, Syrian Counterpart, Syrian President Bashar Assad, Wednesday Evening, Zionist Regime

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told Syrian President Bashar Assad that Israel “must be resisted” and finished off “once and for all” if it launches a military operation in the Middle East, Reuters cited an Iranian report as saying on Thursday.
“We have reliable information … that the Zionist regime is after finding a way to compensate [...]