Your story might be related to the real story... Israeli and US troops gear up for major missile defense drill after Iran maneuvers Associated Press, Updated: Thursday, January 5, 11:55 AM JERUSALEM — The Israeli military is gearing up together with U.S. forces for a major missile defense exercise, the Israeli military announced Thursday, as tension between Iran and the international community escalates. The drill is called “Austere Challenge 12” and is designed to improve defense systems and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli forces. It follows a 10-day Iranian naval exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Israel’s military said the drill with the U.S. was planned long ago and is not tied to recent events. Both Israeli and U.S. officials said the exercise would be the largest-ever joint drill by the two countries. The Iranian war games came as the West was adopting new sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program, charging it is making weapons. Iran insists its program is peaceful. Israel considers Iran a strategic threat because of its nuclear and missile programs and support of violent groups in Lebanon and Gaza, as well as frequent references by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Israel’s destruction. The Israeli military spokesman did not give a date for the drill Thursday, but a senior military official said it would be in the next few weeks. He said it would be the biggest missile defense drill ever held. He was speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue. The Israeli official said thousands of American and Israeli soldiers from different units would take part. He said the drill would test multiple Israeli and U.S. air defense systems against incoming missiles and rockets. Israel has deployed the “Arrow” system, jointly developed and funded with the U.S., designed to intercept Iranian missiles in the stratosphere, far from Israel. “The U.S. European Command and the Israel Defense Forces periodically conduct routine exercises in Israel,” the Israeli military said in a statement. “U.S. European Command routinely works with partner nations to ensure their capacity to provide for their own security and, in the case of Israel, their qualitative military edge,” it said. Thousands of U.S. and Israeli troops held a similar exercise in 2009, code-named Juniper Cobra 10, designed to test missile defense technology. Martin Van Creveld, a military historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said Thursday that the drill was intended not only to practice military maneuvers but also to pressure Iran. “Defending against an attack is not something that you improvise from today to tomorrow. it’s something you have to prepare, you have to rehearse, you have to prepare for,” Van Creveld said. “This, among other things, is an exercise to show Iran, the people in Tehran, that Israel and the United States are ready to counterattack,” he said. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta previewed the exercise in a speech last month, saying it would be an example of unprecedented levels of defense cooperation that the Obama administration has achieved “to back up our unshakable commitment to Israel’s security.” Panetta said the drills will enhance the ability of the two military forces to operate together and test new ballistic missile and rocket defenses. “Those new capabilities are themselves a product of this unprecedented defense cooperation.” Andrew J. Shapiro, assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs, said in a November speech that the upcoming exercise will be “by far the largest and the most significant exercise” involving the two nations. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world...an-maneuvers/2012/01/05/gIQAE0QqcP_story.html
Sigh... Here's a more responsibly titled and written article on whats REALLY happening: Israeli and US troops gear up for major missile defense drill after Iran maneuvers
Hopefully this silly exercise helps Obama electorally. Nonetheless, the GOP will accuse him of selling out Israel. I hope it doesn't get down to the humiliation of Obama having to go suck up to Netanyahu and visiting our troops in Israel.
And when things get really bad and the **** starts flying, just know we'll be right behind you every step of the way.
It's obviously something they did 2 or 3 years ago, for the same reasons. However, I must add that if, and I say if we were going to strike Iran with, or without, Israel participating, this is just the sort of thing we'd be doing prior to the event. If nothing else, it'll make Iran nervous, and I like the idea of making Iran nervous.
i think we have been making them nervous for about 60 years now - we overthrew their democratically elected prime minister, put in the shaw who killed 250k iranians, crash spy planes in their country, allow israel to violate dozens and dozens and dozens of UN resolutions, allow all their neighbors to have nukes, make threats against them and have been carrying out and supporting acts of sabotage, terrorism and kidnapping inside iran. i thought we had rejected the bush doctrine, but unbelievably, here we are 9 years after iraq deciding that we are going to preemptively strike yet another country.
Iran became nervous as soon as Iraq was invaded, I don't think a "training exercise" is going to add anything to that. At this point I don't think a war is conceivable even though the drums are getting larger. The economic and nuclear fallout (since some of the facilities are located near cities) will be huge. Nothings going to happen....
jo mama, you know that I respect you, but how did you glean all that from my post? And don't think I don't know about our history with Iran. I have vivid memories of Iran before the fall of the Shah (I was a liason for Iranian students coming to a major Houston University to study one summer, back when they could, before the Shah was overthrown), even briefly visited Tehran in route to Beirut during a trip. And certainly recall his fall, and the Carter years, with the attendant Iranian hosage crisis. As for making them nervous, don't think this exercise won't do exactly that. They are pretty freaked out right now, and they should be.
Making them nervous =/ Attacking them. I am absolutely, totally opposed to a military invasion of Iran. But I don't mind doing all sorts of things short of war in order to prevent their nuclear program and make it very clear that we won't tolerate any crap from them. Heck, I would actually support destroying their nuclear sites with an air strike if it was possible, but everything I've read indicates it isn't.
just looking at where things are going. we appear to be on the verge of attacking a country which has not done anything to us.
