Sign Of Approaching Attack?

With the UN's April 28 deadline for Iran to suspend its nuclear activities fast approaching, I can't help but wonder whether Israel knows something we don't know


jpost.com

Fearing an Iranian missile attack, the IDF has raised the level of vigilance of its Arrow 2 anti-ballistic missile defense system and has reinforced personnel at the command center in the Palmahim Air Force base north of Ashdod, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Maj. Elyakim, commander of the Arrow missile battery at Palmahim, said the missile crews were always on high alert, but they were recently instructed to "raise their level of awareness" because of general developments on the Iranian front. The increased vigilance level, he said, was not due to specific intelligence but rather to the generally tense situation in the region.

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[edit on 24-4-2006 by DontTreadOnMe]

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[edit on 4/25/2006 by 12m8keall2c]

Interesting conjecture but it would also make good sense for Israel to raise their defense awareness. Considering that the U.N. deadline for Iranian compliance is fast approaching and that Iran has made it very clear that they would attack Israel if possible, it is no surprise that Israel might take, in the very least, precautionary steps.

While I don't have any doubt that Israel would be informed in advance of any U.S. attack against Iran, this wouldn't necessarily be the case to explain Israels actions. Israel is a nations whose very existance depends upon constant vigilance and a level of defense that would border upon being clinically paranoid.
I think that you have expressed a very realistic possiblity but that is all it is...
Even without an imminent U.S. attack, Israel is only prudent in taking measures to increase their already heightened state of readiness.

If Iran tells the U.N. to "take a hike" on their demands, then "something" must happen. Either the U.N. will enter into security council debates which could result in sanctions against Iran or Iran will take the matter into their own hands. Or, as usually happens around such things, nothing might happen.

All I can say is "we live in interesting times".

I don't see this as a sign of an imminent attack. If Israel is deciding to strike Iranian targets they'll at least want to do it with as much surprise as possible, and making a statement like this to the Jersulam Post is the last thing they'd do if an attack was close.
Regarding the deadline of April 28th, its a line in the sand, but its toothless and nonbinding. What will likely happen is that after April 28th passes there will be another round of discussions and a move will be made to try and pass a resolution, under Chapter 7 which allows the use of force. It would be sometime after that resolution expires (if it ever gets passed, unlikely with russia & china) that you might expect a military strike...and that could be anytime from late summer to 2 or 3 years from now.
But that is all if things follow a predictable route, there will always be events we cannot yet imagine which may turn the tide either way.

If military strikes do happen, it will come about by one of two means:

An Israeli attack or a US attack. If youre looking for signs of an Israeli attack, you wont find any because of the imperative nature of absolute surprise in what would be a highly dangerous and small scale long range attack for them, the first sign will be breaking news on CNN or a statement from Tel Aviv after the fact.

Signs of an American attack might be easier to spot -
* Airband monitors will be able to identify B-2 bombers taking off from Missouri many hours before the attack.
* Increased activity (such as tanker traffic, AWACS) in US airbases in Turkey and the middle east.
* Russian/Chinese intel would likely pick up on the possibilty of a US attack 24 hours before it happens and may inform the Iranians, this may provoke a public reaction from Iran or a pre-emptive military attack against US/Israeli targets.

[edit on 25-4-2006 by rangeroftheeast]

[edit on 25-4-2006 by rangeroftheeast]

There is no way America would let Israiel attack, the terrorist reprecussions on Israilel would be enormous inflaming the whole of thr arab world even more than it already is, expect a nuclear blast in Tel aviv.,