Middle East on fire

Hostage drama ends at Turkey's embassy in Israel (Video and Picture)

From the link:

Hostage drama ends at Turkey's embassy in Israel

A man who broke into the Turkish embassy in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv has been arrested and taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

The man had taken two hostages but they were later freed. Officials said he was shot by embassy security guards.

Israel's foreign ministry identified the man as a Palestinian who stormed the UK embassy in Tel Aviv in 2006.

There are reports that the man, named as Nadim Injaz from the West Bank, was demanding asylum in Turkey.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the situation at the embassy was under control and all staff were safe.

"A man who claimed he was Palestinian came to the embassy and wanted asylum. He was reportedly armed. He was overpowered," he said.

"He is also in good health at the moment. He said that he was seeking asylum but we are evaluating the whole incident. An investigation is under way but there is nothing to worry about."

Television images showed Mr Injaz limping as he was led out of the building by police. He was then put onto a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance.

More (Includes Video and Picture)

So the situation is seemingly resolved by the Turks. Imagine an Israeli raid on the embassy?

An interesting snippet from the article:

Mr Injaz is from the West Bank town of Ramallah and is reported to have a history of mental illness. He has claimed he used to work for Israeli intelligence and is being persecuted by them.

As I said, who gains from a Palestinian attacking the Turkish embassy? Hmm.


As Bushehr nears completion, Iran ups defenses (Video)

From the Link:

As Bushehr nears completion, Iran ups defenses

Published 10 August, 2010, 01:29

Edited 10 August, 2010, 12:41

The Russian-built Bushehr power plant in Iran is almost ready to go live. Officials have announced it will receive its first shipment of nuclear material within weeks.

Despite supporting US-led sanctions against Tehran last month, Moscow is fulfilling its obligations regarding the building of the facility, which will give Iranians access to peaceful nuclear power.

But some countries fear Tehran may use byproducts from the plant to make atomic weapons.

And with the reactor nearly up and running, there's speculation the US or Israel may launch a military strike against the Islamic nation before any nuclear material is delivered.

Last week Iranian armed forces were called to the plant to evaluate the security of the airspace around it.

More (Video)

Iran are reportedly strengthening air defences around Bushehr, and the reported plane crash near Bushehr the other day seems to show the Iranians are getting restless while waiting for an attack.

Bushehr, as I said before, may be the red herring target. Iran may be strengthening Bushehr's air defences, only for Israel and/or the US to strike elsewhere, perhaps relying on sabotage take Bushehr offline, via an inside man, or more risky and perhaps a less possibility, a commando raid.

[edit on 18-8-2010 by Regensturm]

Report: Israeli claims asylum in Lebanon, offers 'evidence on Hariri murder' (Ch. 10)

That could be neat.

'Iran to announce good nuclear news'
Wonder what that will be... enrichment to higher levels? Or just the Bushehr reactor is connected to the grid?

Palestinian in Turkish embassy drama 'ex-Israel agent'
What a surprise... NOT.

Let's see here,

Once Beruit clears Israel a staging area clearance Hozbollah will be waiting for the chance to ambush the first few brigades. Secondly, Demascus ain't going to be too easy with missles and rockets flying over it's airspace and will most definately see that as a threat and will not like that too much and will retaliate if it feels threatened.

Third, this will have Demascus looking at Beruit asking them "What's good?". Fourth, Baghdad isn't going to allow any nation to use it's airspace to fire any weapons over.

Washington, Canberra, London, Moscow, Beijung won't allow this and will threaten all with incursion if they follow through. This will create the catalyst that starts WWIII!

Israel has three days to attack Iran – ex-US ambassador to UN (2 Videos)

From the link:

Israel has three days to attack Iran – ex-US ambassador to UN

Published 18 August, 2010, 08:16

Edited 18 August, 2010, 14:02

Former US ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton has warned Israel that it only has three days left to attack Iran's Bushehr power plant.

Bolton made the statement in an interview with Fox News. He said the danger of releasing radiation into the atmosphere would be too great once the Bushehr plant is launched on August 21, ruling out military attacks by Israel or the US on the facility after then.

Russia's state nuclear energy company, Rosatom, recently announced it will transfer fuel rods to the facility on that date.

Moscow says the plant poses no threat as it will be operating for peaceful purposes under the control of the UN nuclear watchdog.

However, investigative journalist and RT contributor Wayne Madsen says this might not prevent Israel from launching a strike.

“If the Israelis decide to attack Iran it does not matter if there are civilian volunteers over there or if the New York Yankees happen to be in Tehran. None of that is going to matter. They are going to hit Iran and people like John Bolton, one of the neo-con types who lied about intelligence to get us into the Iraq war, will continue to provide crooked intelligence,” Madsen blamed.

“The Bushehr reactor is a peaceful one, it has nothing to do with weapons production,” he pointed out.

“We know that Israel is in range for some Iranian missiles. Depending on how good [the Israeli] air defenses are, they could be hit. But I think Hezbollah would also react in Lebanon and we would see a wave of rocket attacks.”

Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, a professor of international relations at the Center for Global Studies in New York, says an Israeli attack so soon is unlikely, but the idea remains on the table.

Link (Includes 2 Videos)




Bolton being Bolton as usual. Trying to stay relevant and headline-making by stirring the pot.

Wayne Madsen puts forth the scenario that I am concerned about, that Israel may strike Iran regardless of Russians, regardless of fallout.


Israel and US allegedly preparing military strike on Iran(Two Videos)

From the link:

Israel and US allegedly preparing military strike on Iran

Published 28 June, 2010, 14:36

Edited 09 August, 2010, 22:45

Reports have surfaced in the Middle East claiming Israel and the US are making military preparations for a possible attack on Iran.

It comes after Washington called for tougher measures to be taken against the country over its nuclear ambitions.

The reports first appeared in Iranian media and were later picked up by more mainstream Israeli and Iranian media. According to them, Israeli helicopters have dropped large amounts of military equipment in northern Saudi Arabia, eight kilometers from Tabuk, the closest Saudi city to Israel.


Later, London Times magazine published a report claiming that Saudi Arabia agreed to give Israel a narrow corridor of air space in northern Saudi Arabia. The article went on to say that the Saudis had adjusted defense missile systems to allow Israeli jets to fly overhead.

According to Egyptian sources, an American fleet made its way through the Suez Canal. Eyewitnesses say the fleet had eleven frigates and an air carrier. They add there was also an Israeli frigate among the ships. All commercial traffic was suspended for some time as the fleet made its way from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

There has been no reaction from Washington, but Saudi Arabia has vehemently denied the claims.

More (Includes Two Videos)


I imagine Saudi Arabia would deny the claims. Quite vehemently.

They have ``3 nights`` left... 19-20-21.

But eh, like they care about radiation. In their war plans, they have the nuclear bunker buster option... so radiation isn't a concern.

In other news, Bolton is a crackpot and I hope he dies a long and painful death.

Former Pakistani Intel Chief Fears World War Three Is Imminent

Israeli-Palestinian tensions – prelude to the war against Iran

I expect a serious Iranian-Israeli conflict to break out in the fall.

Maybe.

[edit on 18-8-2010 by Vitchilo]

Originally posted by Vitchilo
They have ``3 nights`` left... 19-20-21.

But eh, like they care about radiation. In their war plans, they have the nuclear bunker buster option... so radiation isn't a concern.

If the fallout goes across Asia, then that will be Russia/China/India/Pakistan's concern, and then Israel should be concerned.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
In other news, Bolton is a crackpot and I hope he dies a long and painful death.

Bolton eagerly wishes death and war on different countries, with no regards to human life, and when he lost favour with the Bush administration, he went out of his way to continue doing so, and does so to this day. He makes Rumsfeld look like a moderate.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
Former Pakistani Intel Chief Fears World War Three Is Imminent

Gul is quite close to the Afghan insurgency from what I hear. Very close. He was head of the ISI in the 80's, so that is not surprising. Old ties that go way back.

Alot of what he says I can well believe and/or agree with, but asserting that Afghan intelligence is “still infested by the old Communist die hards" who have an axe to grind against him, owing to his role in ousting the Soviet Union from the region is hard to believe. More likely they have an axe to grind with him because of his links with the Afghan insurgency. The US probably has an axe to grind because he is warning about the build-up to war on Iran and the designs on the region by Washington and Tel Aviv.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
Israeli-Palestinian tensions – prelude to the war against Iran

That analyst came over as pro-Israel to me and seems to have been trying to push their agenda.

For example:

Israel needs to mop up the sites where Iranian missiles are based. After all, the Gaza Strip is in effect a territory controlled by the Islamic Republic of Iran, ruled from Teheran.

Gaza is Iranian-controlled. Where Iranians missiles are based (How did they sneak that past the Israelis?) It must be mopped up apparently.

Those mop-up operation plans were eventually thwarted by the Freedom Flotilla, a brilliantly orchestrated Iranian-Turkish operation the implementation of which Turkey took upon itself.

The aid flotilla was hot a humanitarian one, but apparently according to this analyst a "brilliantly orchestrated orchestrated Iranian-Turkish operation" to thwart the "mop-up operations"

Turkey and Iran conspiring together against Israel from a "mop-up" of where "Iranian missiles are based" according to the analyst.

A war with Iran is still on the Israeli government’s agenda and it will stay there until the Iranian leadership recognizes the state of Israel’s right to exist.

Translation: Until Iran's leadership recognises the state of Israel's right to exist, Israel are justified to have on their agenda to wage war on Iran.

Recently Iran has been waging a proxy war against Israel, using the Arabs as its intermediaries. The two most recent military campaigns attest to this: the second Lebanese war and the Cast Lead operation in Gaza. These were actually Iranian-Israeli wars. Iran always tries to wage its wars on foreign soil and with minimal losses for itself. It doesn’t care that Arab fighters were killed in these hostilities – the important thing is that no Iranian lives were lost. Today Iran is also at war with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. And in this case Israel is just a pretext for rallying behind Ayatollah Khamenei, who has proclaimed himself the main challenger to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,

Dastardly Iran, making Israel attack Gaza and Lebanon. Using Arabs to fight it's wars, when it was Israel who attacked Lebanon and Gaza.

And Ayatollah Khamenei is not a main challenger to Ahmadinejad, seeing as one is Supreme Leader and has the higher authority and can order Iran into war, while the other is the President who makes day to day political decisions.

All in all, that analyst was just pushing the Israeli agenda and it's pretext for war on the Russian media. We've discussed the growing Israeli lobby in Russia, and I think we have just seen it in practice.

reply to post by Regensturm


As you say, I'm sure Gul did business with the Talibans. It's fact and even Wikileaks pointed it out... Gul said Wikileak was lying about him... yeah sure.

And yeah the article I posted by that ``analyst`` seems to be a die hard hawkish Israel fan.

Netanyahu back in Israel... ready.

Russia's top diplomat says Iran's first nuclear power plant, which will be officially inaugurated within the coming days, poses no proliferation risk.
Indeed.

'Iran for talks if US drops sanctions'
Never gonna happen.

Israeli warplanes have once again violated Lebanon's airspace, conducting several unwarranted flights over the country, the Lebanese army says.
AGAIN.

Experts Debate Possibility of Iran Attack
Interesting read.

Something I didn't know... Japan gets 75% of it's oil from the Strait Of Hormuz... if there's a war and it's blocked, Japan is gonna be pissed.

Not to mention the new estimates I've seen are putting the barrel of oil at 400-500$ if that happens. No wonder the Gulf states want a war against Iran... Sick bastards.

Saudi Arabia is in deficit every time the barrel drops below 75$.

[edit on 18-8-2010 by Vitchilo]

A Saudi Daily Editorial says Military Option Best Solution to Crisis
What a surprise.

US stance precludes talks, Iran says

The next Middle East War

Just as I was about to ask my next question he resumed, "As long as Washington continues to talk of not putting American lives at risk, no one in Israel would dare act unilaterally. But the moment that the Obama administration stops using that rhetoric then you know that the time is at hand."

Just as I was about to ask what was new in that perpetually close US-Israeli relationship, my interlocutor pre-empted me with the question as to whether I had been following Ehud Barak's visits to Washington. After I told him that I had not, he said that never before in contemporary Israeli history had a minister of defence made so many visits to Washington -- one every three weeks or so -- with these visits interspersed by visits from other Israeli Ministry of Defence and Mossad officials and visits by their American counterparts to Tel Aviv. Such intensive exchanges indicate that some very important strategic matter is afoot and that this requires a lot of face-to-face talks, exchanges of opinion and points of view, and ironing out of differences over procedures and ways of working.

The Third Lebanon War (PDF)
Basically says that a war with Lebanon is very likely within 12 to 18 months.

Turkey seeks better protection for embassy in Israel (DPA)

That goes without saying.

Report: Turkey to decrease security around Israeli embassy in Ankara (Israel Radio)

That is funny. Pissed about something?

New study shows U.S. support for Israel decreasing (Haaretz)

People finally waking up?

Turkey cuts back on security at Israeli embassy after traffic complaints (Israel Radio)

Ah it's because of traffic...right.

Turkish diplomats blame Israel for embassy attack by Palestinian collaborator (Israel Radio)

Surprised?

UNIFIL commander: There is need to clearly mark boundary between Israel, Lebanon (AP)

Indeed.

Goodbye Iraq: Last U.S. Combat Brigade Pulls Out
One ``Iranian counterattack target`` is now gone.

Organizers: Lebanese ship to sail for Gaza Sunday
And one thing that could start it all.

Report: Hezbollah has dug tunnel network more impressive than Paris metro (Ch. 10)

Maybe they could become engineers instead of fighters... It works for the Bin Laden family...

Due to heat, Magen David Adom raises alert level throughout Israel (Ch. 10)

Due to heat uh? The heat wave has been going on for weeks now and JUST NOW they raise the alert level? This is very suspicious.

Palestinian media: Aid flotilla en route to Gaza from Algeria (Ch. 10)

I wonder if the flotillas will join up...

[edit on 19-8-2010 by Vitchilo]

www.ynetnews.com... 'Arabs terrorists preparing for war with Israel'

www.newser.com... 'Al-Qaeda Sees Iran-Israel War on Horizon, Plans to Jump In'

I wish I knew what the word "imminent" meant to most people. I hear "Imminent war" so often but it fails to occur. When I think of imminent I think days or a week at the most.

Anyway... Some articles here talking about Al Qaeda preparing for war against Israel as Israel and Iran are about to be "imminently" at war

www.huffingtonpost.com...

OMG a nuclear power plant....


maybe do some research on the manhattan project and see why it would take a decade for Iran to build a bomb capable of catastrophic consequence....

meanwhile China, Russia, Israel already have these weapons anyways...

This is propaganda and any gullible American who swallows it is disgusting

reply to post by ADUB77


Hey mate I agree with what your saying but....

Who are you talking to?

Sounds like POTUS thinks its an important issue too... tommorow it will be addressed, hopefully not for points on approval rating, but hey......ya know



yesbuthowever.com...

reply to post by Vitchilo



Vitchilo, ya mean the oil price like this....



www.bloomberg.com...

Originally posted by freetree64

Sounds like POTUS thinks its an important issue too... tommorow it will be addressed, hopefully not for points on approval rating, but hey......ya know



yesbuthowever.com...

I wonder if Obama will have anything new and interesting to say. Perhaps he'll drop all the lies and admit that Iran pose no nuclear weapon threat.

But we know he won't do that. It'll be the same old mouth flapping, just painfully dragging this issue out

reply to post by Nomad451


"Yes, Yes, but without the oops".....

*** 2 points if you know the movie

www.entertonement.com...

[edit on 19-8-2010 by freetree64]

reply to post by freetree64


Hahaha

"We need to work on our communication..."

A survey published by Tel Aviv University Peace Index says 56 percent of Jewish Israelis believe the whole world is against Israel.
No wonder they are so paranoid and warmongers. They are nutcases who think everybody is out to kill them thanks to the Israeli propaganda. As the documentary Defamation shows....

Makes me sick.

51% Say U.S. Should Help Israel If It Attacks Iran

The Israeli Artillery Corps is seeking for a budget to purchase new advanced accurate rocket systems in an effort to increase its precision strike capabilities ahead of any future war with Hizbullah, The Jerusalem Post reported Friday.

Iran is prepared to begin talks with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany on a nuclear fuel swap deal immediately, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an interview published Friday in Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, AFP reported.

Iran test fires new missile
A CRAPPY MISSILE since it's liquid fueled.

Report: Direct talks to be announced to focus on returning to 1967 borders (Army Radio)

That would be neat.

U,S, military puts troop figure in Iraq at 52,000 (DPA)

What a surprise there's still US troops in Iraq! /Sarcasm off

If you believe Debka...

And sources close to the Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas quoted him as saying that direct talks with Israel were not in the offing because "a big military surprise awaits the Middle East."
Yeah sure.

So upcoming events... Lebanese flotilla and Algerian flotilla early next week.

[edit on 20-8-2010 by Vitchilo]

A survey published by Tel Aviv University Peace Index says 56 percent of Jewish Israelis believe the whole world is against Israel. No wonder they are so paranoid and warmongers. They are nutcases who think everybody is out to kill them thanks to the Israeli propaganda. As the documentary Defamation shows....

I do not know hot to tell you this, but 27-page 8 month old thread about how Israel is about to go into Lebanon/strike Iran any second now,with 99 percent of posts bashing Israel for all the right and wrong reasons (majority having absolutely nothing to do with Lebanon or Iran) - works much better then any Israeli propaganda could in showing Israelis what exactly is out there.