Joint US-Israel drill postponed to 'defuse Iran tensions'

Joint US-Israel drill postponed to 'defuse Iran tensions'

www.ynetnews.com

A major joint Israel-US military drill, which was set to take place in a few weeks time with the participation of thousands of IDF and US army soldiers, has been postponed by at least six months, Ynet reported Sunday.

Israeli officials said the Americans asked to delay the drill so as not to heighten tensions with Iran over its nuclear program and avoid drawing any additional attention from the Arab countries during such a turbulent period.

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This postponement comes the day after President Obama reportedly spoke directly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding tensions rising with Iran. U.S. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is scheduled to arrive in Israel this week for talks with his Israeli counterpart, Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz.

There are many ways to look at this news, and according to Ben-Yishai, the decision to delay the drill is also related to financial concerns. We have cut our defense budget for 2012 by $450 billion dollars. This looks to me as an increased effort to diffuse tensions with Iran. The United States has also restarted direct conversation with Iran as of yesterday:

Iran has received a letter from the United States administration concerning the Strait of Hormuz from three different channels -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and Swiss Ambassador to Iran Livia Leu Agosti, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said, IRNA reported Jan. 15. Iran will study the letter and respond if it is deemed necessary, the spokesman said.

www.ynetnews.com
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Letter Source

Defusing tensions with Iran, coupled with financial concerns are perfect reasons to cancel such an exercise.

The only concerning factor is both of these governments applying some common sense

reply to post by yamother44


My quess they postpone the drill in favor of the real thing happen real soon



They will need all there equipement at the ready for this one

They were afraid Iran might consider it a "red line" hehhe

Finally some good news regarding the tensions.
Open up lines of communication is never a bad idea, and is long overdue.

No matter who would "win" this war, the losses on both sides would be large.

Originally posted by Trillium
reply to post by yamother44

 

My quess they postpone the drill in favor of the real thing happen real soon

They will need all there equipement at the ready for this one

Orrrrrr like the article says; the drill has been cancelled in favor of working to defuse tensions with Iran coupled with economic factors..why is that so hard to believe for some of you people?

In my opinion, this is a change in strategy, and a wise one. (don't take the bait)

But, Iran will not relent in their efforts to provoke Israel and the west.

Let them, if they want the war bad enough, they will provide no other option eventually.

A covert war to bring about regime change is the only real viable option at this point, and it only has a brief window of opportunity for success.... Either way, Iran can deliver a painful retaliation...

Diplomacy?

Good luck with that.

IMO

reply to post by Pirateofpsychonautics


It's an election year, and I believe the last thing Obama wants to do is have a regional conflict with Iran during his reelection bid. But there are two sides to this coin. The US is delaying oil sanctions on Iran because, in my opinion and the opinion of Israeli advisers, the increase in crude oil prices that would come from an embargo would severely impact any chance Obama has at reelection.

Whatever road he chooses to go down, Obama will be doing it with a hand tied behind is back. It's both good and bad.

Finaly, a show of some intelligence. I know many people on this forum believe that an Iranian strike is imminent, but the reality is that it isn't. Tensions in the middle east are high, not only with Iran, but with Turkey, Syria, Eqypt and Lybia. America/Israel know that if they strike Iran any time soon or cause a war, that they have quite a few countries still in political limbo, the last thing they'll want is to have to fight all these countries too.

Iran and American/Israel tensions have always been high since the revolution in 79, its sort of like a new cold war. Neither will strike, because if they do, it will be the last thing that the country will do, they will be nuked straight away, or have a hell of a lot of countries to fight, and not only countries, but they will be worried that all the extremists in the middle east will unite against us and be a lot more violent.

It may very well happen at some point, more than likely so, but not this year. Their nuclear program is already being sabotaged, and they know they can not strike until they have nukes.

This is such BS.

It's not postponed to defuse tensions at all. You know when they are postponed? This summer. What happens this summer? Full oil embargo and financial sanctions go into effect.

So the REAL tensions are gonna be high THIS SUMMER... which is exactly when they plan to do this drill...

So they are postponing them to make them when it'll be even worse.

LOL everything bad happens in the future.

Originally posted by Vitchilo
This is such BS.

It's not postponed to defuse tensions at all. You know when they are postponed? This summer. What happens this summer? Full oil embargo and financial sanctions go into effect.

So the REAL tensions are gonna be high THIS SUMMER... which is exactly when they plan to do this drill...

So they are postponing them to make them when it'll be even worse.

reply to post by princeofpeace

LOL everything bad happens in the future.

Hopefully it doesn't.

But as you know, doom is always 2 weeks away.

reply to post by yamother44


I wouldn’t read much into this. This is one exercise they are postponing - big deal. We (US troops) train with IDF all the time…have been for decades. There are US troops in Israel every day of the week.

No time for exercises when the test is coming up...........................

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by yamother44

 

I wouldn’t read much into this. This is one exercise they are postponing - big deal. We (US troops) train with IDF all the time…have been for decades. There are US troops in Israel every day of the week.

I would read very heavily into this. This isn't just "one" exercise they are postponing. There is a difference between troops training with Israeli forces while stationed abroad and joint military exercises. The drill is called "Austere Challenge," and if exercised...

It would be the "largest and most significant joint exercise in the allies' history," Shapiro had said.

LA Times

reply to post by yamother44


Like I said, joint training goes on all the time. The commanders always try to make it bigger and better…bragging rights I guess. The next one always seems to be bigger than the last.

My only point was that there is plenty of cohesion between American and Israeli military forces. Practice makes perfect, but this one exercise won’t change the fact that we can already fight side by side without blowing each other up.

Originally posted by seabag

My only point was that there is plenty of cohesion between American and Israeli military forces. Practice makes perfect, but this one exercise won’t change the fact that we can already fight side by side without blowing each other up.

Unless one side decides they want to blow up the other side.

USS Liberty.

Say hello to your Israeli mates, but don't turn your back to them.

reply to post by seabag


Without question. I understand that there continues and will continue to be cooperation between both states regardless of the exercise. However, what makes this specific exercise more important than any others is because it deals directly with testing Israel's defense against ballistic missiles:

Some 5,000 Israeli and U.S. troops are due to participate in the maneuver, in which the Israel Air Force (IAF) will test its gamut of aerial-defense systems, including Iron Dome -- a system that has already successfully shot down short-range rockets fired by Gaza militants; the upgraded version of the U.S.-made Patriot for intercepting hostile aircraft; Magic Wand -- a system designated to counter medium-range rockets; and Arrow 3 -- a system still under development for intercepting ballistic missiles high in the atmosphere.

Arrow 3, by the way, will be the most advanced of its kind in the world and is slated to become the upper tier of Israel's multi-tiered air-defense system, an ambitious concept that aims to provide a comprehensive shield against a multitude of rocket and missile threats.

I think it's naive to dispel this postponement and not recognize the impact that having the exercise would have on current Iranian tensions.

Source

Originally posted by Fractured.Facade
In my opinion, this is a change in strategy, and a wise one.

(don't take the bait)

But, Iran will not relent in their efforts to provoke Israel and the west.

Let them, if they want the war bad enough, they will provide no other option eventually.

A covert war to bring about regime change is the only real viable option at this point, and it only has a brief window of opportunity for success.... Either way, Iran can deliver a painful retaliation...

Diplomacy?

Good luck with that.

IMO

Frac, I've seen you mention and hint at the possibility that Iran already has some nasty weapons that could blindside us.

Can you elaborate or point me in a research direction. I've certainly wondered about their biological weapons potential myself. Thanks.