1938 Alert from the Telegraph, with thanks to Sr. Soph:
Iran has set up a sophisticated intelligence gathering operation in southern Lebanon to identify targets in northern Israel in the event of a military confrontation over its controversial nuclear programme.Senior Israeli military commanders say Iran has spent tens of millions of pounds helping its close ally, Hizbollah, the Shia Muslim militant group that controls southern Lebanon, to set up a network of control towers and monitoring stations along the entire length of Israel's border with south Lebanon.
Some of the new control towers, which are made of reinforced concrete and fitted with bullet-proof reflective glass, are less than 100 yards from Israeli army positions and are clearly visible for long stretches along Israel's border.
"This is now Iran's front line with Israel," a senior Israeli military commander said. "The Iranians are using Hizbollah to spy on us so that they can collect information for future attacks. And there is very little we can do about it."
I am quite confident that the Israeli's can handle that.
But we have them in Australia too:
http://sunday.ninemsn.com.au/sunday/cover_stories/article_1955.asp
The United States is at the helm of an international campaign that wants to see the complete implementation of U.N. Security Council 1559. The edict calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon, free and fair presidential elections and the disarmament of all armed groups in the country. The question might be; will the US stand firm in support of UN 1559 if Hezbollah is found to be complicit in taking orders from Tehran of which all appearances say yes.
With more than one hundred Iranian military officers helping Hezbollah spy on Israel, there should be great concern that Israels own nuclear facilities are being targeted. Lebanons own army is apparently not strong enough to confront Hezbollah and its aspirations that are being supported by Iran. The situation is getting very serious and I would not be surprised to see some strong military exchanges between southern Lebanon and Israel by the end of April.
Were the Americans to pull out of Iraq, and the Sunnis and the Shi'a go at it, at one level or another, this would at least provide the possibility of members of Hezbollah -- by definition, the most aggressive, the most willing to fight -- to go off to help their embattled co-sectarians in Iraq. For though the Shi'a in Iraq have an advantage in numbers, the Sunnis have -- or had until the Americans came along to train the "Iraqi" army and the "Iraqi" police -- better training. Infidels, remember, do not have a dog in this fight -- their dog is the fight. Not least among the possible, even likely, benefits of such a Sunni-Shi'a proxy war -- akin to the Iran-Iraq War -- would be a drawing down of Hezbollah forces, some as volunteers, and a lessening of Iranian support for Hezbollah in Lebanon, as the regime in Tehran becomes preoccupied with Iraq, and with tryingt to curb its own many ethnic minorities, encouraged, even inflamed, by the disruption and new possiblities next door.
And an Iranian Shi'a regime that is in the midst of helping other Shi'a to attack the Sunnis and permanently displace them in Iraq, that is in the very place where the Abbasid Caliphate of Haroun al-Rashid once existed, is one whose desruction would not be unwelcome to the Muslim Arabs. Their howls of protest at this attack, by Infidels, on Shi'a Iran would be more muted if it were clear that those bombs, delivered by those Shehab missiles, might be with equal enthusiasm be directed in the future at them, the Arabs of Jordan, of Saudi Arabia, of the Gulf sheiklets.
Once it might have been enough to damage or destroy Iran's bomb-making capacity. That will no longer be enough. Now the missiles and ability to rebuild a missile system must be included. Disruption of the scientific base, by seeking out, and rendering harmless, Iranian weapons scientists and their collaborators, or disruption that causes them to flee, no longer capable of working quietly, would also be welcome.
The best way to create the conditions in which that kind of long-term damage can be inflicted is to create a situation of disarray, not only in Iraq, but because of such disarray in Iraq, to encourage acts of rebellion and sabotage by the ethnic minorities within Iran as well.
This is how to fight a war. Not to keep repeating that "we have nothing against the Iranian people" and Islam is a "noble religion" and... Your Favorite Idiocy From the Bush Administration Here.
With the Americans gone, I think you'd see the Sunni-Shi'a conflict pretty quickly turn back into a cold war. I don't believe that anything in Iraq would be able to distract the Iranians from Israel right now. Especially with the lunatic in charge threatening to exterminate the jews every time he opens his mouth.
The only solution to the Iranian problem is military action. I can't imagine the Israelis leaving those watchposts standing for very long.
But alas the God of Israel is greater than all the armies of the world. If I had to boast at all - I will boast in the Lord who has protected the land of Israel and its people since forever. The Isralites may have been punished for their dissobedience from time to time but Gods promises to them are YES & AMEN. I pity the armies of the rabid arabic nations whose allah is nothing but a demonic God who can do nothing. The God of Israel will not let His people be destroyed by a bunch of fanatics who worship a demonic God.
"Infidels, remember, do not have a dog in this fight -- their dog is the fight."
...Beautiful!
Amazing that the mullahs can't find the money to keep Iranian youth employed or rebuild its earthquake-shattered cities or pay its bus drivers, but watchtowers along the border between Lebanon and Israel... ...that there's money for.
Some of these towers are less than a hundred yards off the Israeli positions? And have bulletproof windows?
Here's a few ideas for the Israeli High Command to consider.
Fire huge paintballs at the towers which hit the windows and splash thick paint all over to cover the windows so the guys inside won't be able to see out. When they send out 'volunteers' with ladders and scrub brushes to clean the windows, have Israeli sniper teams on hand for target practice. Once the snipers have picked-off all the volunteers sent out to clean the windows, nobody else on the inside will want to go out and finish the job. They rest of them will be left sitting around wondering what the heck is going on out there.
Also, these towers probably have a single thick steel door used to enter/exit the tower. Send in sappers to quietly weld it shut from the outside. The guys inside will go nuts once they realize they're unable to open the door to leave. Have the sappers leave a freshly gutted pig by the welded door to ward off any rescue attempt.
Don't you just love screwing with the sick minds of crazed jihadiots? It doesn't take much to push madmen over the edge.
to jimmy above:
pls consider the eschatological scenario in Zechariah 14. the state of Israel is not more powerful than the One who guards it providentially. Once that One decides that the time has come to drive the israelis to believe in Yeshua, He can use the hatred of muslims to destroy Israel (their hope and boasting) in order to prepare them for the biggest revelation - that salvation comes not by power nor by might but through the Lord.
Now you can understand that the occupation and the defeat of Israel by muslim armies (and others) is not only possible but may be a part of the whole scenario.
" watchtowers?" Sounds like a good job for a lazer to me. They would need a seeing eye dog for awhile.
Israel: "There is very little we can do about it. (the spying & the towers)"
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Is this the same Israel that has courageously fought for and attained freedom fearing a few towers? What are SSM's for??????
Give an inch lose miles to the muslims.
With this attitude, Israel will be a sad memory.
The Texican.
Freedom, the only choice at any cost.
Don't discount Israel's power. They wouldn't even need to leave their own airspace to take out the towers with their airpower.
Jimmy is right on target with Israel being protected by God...Just look at the 6 day War in 1948. Arabs are no match with the strength Israel posesses.