The Drums of War in the Middle East - No:1

1. The Daily Telegraph in London is reporting that the U.S. Airforce is working with military leaders from Persian Gulf States to train and prepare Arab air forces for a possible war with Iran.
Pentagon officials have helped set-up a warfare center in the United Arab Emirates where Gulf Nations are training their fighter pilots and America has large-scale bases. The center is modeled on the USAF warfare center at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

2. Israel Radio reported that on Monday Iran threatened to attack some 170 American targets in the Middle East and around the world if it's attacked by Israel or the U.S.

3. According to Reuters, Israel confirmed on Tuesday that its airforce carried out a strike inside Syrian territory on Sept 6/07. However Israeli military censors continue to censor all other details.
Diplomats in Damascus say that at least 4 Israeli warplanes crossed deep into Syria during last month's operation.
Syria and Israel are formally at war. Peace talks collapsed in 2000 over the scope of an Israeli pullout from the Golan Heights.

4. The Times of London reported Tuesday that Russia has sent technicians to upgrade Syria's air defense system after Israeli electronic warfare systems allowed Israeli warplanes to attack a target in Syria last month.

5. According to foreign media reports, the Israeli airstrike apparently targeted a North Korea-built nuclear facility in northeastern Syria. Syria and North Korea have both vehemently denied any nuclear co-operation.

Mahoud; they're Ramping-up for War ... but then that's what You Want ...isn't it?

A senior Bush administration official told Fox news that "everyone in town" was discussing the costs and benefits of a military assault on Iran within the next 8 to 10 months.

Fox also reported that one foreign diplomat has stated that the Bush Administration "has just about had it with Iran."

It has also been reported that U.S. officials believe that finding a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear ambitions has failed and they have advised Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that a military intervention of some sort is necessary.

China is obstructing the diplomatic process at the UN Security Council and the Russian Bear is dancing right along, albeit in the shadow of the Chinese ... oh my, what a great surprise!

German Chancellor Angela Merkel will no longer support further sanctions against Iran by the United Nations Security Council. But apparently Germany would "privately welcome while publicly protesting" a U.S. bombing campaign against Iran's nuclear facilities ... a gutless, two-faced move on the part of "za Fahderland."

Meanwhile the Pentagon has formulated a plan for a "three-day blitz" to annihilate the entire Iranian military, targeting 1,200 sites using rapid and overwhelming force.

In late August, President Bush stepped-up his rhetoric saying that Tehran had put the Middle East "under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust."

In my opinion this is exactly what Mahoud Ahmadinejad wants! I'll tell you why in an upcoming blog. Look for ... "All that Ahmadinejad wants is to Change the World!"

There's Kind of a Hush all over the Middle East

On September 6, 2007 five Israeli fighters struck Syria.

Moderate Arab states were unusually quiet in the aftermath as were international players who are usually quick to condemn any act of Israel which they view as aggressive.

Israeli officials are neither confirming nor denying the target or the purpose for the strike and apparently there's a state imposed "silence" on the matter.

International observers see several key messages:

• Israel was able to strike at Syria without suffering any military or diplomatic consequences.
• Israel will take steps to prevent other countries in the Middle East from obtaining nuclear capability.
• If a Syrian nuclear installation can be targeted by Israel without any international outcry what does that say for Iran?
• The London Telegraph is suggesting that the strike was carried out with Washington's blessing, in part as a test of the new Russian-made Pantsyr air defense missle systems recently purchased from Moscow by Damascus. Since Iran is also equipping itself with the Pantsyr air defense system, the Telegraph speculated that the U.S. was extremely interested in seeing a live-fire demonstration.
• The New York Times speculated that the real reason for the raid was to get intelligence on a number of suspected nuclear facilities Israel believes have been sponsored by North Korea.
• The Kuwaiti daily, al-Jareeda is reporting that Israel's target were unnamed Syrian missle batteries that were brought to Syria from Iran.
• Haaretz reported that U.S. government and military sources said they were "happy to have Israel convey to both Syria and Iran the message that they can get in and out and strike when necessary."

It's time to start connecting the Middle East dots because the current hush in the Middle East is about to become a roar.