WORLD at WAR, Official 2012 Thread (TO BE CONTINUED) Israel, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, PA, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, North Korea, Russia, China, U.S.

apparently DL has a thread stating that oil from the strategic reserve is going to be released....not sure how tha applies here but you never know.

this thread is doorberts for anyone interested.
Thread: JUST-IN: US about to Release Oil from Strategic Reserves

Maybe Obama is afraid Israel is about to do something and wants that oil flowing. I believe it may be to late to change the results of the election based on the price of oil ( if it was 1.50 a gal for gas that may do something... but..), but I doubt they know that. The Bradley effect is the real deal, I beleive, this time around.....

Lets all pray for the Bradley Effect.

[link to en.wikipedia.org]

A "skirmish", huh?

That skirmish cast Israel economy estimated 5 billion dollars.

Not to mention the intangibles, more longer-term losses that are harder to calculate: the damaged image of the Merkava program, even though those older tanks were sent into suicide missins into fortified wooded/mountanous areas, into massive mine-traps & veritable valleys of Kornets and Metis-M.

Likewise, the impotence of the game IAF was also scrutinized closely by Israel's friends and foes alike. Reportedly even George W. Bush was pissed that Israel started something that it couldn't finish. No wonder, just 1-2 short years Dubya refused to support/supply Israel's plans to strike Iran's nuke facilities --- reasoning being that he was not going to risk what was left of his legacy and his party's re-election chances on IDF that couldn't even handle a few Hezbollah thugs...

That skirmish was seen around the world, in particular in the Islamic world, as a great victory. Huge deterrence fail. For instance, if I am Iran circa 2006 watching that Olmert Debacle and I am on the fence whether or not to take risk in expanding nuclear program development, I am laughing my ass off and giving the greenlight to IRGC.

Look at how much more armed Hezbollah is today compared with 2006 -- which is yet another reason why the decision to delay Iran strike was likely taken, IMO. Israel commanders talk the talk, but you can tell thay they are worried or downright scared.

And they should be. Look, I know you'll say how Israel has access to computers and simulators and experts... but do you think "gaming" Iran is enough? The actual war is something else entirely. Which is why most former and some current IDF bosses are vociferously against the strike. Yes, in part they're probably under severe pressure from Washington and Brussels. But I am sure that's not it -- they're scared they wouldn't be able to handle it or its aftermath.

And, again, even if Israel has wunderwaffe like non-nuclear EMP and Super-Stuxnet cyber weapon.... is it really all that wise to **waste** such secret technology on Iran?

Afterall, there are forces more dangerous to Israel than Iran. (See: Pakistan selling nukes to Saudis, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and so on).

I think Israel learned a huge lesson from Lebanon...PC has no place in war if you want to win...

I think Israel learned a huge lesson from Lebanon...PC has no place in war if you want to win...

Mr. Gerry52, you always warn us to not accept easy answars or assumptions. So I try not to, which is why I say this: it's real easy/lazy to blame everything on PC.

Just off the top of my head, I think 2006 exposed severa; troubling aspects:

1. IDF commanders, experts and specialists are terribly OVERRATED.

2. Arabs and Islamists in general are becoming SMARTER thann in 60s and 70s -- because their kids have studied in top Western universities; they have lots of rich Jihad-sympathizers all over the world willing to sustain them through large donations; they too have grown up with Internet, cell phones & fancy computer gadgets like their Israeli counter-parts. It's manifesting itself in lots of things -- from ever-more sophisticated and deadly IED as even the mighty US has had a chance to experience to prolifiration of all kinds of weaponry, including presumably WMD and pportable North-Korea designed EMP.

2. Israel is a slave to world-community. To wishes and whims of Washigton DC and Brussels in particular. It's not just PC. It goes beyond that, unfortunately: the one half of Israeli leadership seems to have sold out to foreign control; the other half -- were simply bullied or scared into submission & compliance. Often times Israel acts like it knows that if it steps one step out of line it's going to be economically strangled with BDS, or arrested and sent to Hague as soon as they step on foreign soil. And this perceived noose is getting tighter, regardless of the actual military lessons that may or may not have been learned from 2006. As someone else mentioned, wars are NO LONGER FOUGHT EXCULUSIVELY ON BATTLEFIELD -- and nowhere it is apparent as in Israel.

I think Israel learned a huge lesson from Lebanon...PC has no place in war if you want to win...

Please understand, I have to be very careful what I say or how I explain things as this is kind of what I am paid for. My boss will occasionally look at this thread if only to see what I have said. Rather than be misunderstood for those things I can not or will not say, maybe the best thing is to return to lurker status and say nothing...My initial interest in this thread was looking for differing points of view, not to argue. I'll just say your right, you win and leave it at that.

The heck? What are you talking about? I never asked you to reveal anything classified or secret -- or anything at all.

Mr. Gerry, I dunno about other posters, but our discussion so far have been of benign GENERAL variety. I enjoy them -- and this thread because it's so UNLIKE all the other GLP retardation and trolling.

I root for Israel, but I try NOT to buy into the hype that IDF is fulol of geniuses and super-ultra-mega-alien tech. And while it gives me no pleasure to say, I recognize the military and political/economic/diplomatic dangers and shortcomings that Izzy faces that drive its decision-making or lack thereof. I usually support my points with at least one example. Notthing earth-shattering revealed here.

I think we agree on most points, actually. But maybe not.


Honestly, if Israel has all this non-nuclear EMP and Super-Stuxnet tech.... then sneaking something inside Iran's facilities by bribing the right people or otherwise over the last 10 years.... shouldn't be a problem.

Boom, boom. Israel is attacked. Israel was ready. It pummels. Iran and Hezbollah look like the aggressor. IDF hands are free to kick ass for a month straight. Doplomatic damage substantial, but manageable. Obama is secretly seething, but he is forced to accept fait accompli.

Anything I lefty out?