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

Good point...

But the long-range missiles that have made it to Tel Aviv are Iranian, correct? Or is that poor reporting?

Gerry,

I found this explanation in a NY Times Article...

(Jabari) shifted Hamas’s low-grade militia into a disciplined force with sophisticated weapons like Fajr-5 rockets, which are named after the Persian word for dawn and have significantly increased the danger to Israel’s major cities. They have a range of about 45 miles and are fired by trained crews from underground launching pads.

Hamas had perhaps 100 of them until the Israeli attacks last week, which appear to have destroyed most of the stockpile. The rockets are assembled locally after being shipped from Iran to Sudan, trucked across the desert through Egypt, broken down into parts and moved through Sinai tunnels into Gaza, according to senior Israeli security officials.

The smuggling route involves salaried employees from Hamas along the way, Iranian technical experts traveling on forged passports and government approval in Sudan, Israeli officials said.

Mr. Jabari’s strategy has been so effective and alarming for Israel that it is preparing for a possible next stage in the four-day-old battle: a ground war in which its troops would seek to destroy remaining rocket launching bases and crews and munitions factories.

Under Mr. Jabari, Hamas also developed its own weapons industry in Gaza, building long-range rockets as well as drones that they hoped to fly over Israel just as Israeli drones roam the skies of Gaza, sowing fear in its population.

The current operation to eliminate the Hamas rocket launchers could serve to cripple the ability of Iran’s allies in Gaza from retaliating should Israel ever carry out its threat to attack Iranian nuclear facilities.

[link to www.nytimes.com]

Upshot - They assembled Farj-5 rockets in Gaza & had a homegrown rocket industry that included long-range rockets (see Gerry's post above)

Question - What is the difference between a long-range rocket & a short-range missile? IMO - The term "rocket" have a backyard hobby connotation that I don't think applies in this case..

I am confused (yet again)...

Netanyahu: No Current Plans for Gaza Ground War

Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, gave private assurances to Barack Obama on Friday evening that his country was not planning at that moment to launch a ground invasion of Gaza—but those plans would change, he said, if Hamas escalated its rocket war.

The private assurances were at odds with public signals from Israel’s military. Tanks and artillery gathered at the border with Gaza on Saturday in preparation for what looked like an incursion...

One senior U.S. official told The Daily Beast, “The Israeli leadership at this point is leaning against a ground invasion. No one wants that. If Hamas ratchets up the pressure, however, they may elect to do so.”...

Netanyahu has given the impression at times that a strike on Gaza may be imminent. On Saturday, he vaguely promised to “broaden action inside Gaza” if the rocket barrages did not stop. He has called up 75,000 army reservists. Less than 13,000 reservists were activated before the 2008–2009 war in Gaza...

[link to www.thedailybeast.com]

What? Is this disinformation? Is everything else disinformation? Would Bibi lie to Obama?

A missile has a guidance system, a rocket just goes where it's pointed...like an aerodynamic mortar.

Thanks Gerry...

I asked several people that question...No one else knew the answer...

But the high school science geek in me remembers that rockets can be pretty precisely aimed if the weather conditions are right & you remember A/P calculus...

Or, if your algo is robust, you can aim rather precisely regardless of weather conditions...

Trusted sources: Major players threatening Israel. Do not initiate a "Ground Operation" Ground war will lead to total regional war. Bibi preparing Israel for a full and multi front war if ceasefire negotiations fail to produce an acceptable result.
Guys, the upcoming 12 - 18 hours will decide the fate of this region and possibly the world!!!

No full ground operation until that point is reached!!'

Interesting side note: The Israelis just figured out that Hamas is manufacturing their own long range rockets locally on the Gaza Strip. It will be significantly harder for Israeli intelligence to form an accurate picture of the number of these rockets locally constructed in Gaza. We have already seen that Israeli intelligence likely did not anticipate how many long-range rockets had escaped its first wave of strikes, and the fact that Hamas may have been producing these weapons could explain Israel's lack of complete information. They now have to go in on the ground, find these manufacturing facilities and destroy them. I can just about guarantee that a ground war is a certainty.

Rocket fire from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip has subsided as cease-fire efforts appear to be gaining momentum.

The Israeli military said Sunday morning that Gaza militants haven't attacked Israel since the night before.

The lull coincides with Egyptian-led efforts to negotiate an end to the 5-day-old confrontation.

[link to bigstory.ap.org]

Rockets and missiles are still being fired.

[link to www.ynetnews.com]

Israel is walking a fine line right now between whether to execute a ground war or live with a new cease fire. Her needs in regards to Iran play into this. If Israel does not have to bring the troops into Gaza and she has successfully taken out the largest amount if long range missiles, she would be in position to move towards the next step in operations towards the Iranian threat.

By the way, Iran refuses to talk. That speaks a thousands words.

Mourning everyone!

In continuation of a series of years of World at War,THIS IS A SPECIAL EDITION BASED UPON URGENT PENDING MATTERS, the following was the 2011 thread. Thread: The World at War, Official 2011 war thread for North Korea, Iran, Israel, China, U.S.

The following is the 2012 Thread up to the end of August.
Thread: World at War, Official 2012 Thread for Israel, Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, PA, Turkey, Egypt, Pakistan, India, North Korea, Russia, China, U.S.

Now we enter into the last four months of 2012. Follow the past year to see where we are at. I try not to give much BS and only ask that if you do not care for the topic or format, do not visit this thread. Trolls, you will be deleted or blocked, you can start your own thread if you wish, just leave us alone!
As stated at the start of 2012, 2012 will be the start of much chaos economically as well as militarily. We have gone through much doom and gloom already. But now, it is of urgency that we wait to see whether Iran goes nuclear, whether Israel takes it upon herself to attack Iran, whether the US leaves Israel to fend for herself, what the results of the US election have in store for Israel, the Mideast and the US, and what will happen in Syria.

Israel must face the challenge of a nuclear Iran with or without the U.S. to protect her. Further, Syria feels threatened as did Libya where Assad may lash out at Israel. The Hezbollah may too jump on in. Lebanon and Jordan may face their own arab spring. Egypt may tear up the Israeli peace treaty any day. Turkey looks as Israel with jealousy for Israel's gas and oil reserves in the Med.
China and Russia wish to impose retrictions on America's once global dominance where there will be more challenges to U.S. interests leading to possible military blows.
North Korea's tender young leader has no fear in challenging U.S. might and may cause further military adventurism.

Pakistan has nukes that could be stolen and/or Pakistan and the U.S. may enter into more vis a vis hotile interactions.

Iran is threatening to challenge the west and is due for a nuclear detonation soon. What the U.S./and or Israel do to stop Iran is worthy of watching every day.

Iraq is now under Iran's thumb and likely will further become a feifdom of Iran.

Afghanistan is soon to force the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
India and Pakistan may soon come to blows.

Will the global economic crisis resolve itself, will the crisis collapse the world economy, or whom may come forward with some new currency?

Further, spiritually, 2012 looks to be a year of turmoil.
There are seers warning of some type of sign from God this coming year. The Mayan's seemed to predict something. The Pope may flee Rome? A comet in the sky? Great earthquakes? Signs in the sky?

Look further at bug-outs or going grey, everyone should be prepping by now in case things really do go bad. I am just saying.

So, if you wish to discuss the above mentioned or wish to hear it from others, feel free to drop in and leave some good 5 stars if you find this inforomation either entertaining or productive.

Civilian casualties in latest IDF strike in Beit Lahiyah. Palestinian groups vowing response.

reports are saying the head of hamas rocket program killed in strike... escalation??

Missiles keep firing, the redlines keep being crossed by Hamas. Israel has upped it's tempo on strikes in Gaza. Like I mentioned earlier, this phase of the Iranian war has been successful in ridding a majority of the Gaza Strip of long range missiles. Israel must ensure there is a protective envelope to limit missiles for the next six months to then focus on Iran, though Iran focus could be much earlier.
The Gaza war has demonstrated that Israel does have the capability of stopping missiles. Talk that any Iranian response would cause limited casualties wins favor, though this discounts a massive attack including WMD s. The faith in the iron dome raises the prospect that Israel can buy enough support for an Iranian attack soon. Gaza is firing what she can and so Israel has reached phase one of the attack.
Phase two would involve Hezbollah troops. Please note that separate from Israel's plans are Iranian/Syrian plans that could invoke trouble of their own. However, Israel now bravely is considering options to address the northern missile threat.
I do not advocate a long duration ground incursion on Gaza at this time. Special forces are doing good. Small penetrations into bad areas can happen at night to take out other weaponry, then enter a truce to buy time for phase two if necessary or keep this tempo going as we await the next phase.
So far so good.