BREAKING NEWS:
Hezbollah Strikes Back! Kill 8 Israelis in Haifa Attack
BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) 10 minutes ago — Hezbollah rammed an Israeli warship with an unmanned aircraft rigged with explosives, setting it ablaze after Israeli warplanes smashed Lebanon’s links to the world one by one and destroyed the headquarters of the Islamic guerrilla group’s leader.
The attack on the warship off Beirut’s Mediterranean coast indicated Hezbollah has added a new weapon to the arsenal of rockets and mortars it has used against Israel.
The Israeli army said the ship suffered severe damage and was on fire hours later as it headed home. There were no details on the ship’s crew, though Al-Jazeera TV said the Israeli military was searching for four missing sailors.
● Haaretz (cache) – Haaretz English version is not available at the moment
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Is there any proof beyond Israel’s claims that this is the result of an attack by a drone? It sounds like bullshit to me…sorry. It fits too neatly with Bush’s claims of unmanned drones being launched off the east coast of the U.S. to attack Ameican cities. The MSM is catapulting the propaganda in earnest.
For example, the claims that Hessbollah was moving the captured Israeli soldiers to Iran, and claiming that the rockets that were fired into Haifa were made in Iran. Is anyone seriously falling for this bullshit?
Hezbollah, not Hessbollah
Now THAT is funny.
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Hezbollah has claimed attack, see report from Al Jazeera. The Israeli IDF due to military censorship has refused to respond, beyond telling the story there was light damage to the naval vessel. You are right, the rest is mostly bullshit. Bush cannot claim his policy works for a peaceful Middle-East after six years of his foreign “policy”. Kick the bum and his cohorts out of the capital asap.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
yesterday…..they aren’t supposed have anything like that but they were letting Israel know that they do and they told Israel they have 10,000 rockets lined up along the border, they didn’t claim they were of that caliber but who knows, they appear to be coming to the game with a few wild cards…….hmmmmm. A drone rigged with explosives really isn’t as big of a deal as you might think. Drones are very cost efficient and not hard to come by…..not like an F-16. I have never seen fireworks in my life either like what they sell down here in BAMA, I think the thing that was really scary is hearing all the different tales of bomb creation that have been achieved by using all these fireworks that I never knew existed in Colorado. My husband said that he could probably make a drone if her really wanted to but they are readily available, and I have already heard about how McGyver has nothing on the average boy in creating big Ka-booms if one has access to some of the right stuff. I think they succeeded at it Super, I think they want Israel to know that they can do this too if they want to.
warfare. If the underarmed low tech side can cause enough expensive damage to well armed high tech side, then the high tech side has a problem. In the case only time will tell.
Kick the bum and his cohorts out of the capital asap.
Lord knows that cannot happen fast enough–if it does happen. I am not optimistic, for reasons that you well know. 🙂
But is it already too late? I feel we are at a point of no return. Maybe we’re beyond it now?
Hi ss,
It is tempting to ignore this for the reasons you mention. However, some googling give results that suggest that Hezbollah has this capacity.
It seems there was another overflight in April of 2005.
And this:
Thank you,
I stand corrected. It just seems too much like everything we heard in the leadup to Iraq. And it’s difficult for me to believe that the defenses of a sophisticated warship could be breached by a drone.
I don’t find it difficult to believe. This wasn’t an American Aegis-class cruiser. This was an Israeli frigate with 80 hands (I assume frigate from some descriptions I’ve read, none of which identified the ship by name or class). In any event, it was a rather small warship.
I doubt if it has any anti-air defenses except .50 caliber machine guns. The drone came in flying low, at low speed, probably not making much noise, after twilight (8:30 p.m.), from behind, and it hit the ship at the stern. Even if it had been noticed, it probably would have been extremely hard to shoot down.
Hezbollah announced a couple of years ago that it could put 50 kilos of explosives on these drones, and the drones themselves are not that hard to make. They’re basically big model airplanes with radio controls. You could buy one at a local toy store and scale it up a little bit. It’s low tech but effective.
I mentioned this in my latest diary and you have done well to catch this. The mainstream media isn’t verifying anything. Israel is feeding them a story and they are feeding Israel’s story to the public.
it must be years since one of their little boats got damaged. They are used to just sailing them into artillery range of some town and blowing away a few kids.
I sort of agree with this. I think they didn’t shoot down the drone because it never crossed their minds that they could be attacked.
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Little has changed in over 2,000 years. From occupation by the Roman Empire to Israeli and U.S. occupation the innocent, have been beaten and murdered. The representative of the United States of America before the U.N. Security Council has pacified the military response bij Israel in de Gaza Strip, West Park, Lebanon and Syria. So what is your statement to the world community? Right you put blame elsewhere on the “terrorists” in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria and Lebanon.
WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. State Dep’t — According to news reports, Israel also has detained dozens of Palestinian officials including at least eight Cabinet members and 20 legislators.
Bolton placed the blame for the crisis squarely on the Palestinian Authority’s governing Hamas party. Calling the abduction of Israeli Corporal Gilad Shalit a clear act of terrorism, he said, “The attack and hostage-taking by Hamas last week precipitated this crisis, and their refusal to release their hostage continues to place innocent Palestinians in harm’s way.”
Bolton called on all parties to avoid actions that would escalate the situation but affirmed “Israel’s unequivocal right to defend itself and the lives of its citizens.”
The ambassador also blamed Syria and Iran for fueling the conflict through their support for terrorism. He called on Syria to arrest Damascus-based Hamas political leader Khaled Meshal and “close down the various terrorist headquarters in Damascus.”
In light of the ongoing attacks on Gaza, Bolton urged “close attention to the humanitarian needs of the population of Gaza, and action to ensure that those needs are met expeditiously.” Much of Gaza’s water and sewage system has been incapacitated by the destruction of the power plant.
● Arab League calls on US to stop blaming Syria
The “baptist” because he opens the way to spreading the message: Iran should be the next U.S. target.
≈ Cross-posted from an earlier diary — Crisis in Gaza ≈
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Well, what the neocons really want and need is for one of those drones to attack an AMERICAN warship.
But this is almost as good.
Remember, Hezbollah is backed by Iran.
And Bush and his neocons want a war with Iran.
But the American public is dragging its heels, since it looks at the “success” of Iraq and wonders how much more “success” our country can handle.
But guess who’s being blamed for that attack?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/14/world/main1804389.shtml
It was a missile, not a drone. And please read this part again: The intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information, said about 100 Iranian soldiers are in Lebanon and helped fire the Iranian-made, radar-guided C-102 at the ship that killed one and left three missing.
After Lebanon and Syria, on to Iran! Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war.
that the Iranians helped them launch. Our family is sad that the Bush administration chooses to focus on Iran and Syria involvement. My husband compares their involvement to our involvement with the Contras and our involvement in Afghanistan. No talk of peace, of what steps we must all take for peace…..only heaping helpings of blame dished up in large piles on silver platters.
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It was a missile, not a drone. And please read this part again: The intelligence official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information, said about 100 Iranian soldiers are in Lebanon and helped fire the Iranian-made, radar-guided C-102 at the ship that killed one and left three missing.
See also excellent analysis by Larry Johnson.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Asked some very pointed questions too.
I’d like to hear an explanation of just how Hezbollah managed to target a ship with a drone. There’s a lot more to that sort of operation than meets the eye.
I’d also like to know how the Israeli ship let itself get smacked by a drone, which isn’t all that hard to shoot down, especially when it’s coming right at you.
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It’s linked to the surprise of the attack.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
Not only that, but Syria’s President Assad has pledged his help to Lebanon.
And so the war widens.
The plan remains in motion. Nothing short of impeaching Bush and Cheney, and removing Rumsfeld and Rice from their Cabinet posts, can stop this mad scheme now.
And of course that’s not going to happen. Israel will attack Syria and perhaps Iran; certainly the US will attack Iran.
I’ve been saying for three years that all Bush needs is for someone, somewhere, to fire a missile at a US Navy ship and badly damage it. Bush will order airstrikes on Iran in retaliation (never mind if the Iranians or an Iranian-connected group actually fired the missile) before the smoke even clears.
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Israel expanded its reach to northern Lebanon, conducting air strikes against coastal radar installations it said were targeting its warships. The attacks were necessary as the IDF suspects Lebanese army support for Hezbollah missile strike of Israeli naval vessel yesterday.
What’s new?
April 16, 2001 — Israeli air force fires at Syrian radar installations
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
apparently is a lot worse that at first thought. Effectively this ship has been destroyed. This is going to have the Islamic world cheering, and it will raise Hezbollahs reputation as not only standing up to Israel but also quite capable of inflicting big wounds.
But you’re missing the point, I think.
It’s a GOOD thing (from the US/Israeli viewpoint) that the Israeli warship was so badly damaged–because Hezbollah did it. And Hezbollah is backed by Iran, which provided it with the missile used to attack this ship.
So the Israeli and American governments will now argue that to protect Israel, they must attack the source of the missiles…Iran.
Iran has been THE target all along. It is now in the crosshairs.
either Israel or the US has the resources to attack Iran right now beyond a few bombing runs which have been on the cards for a while may happen or not.
Israel is going to be tied up in Lebanon for sometime unless it is willing to leave with a bloody nose and have Hezbollah back on its border – unlikely in my opinion. Israel also has Gaza and the West Bank to contend with, and cannot afford to not have cover on the Syrian border. It is pretty well stretched.
We have our problems in Iraq, and how this whole situation develops potentially puts our troops their at greater risk. Any attack on Iran will set us against the entire Shia population in Iraq.
Personally I’m not buying into any big conspiracy theories on this just yet. The whole Lebanon incident all seems more like a typical Israel versus whoever incident to me that has just escalated completely out of control with nobody able to back down. I am more woried that the pressure from the ordinary people in Syria will force their government into doing something and they will no longer being able to resist the popular feeling for an Arab government to attack Israel.
The US Air Force is ready, willing, and able to strike at Iran. Iran’s air force is a shadow of its former self, and can only put a few dozen first-class fighter jets into the skies. The US, on the other hand, can literally put hundreds of fighter jets and bombers into the air. The US has already targeted Iranian ground-to-air defenses for a possible future strike.
You want to know what the neocon plan is? Read the current issue of The National Review Online. Michael Ledeen, a leading neocon “thinker”, has laid it all out.
That’s what I love about the neocons: they’re just like Hitler in “Mein Kampf”…they print up their agenda and publicize it widely, which means nobody can claim they didn’t know what the neocons intended.
The PNAC have done EVERYTHING they ever said they were going to do. They now say they’re going to hit at Syria and Iran. I have every reason to believe that they will.
because air wars achieve little except hatred of the bombers and a desire for revenge, or in this sceario a complete radicalization of Syria and Iran with an aim of hurting the US.
Bingo
…perpetual war.
Because the neocons have made it clear that there can be no significant dissent, no palpable opposition to their plans, so long as Oceania–I mean the United States–is AT WAR.
So Oceania will ALWAYS be at war. War without end, presidential power without limits…hey, that’s the dream.
But there were some who resisted….
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In a reaction to this Haaretz news article at the start of the unrest on Israel’s northern border.
TEL AVIV (Haaretz) July 12 — Reserve IDF division called up in wake of attack. Nasrallah: Prisoner swap only way to free soldiers
Hezbollah said its guerrillas destroyed two Israeli tanks that attempted to cross the border into Lebanon on two different occasions Wednesday.
The IDF had sent troops across the border to search for the missing soldiers, marking the first incursion into Lebanon since the withdrawal in May 2000. Army Radio reported large numbers of troops, as well as aircraft, were taking part in searches on the Lebanese side of the border. According to Channel 10 television, the IDF later said that it had lost all hope of retrieving the abducted soldiers with ground forces.
The IDF also ordered troops deployed on the Lebanon and Gaza borders on high alert in the event that armed groups may attempt to fire Katyusha and Qassam rockets into Israel.
GOC Northern Command Udi Adam told reporters that Israel plans to “push back” Hezbollah guerrillas controlling southern Lebanon, adding that the IDF has “no intention at the moment of involving Syria,” which has great influence over Hezbollah. “We think at the moment the debate is beween us and the government of Lebanon.”
A Letter sent to Haaretz forum
Compare to this letter send by a reader from the U.S., who apparently thinks Sharon is still Israel’s PM :: I wonder who The Terrorist is?
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."▼ ▼ ▼ MY DIARY
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Reuters reports “A military source said a C802 radar-guided missile with a range of 60 miles (100 km) had been fired at the ship as it sat off the coast.” The C802 is also known as the “Noor,” according to NTI. The C802 is the Iranian version of the the Chinese Jing YJ-82, and “Following the 1991 Gulf War Iran imported the C-802 antiship cruise missile from China.” Wikipedia claims Iran purchased up to 60 C802 missiles. The C802 antiship missile can be launched from aircraft. In April of 2006, Iran claimed the the C802 (or Noor) can be fired from aircraft:
“Today we have successfully tested a new air-to-sea-and-ground missile capable of being fired from planes and helicopters, which can evade anti-missile missiles,” war games spokesman Rear Admiral Mohammad Ebrahim Dehqani said. “The missile, which is labelled Noor, has a tremendous destructive ability and has an antenna in its warhead which gets activated near the target,” he added. Dehqani said like the other missiles, which have been test-fired during the manoeuvres, it was built by Iranians.
Yingji-82 (C-802), CSS-N-8 SaccadeThe Ying-Ji-802 land attack and anti-ship cruise missile, is an improved version of the C-801 which employs a small turbojet engine in place of the original solid rocket engine. The weight of the subsonic (0.9 Mach) Yingji-802 is reduced from 815 kilograms to 715 kilograms, but its range is increased from 42 kilometers to 120 kilometers. The 165 kg. (363 lb.) warhead is just as powerful as the earlier version. Since the missile has a small radar reflectivity and is only about five to seven meters above the sea surface when it attacks the target, and since its guidance equipment has strong anti-jamming capability, target ships have a very low success rate in intercepting the missile. The hit probability of the Yingji-802 is estimated to be as high as 98 percent. The Yingji-802 can be launched from airplanes, ships, submarines and land-based vehicles, and is considered along with the US “Harpoon” as among the best anti-ship missiles of the present-day world.
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The row over a $260 million contract won by Israel’s Aeronautics Ventures to supply aerial drones for use in the Niger Delta coincides with last week’s sacking of National Security Advisor General Aliyu Mohammed Gusau by President Olusegun Obasanjo.
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