Israeli army test-fires missile capable of reaching Iran

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/02/israeli-army-test-fires-missile

Israel has successfully test-fired a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and striking Iran, fanning a public debate over whether the country's leaders are agitating for a military attack on Tehran's atomic facilities.

While Israeli leaders have long warned that a military strike was an option, the most intensive round of public discourse on the subject was ignited over the weekend by a report in the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot that said the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the defence minister, Ehud Barak, favoured an attack.

That was followed by a report in the Haaretz on Wednesday that Netanyahu is lobbying cabinet members for an attack, despite the complexity of the operation and the likelihood it would draw a deadly retaliation from Iran. An Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu did not yet have a majority.

[Firebrand Gary]

1. We should pass a resolution advising that we will not go to war for Israel.

I can dream.

[vminfla]

2. Iran threatens to strike the US if Israel were to fire the Jericho at Iran

Although Israel has repeatedly stated that it has no offensive plans for the Jericho missiles, Iran has already threatened to retaliate against both Israel and the US. Such a resolution is unlikely based on the facts on the ground.

[azurnoir]

3. remember Israel's a nuclear country and is now test firing missiles

that can reach Iran and where else? It does lend itself to the question of just who is threatening peace in the region but not to worry really Israel IMO attempting to distract from other things closer to home and if recent history is any indicator seems only to attack 'soft' targets Gaza being its favorite, the 2006 Lebanon campaign showed the resolve Israel was quite 'resolved' until its casualties started mounting then not quite so much

[bemildred]

4. Israel has been able to reach Iran with missiles for some time now.

Bibi wants distractions, lots of distractions. Lots of bad news to be ignored right now.

[azurnoir]

5. wasn't sure about the missiles but the distraction part

I was pretty sure about

[bemildred]

6. Israel and Iran have similar "reach", near as I can tell.

Israel has nukes, Iran is much bigger and no doubt has a few surprises of its own. Not going to be pretty, if it happens, not pretty at all.

[shaayecanaan]

11. If I was Iran I would try to hit the nuclear reactor at Dimona if Israel attacked...

Iran has only crappy medium range missiles but I dare say that they've managed to ship some decent kit into either Lebanon or Gaza. Its only about forty miles from Gaza to Israel's reactor, which even Iran should be able to overcome.

And unlike Iran's reactors, pretty much all of Israel's facility is above ground.

[oberliner]

12. Great advice

Surely that will help everyone down the pathway towards peace and safety for all.

[shaayecanaan]

13. I don't think they need me to give them advice...

it is, after all, fairly obvious: you hit my reactor and I hit yours. I am sure that Iran have thought of it already, and I am equally sure that Israel would have anticipated this.

[oberliner]

14. Well you did start your post with "if I was Iran..."

As for me, if I was Iran, I would open all nuclear facilities to inspections, declare a commitment to peace and nonviolence, and recognize Israel's right to exist.

It seems like that would greatly decrease the likelihood of large numbers of Iranian people being killed, whereas, your proposal would, in fact, increase that likelihood significantly.

I wonder if that's something Iran has thought of already.

[shaayecanaan]

17. They offered more or less that in 2003...

Iran sent a missive through the Swiss offering to defund Hezbollah and cease their nuclear program in exchange for security guarantees. George W Bush, God bless him, threw it back in their face.

The US has invaded a lot of non-belligerent countries over the years. On the other hand, they're yet to invade one with nuclear weapons.

[oberliner]

18. That was then, this is now

In any case, there will not be peace until Israel loves Iran's children as much as Iran hates Israel's and vice versa.

All snark aside, I predict no attack - just more bluster.

[shaayecanaan]

20. If I was Israel, I would offer to dismantle my nuclear weapons program

in exchange for Iran dismantling theirs. That would enable Iran to climb down from their tree without losing face. The US have previously stated their preference for making the middle-East a nuclear weapons free zone, which I think is a good idea.

Otherwise, I think it is inevitable that someone in the region will acquire nuclear weapons eventually, even if it isn't Iran.

[DemOhio]

21. Did you go to

Oberlin?

[Dick Dastardly]

24. He admitted he went to Oberlin and was part of Oberlin's most extreme right

wing organization in this thread.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x370310#370661

I was grilling him on his Free Mumia credentials at Oberlin here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=370310&mesg_id=370661

when he admitted his membership to Oberlin's most extreme right wing group in this post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=370310&mesg_id=370732

[DemOhio]

25. love oberlin

The extreme right at oberlin is probably too liberal for Karl Marx.


Fun college. I am partial to Antioch but thats because Im from yellow springs.

[oberliner]

26. Yes - I did go to Oberlin

It was quite an experience. Feel free to send me a private message if you'd like to know more about my time there.

I remember when Antioch went out of business for a bit. Glad to see they are back and revitalized!

[oberliner]

27. No, actually, I never admitted to that

Never used the word "extreme" at all in any post on the subject.

The College Democrats were probably one of if not the least extreme group on campus.

[bemildred]

15. Perhaps I read the US media a bit too much.

But yeah. For sure, finding targets will not be an issue either side.

[shaayecanaan]

9. Israel has been able to reach Los Angeles with its missiles for some time now

Israel's Jericho III missiles have a range of about 6,000 miles depending on payload, which is sufficient to reach most of the North American continent.

They are similar in capability to Britain's Trident missile. Why the both of them spend billions on extravagant missile programs is anyone's guess, although the US dwarves both of them in that regard.

[Dick Dastardly]

8. Israel has the had the ability to launch commercial and military sattelites in orbit

since 1988. It has research, communication and spy satelites floating around up there that they launched. Israel is one of the few countries (9 are in the club) with the ability to launch something into orbit. Having the ability to launch something in orbit for all intents and purposes means you have an ICBM and can hit anything in the world.



Israel Space Agency
In 1984 the National Space Knowledge Center was established in cooperation with Israel Aircraft Industries; a contract was signed between IAI and Ministry of Defence for the development of the needed infrastructure and of Israel's first observation satellite. This came to fruition in 1988 when Israel launched the first in a series of Ofeq satellites and thus became one of only a few nations in the world possessing an indigenous space launching capability (see timeline of first orbital launches by country). The project management at Israel Aircraft Industries was headed for many years by Dr. Moshe Bar-Lev.

cont
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Space_Agency




Timeline of first orbital launches by country
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_first_orbital_launches_by_country




Israel achieves ICBM capability
Satellite launch shows capacity to send payload to any location on earth


Israel has achieved the ability to produce intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Israeli officials and experts said the nation's ICBM capability was demonstrated by its launch in May of the Ofeq-5 satellite into space orbit. The satellite was carried by a Shavit-class booster. The Shavit booster was launched westward against the earth's orbit, officials said. The direction was decided to prevent the Ofeq from falling into enemy hands if it failed in an eastward launch.

"The minute Israel can launch a satellite into orbit around the earth to an altitude of hundreds of kilometers, it established the capability to launch, by means of a missile, a payload to any location on earth," Moshe Gelman, a leading Israeli space expert at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, said on Wednesday. "We are talking about the laws of physics."

Gelman said the path of a satellite booster is the same as that of a ballistic missile. The difference is the target – with a booster requiring greater energy to ensure that it does not fall to earth with the satellite.


clip

Israel's ICBM capabilities were first said to have been demonstrated in 1988 when the Ofeq-1 was shot into orbit. Ofeq-1 had a payload of about 180 kilograms (400 pounds). The Ofek 5 weighs about 300 kilograms (660 pounds).

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=14448

Interesting

Armed Forces of the World Discussion Board

Subject: Israel vs. Iran in an all-out war

WHY ISRAEL WILL decisively defeat IRAN if there is an all-out war. 1.Israel has more than 200 atomic devices vs Iran which may have 1 soon.Even if Iran bought nuclear devices from other rogue states, the retaliation from Israel would be the equivalent of 2,000 plus hiroshimas. 2.The 200 plus Israeli atomic devices are unstoppable by Iran i.e. up to 80 can be launched by submarines and the rest by ICBM or F-15s or F-16s 3.Israel has the world?s most advanced anti-ICBM missle umbrella which may be impenetrable by Iranian Shahib missles . Iran can only deliver their 1-2 atomic warheads by ICBMs with no other delivery capabilities. 4.Israel has a satellite system with multiple types of spy satellites which have reached the limit of possible resolution (defraction limit) generally thought to be about 10 centimeters and their satellite system is all weather. Together with their advanced UAV capabilities , this allows Israel to possess the most detailed photos and real-time imaging of all Iranian military installations . 5.The military technologic difference between Israel and Iran is wide. Israel has about 10% of the world-wide arms export market which based solely on merit and immensely competitive.

cont
http://www.strategypage.com/militaryforums/30-81388.aspx



If you google Israel ICBM there is a lot of info out there. I hope this answered your question on Israels capabilities

[bemildred]

16. Well, the point is it would be a long range war.

Neither side will invade the other in an attempt to conquer it. Neither side would know what to do with the other side if they did conquer it. It would probably not be allowed to go on long enough for either side to run out of missiles even. The Second Lebanon War with no ground troops is the right sort of idea.

[BanTheGOP]

7. Israel needs to be decertified, reconstituted as a progressive Arab state.

Israel needs to be decertified as a country, with progressive Arabs forming the bullwark of a new democratic or other form of non-republican party like entity. It must let the people decide where everyone should live, and imprison all Israeli hardliners for their terroristic activities against Palestine and the neighboring Arab states. I would suggest naming the country Palestine, with a consortium of progressive Arab interests running things, and a demilitarization of the region. ONLY when that happen will there be peace in the mideast, though it must also work in conjunction with a US ban on the republican party to ensure no military meddling on our part.

Israel is 100% at fault, and must be taken to account and decertified. Pure and simple.

[oberliner]

10. This is parody/sarcasm right?

It's hard to tell sometimes.

[vminfla]

19. No, the mask slipped off for a brief second

Some people, far too many, fervently believe trope like this.

[King_David]

22. your way of thinking is certifiable nt

[Swede]

23. What a steaming pile of BS.

nutter

[oberliner]

28. I think it was a spoof

No one here could actually mean that in earnest.