Wikileaks: Israel preparing for 'large scale war'

[freepalestine]

Wikileaks: Israel preparing for 'large scale war'
Published yesterday (updated) 02/01/2011 23:18









OSLO (AFP) -- Israel's army chief told a US Congress delegation in late 2009 he was preparing for a large war in the Middle East, probably against Hamas or Hezbollah, leaked US diplomatic cables showed on Sunday.

"I am preparing the Israeli army for a large scale war, since it is easier to scale down to a smaller operation than to do the opposite," Lieutenant General Gabi Ashkenazi was quoted as saying in a cable from the US embassy in Tel Aviv.

The document, dated November 15, 2009, was quoted Sunday in Norwegian by Oslo-based daily Aftenposten, which said it had obtained WikiLeaks' entire cache of 251,187 leaked US embassy cables.

"The rocket threat against Israel is more serious than ever. That is why Israel is putting such emphasis on rocket defence," Ashkenazi told the US delegation led by Democrat Ike Skelton, the cable showed.

The army chief lamented that Iran has some 300 Shihab rockets that can reach Israel and stressed that Israel would have only between 10 and 12 minutes warning in case of an attack.

However, it was Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon that posed the most acute threat, he cautioned.

According to the quoted cable, Hezbollah is thought to have more than 40,000 rockets, many of which are believed capable of reaching deep into Israel.

US officials meanwhile reportedly estimate the militant group has acquired an arsenal of around 50,000 rockets.

A 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel killed 1,200 Lebanese, many of them civilians, and 160 Israelis, most of them soldiers.

And in his comments made nearly a year after Israel on December 27, 2008 launched the deadly Gaza war, Ashkenazi said "Israel is on a collision course also with Hamas, which rules Gaza."

"Hamas will have the possibility to bombard Tel Aviv, with Israel's highest population concentration," he was quoted as saying.

The Gaza war -- a response to hundreds of rockets fired into Israel -- killed some 1,400 mainly civilian Palestinians and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers. It ended on January 18, 2009.

Israel had been harshly criticized for putting civilians at risk during fighting in the densely populated Gaza Strip.

However, in the cable leaked Sunday Ashkenazi is quoted saying Israel next time will not accept "any restrictions on warfare in populated areas," and insisted the army had never intentionally attacked civilian targets.








http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=347525

[Sensible Socialist]

I'm becoming more and more worried about this situation. Over the summer, I had hoped that the Israeli leadership would make some sort of compromise, at least for publicity's sake. However, with the reports from Wikileaks, I'm wondering how far they are willing to go, and how far the United States government will support them.

[gorillafuck]

Fuck.


However, in the cable leaked Sunday Ashkenazi is quoted saying Israel next time will not accept "any restrictions on warfare in populated areas," and insisted the army had never intentionally attacked civilian targets.Wasn't it revealed that they actually were ordered to attack civilian targets?

[Sensible Socialist]

So, what are the chances are sending an armed flotilla to Israel?

I'm only half-kidding.

[freepalestine]

Fuck.

Wasn't it revealed that they actually were ordered to attack civilian targets?
the iof arent known for not been a bit cynical



I'm becoming more and more worried about this situation. Over the summer, I had hoped that the Israeli leadership would make some sort of compromise, at least for publicity's sake. However, with the reports from Wikileaks, I'm wondering how far they are willing to go, and how far the United States government will support them.
the report was from last year.
for the past year,more so in the past 2-3 months ,the iof have been planning another invasion ,bombardment of gaza,through prpaganda, military manoeuvres along the 'border.i dont think its had much mention in the western media etc

[Theory&Action]

The Gaza war -- a response to hundreds of rockets fired into Israel -- killed some 1,400 mainly civilian Palestinians and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers. It ended on January 18, 2009.

It's still beyond me how the press still refer to Operation Cast Lead as a "war" that started only because of the supposedly devastating effects of rocket fire. The stats say it all: Out of the more than 1,400 dead, less than 250 were true combatants. Over 100 women and 300 children killed. 100 dead Palestinians for every Israeli. It wasn't a war; it was a massacre.

[The American]

A one state solution can't happen, both sides are unwilling and the oppression towards the Palestinians would be Jim Crow-esque.
A two state solution would solve nothing, Israels imperialistic attitude would continue with U.S. support.
I believe that the only hope for peace is a three state solution, Israel goes back to its 1948 borders, Egypt annexes the gaza strip and gives the palestinians living there full egyptian citizenship and Jordan annexes the west bank and gives those people full jordanian citizenship.
Of course this will never happen without the U.S. cutting off its funding to israel, both militarily and economic.

[chegitz guevara]

I support a workers state solution.

[Nolan]

I support national self determination and socialist revolution.


In b4 anarchist "I support a NO STATE solution"