Chemical Attack in Syria Already,: Israel Prepares for Worst

Nadene Goldfoot                                                                  

It seems that terrorism is the only known skill in Syria by everyone who lives there today.  Syria practices state-sponsored terrorism.  It has aided and abetted if not initially produced  Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command, The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abu Musa Organization, and Popular Struggle Front.  The insurgents have been identified by Assad as members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

The northern border of Israel is Syria.  Twice, every citizen of Israel has been issued gas masks due to Syria's known stash of chemical weapons that they have used against their own people.  Being that Syria is in a civil war, the fear is that they will either be used again to gain the upper hand or that these weapons would fall into the hands of terrorists that would use them against Israel.

Brigadier General Itai Brun, the Israeli military intelligence head of their research and analysis, told a security conference in Tel Aviv that President Bashar Assad has already used chemical weapons many times.  He has documented facts of visual evidence from the French and British that it has happened near Damascus only last month.  "CW was used in a Syrian Army attack in Aleppo on March 19. At the time, the Syrian opposition said 31 people were killed by CW munitions."  The report included the fact that the CW was used in a reduced form so as not to create vast casualties.  I doubt if they would do that on an attack on Israel.

In my estimation, Syria has resorted to using these non-conventional weapons because the rebels-insurgents  have been provided for in ways other than weapons by the USA and NATO.  .

Also, John Kerry, US Secretary of State,  urged NATO in Brussels to make ready for this fact on the very day of Brun's conference in Israel.

Now this development will cause pressure on the USA and other Western countries to intervene.  President Obama had said before that using chemical weaponry is a "game changer".  NATO is still saying that the alliance will not intervene in the civil war.

Knowing of the possibility of Israel facing such an attack again, 4.7 million gas masks have been distributed in Israel.  4,000 of them were distributed since January.  They manage to get about 1,400 every week to the population which has grown.  Israel has 6 million Jews and about 1.7 million Arab citizens today.  Christians and others make up the total.

"In the 1980s, Syria acquired chemical warheads for aerial bombardment and for its SS-21 and Scud-B missiles."  "By the end of the decade, Libya also began to produce large quantities of mustard and nerve gas, and acquired Soviet Su-24 long-range bombers."

Then again in 1991 with Saddam Hussein leading, Iraq had threatened with  chemical weapons in the 1991 gulf War.  40 surface to surface missiles were launched at Israel and each one could have had chemicals.  Israelis were educated about defensive actions to take and had sealed rooms in their homes for refuge.

It seems that terrorism is the only known skill in Syria by everyone who lives there.  Syria practices state-sponsored terrorism.  It has aided and abetted if not initially produced  Hezbollah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Command, The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Abu Musa Organization, and Popular Struggle Front.  The insurgents have been identified by Assad as members of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Resource:  Oregonian newspaper, 4/24/13 page A4, Urgency rises over chemical weapons
http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/01/30/demand-for-gas-masks-in-israel-rises-as-fears-of-chemical-weapons-falling-into-terrorist-hands-increase/
http://faculty.biu.ac.il/~steing/arms/chem.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_Syria
http://www.worldtribune.com/2013/04/24/israeli-intel-chemical-weapons-apparently-sarin-used-by-syria-in-aleppo-attack/

Turkey Continues Belligerence with Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Turkey was angry that Israel stopped their ship, the Mavi Marmara when it was attempting to break Israel's naval blockade of Gaza.  Turks attacked boarding Israelis and  were killed in the act.  Then Turkey turned around and demanded an apology from Israel, which Netanyahu finally gave with the personal nudging from Obama.  Yet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is keeping the relationship in deep freeze.  He insists that that Turkey will not re-establish diplomatic relations until Israel lifts its blockade on Gaza.  He's asking Israel to disregard a big part of their security which would be suicide.  As Netanyahu said before, "The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel.  If the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war."   There is no hope for peace as long as the Arabs can get arms, thus-the need for the blockade.

  Netanyahu did say he would  loosen some restrictions and said they will continue to do so if there continues to be quiet from Gaza.  Turks also expect  to receive $millions in compensation for the deaths of their pirate seamen.

However, already several rockets have hit Israel since the cease fire that only lasted for a few months.  This is the reason why Israeli ships had to check out incoming ships;  for weaponry.  Weapons brought in this way would be used against Israel.  Israel isn't trying to stop Palestinians from getting candy bars; just weapons.  There have been no shortages of anything that Gazans have needed.  Big semi-trucks roll in there every day with supplies.  That's one good reason that Israel was most suspicious of people supporting the Arab cause-which would be the end of Israel-to bring in weapons for their use.  It's the only thing they could possibly be short of.  By raining rockets, missiles and mortars upon southern Israel since 2001, the Palestinians have broken the trust Israelis could have had in them as a peaceful neighbor.

To show his anger,  Erdogan will not agree to a meeting of NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue group which includes Israel and 6 Arab countries, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Algeria and Jordan.  Egypt is also backing out.  I'm  not surprised as this is a Muslim Brotherhood regime.

Turkey had already shown more support for Muslim causes and was caustic with Israel before this event, thus the blockade blocking.  Last May NATO had a summit conference in Chicago and Turkey rejected Israel's participation.  When Israel asked for a permanent office at NATO, Turkey said "NO."

Erdogan is going to visit the USA on May 16th.  Then he has said that after that he will go to Gaza.  He has already postponed his April  trip to Gaza at the request of Obama.  The USA is trying to broker a relationship between Israel and Turkey but so far this has not turned out well at all.

Israel was legally in the right by inspecting ships.  This has already been declared in the UN.  No other ship had any problems.  It was the defiance that came out of Turkey which caused those Turks on board to attack the Israeli naval inspectors.  There was much more to be discussed than for Netanyahu to give an apology which was not accepted.

 This all started with a Muslim Brotherhood development that affected Egypt, Turkey, Iran and others.  Observance in one's religion should not be leading to such hatred for others of different faiths.  What good is a religion if it  teaches hatred?  

Syria's Explosive Border Draws USA Military to Assist Jordan

Nadene Goldfoot
The USA sent military troops to the Jordan-Syria border just in case, Leon Panetta just announced a few hours ago.  He was speaking at a NATO conference in Brussels.  He said that the US has been working with Jordan in watching for chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria and help out with dealing with Syrian refugees that are coming over the border.  The USA has provided medical kits, water tnks and other humanitarian aid to help Jordanians help out Syrian refugees that came into Jordan.

Syria had threatened to hit Tel Aviv if there was any intervention, especially involving NATO.  For the past 5 days Turkey's border towns have been hit by Syrian mortars.  Was this the result of nudging by Romney who accused Obama of been too passive?  The policy so far has been providing only non-lethal aid to rebels who want to topple Assad.  Israel and Panetta have been concerned about Assad's stash of chemical weapons.  The word is that Syria has been seen moving some chemical weapons recently.

Syria's population before the uprising against Abbas was 22,505,000.  200,000 Syrian refugees have come into Jordan and the country has meager resources.  About 25 have already rioted in Zaatari earlier this month and destroyed tents and medicine with the result that many families were left without shelter and the nights are now cold.  Whatever where they rioting about to do such a nasty thing, I'm wondering.  Do they have to be policed as well?  With that many people together in tents, I guess Jordan does need help.

Some Jordanians have hooked up with those across their border to join about 2,000 foreigners fighting with the Syrian rebels.  So far they've wounded a Jordanian border guard.

Turkey reinforced its border with artillery guns and have more fighter jets.  NATO said it stood ready to defend Turkey if necessary.

Israel has maintained peace with Syria for the past 40 years but it has been a simmering peace.  The news that "Syran-Kurdish activist Abdelbasset Sida is to head the main opposition group in exile, the Syrian National Council, now presents Jerusalem with an opportunity to express tacit support for a possible successor to Mr. Assad."

Resource:http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/panetta-us-sends-forces-to-jordan-in-case-of-syrian-escalation/2012/
 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303734204577465990770998890.html

Syria's Mortars Hit Turkey Causing Immediate Reaction from NATO

Nadene Goldfoot
Israel has been hit by about 10,000 mortars, missiles and rockets since 2001 daily.  By January 2009 they had been shelled by 8,600 causing 28 death and hundreds of injuries  and it hasn't created a reaction from anyone except the Israelis, but let Syria hit Turkey with 5 mortars Wednesday and NATO was  right on it.  The Turkish government's armed forces fired back with artillery fire.  By using radar, they saw where they were coming from.  4 bombs tore through a district that the government held in Syria and killed more then 30 people.  The building is now rubble.

Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, said the US was "outraged that the Syrians have been shooting across the border."  I hope someone has been outraged when southern Israel has been hit every day.  I never hear about it.  The only thing we know is the Israel has had to have bomb shelters at every school because once an incoming rocket is known about, the civilian population has 30 seconds to get to shelter.

In fact, the United States has warned Israel not to react.  By December 27, 2008 Israel had had it and reacted with Operation Cast Lead after 8 years of continual shelling which led to the slanted and lying Goldstone Report, putting Israel in more of a headache.  Later Goldstone of South Africa double checked and found he had been misinformed and said so, but our enemies refuse to listen and keep pointing to the original incorrect report.

So here we are with the Palestinians still determined to drive Israel into the sea by daily bombings.  Turkey is telling NATO to go into Syria with them, but Israel had to do it alone.  Turkey wants a safe zone.  Unfortunately, Israel is so small that it's city of Sderot is very close to the Gaza border and has been hit constantly, taking the brunt of much of the attacks.

Now Turkey raises the question with "There must certainly be a response in international law.  Why didn't they ever raise this question when Israel was bombarded starting in 2001?  I don't think anyone did.  The rebels of Syria have been busy blasting their own country with reprisals from the goverment that are blasting the country to smithereens.  Historical areas are being hit as well.  It's all stemming from a government run by one man who is not democratically minded and wants to run the show.  One never knows if the next person will be better for the whole area's peace or horrid.


Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-fires-syria-deadly-shelling-205018823.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
http://www.jnnnews.com/report_01_05_09.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_War

Israel-Seven Minutes to Prevent Extinction

Nadene Goldfoot
President Obama has two major problems before the elections in the states; oil prices which could affect economic recovery  and Israel's attacking Iran.  It's not good for gathering in the votes.

In the meanwhile, Israel is shvitzing rightly over the fact that it will only will take 7 minutes for a nuclear headed missile to get to Israel from Iran.  Since Israel is obviously the first target Iran would aim at, no one else is really shook up about it.

Decisions in Israel are not made alone, however.  A think tank made up of nine deeply intelligent and mature men who are very serious-minded sit on the country's highest policy making forum, "The Institute for National Security Studies."  Amos Yadlin, head,  is one who was formerly Israel's chief of Military Intelligence with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.  He spoke earlier this month at a conference of the Washington Institute in Virginia and said that Iran had a sophisticated strategy to get nuclear weapons that was working.  He also was for exhausting all other options before using military strength  but they had to consider realistic facts asking themselves,  which is more dangerous?

        They have been mulling over some  Imperative Considerations.  
Consider: Which is more dangerous all around?  A nuclear Iran or attacking Iran.
Failure to contain Iran now without nuclear weapons created or when they do have nuclear weapons
Iran's possible miscalculations and lack of stability causing the  launching of a nuclear missile impulsively
Huge temptation due to hatred of Israel and the United States
Are diplomatic words working well enough to halt creation of weaponry?
Does Israel of all nations have nothing to worry about when they are 7 minutes away from Extinction?

Former Mosad chief Meir Dagan and former Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin were for waiting and not going it alone but to get the USA to lead the charge if this was the decision.  Yadlin, as head of the think tank,  spoke up saying that they mustn't make media waves by publicly trashing Netanyahu and Barak's Iran policy and painting them like extremists or messianic men.  The think tank is made up of serious men who can express themselves straightforwardly with much integrity and professionalism.   There is much to consider and  lives of a whole nation are at stake and they are not about to go off half-cocked.

Holding off because of  November voting for personal gain does not hold a candle to their possible extinction.  I don't think that the think tank is all that impressed with  the international diplomats' positive outlooks in dealing with Iran.  The decision is in the hands of this rational  think tank and not one person alone.

Therefore, Yukiya Amano, head of the UN nuclear agency, was in Tehran on Sunday with the focus on finally getting an agreement from the Tehran government on terms that will allow the agency to resume investigating whether or not Iran secretly worked on nuclear weapons.  They don't even know and have to barter to get permission to investigate!  No wonder Israel is shvitzing.

Israel was shunned, even by the USA,  by not being invited to Chicago's NATO summit where France is talking about anti-missile defense systems, something Israel is indeed involved with being they are the country most threatened daily in this world and happen to be one of the usual friends invited.  All the 28 member nations and their friends were invited, however.  They should ask Israel how much faith they put in their system and how it is working, but Israel won't be there to ask.  Israel will put their faith where they always have in the past for help, not in fair-weather friends.

Reference: frontpagemag.com/2012/05/21/ex-israeli-spy-chief-backs-netanyahu-on-iran/print
Oregonian newspaper 5/21/12 , AP, wire reports- page A3, A4
Update: 9:22am http://www.jpost.com/IranianThreat/News/Article.aspx?id=270875  

A Slap in the Face from NATO

Nadene Goldfoot
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization or NATO is having a summit conference in Chicago on May 20-21.  It has an outreach program with 7 friendly nations including Israel besides dozens of others.  Thirteen of these nations have been invited to Chicago but not Israel.  Why?  Israel is being snubbed!  Even the USA blocked their invitation!  They have a weak excuse, something like it's because Israel is not in on the war in Afghanistan.  Are the 13 others that have been invited?

NATO has 28 members in this North Atlantic Alliance who are Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Rep., Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, UK and USA.  

They have partner countries.  Their Mediterranean Dialogue Countries consist of:

1. Algeria, -99% Sunni Muslim

2. Egypt, -90% Sunni Muslim

3. Israel,   80% Jewish 20% Muslim, Christians (1.4 million Muslim citizens)

4. Jordan, 95% Sunni Muslim

5. Mauritania, 99.99% Sunni Muslim

6. Morocco  -99% Sunni/Sufi Muslim

7. Tunisia.  -98% Sunni Muslim

Israel just happens to be a key link to the US missile shield made for NATO which Russia is angry about, and are the Israeli navy partners of NATO forces in securing the Mediterranean and Red Seas as well as being in on other important military and intelligence contributions to Western security.  Israel is using a missile shield to ward off many of the incoming missiles aimed at them from Gaza, so would surely be useful in reporting on quality of style, prevention, etc.    

I ask, who has the Moxie out of these seven ?  They're shunning Israel?  Without Israel, I wonder if they're capable of coming up with additional aids in security or any useful ideas.  It looks to me like Israel is a kingpin in this decision-making, a country who they plan to milk out of ideas and contributions but not to be counted as one of the gang.  So Israel hasn't been invited inside the country club.  Well, who wants to be a member, anyway?  

Resource: Debka@thejmg.com Debka newsletter May 18th
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57432583/israel-not-invited-to-nato-summit-in-chicago/

http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/nato_countries.htm
http://news.yahoo.com/russia-threatens-aim-natos-missile-defense-shield-161859267.html
http://www.sdjewishworld.com/2012/05/18/u-s-goes-along-with-natos-snub-of-israel/