The Israelis are walking on pins and needles as far as their relationship with the US is concerned. The alliance between the two countries is not in jeapordy but the Israelis are under stress because of the Iranian nuclear program. They know that if the Iranians are successful in developing nuclear weapons they will be the first target of any attack.It seems as if they need to know in more certain terms that the US is committed to help them. The US has a different view of handling the situation than the Israelis so our thinking is different. The Israelis are feeling the pressure of being in imminent danger because the Iranians are their avowed enemies.
Their situation is unenvionable because they face total destruction if they are not careful. In this instance they are wondering about the committment of the United States because they have scaled down the number of troops that they were to provide for a joint military exercise dramatically.
I can see both sides of the coin on this one. The US doesn't want to incite any hard feelings but the Israelis need to feel more love than what they seem to be getting. The U.S. has vehemently denied reports that the reduction in the number of troops that they are sending is a sign of tensions between the administrations of President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel's persistent threats to launch an airstrike on Iran.
Netanyahu has been pressuring Obama to take a stronger position against Iran, most recently demanding a “a clear red line” be drawn over its nuclear program that, should Iran cross it, opens the country to attack. They need some assurance of their status because they are right there in harms way and the rest of the Arab world is at odds with them. If Iran attacks Israel the situation will escalate very quickly and they know that. this puts them in a desperate position.
Netanyahu has grown increasingly frustrated by U.S. determination to avoid a war with Iran if at all possible. In London last week U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey made known his own reluctance to see American troops pulled into another regional war because Israel strikes Iran.
The Israelis feel that if they are to survive they will have to strike first. They obviously believe that their very existence is at stake here.
The US knows that if a war does break out it can very quickly escalate into something very nasty such as a world war. In lieu of this they want to try all diplomatic and other means before they resort to physical violence. Once it reaches that point it will have reached the point of no return.
5,000 U.S. troops were to have participated in Israel according to the original plan. Patriot anti-missile systems will still arrive in Israel as planned, but without the crews needed to operate them. Furthermore, instead of two Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense warships, only one, or perhaps none at all, will be dispatched to Israeli-controlled waters.
The drill comes amid intense speculation that Israel is planning to bomb Iran's controversial nuclear facilities, possibly before the U.S. elections in November. If Israel attacks, Tehran and its allies, including the radical Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, are expected to retaliate by launching missiles at Israeli cities.
This is a situation that is just not going to dissappear over time. It is like tooth decay. It will have to be dealt with sooner or later. It can't be allowed to remain. Training for the contingency or war will be a serious test for our military ring customers who are located in the region.
Netanyahu has grown increasingly frustrated by U.S. determination to avoid a war with Iran if at all possible. In London last week U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey made known his own reluctance to see American troops pulled into another regional war because Israel strikes Iran.
The Israelis feel that if they are to survive they will have to strike first. They obviously believe that their very existence is at stake here.
The US knows that if a war does break out it can very quickly escalate into something very nasty such as a world war. In lieu of this they want to try all diplomatic and other means before they resort to physical violence. Once it reaches that point it will have reached the point of no return.
5,000 U.S. troops were to have participated in Israel according to the original plan. Patriot anti-missile systems will still arrive in Israel as planned, but without the crews needed to operate them. Furthermore, instead of two Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense warships, only one, or perhaps none at all, will be dispatched to Israeli-controlled waters.
The drill comes amid intense speculation that Israel is planning to bomb Iran's controversial nuclear facilities, possibly before the U.S. elections in November. If Israel attacks, Tehran and its allies, including the radical Shiite Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, are expected to retaliate by launching missiles at Israeli cities.
This is a situation that is just not going to dissappear over time. It is like tooth decay. It will have to be dealt with sooner or later. It can't be allowed to remain. Training for the contingency or war will be a serious test for our military ring customers who are located in the region.
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