Drone Over Israel Downed: Possible Hezbollah-Iran Financed Terrorism

Nadene Goldfoot
A drone, possibly from the Lebanese Islamic militant group, Hezbollah, was sited over Israel on Saturday.  Israeli fighter jets shot it down.  That was the first time in the past 6 years that a hostile aircraft got into Israel's airspace.

Hezbollah is backed by Iran.  they are known to have sent drones over Israel before.  Right now Iran and Israel are at odds over the Iranians creating uranium to service A bombs which would be used on Israel.  Iran has threatened Israel saying they are going to destroy her and drive her into the sea and other nasty expletives.  After calling Israel every horrible name imagined and then some, they have the audacity to say that their program is for peaceful reasons only like medicine.

At the same time, Iran is having to deal with their very angry citizens who find the value of their money is shrinking quickly.  Iran is trying to placate international concerns over their nuclear program which has brought about restrictions on Iran and is starting to hurt them.  They say they have converted more than 1/3 of their most enriched uranium into a powder for a medical research reactor.  They say that this stuff would be hard to reprocess to make atomic weapons.  The goal for them now is to restart nuclear talks with the world powers and soften demands by the US and others to stop their top-level uranium enrichment.

The USA and allies want them to stop the 20% production and ship the rest outside the country.  Iran is adamant that they will never give up the capacity for this enrichment program.  Sanctions need to continue and the Iranians need to keep being vocal about their situation in order to change Tehran's leadership to finally make a deal.

Iran has almost 419 pounds of 20% enriched uranium produced.  They have made U308-uranium oxide from 157 pounds of it.  Experts say that it's not good material for making weapons.  Just how much of it do they need for medical research?  We're talking about the remainder of the 262 pounds they have ready to go into death dealing atomic weaponry.

Resource: Oregonian Sunday paper 10/7/2012 page A 11: Israeli jets down drone that had entered airspace, AP
page A12 Iran makes move to ease fears over nuke program by Ali Akbar Dareini, AP 

Why Iran Sneers at the Whole World

Nadene Goldfoot
Iran has made it plain that they are out to get Israel.  The only people drastically worried about their ability are the Israelis who feel that they will soon have the capabilities if not stopped in time. Continued meetings have not shaken Iran at all.

Iran already has enough uranium for 4 bombs with their 3% while the world is only worrying about them reaching the level of 20%.  Iran has plans to go beyond that level as they don't think anyone is really determined to stop them.  This came from a speech by Netanyahu to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee today.

Sanctions that started yesterday  are only cramping their style and not severe sanctions.

Iran has stockpiles of weapons in Gaza that can reach Tel Aviv.  The situation in Sinai is deteriorating in that since the elections "it has become an "arms depot and firing range for Hamas missiles."  This is why Israel is working on building a border fence in that region.

Netanyahu feels  that to be concerned about Iran's goals to "wipe Israel off the map" is not being obsessive, but  healthy as it is a great threat to the people of Israel.  His responsibility is to keep everyone there safe.

The picture is even grimmer coming from the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency back in May 25, 2012.  They scientifically predict that Iran will have enough uranium up to speed to make 6 nuclear weapons by the end of the year and already have enough for 4 of them.  Between the Fordow and the Natanz plants, they have enriched uranium up to 3.5% or 5 times what was foreseen in 2009.

This is why Netanyahu has often spoken of a time period of the open window that doesn't stay open for long.

Resource:  http://jewishbubba.blogspot.com
http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=276013 by Lahav Harkov, Gil Hoffman
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/31/irans_growing_stockpile

Iran Thumbs Nose At World in 2010

by Nadene Goldfoot

On February 9th we were notified that Iran has escalated their uranium to 20% purity at their Natanz nuclear plant. That will lead to producing weapons-grade uranium. Who said they weren't interested in making weapons?

The USA's reaction to this news is to plan to develop new, more robust sanctions against Iran in the coming weeks. It doesn't sound to me like we're in a hurry to do so. Evidently what sanctions we've had weren't impressing the Iranians at all.

We have now passed sanctions targeting U.S. companies that provide refined oil to Iran. Both the House and the Senate bill won approval. I am shocked that up till now we have been allowing this to happen. What type of 4 rounds of sanctions have we had up till now? Forbidding Hershey bars to be sold to Iran? We sure haven't shook them up.

Evidently we've been trying to get support from others on the UN Security Council for this 5th round of sanctions which so far haven't been doing the job. We've had support from France and Russia but not China. My feeling is that China is the closest to Iran and doesn't want to irritate them. Besides themselves, China really doesn't want anything to harm the USA because they will never get repaid on their loans to us if we're attacked, and they feel the USA is safely far enough away from Iran. Only Israel is in harm's way, and they have no emotional or financial ties with her.

The only reason I see that Iran wants nuclear weapons is to shoot a nuclear warhead at Israel and destroy her completely. Of course they would then be the head country in the Middle East. They had had a bloody war with Iraq when I lived in Israel from 1980-1985, so are not adverse to attacking other neighbors. They're not of the same stock. They are not Arabs.

Long ago Haman, a head politician in Iran, which was then Persia, plotted and almost succeeded in killing every Jewish person in the land. In the end the tables were turned and he and all his sons were hung. I say that Iranian politicians like Ahmadinejad had better watch out or they might blow up their own country. Before he came into power Israel was getting along quite well with the Shah of Iran. This new religious power is not even listening to their own people. They need a Mordecai to step up to the plate and save them!

Even the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank should be worrying along with Israel. After all, they are in the line of fire. You can't attack Israel without hitting these places on the border. Jordan should be worried also as well as Lebanon. I see Iran feeling these small states are expendable, though. Their goal to destroy Israel is their main thrust that they think about.

Gosh! Iran may have to use their own oil for gasoline. Think of that! I really don't think this round of sanctions is going to do the job. Now maybe if we withdrew all our McDonald's, someone might think about what they're doing.....The closer they're getting to destroy Israel, the more they feel that sacrifice is called for. It's going to take more than sanctions, I'm afraid.

Resource: http://www.theisraelproject.org/