Crossfire War – Rapid Fire News=Tehran – Beirut – Damascus Watch – West Asia – North – Northeast Africa Theatre: Tehran – Riyadh – Tripoli – Khartoum – El Arish – Ramallah – Gaza – Baghdad – Damascus – Beirut/Jerusalem – London – Washington – Paris – Rome – Cairo – Amman; An Iranian Attack Will Prompt A Severe Reaction From Israel Which Will Destroy the Iranian Nation – Israel National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer – Lebanon Army Orders Civilians Away from Israel Border – Syria Increases Alert Level – Hezbollah Revenge Attack Near – Three US Soldiers Killed More Than 30 Wounded in Rocket Attacks in Baghdad
Night Watch: JERUSALEM – An Iranian attack will prompt a severe reaction from Israel which will destroy the Iranian nation. The Jerusalem Post reports that was the extremely undiplomatic remark by Israel National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer as he visited the War Room of Israel’s Turning Point 2 national war exercises which became operational Monday. Obviously diplomacy has run its course as the facade of peaceful regional relations is about to be blown away again but to a much greater extent than in 2006 when the fighting, intense as it was, lasted only a month and was primarily between Hezbollah/Israel. Ben-Eliezer is definitely aware of that and continued that Tehran also is definitely aware of our strength. Even so they are teasing us with their alliances with Syria and Hezbollah and supplying them with many weapons and we have to deal with this. It is because Iran is aware of Israel’s nuclear arsenal and powerful conventional forces that Tehran has been preparing Hezbollah and Syria to receive the brunt of Israel’s offensive in the hope Israel will be to busy with them to find time to launch much of any attack on Iran. Most of the rockets and missiles fired at Israel will come from Hezbollah-Syria exported and made with massive production assistance from Iran. [JPOST]
Concerning the Turning Point 2 exercises Ben-Eliezer observed, the exercise that Israeli is simulating at the moment is not a false display or a fictional scenario. The reality in the future is likely to be many times more severe than that with which we are familiar. We are facing a reality in which the home front will become the battlefield. In a future war it will be much safer to live in Nahariya or Shlomi than in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv because I foresee that during the opening blow hundreds of missiles will rain on Israel. No place in the country will be outside the range of Syria and Hezbollah missiles and rockets. That is quite true but it is the technical reality of today’s high-tech weaponry with its uncertain, intricate, fragile guidance systems that not all rockets and missiles will hit their targets precisely if at all plus the added problem of dud warheads whether conventional or non-conventional. Nothing works as well as advertised no matter who made it and China is noted especially for cutting corners when it comes to material in order to reduce costs, sub-standard steel for instance. The engine designs for Iran’s ballistic missiles are based on a North Korean design developed by China. An example was the Syria-Iranian missile base the Israel Air Force (IAF) destroyed last September and the base used equipment from North Korea. Therefore whatever damage projection Tehran has made concerning Israel with the rocket-missile fire from Hamas-Hezbollah-Syria is incorrect. Israel will remain in a position to respond very quickly and effectively. The Turning Point 2 exercises are scheduled to end April 10.
Beirut – INN and Al-Arabiyah network television are reporting the Lebanon Army has ordered villagers in the south away from Israel’s border and is setting up dirt roadblocks and inspection towers along the border to prevent Lebanese from coming to close to the fence. It reduces the chance of them being caught in a four way crossfire between Israel, Hezbollah-Lebanon and the 12,000 European units with UNIFIL. This is obvious preparation for the war expanding this year and the next incident too set it off could be at any time since it is finally being mentioned Damascus is about to release the findings of its investigation into the supposed assassination of Hezbollah official Imad Mughniyeh in February. Mughniyeh’s disappearance was staged by Tehran in order to set the stage for the next crisis (war) as every government in the region has been on a razor’s edge since then knowing Hezbollah is going to launch a revenge attack as they and Damascus-Tehran accuse Israel of the killing. [INN]
It is Israel’s Channel 2TV that is reporting Damascus has raised its alert level since they know Hezbollah’s revenge attack is near and Jerusalem has already alerted Damascus it will hold Syria responsible for any Hezbollah action. The Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily, based in London, has said sources in Damascus have informed them the Syrian government will blame foreigners for what they are calling Imad Mughniyeh’s killing and that can only mean Israel, therefore justifying Hezbollah’s response.
International Green Zone – France24/AFP are reporting three U. S. soldiers were killed and more than thirty wounded in two separate rockets attacks, one on the International Green Zone and the other on a forward military base in the Rustumiyah area in eastern Baghdad. The strikes took place between 3:30 pm – 3:45 pm killing two in the Green Zone and wounding between 17 and 19. The other attack killed one soldier and wounded fourteen as there was other heavy action in Sadr City east of the capital. [FRANCE24]
Late news from France24 is now saying the location of Wednesday’s massive demonstration, to be led by Shia cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr head of the Mahdi Army, has been changed from Najaf to Baghdad. Tehran has timed if for the fifth anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein and it appears the marchers are intending to arrive at the square where Hussein’s statue was removed. Al-Sadr is calling for a million people to attend and Iran is having him demand an end to the U. S. occupation.