Current Events in Mideast-Africa

Hez Hacked Israeli Radios DefenseTech This is downright shocking, if true. "Hezbollah guerrillas were able to hack into Israeli radio communications during last month's battles in south Lebanon, an intelligence breakthrough that helped them thwart Israeli tank assaults," Newsday reports. Using technology most likely supplied by Iran, special Hezbollah teams monitored the constantly changing radio frequencies of Israeli troops on the ground. That gave guerrillas a picture of Israeli movements, casualty reports and supply routes. It also allowed Hezbollah anti-tank units to more effectively target advancing Israeli armor, according to the officials... T…

Cleric takes bold moves in Pakistan Events follow criticism against president for increasing ‘Talibanization’ MSNBC News Services Updated: 3:05 p.m. ET April 6, 2007 ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - In a bold challenge to the government, a firebrand cleric said Friday he had formed an Islamic court to enforce a Taliban-style vice campaign in the Pakistani capital, threatening suicide attacks if authorities try to stop him. Thousands of followers of Maulana Abdul Aziz underlined their defiance by chanting “Our way is jihad!” and setting fire to hundreds of mainly Western DVDs and video cassettes outside Islamabad’s Red Mosque. Friday’s events deepen a dilemma for Pres…

From ARES Pakistan Inks AWACS Deal with China? Posted by Graham Warwick at 12/18/2008 1:00 PM CST The Pakistani press is reporting that Islamabad has stuck a deal with China for airborne warning and control system aircraft - believed to be KJ-2000s, a Chinese version of the Beriev A-50 Mainstay. If true, it would give Pakistan an approximate equivalent to the Israeli-equipped A-50EIs on order for arch rival India. Photo: Chinese internet, via sinodefence.com According to sinodefence.com, the KJ-2000 is based on the Russian-supplied A-50, but with a Chinese electronically scanned array radar and mission system developed after the U.S. blocked the sale of…

Published: 3/10/06, 10:36 PM EDT by the AP UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The five veto-holding members of the Security Council considered proposals on Friday to pressure Iran to resolve questions about its nuclear program, including demands that it abandon uranium enrichment and stop construction on a reactor, diplomats said. Full story Security Council Considers Iran ProposalsPublished: 3/10/06, 10:36 PM EDT by the AP

Apparently 4xC-704 anti-ship missiles. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defe...d-ship-1.349410

Three US warships and helicopter dazzled at night by Iranian laser, USS Bataan (LHD-5), guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG-67) and dry cargo ship USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE-11), and a CH-53E. https://news.usni.org/2017/06/14/iranian-navy-ship-harasses-three-u-s-navy-ships-marine-helo-strait-hormuz

Declassified: How an Israeli operation derailed Syria’s nuclear weapons drive (DefenseNews)

Published: 3/11/06, 6:25 PM EDT BOSTON (AP) - Former Nixon adviser Alexander Haig said military leaders in Iraq are repeating a mistake made in Vietnam by not applying the full force of the military to win the war Full Story

From Jane's Defence Weekly Ukraine sells Kolchuga to Iran By Robert Karniol JDW Asia-Pacific Bureau Chief Bangkok The Kolchuga is intended to detect the take-off and formation of aircraft groups at ranges beyond those of existing radar, as well as determine the course and speed of targets while designating them for air-defence systems. It can identify aerial targets through their emissions and identify the mode of aircraft weapon control systems. Three Kolchuga stations would normally operate along with a command vehicle to provide accurate triangulation on a target. The system is claimed to have a range of 600 km (narrow beam) or 200 km (wide beam) along a …

For anyone who's interested, here are links to two of the English language daily papers we read when I worked in the KSA: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm http://www.arabnews.com/ There was another called the Riyadh Daily, but apparently it folded a few years ago. Buddha

From RIA Novosti

Syria's Uncertain Air Defense Capabilities (CSIS)

From DefenseNews U.S. To Sell F-16 Fighters to Pakistan By P. PARAMESWARAN, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The United States on March 25 announced plans to sell F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite objections from Islamabad’s nuclear rival India. The sale was part of a new strategic approach to the troubled subcontinent that was presented to both countries by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her visit there earlier this month, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. President George W. Bush telephoned Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on March 25 to inform him of the decision, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Singh e…

From Air Force Times Reports: Iran may buy 250 jets from Russia By Philip Ewing - Staff writer Posted : Tuesday Jul 31, 2007 7:42:16 EDT Iran is in negotiations with Russia to buy 250 state-of-the-art fighter jets, an Israeli newspaper reported, in a pointed response to a new American bid to sell billions of dollars’ worth of weapons to potential Iranian adversaries in the Middle East. The English-language Jerusalem Post of Israel reported Monday that top Israeli defense officials are investigating the potential Iran-Russia deal, in which Iran would pay $1 billion for about a dozen squadrons’ worth of Sukhoi Su-30 “Flanker” fighter-bombers. As a part of t…

From DefenseNews U.S. Deploys Radar, Troops To Israel By gayle s. putrich Published: 26 Sep 12:14 EDT (16:14 GMT) U.S. European Command (EUCOM) has deployed to Israel a high-powered X-band radar and the supporting people and equipment needed for coordinated defense against Iranian missile attack, marking the first permanent U.S. military presence on Israeli soil. More than a dozen aircraft, including C-5s and C-17s, helped with the Sept. 21 delivery of the AN/TPY-2 Transportable Radar Surveillance/Forward Based X-band Transportable (FBX-T), its ancillary components and some 120 EUCOM personnel to Israel's Nevatim Air Base southeast of Beersheba, said sources…

From Stratfor Iran's View of Obama March 23, 2009 By George Friedman U.S. President Barack Obama released a video offering Iran congratulations on the occasion of Nowruz, the Persian New Year, on Friday. Israeli President Shimon Peres also offered his best wishes, referring to “the noble Iranian people.” The joint initiative was received coldly in Tehran, however. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the video did not show that the United States had shifted its hostile attitude toward Iran. The video is obviously part of Obama’s broader strategy of demonstrating that his administration has shifted U.S. policy, at least to the extent that it is…

Saudi-led coalition confirms missile attack on UAE ship (Jane's)

the BBB : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7637257.stm Extract from the full news page : Somalia's pirates seize 33 tanks The waters off Somalia are among the most dangerous in the world A Ukrainian ship seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia was carrying 33 tanks and other weapons, the Ukrainian defence minister has confirmed. Earlier, the country's foreign ministry said the ship had a crew of 21 and was sailing under a Belize flag to the Kenyan port of Mombasa. There has been a recent surge in p…

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20808517 (rmks: Sky News gives this a lot greater prominence. I believe this is a partial make-up for the UK lowering its order)

Plan B for Iran (Politico)