U.S., Israeli forces to stage largest military drill in show of unity aimed at Iran
Thursday, 18 October 2012
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Israeli Defense
Minister Ehud Barak greet Israeli soldiers after a joint news conference
during a visit to the Iron Dome defense system launch site in Ashkelon.
(Reuters)
The United States and Israel are set to launch a major military
exercise in a show of unity aimed at Iran, despite friction between
American and Israeli leaders over how to counter Tehran’s nuclear
ambitions.
The air defense drills, dubbed “Austere Challenge 2012,” will unfold next week and last about three weeks, with 3,500 U.S. troops and 1,000 Israeli forces taking part, officers said Wednesday.
“This is the largest exercise in the history of the longstanding military relationship between the U.S. and Israel,” said Lieutenant General Craig Franklin, 3rd Air Force Commander, who is overseeing the drill along with his Israeli counterpart, Brigadier General Nitzan Nuriel.
The air defense drills, dubbed “Austere Challenge 2012,” will unfold next week and last about three weeks, with 3,500 U.S. troops and 1,000 Israeli forces taking part, officers said Wednesday.
“This is the largest exercise in the history of the longstanding military relationship between the U.S. and Israel,” said Lieutenant General Craig Franklin, 3rd Air Force Commander, who is overseeing the drill along with his Israeli counterpart, Brigadier General Nitzan Nuriel.
“This exercise will improve the
cooperative missile defense of Israel and will promote regional
stability and help ensure a military edge,” Franklin told reporters in a
teleconference.
But the drill is about more than missile defenses.
The elaborate exercise takes place at a politically-charged moment, amid speculation about a possible Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran, a hotly-contested U.S. presidential election weeks away and parliamentary polls expected in Israel within a few months.
The drill’s “scenario is to deal with threats from all fronts,” Nuriel, the Israeli commander, told the same phone conference.
“Anybody can get any type of message he wants from this exercise. The fact we are practicing together and working together is a strong message by itself.”
Although Israel faces rocket attacks out of Gaza and missile threats from Syria and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, the main worry for the Jewish state is Iran’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles.
In a report this year to Congress, the Pentagon warned that Iran’s missiles could hit Israel and Eastern European countries, including an extended-range version of the Shahab-3 and a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers.
The missile threat, combined with the crisis over Iran’s disputed nuclear program, prompted Israeli authorities in August to test a SMS public alert system designed to warn the population of an imminent attack.
In the works for two years, the joint exercise originally was scheduled for April but was postponed at Israel’s request, without an official explanation.
The drill highlights U.S.-Israeli cooperation just as President Barack Obama seeks to deflect criticism from his Republican rival Mitt Romney, who has accused him of neglecting America’s ally and rebuffing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Obama and Netanyahu disagree over the urgency of the perceived threat posed by Iran, with the U.S. president favoring more time for diplomacy and international sanctions to rein in Tehran’s uranium enrichment work.
Netanyahu has publicly aired his differences with the Obama administration over the Iran issue, scolding Washington for failing to set its own “red lines” that would trigger military action against Tehran.
The West believes Iran is secretly pursuing plans to develop a nuclear weapons capability, but Tehran insists its program is designed purely for peaceful purposes to generate electricity.
But the drill is about more than missile defenses.
The elaborate exercise takes place at a politically-charged moment, amid speculation about a possible Israeli pre-emptive attack on Iran, a hotly-contested U.S. presidential election weeks away and parliamentary polls expected in Israel within a few months.
The drill’s “scenario is to deal with threats from all fronts,” Nuriel, the Israeli commander, told the same phone conference.
“Anybody can get any type of message he wants from this exercise. The fact we are practicing together and working together is a strong message by itself.”
Although Israel faces rocket attacks out of Gaza and missile threats from Syria and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, the main worry for the Jewish state is Iran’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles.
In a report this year to Congress, the Pentagon warned that Iran’s missiles could hit Israel and Eastern European countries, including an extended-range version of the Shahab-3 and a medium-range ballistic missile with a range of 2,000 kilometers.
The missile threat, combined with the crisis over Iran’s disputed nuclear program, prompted Israeli authorities in August to test a SMS public alert system designed to warn the population of an imminent attack.
In the works for two years, the joint exercise originally was scheduled for April but was postponed at Israel’s request, without an official explanation.
The drill highlights U.S.-Israeli cooperation just as President Barack Obama seeks to deflect criticism from his Republican rival Mitt Romney, who has accused him of neglecting America’s ally and rebuffing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Obama and Netanyahu disagree over the urgency of the perceived threat posed by Iran, with the U.S. president favoring more time for diplomacy and international sanctions to rein in Tehran’s uranium enrichment work.
Netanyahu has publicly aired his differences with the Obama administration over the Iran issue, scolding Washington for failing to set its own “red lines” that would trigger military action against Tehran.
The West believes Iran is secretly pursuing plans to develop a nuclear weapons capability, but Tehran insists its program is designed purely for peaceful purposes to generate electricity.
Labels: Iran, Israel, Middle East, Nuclear Technology, Traditions, United States
posted by Pieface | 8:12 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home