Israel prepping for war with Iran?
Jewish state orders military fuel from U.S. Defense Department
Posted: August 28, 2010
1:00 am Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2010 WorldNetDaily
Increasing speculation it may be preparing for a military assault on Iran or a regional war involving Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, Israel has placed its largest order of military fuel with the United States on record.
The Jewish state, earlier this month, ordered 284,000 gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel, 100,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 100,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline – all suitable for military uses – at an estimated cost of $2 billion.
"It would be inappropriate for us to comment about what actions Israel may take or how they will use their fuel," Marine Corps Major Chris Perrine, a public affairs officer at the Department of Defense, told WND. "I would note, however, that it would take a lot more than fuel to attack a country or wage a regional war."
Read about the developing drumbeats, in "The Late Great State of Israel"
The sale was detailed in an Aug. 5 notification the Defense Security Cooperation Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense posted on its website, in compliance with the requirement to give Congress advance notice of foreign military sales.
"The proposed sale of the JP-8 aviation fuel will enable Israel to maintain the operational capability of its aircraft inventory," the notification to Congress said. "The unleaded gasoline and diesel fuel will be used for ground forces' vehicles and other equipment used in keeping peace and security in the region. Israel will have no difficulty absorbing this additional fuel into its armed forces."
By comparison, the last fuel order Israel placed with the U.S. was July 15, 2008, when Israel ordered 186,000 gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel, 54,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 28,000 gallons of unleaded gasolineat an estimated cost of $1.3 billion.
Prior to that, Israel ordered 90,000 gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel and 42,000 gallons of diesel fuel Aug. 24, 2007, for an estimated cost of $308 million; and an unspecified amount of JP-8 aviation jet fuel July 14, 2006, for an estimated cost of $210 million.
Israel's last two military operations were the summer 2006 Lebanon War that last a little over one month and the Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza from Dec. 27, 2008, to Jan. 21, 2009.
Atomic Iran
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since Iran made its nuclear power plant at Bushehr operational with the assistance of Russia earlier this month.
John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., has warned repeatedly that Bushehr would be much more difficult for Israel to attack after it went operational, largely because any military strike would release radioactivity that could be harmful to the civilian population.
Israel's unwillingness to attack the Iranian nuclear power plant at Bushehr before it went operational has caused considerable controversy within Israel.
Writing in the Jerusalem Post, columnist Caroline Glick observed that from a military perspective, the longer Israel waits to attack, the harder it will be for Israel "to accomplish the mission."
Focusing much of the blame on Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barack, Glick commented, "Barak's strategic ineptitude is legendary."
Still, many signs point to continuing tensions in the Middle East that could easily escalate into war.
Olli Heinonen, the former head of U.N. nuclear inspections worldwide, claimed this week that Iran has stockpiled enough low-enriched uranium to make one to two nuclear bombs.
A The Jerusalem Post reported Aug. 20 reports are circulating in the region that Frederick Hoff, assistant to U.S. Middle East peace envoy George Mitchell, told Lebanese Army chief of staff Jean Kahwaji that Israel was ready to implement a plan to destroy within four hours all Lebanese military infrastructure, including army bases and offices, should another border-fire incident occur between Lebanese military and the Israel Defense Forces.
Meanwhile, Iran has maintained an aggressive posture after activating Bushehr, successfully test-firing a third-generation surface-to-surface solid-fuel Fateh 110 missile with a 150-mile range and unveiling an Iran-manufactured drone bomber with a flight range of 620 miles.
Nevertheless, the White House cautions that Iran is not on the verge of developing a nuclear weapon.
Last week, Gary Samone, President Obama's top adviser on nuclear issues, was quoted as saying it would take one year for Iran to make "a dash" to convert existing low-enriched uranium to weapons-grade and to develop the nuclear warhead required for a working weapon.
Moreover, tensions between Israel and the Palestinians appear to be easing on the eve of resumed peace negotiations.
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed an interest in meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas every two weeks as the two enter into direct peace talks next week in Washington.
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Jerome R. Corsi, a Harvard Ph.D., has authored many books, including No. 1 N.Y. Times best-sellers "The Obama Nation" and "Unfit for Command." Along with serving as WND's senior staff reporter, Corsi is a senior managing director at Gilford Securities. Gilford Securities, founded in 1979, is a full-service boutique investment firm headquartered in NYC providing financial services to institutional and retail clients, from investment banking and equity research to retirement planning and wealth management. The views, opinions, positions or strategies of the author are his alone, and do not necessarily reflect those of Gilford Securities. Gilford Securities makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability or validity of any information herein and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.
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