Subject: Defense Related<br /><br /><br />Iranian Advisor: We'll Strike Dimona In Response To U.S. Attack<br /><br />Signs That the United States is About to Bomb Iran<br /><br />Ukraine Considers Reviving Production Of Tactical Missiles<br /><br />---------------<br /><br />Last update - 05:18 25/02/2006 <br /><br />Iranian Advisor: We'll Strike Dimona In Response To U.S. Attack<br /><br /> http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/687022.html <br /><br />By Yossi Melman, Haaretz Correspondent <br /><br />If the United States launches an attack on Iran, the Islamic republic will retaliate with a military strike on Israel's main nuclear facility.<br /><br />Dr. Abasi, an advisor to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, said Tehran would respond to an American attack with strikes on the Dimona nuclear reactor and other strategic Israeli sites such as the port city of Haifa and the Zakhariya area.<br /><br />Haifa is also home to a large concentration of chemical factories and oil refineries. <br /><br />Zakhariya, located in the Jerusalem hills is - according to foreign reports - home to Israel's Jericho missile base. Both Israeli and international media have published commercial satellite images of the Zakhariya and Dimona sites.<br /><br />Abasi, a senior lecturer at Tehran University, was quoted in the Roz internet news site, identified with reform circles in Iran.<br /><br />Iranian affairs experts believe Abasi's statements are part of propaganda battle being wages by all sides - including Israel and Iran - in the lead up to next months United Nations Security Council debate on Iran's nuclear program. <br /><br />At this stage, the possibility that sanctions will be leveled at Iran are extremely low.<br /><br />---------------<br /><br />Signs That the United States is About to Bomb Iran<br /><br /> http://www.strategypage.com/qnd/topten/articles/20060222.aspx <br /><br />Before any major military operation, there are always tell tale signs. With all the talk about Israel or the United States bombing Iran's nuclear weapons program, it would be wise to check for the signs before taking the pundit prattle too seriously. <br /><br />1. The U.S. Navy stages a "surge exercise" and moves six carrier battle groups into the Indian Ocean. <br /><br />2. A "regularly scheduled exercise" moves Patriot Missile Batteies to Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. These exercises happen from time to time, but if they happen when other things are happening
<br /><br />3. -- Movement of B-52 and B1B bombers to the island of Diego Garcia (in the Indian Ocean). <br /><br />4. -- Deployment of F117 stealth bombers and F-22 fighters to anywhere in the Persian Gulf. <br /><br />5. -- Deployment of B-2 Stealth Bombers to Guam, where there are special facilities for maintaining these aircraft. <br /><br />6. -- Lockdown of Whitman Air Force Base (where most B-2 bombers are stationed) in Missouri. <br /><br />7. -- Increased delivery of Pizza to Pentagon <br /><br />8. Sudden loss of cell service near some air force bases (from which heavy bombers would depart). At the same time, there would be sightings of Middle Eastern looking guys around these bases, trying to get their cell phones to work, while being observed by what appears to be FBI agents. <br /><br />9. Deployment of KC-135/KC-10 aerial tankers to Diego Garcia, Guam and the Persian Gulf. <br /><br />10. America asks nations neighboring Iran for basing and over flight rights. <br /><br />These warning signs are no secret, and intelligence officers regularly run down their check lists. As a result, nations will sometimes stage a false alert by deliberately performing many of the items on someone's check list, with no intention of following through. <br /><br />---------------<br /><br />02/23/2006 <br /><br />Ukraine Considers Reviving Production Of Tactical Missiles<br /><br />Kiev ICTV Television in Ukrainian 1645 GMT 23 Feb 06<br /><br /> Ukraine considers reviving production of tactical missiles<br /><br /> Ukraine may design a tactical missile system based on the old Soviet SS-4 missile, Defence Minister Anatoliy Hrytsenko has said. Ukrainian television showed him saying that the missile's range would not exceed 300 km and therefore its production would not violate Ukraine's international obligations. The TV correspondent who visited the Dnipropetrovsk-based plant and design bureau that manufactured Soviet nuclear missiles said the plant could renew missile production at any time if needed. The following is the text of a report by the Ukrainian ICTV television on 23 February:<br /><br /> [Presenter] Ukraine wants to revive the missile forces of the ground forces. The Ukrainian defence minister, perhaps for the first time ever, broached the prospect of creating a new operational-tactical missile system.<br /><br /> Oleh Holub has come from the Dnipropetrovsk-based Pivdenne design bureau, which manufactured the legendary SS-18 missiles known as Satan [as heard, it was actually the Dnipropetrovsk-based Pivdenmash plant that made them in conjunction with the design bureau]. Ukraine is not allowed to have such missiles in service, but a modern missile with nuclear warheads can be produced on the basis of the SS-4 and this would not be in conflict with any international agreements. Designers would really like to revive the glory of missile construction, but they think it will hardly come to pass. An exclusive report by "Fakty" [this news bulletin].<br /><br /> [Correspondent] Ukraine is arming itself up. After many years of military conversion and disarmament, the army may get a new operational-tactical missile system. The prospect is still at the stage of discussion, but at the top level.<br /><br /> [Hrytsenko] We are talking about an operational-tactical missile which will have a range of up to 300 kilometres, therefore, this will not violate any international or domestic legislation.<br /><br /> [Correspondent] Welding by explosion is the only reminder of production of fearsome weapons at Pivdenmash. Production is in decline in the wake of the fever of blanket destruction of all missiles. In the past, most of the orders for the plant's products came from the Defence Ministry of the Soviet Union. Not a single order has been placed by the Ukrainian Defence Ministry in 15 years.<br /><br /> The combat version of the last SS-18 was taken out of the workshop in the early 1990s. Borys Vasylyev has worked for half a century at Pivdenmash. His best times were when military hardware was manufactured - about 100 ballistic missiles a year. The workshop chief calls them machines. Ukraine has given up its strategic weapons, but everything needed to produce missiles is still in place in the workshop.<br /><br /> [Borys Vasylyev, captioned as Pivdenmash workshop chief, in Russian] I should not be saying this [laughs] They will cut this out. We have everything. If a command is issued, we will make them [missiles]. I believe I will live to see this.<br /><br /> [Correspondent] They say in Dnipropetrovsk that a modern army is useless without missile systems. The Pivdenne design bureau can offer new ideas, but even the old ones arouse more than nostalgia.<br /><br /> [Stanislav Konyukhov, captioned as director-general of the Pivdenne design bureau, in Russian] It is the same ballistic missile, albeit with a smaller fuel load and a less powerful engine. All the characteristics are considerably lower. It you take our first missile, it could also be called a tactical one - the missile 8K63, the one that was in Cuba. You are exactly right, the SS-4.<br /><br /> [Correspondent] The SS-4 was [Soviet leader Nikita] Khrushchev's favourite. It was exactly what Mr Khrushchev intended to bury the USA with. Its smaller version would not violate international treaties limiting Ukraine's armaments. In addition, its production is not forgotten and it can be 100-per-cent Ukrainian - if this is ever to become a reality.<br /><br /> Ukraine will never have a missile similar to the legendary SS-18 Satan, the plant's staff say bitterly. Yet another defence minister promises to revive missile troops, but they don't believe it in Dnipropetrovsk.<br /><br />[Description of Source: Kiev ICTV Television in Ukrainian -- Private channel owned by former President Kuchma's son-in-law Viktor Pinchuk. Supported Kuchma while he was still in power.]<br /><br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br />"In God We Trust, Others We Track"
