And in other news, a WW2 500 pound bomb detonated on a taxiway of a Japanese airport on the southern island. No one killed or injured, and the bombs detonation was video recorded by security cameras.

Over eighty flights were cancelled until bomb experts can determine if there are more bombs in the area.

During the final days of WW2, this particular air field was used as a training and staging facility for kamakazi pilots and aircraft. It was attacked on a number of occasions, but there is no way to tell if there are more undetonated munitions still waiting to explode.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Thursday, October 03, 2024 - 08:38 am: Edit

Demining is maddeningly slow, dangerous and unreliable.

I had a field just outside the wire at Khandahar where we were building the first 144 permanent buildings. Afghan laborers were constantly bringing found mines to me. If you've ever been to KAF, this is the field of CHUs right across from where the boardwalk hot dog stand was built later.

I had demining done for the facility we built on Bagram (the "AMC Compound") in 2005-2006 and the South Africans just drive around in their MRAP with STEEL WHEELS (the rubber removed and replaced with diamond tread). Poof goes the AP mine; they don't even slow down. BOOM of an AT mine and they lose a wheel/ axle/ and or drive shaft. Tow it off the field (they had 5 MRAPS) and they had a whole container of replacement parts.

After several passes they "Certify the field is proofed" down to 18 inches.

At the end of the runway was a date orchard. The poor Poles and Serbs deminers got the task of demining it. 4 deaths later they said, nope. Brought in a M1 based mine plow. No more orchard or mines.

I had the hardest time convincing people to just leave UXO and mines alone and to call the darn professionals. It was always something like 'I was in the National Guard and we learned all about mines while I was in vehicle mechanic school..."

By Steve Petrick (Petrick) on Thursday, October 03, 2024 - 02:41 pm: Edit

Israel raided Syria to shutdown its nuclear ambitions on 6 Sept 2007. Raiding Iran is a whole other kettle of fish. Not only is it further from Israel, but the munitions needed to accomplish the task are lacking because the Biden administration has not been providing them in an effort to compel Israel to accept peace less than victory. Biden is continuing the Obama administration's feud with Netanyahu in this regard. Another factor to consider is that knockout Iran's nuclear weapons program could trigger a radiation event affecting nations not directly involved in the conflict. Israel has had success in sabotage efforts so far, but one wonders how long before those are not enough.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Friday, October 04, 2024 - 08:49 am: Edit

I predict some of Irans merchant ships and oil rigs meet torpedos and cruise missiles..

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Friday, October 04, 2024 - 01:43 pm: Edit

The new Hezbollah leader, Hasham, is now being reportedly been killed.

One report, last night, by Forbes, said that the neighbors within a quarter mile of the structure where Hasham was at, received warnings on cellphone, pager and other hand held devices (tablets) were advised that they were in close proximity of a known Hezbollah terrorist, and that for their own, and any family members present safety, evacuate now. There will be no further warning.

The delay in confirmation was said to be the difficulty of retrieving the body under all of the building debris…

I wonder if Mossad thanked the civilians afterward for their cooperation?

By Randy Green (Hollywood750) on Friday, October 04, 2024 - 02:37 pm: Edit

Israel is a big boy now, and has been for some time. Their throw weight is far above any of their neighbors. Seeing many of the other unique weapon systems that they have developed, I don't think they are lacking in the appropriate munitions needed to accomplish the task if they feel pressed to do so. But if they are, and if it's because two different Democrat administrations would not provide them with the munitions needed, it seems like they would have had an opportunity to rectify that between 2017 and 2021. More likely that they want to secure their immediate frontiers from Hamas (first) and Hezbollah (now) before they turn their attention to the biggest bully.

Now radiation... that is a whole different kettle of Godzilla-sized fish..

By Vincent Solfronk (Vsolfronk) on Friday, October 04, 2024 - 09:08 pm: Edit

Mike- they will just do what Russian and Chinese tankers already do- turn off their transponders and/or switch registry.

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Saturday, October 05, 2024 - 10:47 am: Edit

And that stop warships from looking you over, and then torpedoing you how?

Iran has a pretty large merchant fleet. " Iran's merchant marine includes: 32 bulk carriers, 31 container ships, 83 oil tankers, 393 general cargo ships, and 403 ships of other types." Plus it's navies (the Navy and IRG Navy) have plenty of targets

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, October 06, 2024 - 02:28 pm: Edit

On a talking heads program, on CNN of all places, one of the panel members (not a face I recognized, so not a host) made a comment that Hezbollah upper middle management members are resigning their positions out of fear that The IDF will run out of top tier targets.

The host cut to commercial, and the panel wasn’t there after the commercial break.

I do not normally watch CNN, so this might have been a comedy skit being replayed, but if it was, it was well done.

Sad enough, to be true.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Sunday, October 06, 2024 - 04:58 pm: Edit

Ibrahim Amin, the third recent leader of Hezbollah was killed by the IDF two hours ago, in reports posted to U.K. Media sites.

The process to name a new leader has been confirmed by spokesmen for Hezbollah, but no details were given.

This is beginning to look like a childrens game called “whack a mole.”

Who knew the IDF would be so good at it?

One thought occurs to me. If the IDF ever gets down to the point of not being able to kill #up teen Hezbollah leader, all they need do, is let it be known that the guy is a paid spy of Israel.

You know, a lot has been written in the western military journals about “economy of force” in military operations, but it just might be that the Israeli MOSSAD is writing a new chapter.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Sunday, October 06, 2024 - 07:55 pm: Edit

IDF had years to figure out the Cmd & Control, supply routes and launching sites....
It's not like they didn't know where the rockets would be launched from....
IDF has been hitting trucks and other things in Syria for several years now....

Heard one report of officers from "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps" were killed in at least one of the strikes....

Sorry if that info has been posting, catching up after 10 days without the net...

By Mike Grafton (Mike_Grafton) on Monday, October 07, 2024 - 08:18 am: Edit

In many ways, Israel runs the best intel operation in the world. Not least because so many Israelis speak Arabic and other languages at a native level of proficiency.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 12:41 pm: Edit

We are starting to see the post-war plan for Gaza. Israel is building a "corridor" east-west across Gaza just south of Gaza City. They have started a second east-west corridor south of that. There are reports of two more corridors to divide the northern and southern thirds of the strip into two pieces each. Israel is also building such a corridor along the Egyptian border, the Philadelphi strip.

These corridors are 2km wide. All of the Arab population will be forcibly evacuated and the corridors bulldozed to the ground. (There are rumors that Israel will eventually allow settlements on these corridors, which seems dubious as you'd be building a house in a frying pan.) The corridors will be lined with walls and towers. The towers will be used to surveil the Gazan population. Any activity like building rocket bases or tunnels will meet with almost instant destruction.


Egypt complains that this plan violates the Israel-Egypt accords, which it does.


Israel says that Gaza has violated every agreement and like spoiled children has lost any right to a less supervised environment. Israel also notes that corrupt Egyptian officials and border guards have violated the heck out of the old accords, and the Egyptian government has done nothing to rein in the corruption when it could have done so.

Israel also notes that efforts to get Arab countries to police Gaza failed; no Arab countries want that thankless job.

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 01:43 pm: Edit

Oy vey! That is stupid in so many ways, and dangerous to the highest degree.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 02:29 pm: Edit

Got another plan where Israel prevents the next war? I mean, other than forcing the entire Gaza population into Egypt or the ocean? I don't like this plan; I haven't seen another one.

Nothing has been said but I assume that this plan will including monitoring all classrooms and Mosques to prevent radical teaching (e.g., you are all refugees, you must return to Israel and destroy it).

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 03:50 pm: Edit

It would have been better to force the Palestinians out of Gaza. If they go through with building literal ghettos their self image will split in thousand peaces, destabilising the nation even more. It will also be very hard even for Israels staunchest allies to support them. Aid that will be even more important since whatever relations they have with the Arabs states will go down the drain.
Is this really a workable way to prevent more wars?

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 07:46 pm: Edit

Apparently Israel thinks it is the best of a lot of bad options.

Every previous war has been "Israel smacks the mole for a while then quits" and the mole resurfaces in a few years.

This time, it seems, Israel has decided to end the conflict rather than kicking the can down the road.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Wednesday, October 09, 2024 - 09:13 pm: Edit

Egypt has stated consistently since the 1967 war that they do not want the Palestinian refugees. (I haven’t checked the policy going back to 1956 or 1949).

As I recall, no Arab nation wants the Palestinian population. Several of the oil states (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE etc…) had at various times supported Palestine financially, but the scale of corruption, graft and open abuse of that support seems to have led to a decline in support for continued aid.

The most vocal supporters for Palestine seems to be careerists in the united Nations. It will be interesting to see how the UN bureaucracy handles an Israeli managed Palestine.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 02:23 am: Edit

There is no practical way to force the Palestinians out of Gaza. The Egyptians will stop them at the border with bayonets; they fear that the Palestinians would overthrow the Egyptian government. Even the US would sanction Israel for such a move.

Dividing Gaza into five cantons, not allowing travel between cantons, using the surveillance towers to watch for signs of trouble, using special systems to make sure no tunnels between cantons are dug, basically sends the entire Gaza population into a humiliating version of reform school

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 03:54 am: Edit

Who would dare teach at those schools? It will be Gaza all over again.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 05:55 am: Edit

People who want jobs would teach. They would have to not teach hate, just job skills and life skills.

By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 10:29 am: Edit

You would have to get a drastically different attitude in D.C. for the Israeli's to do anything, considering how much indoctrination is going on in U.S. schools....

By Carl-Magnus Carlsson (Hardcore) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 01:38 pm: Edit

SVC, the collaborators would also need armed bodyguards, body armor, baclava mask and sunglasses to hide their identity, living accommodations outside the ghetto, high pay and no survival instinct.

Unless the IDF occupies Gaza and really takes over, with the intent of building up a peaceful statelet, Hamaz or another group will take over and it is back to square one.

By Mike Erickson (Mike_Erickson) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 02:44 pm: Edit

I see the situation largely returning to pre-2005, where the IDF tightly manages Gaza and occasionally conducts raids to break up clusters of terrorists and/or destroy related infrastructure or supplies. It will not be that different than what takes place in Judea and Samaria, except for most likely a lack of any Israeli settlers in Gaza. Gaza doesn't really contain much in the way of important historical, cultural or religious locations for the Jews, so there isn't much interest in settling.

Egypt will find it more difficult to dig tunnels and/or smuggle items into Gaza with the Philadelphi strip in Israeli hands. There will no longer be a direct Gaza-Egypt connection.

The educational system in Gaza may change somewhat, but the antisemitic beliefs largely come from broader cultural and relgious influences. It's not like UNRWA is the source of all anti-semitic and anti-Zionist thought. Those ideas have existed long before UNRWA and are the essence of the conflict.

There will be intermittent violence back and forth since both sides oppose a 2 state solution and see value in pursuing their own 1 state solution.

There will be ongoing advocacy for some nebulous and unrealistic 2 state solution from the US, Europe, and the UN. It will largely be ignored.

The US will continue to support Israel since there is broad support for that position within the US citizenry.

The Sunni Arab ME nations will continue to work with Israel as a semi-formal anti-Iran coalition since they all share a common, dangerous foe.

And life will go on.

--Mike

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Thursday, October 10, 2024 - 06:21 pm: Edit

News from the United Kingdom:

Babcock International, a major subcontractor for the Royal Navy’s H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, announced this week that they have a signed agreement with South Korea to begin the process of designing and building a new design CVX Aircraft Carrier.

Few details as yet, but apparently the carrier will resemble the QE class on a smaller displacement. It will have a “ski jump” ramp for launching fixed wing aircraft, and the ship will be conventionally powered. No indication that it will have an arresting system or an angled deck, and no indication of how many aircraft will be on board the ship.