West Asia News and Discussions

Mukesh.Kumar · Post by **Mukesh.Kumar** » 15 Mar 2011 00:13

Can confirm the beating up of expats. One of our company drivers in Bahrain got badly beaten up when he went down to buy food at 9 pm. Gangs of Shia's were roaming about closing shops, when they caught and beat him up. Emergency has been declared. Tomorrow most businesses will be closed.

Mukesh.Kumar · Post by **Mukesh.Kumar** » 15 Mar 2011 00:16

Also throughout the day there were choppers buzzing around. But since late evening things have been quiet. Seems both sides are concentrating on Pearl R/A

Dilbu · Post by **Dilbu** » 15 Mar 2011 00:27

Firing in Saar.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 15 Mar 2011 00:27

Iran is making a big mistake... overreaching. Or it's been led up the garden path indirectly, which is its own fault... Bahrain is no spontaneous Egypt/Tunisia style situation... Someone is stirring the pot there for sure...

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 15 Mar 2011 01:25

shyamd wrote:Turkey just announced that if there is any Iranian interference in Bahrain. Turkey will side with GCC.
Interesting

This is indeed an unexpected position! Seems as if there is a lot more complexity in this than meets the eye!

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 15 Mar 2011 01:55

JEM, please read my posts when everything started a few weeks ago. It explains the protesters plans etc.

Protesters have a history of anti expat behaviour. A few years ago, thugs walked into an indian restraunt and killed 3 indian workers brutally. Google it. I think the perpetrators were arrested and convicted.

My phone hasn't stopped buzzing since I left work, so I'll keep this short.

GCC forces are operating under the PSF banner. Bahrain has invoked a clause in the gcc security agreement. So gcc forces will be under bahraini command.

Any way, aim is to clear streets of protesters and go home - thereby establishing security. This is not war as media loves to call it. The bahraini intelligence has been fairly efficient in intercepting iranian arms shipments. Last known one was in 2005. NSA found this one but not sure if any others were missed.
The leader of the extremist party Haq, was on hezbollah tv (al manar) saying why should we be afraid of not declaring our allegiance to iran?

Basicsally u have mainstream shia party : al wefaq and extremist parties: haq etc. Haq did not participate as its hardline.
Wefaq talked but was tough, no concessions made. Culminated in yesterdays protest of blocking main highways, roaming in gangs, damaging businesses etc.

Bahrain govt met most demands.

Extremist party won't settle until monarchy is overthrown and is begging to be hit. Shia take over is under guise of democracy.

Besides the security agreement was called into effect because there was no security on the streets.

So far, normalcy appears to be coming as rioters/protestors are being cleared from neighbourhood.

Heavy western propaganda. India faced this in Gujarat and other incidents.

------
Someone said elite is of persian ancestry. Sort of correct. The royal family is from the aniza (spear) tribe from the arabian peninsula. The rest of the sunni's are of persian origin who migrated to Bahrain.

Unemployment is not the issue in bahrain. This is sunni vs shia under guise of democracy really. However, aim is to restore calm by any means necessary.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 15 Mar 2011 02:10

The West and Saudi have decided enough revolution and democracy cry for now. Gaddafi came so close to be gone, few more blades of grass on the balance would have tipped him. But some body did not want it.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 15 Mar 2011 03:26

>>This is indeed an unexpected position!

RajeshA - actually not at all. Turkey is playing a long-term game, have always been. They are angling for future business and to spread their strategic wings, so to speak... While this position by Turkey will be appreciated, they will be treated far more warily than, say, India ... The Gulf Arabs have no love lost for Turkey. Business is business, but the strategic game in the area will not be that easy for Turkey to put its finger into...

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Mar 2011 03:35

I dont know why Turkey is meddling, for it has no sympathy in the Arab lands after the Ottomon disaster.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 15 Mar 2011 03:41

JE Menon wrote:>>This is indeed an unexpected position!

RajeshA - actually not at all. Turkey is playing a long-term game, have always been. They are angling for future business and to spread their strategic wings, so to speak... While this position by Turkey will be appreciated, they will be treated far more warily than, say, India ... The Gulf Arabs have no love lost for Turkey. Business is business, but the strategic game in the area will not be that easy for Turkey to put its finger into...

JE Menon saar,

I don't trust the Turks anymore. After Anatolian Eagle last year where they did air force exercises with China over Iranian air space, and the Turk FM Ahmet Davutoglu went to PRC and told the Uyghurs to behave themselves, I think the Turks have become a Chinese "pawn" within the Western Alliance, as well as in the Ummah.

Of course they are there because they want to increase their influence in the region, but they are also there as the eyes and ears of the Chinese! China wants to break off GCC from the American clutches, so what better way than to send in a respectable Muslim country to sow the seeds of division amongst the GCC, and conflict of interest against the Americans.

As such, it shouldn't trouble India, but if the Chinese+Turkish combo now want to "steal" GCC from the grip of the Americans, then India whose involvement with the GCC has been increasing, partially due to American encouragement and mediation, as per shyamd ji, may lose out on our interests.

Just speculating saar!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Mar 2011 03:50

Makes sense rajeshA. The scuttle butt is that yehudi+yindu+farsi+rusi are to manage the GCC once massa does East of Aden.

Vivek_A · Post by **Vivek_A** » 15 Mar 2011 06:14

Poorly trained British soldiers...

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/ipad/sold ... 6020863025

Libyan rebels discovered that soldiers captured during a bungled operation were carrying scraps of paper with the usernames and passwords for secret computer systems.

Sources in Benghazi, the largest Libyan city in opposition control, told British newspaper The Sunday Times last week that they seized a cache of communications equipment when the joint MI6 and Special Air Service (SAS) mission went wrong nine days ago - and also found the details needed to access the computers on notes among their captives' belongings.

Several pieces of equipment were even said to have labels saying, "Secret: UK eyes only."

"It is so inept, it is unbelievable," one expert said.

After tapping the usernames and passwords into the confiscated computers, the rebels were presented with one screen that read "Sunata deployed," which appeared to preface a program for accessing a secure military network.

"It takes you right into the MoD [Ministry of Defence] system in the UK," a rebel source said, adding that the rebels accessed the network.

"We were, of course, curious. But as a courtesy to the UK, we will not divulge all, but just enough to let them know that we know. It's a good thing this hasn't fallen into enemy hands."

At least eight satellite telephones and shortwave radios, six GPS trackers, five laptops, two satellite internet communication devices and batteries and solar panels to recharge the electronics were found on the troops.

There were also explosives components, maps with color-coded landing and extraction points, multiple passports and several credit cards.

"Some of the communications systems they carried is the stuff that you only see in the movies," said one rebel with military experience, calling the items "espionage equipment."

kmkraoind · Post by **kmkraoind** » 15 Mar 2011 14:05

Iran objects to foreign troops in Bahrain - Reuters

Samudragupta · Post by **Samudragupta** » 15 Mar 2011 15:08

kmkraoind wrote:Iran objects to foreign troops in Bahrain - Reuters

The fifth fleet is the fulcrum, let the fifth fleet is replaced by Indian Naval Station "Rudra"....

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 15 Mar 2011 15:26

i suspect that after turkey's repeated rebuff's from the EU and unkil's (neocons) inability to deliver EU membership, the islamist leaning government probably decided to find a new pole alignment to explore. just across the open steppes lies the middle kingdom... as it always has

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 15 Mar 2011 15:32

Can't give out any more than this:

GCC PSF troops will not intervene unless direct threat to the throne.

BDF can handle this themselves but the GCC was called in so that blame doesn't fall solely on Bahrain govt if something bad happens.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 15 Mar 2011 19:36

The question is, will Iran just issue statements or interfere actively (most likely covertly as they do in Syria/Lebanon/West Bank)? Let us hope and pray they do..because that would put TSP in a very tough situation having sent mercenaries to Bahrain and elsewhere.

If KSA and Iran go to war, at least that will KSA busy defending the obnoxious ruling family and not spend money on terrorism in India and elsewhere through TSP animals

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Mar 2011 19:44

meantime qadhafi continues to pound the rebels and chase them in the east
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011 ... tles_N.htm

methinks unless his AF and artillery is neutralized, benghazi will fall in say 2 weeks and rebels will become rebels in exile.

thats probably what the western powers want - qadhafi back in charge and oil flow stabilized, no messy idealistic revolution to deal with.

lip service will be paid and asylum given to the soon to be exiled rebels in EU capitals ofcourse. the rebels will be kept alive in london and paris as the usual pressure points.

Purush · Post by **Purush** » 15 Mar 2011 19:57

Are these mercs or regular Libyan military who are pushing the rebels back?

If the latter, then it looks like the Col reserved his 'good' troops for the 'real' battle to take back cities, sending off african mercs as cannon fodder against the rebels in the initial phase of the revolution. Also must have bought himself some time to threaten/bribe/coax fence-sitters in the regime while the rebels wasted their ammo/supplies beating up on the disposable mercs..

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 15 Mar 2011 20:00

the rebels seem to be a bunch of poorly equipped militias , deserters and volunteers with enthu but no real training - a bunch of pickup trucks with HMGs , MMGs, RPGs, rifles thats all they have. I do not think they have mortars, arty for a stand up fight. the barren nature of terrain means the AF can locate and bomb strongpoints easily - no SAMs with the rebels either.

so it doesnt really matter whether Qadhafi's 2nd string are fighting now - with arty and air support and plenty of ammo to burn, they are quickly winning.

the fighting will be in benghazi in 2 weeks time for sure.

for all their posturing and "high tech joint expeditionary forces" the EU is the usual 3 legged chair without the US committing some serious muscle and political support to any cause.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 15 Mar 2011 20:11

West Asia policy hostage to ‘Muslim vote'

http://www.thehindu.com/news/the-india- ... 3715bd5a,0

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Mar 2011 20:41

Sushupti wrote:
West Asia policy hostage to ‘Muslim vote'

http://www.thehindu.com/news/the-india- ... 3715bd5a,0

This is a frustrated article. India hs no dog in this fight. First clean up the neighborhood and don't blame Indian citizens for lack of leadership. Again low blow from Chindu.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 15 Mar 2011 22:26

shyam - to what extent is the shia 'uprising' in bahrain an ungli from eyeran on unkil's (naval) presence there? tehran certainly seems to be offering moral and diplomatic support...

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Mar 2011 23:41

X-posted...

brihaspati wrote:Bahrain- crackdown started. Its the beginning of the end for Sunni-authoritarianism-Western-opportunism alliance. At the moment use of force will win the day for the king, but long term the people both Shia and Sunni will alienate from the the ruling regime.

Libya, as I suggested will see the European and American hesitation over supporting any one side [Sarcozy is the enfant terrible of European politics - but who has a method in his madness. He has played a card that will pay France benefits in the future]. For Americans, bleeding both Gaddafi and his opponents in a mutual attrition for some time is the best possible way - which leaves both parties too weak to resist a concerted European move to control the region in the future. Europeans pass the buck on to Arab regimes, who pass the buck back on to the West. It means both have essentially lost legitimacy to act for the people of the region.

But what all this means is an eventual paralysis of action by the west over Islamic North Africa, and a terrible dilemma over supporting western allies in the Gulf. The West is finally losing the ME, but neither Iran, nor Russia, nor China is in a position to fill up the blanks. There is a good chance that the West will not be able to prevent a general descent into chaotic military conflicts in which the Islamists will emerge the backbone and a future Caliphate the most tangible option to the tired people.

On the East Japan will not rise for some time to come, and the at the least will be forced to play a much lesser role in the region. This means a short to medium term realignment towards China of the smaller nations with a chance for increased polarization also against China. The economic and political consequences of the Japanese disaster will take some time to be clarified.

But we should note that two sides of India is now descending into increased instability. The combined effect of these two can yield conclusion not possible to imagine with any single one of them.

Its like a geopolitical 9.0 quake, major tsunami with a meteor hit thrown in. The whole of Asia from West to East is in turmoil while the center(India) has confused/hesitant/wounded leaderhsip.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 16 Mar 2011 00:43

Lalmohanji. Bahrain/KSA furnished evidence to Robert Gates. This was complimented by US defence intel official also showing evidence of iranian involvement.
Let's see what US does. Iran is providing lip service, they don't really stand a chance against the GCC if I am honest. But, Iranians are smart, they know they have more to gain by maintaining links with the shia leaders and let it descend into chaos.
This is like yindu position in Balochistan to a certain extent. Is Iran there? Yes they are and the etremists are iran trained.

Bahraini leaders are smart too. They bought the army to deter the protesters, show of force and what can happen. They won't use them, at least not yet.

It'll come only when there is serious threat to the throne. Its not that serious yet. The govt is letting anarchy rule and in some areas the police is slightly overwhelmed but is just about coping.

Brihaspati's post warrant comment. Will do so when time permits.

Suppiah, govt of KSA do not spend on yindu terror. They have no interest and you would understand that if you see the bigger picture and the pressure KSA etc are facing.
The gulf people giving money to indian terror suspects are giving money privately (businessmen). BLR attacks cost 2000 dollars or something, donated by private individuals.
Its hard to stop and slow down. Only thing we can do is find the suspects collecting the money and give intel to ksa. Which we are doing.

D Roy · Post by **D Roy** » 16 Mar 2011 02:16

Turkey is showing its Sunni colours. In recent times it has got terribly close to the Pakis again and has kept India out of the tripartite talks on Afghanistan.

The Pakis for them also act as conduits to China.

This statement by Turkey is however good news for India. It shows that Iran is not willing to join a Turki-Paki- Sino alliance even though it would like to maintain friendly ties with the Chinese.

India and China of course have very similar policies in the muslim world.

They seek to be close to both the Iranians and the GCC and have difficulty in balancing conflicting interests even as they have to keep in mind the american 800 pound gorilla as well as compete with each other.

Ramana,

The ancestry of the Safavids is disputed.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 16 Mar 2011 04:05

Wow, I have just been bombarded with info on the region. Too much info, too little time. Suffice to say, Khamanei is fanning the protests, he has told opposition to continue protesting despite military intervention.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Mar 2011 04:26

Bahrain will be interesting
1) if local police cannot control the shia majority and
2) GCC forces will not intervene unless regime change problems occur.
Shia majority dont like the GCC forces as they are from sunni states. No love lost between biradhers.
If situation gets out of hand then what-??
anybody's game- If shias win, will it will bring danger to GCC esp KSA and others. will shias unite in gulf ?
If shia's win what will happen to bakistan which has15- 20% shias. will it energise them to start rioting and show the love and affection to their birathers.

wikipedia shia demographics

The Shia majority countries are Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and Bahrain.[63]

Shi'a Muslims constitute over 35% of the population in Lebanon,[65] over 45% of the population in Yemen,[66] 20-40% of the population in Kuwait[58][67], over 20% in Turkey,[58][68] 10–20% of the population in Pakistan,[58] and 10-19% of Afghanistan's population.[69][70]
Nations with populations of more than one million Shi'as include (in descending order): Iran, Pakistan, India, Iraq, Turkey, Yemen, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Nigeria, Lebanon, and Tanzania.[58][59]
Saudi Arabia hosts a number of distinct Shia communities, including the Twelver Baharna in the Eastern Province, the Nakhawila of Medina, and the Ismaili Sulaymani and Zaidiyyah of Najran. Estimations put the Shiite number of citizen at 2-4 million accounting for roughly 15% of the local population.[citation needed]

According to Shi'a Muslims, one of the lingering problems in estimating Shi'a population is that unless Shi'a form a significant minority in a Muslim country, the entire population is often listed as Sunni. The reverse, however, has not held true, which may contribute to imprecise estimates of the size of each sect. For example, the 1926 rise of the House of Saud in Arabia brought official discrimination against Shi'a.[71]

Let the love fest continue.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 16 Mar 2011 04:44

The pen versus the sword
How the west rehabilitated the gadhafis.

The Gaddafis enjoyed a political facelift from the West whilst carefully avoiding blowback - until now.

The quill may be mightier than the sword. But this is a story of how some Western academics have succumbed to the power of the cheque book.
Which leads me to ask the question: is it money that makes the world go round? Whatever happened to the strength of liberal ideals, humanism, democracy and all that spiel?
There is a Libyan connection, which is the context of this story. Maybe Gaddafi, sons and henchmen have survived till now and may kill more Libyans due to the fact that many experts and academics, some brilliant voices of the global democratic agenda, have chosen to accept the Libyan regime's illicit funding over the ethics they preach to their own students.

Where did the West go wrong?

The collaboration of those Western global actors driven by self-interest or self-importance with authoritarianism warrants this question. Regimes like those ousted in Tunisia and Egypt survived because they were brutal - and the technology of violence at their disposal was Western.
Many Western governments may have practised democracy for longer, but they also did so via support of autocracy.
The killings going on right now in Libya display the extent to which the Libyan regime has been misjudged.

Libya's vast riches (40 billion barrels of oil reserves, potential business deals, well-stashed sovereign wealth fund), might have been what saved Gaddafi.

Monitor Group (MG) is in the business of a different type of cooking: consulting governments and business.
In undertaking in 2006 to help Libya shed its pariah status and ease it into a zone of "enhanced economic development", MG defined two goals for its Herculean task:
1. "enhance international understanding and appreciation of Libya and the contribution it has made and may continue to make to its region and to the world"
2. "to introduce Muammar Gaddafi as a thinker and intellectual, independent of his more widely-known and very public persona as the Leader of the Revolution in Libya."
Harvard Business Professor Michael Porter's expertise was sought to revamp the economy of a police state in which the likes of Gaddafi, his brother-in-law Abdullah Sanoussi - who dealt with MG - had their hands tainted with the blood of Libyans and foreigners.

The MG strategy aimed to "introduce to Libya important international figures".

Once having been to Libya or met with Gaddafi and Saif, these high profile academics, journalists, politicians and businessmen are multi-tasked with "influencing other nations policies towards" Libya; "making a contribution to economic development"; gaining "a more sensitive understanding" of the country; and becoming "part of a network building bridges between Libya and the rest of the world."
The idea is that these international personalities share through major media outlets their knowledge about the 'new Libya' to combat stereotypes.

(looks the modus operandi is similar in other countries including India)

Literati or spin doctors?
Richard Perle going to Libya is something. But why did Francis Fukuyama, Anthony Giddens, Bernard Lewis, Nicholas Negroponte, Benjamin Barber, Joseph Nye, and Robert Putnam meet Gaddafi?

MG amassed so much brain power for its Libya campaign. Yet how could so much misreading of the Gaddafis come from leading scholars?
Saif's February speech showed him to be a monster in the closet, not the democratic subjectivity the LSE reconstituted.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 16 Mar 2011 05:41

By e-mail

China’s penetration into Central Asia and Afghanistan mirrors its highly organised annexation of strategic parcels of territory along its borders. Tajikistan has just agreed to give Beijing 1000 km2 in Gorno-Badakhshan, amounting to some 0.75% of its territory. In 1999, the Chinese took 400 km2 of land close to the Markansu River and the year previously, some 600 km2 north-east of Rangkul in a sector where there used to be a Soviet gold mine. These land concessions allow China to extend its borders beyond the watershed along the Sarykol mountain range. China’s progression along the Pamir high plateau allows the Beijing authorities to take over a region over which they consider themselves to have historic rights, due to the presence of Chinese boundary markers and tombs. The planned rebuilding of a strategic road to Afghanistan, which will stretch from the Koulma Pass, on the Chinese border, to the town of Khorog, facing the Afghan border, via Murghab, is part of the same strategy.

Suppiah · Post by **Suppiah** » 16 Mar 2011 05:52

Shyamd

KSA funding of terror works in much more sophisticated and indirect ways such as being the fountainhead of the hate /extreme ideologies, buying off domestic bearded barbarians to keep dynasty in power which in turn funds extreme beards in TSP through madrasahs and so on. Many many RAPE commentators too have already covered this topic extensively.

We may not be the intended victims but we are victims nevertheless.

And the royals cannot do anything serious about it (other than perhaps knocking the knuckles of the guy that donated $2000 with a feather) without compromising their own seat of power.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 16 Mar 2011 06:41

Ramanaji,

And india thinks milliontimes and then million more times before saying some of it's territory is indeed it's own.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 16 Mar 2011 07:24

Singha wrote:meantime qadhafi continues to pound the rebels and chase them in the east
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011 ... tles_N.htm

methinks unless his AF and artillery is neutralized, benghazi will fall in say 2 weeks and rebels will become rebels in exile.

thats probably what the western powers want - qadhafi back in charge and oil flow stabilized, no messy idealistic revolution to deal with.

lip service will be paid and asylum given to the soon to be exiled rebels in EU capitals ofcourse. the rebels will be kept alive in london and paris as the usual pressure points.

No, west definitely wants Gaddafi gone, it's just that they did not manage it right.

Many of the rebels are Islamists who had been given asylum in UK and other western nations. Here is one case: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld ... ?track=rss

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 16 Mar 2011 07:27

Purush wrote:Are these mercs or regular Libyan military who are pushing the rebels back?

If the latter, then it looks like the Col reserved his 'good' troops for the 'real' battle to take back cities, sending off african mercs as cannon fodder against the rebels in the initial phase of the revolution. Also must have bought himself some time to threaten/bribe/coax fence-sitters in the regime while the rebels wasted their ammo/supplies beating up on the disposable mercs..

Regular Libyan special forces, lead by Gaddhafi's sons. There was a study that came out from a US think tank in Dec 2010 saying that Libyan military was in shambles. They probably underestimated.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Mar 2011 07:40

qadhafi says if the west backs off he will give the rebels a chance to surrender or flee but no talks.
if the west presses him he says will abandon his links to west and ally with al-qaeda in a new jihad.

he must be feeling quite secure now and having fun taunting the self appointed guardians of democracy.

abhischekcc · Post by **abhischekcc** » 16 Mar 2011 09:49

The "west" (actually just US, UK and their new junior partner France) must be cringing in horror at this collapse of color revolution in Libya. Now, Gadhafi must be planning to launch major sabotage operations against these countries. Expect more Lockerbies.

Germany and Russia have done well in not supporting this neo colonialism.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 16 Mar 2011 10:53

At Ajdabiyah there is a junction from where Gaddhafi can go north along the coast to Benghazi or east across the desert to Tobruk on the Egyptian border. He should go straight for Benghazi. Once Benghazi falls it's all over. Besides, the supply lines will be more manageable. Maybe airstrikes on rebel convoys on the Tobruk to Benghazi road would also be a good thing, to make resupply more difficult for the rebels.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 16 Mar 2011 12:52

Suppiah wrote:Shyamd

KSA funding of terror works in much more sophisticated and indirect ways such as being the fountainhead of the hate /extreme ideologies, buying off domestic bearded barbarians to keep dynasty in power which in turn funds extreme beards in TSP through madrasahs and so on. Many many RAPE commentators too have already covered this topic extensively.

We may not be the intended victims but we are victims nevertheless.

And the royals cannot do anything serious about it (other than perhaps knocking the knuckles of the guy that donated $2000 with a feather) without compromising their own seat of power.

Suppiah, I understand the KSA fundoos and TSP fundoos links.

Birather, the KSA have no interest in fanning war between India-TSP. Period. This is for a multitude of reasons that have already been explained on this thread a few pages back.
KSA has increased their counter terror cooperation with yindu's simply because of KSA strategic problems..

My point with the $2000 is that its too easy, you don't have to be an islamist to give that money. $2000 is nothing in this day and age, anyone who remits money via hawala or whatever ccan fund terror, its very tough to stop.
An ordinary joe on the street can collect it in the name of "orphanages" etc. Funding is the easy part.
And also fyi, KSA increased sentences for terror funding, I think it maybe 20years or something like that.

------------------
Aside from all the middle east unrest. I hhave been recently given insight into the capabilities of israeli spy sats and how they intend to use it. Yindu units out on the field in the war theatre is going to have a lot of info in quick time.
Basically. In 2006, the spy sats provided certain units aerial images, coupled with real time data from UAVs, to ground units within 30 minutes! But unfortunately only a few intel units had access to that level of info. So israeli's trying to spread the tech to all israeli units.
Yindu's have drilled some of this in recent exercises.

Lalmohan · Post by **Lalmohan** » 16 Mar 2011 13:20

abhishek-ji
i dont think it is right to think of French-US alignment as anything new. For last 100 years, USA-UK-France have coordinated policy very well. Sometimes the US gets annoyed that the French don't behave as poodlishly as the Brits, but otherwise there is a high degree of tightness. Afterall, France was the United States first every military ally (against the British). Sarko has made it a priority to get tight with DC again after the Chirac era. France also regards the maghreb as its back yard - so expects to play the leading (western) role there

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 16 Mar 2011 15:50

Everyone is going to laugh at the US once the truth comes out. Gaddafi's son launched the counter offensive. They are equiped with T-90 and American Chinooks!! The Chinooks played a key role in the capture of rebel held territory.