No need for more commentary, they speak for themselves.
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More good news from Ordman. (See 1 below.)
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Obama's hostage billions bought more missile development. Thank you Obama. (See 2 below.)
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My memo mission in life is to present conservatism in a rational way, to point out political hypocrisy and get those of the opposite persuasion to rethink.
I have been doing this since 1960 and believe it to be a worthy goal.
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Again, have a great Labor Day.
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Dick
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1)Thanks to all those who wished me well recently and I'm pleased to report my return to full health. I'm sorry that I was unable to reply to everyone individually.
Israeli medical articles feature prominently this week and I would like to wish all my readers a happy and healthy New Year. To accompany news of the latest leukemia treatment breakthrough, my photo is the view towards the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Givat Ram campus.
Please recommend www.verygoodnewsisrael.
Best regards
Michael
-
http://www.jpost.com/Blogger/
www.IsraelActive.com
www.facebook.com/
The Jewish State in its true light.
www.facebook.com/
The Jewish State in its true light.
In the 2nd Sep 18 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
- An Israeli-developed molecule destroys Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
- The UN’s most empowered female entrepreneur in Western Europe is an Israeli.
- An Israeli company is protecting both UK and Australian armies.
- Intel Israel has developed even faster computer processors.
- An Israeli rescue robot is virtually unstoppable.
- Israel’s SodaStream is bought by PepsiCo for $3.2 billion.
- An Israeli gymnast won two World gold medals and broke a world record.
- Readers can help launch a film that aims to give a huge PR boost to Israel.
- Click here to see the 19th Aug newsletter on IsraelSeen, Ruthfully Yours, Janglo, and United With Israel, with extra features on Health and Entertainment. Also (TY Sandra) in German and (TY Zachy) in Hebrew.Please pass on these links to German and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also, please visit (and “like” and “follow”) the www.facebook.com/
VerygoodnewsIL Facebook page.
- Please click here, to donate (a small or large amount) to help me expand the reach of VeryGoodNewsIsrael.
- Click here, to SEARCH the IsraelActive archives of nearly 13,000 previous news articles.
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Another leukemia success. I reported previously (see here) on new Israeli treatments for Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). Now the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and US biotech BioTheryX are developing a single molecule that attacks multiple leukemia proteins simultaneously. Lab tests show a 50% success rate.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
http://www.jewishpress.com/
Breathalyzer for Parkinson’s and much more. I reported previously on the breath analyzers to detect cancer developed by Ben Gurion University (see here) and Na-Nose from Technion’s Dr Hossam Haick (see here). Now Dr Haick’s team has a handheld device to detect early Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and 16 other diseases.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://cdn-pubs.acs.org/doi/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
US approves Teva’s generic EpiPen. The US FDA has approved Israeli biotech Teva’s generic version of the EpiPen auto-injector for emergency treatment for those suffering with “anaphylactic” allergic reactions. Frantic parents in the US have been reporting a nationwide shortage of the original Mylan NV “brand” EpiPen.
http://www.jewishpress.com/
Another Israeli treatment for head lice. I reported previously (see here) on two innovative Israeli treatments for removing head lice. Now there’s a third - Israel’s Sphinx Smarthead Technologies is developing a device that destroys lice and their eggs in a 5-minute procedure that can be performed by children aged 7 and over.
https://www.oktopuscloud.com/
Soil bacteria cures fungal infections. Researchers at Israel’s Technion have cured fungal infections using bacteria commonly found in the upper layers of soil. They used a gel and an innovative “factory” formula to produce Bacillus subtilis bacterium, more commonly found on plant roots, to rapidly heal infected skin.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
An app to help you sleep. Israeli startup Dayzz is launching an app for self-insured employers to offer their employees. The app uses big data and an algorithm to diagnose each user’s specific sleep problem and devise a personalized sleep-training plan. The employer enhances the sleep quality of its staff and reduces healthcare costs. https://www.israel21c.org/app-
New medical school inaugurated. I reported previously (10th Sep) when the building of Ariel University’s new medical school began. It has now been officially opened in a ceremony attended by the Israeli President and several ministers. 70 students enrolled in its first class which is open to all citizens and Palestinian Arabs.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Glucose meters for Vietnam. (TY Rachel) I reported previously (7th Jan) that Israel’s GlucoMe was shipping its glucose monitors to 200,000 Indian diabetics. Now Germany’s Merck KGaA is trialing GlucoMe’s monitors to help many of the 3.5 million Vietnamese suffering from diabetes – some 5.5% of the entire population.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.idf.org/our-
UK PM honors fundraiser of 11 MDA ambulances. Retired UK surgeon Norman Rosenbaum received the Points of Light Award from UK Prime Minister Theresa May for helping to buy 11 ambulances for Israeli emergency service Magen David Adom (MDA). I was lucky to be present at the dedication of the 10th one.
https://jewishnews.
https://netanyareflections.
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
UN honors Israeli woman. I reported previously (10th Dec) on Israeli startup ECOncrete, which develops eco-friendly concrete products. Its founder, marine biologist Shimrit Perkol-Finkel won the Western Europe nomination for the United Nations’ first “We Empower” competition for female entrepreneurs.
https://www.israel21c.org/
https://www.vitalvoices.org/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
Freedom of worship for all. (TY Hazel) As Israel’s Muslim and Druze communities began celebrating the Eid al-Adha festival, PM Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video wishing them “Eid al-Adha mubarak”. He was proud that in Israel we have freedom of worship for all: Muslims, Druze, Christians, Baha’is, Jews - everyone.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Co-existence at summer camp for cancer kids. The summer camp run by Camp Sunrise for children with cancer in Beit Yehoshua has 20% Arab children. The ones in Beersheba and Ramat Yochanan are nearer 50% Arab. The Jewish and Arab children forget their illnesses and differences and interact - just like kids do.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Bringing sweet music to a Muslim state. (TY UWI) The Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra performed at the Gabala International Music Festival in the Muslim state of Azerbaijan. The JSO was warmly received by music lovers during their second performance in one of the most important classical music events in Azerbaijan.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-
Israelis aid Indian flood victims. (TY Hazel & UWI) Israel’s government and NGO IsraAID have sent teams to the South-Indian state of Kerala to help victims of the floods that have displaced 725,000 people. The teams are providing urgent relief items and assessing the long-term needs of affected communities.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-
https://www.israel21c.org/
The first Israeli PM to visit Lithuania. Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Vilna, Lithuania to attend a summit of the Baltic states and meet with Lithuanian PM Saulius Skvernelis, Latvian PM Maris Kucinskis and Estonian PM Juri Ratas. The four leaders will discuss the deepening of cooperation between their countries.
http://www.jewishpress.com/
Protecting UK and Australia’s armies. (TY Hazel) The UK Ministry of Defense has bought six of the latest anti-drone systems developed by Israel’s Rafael for $20 million to protect sensitive facilities from drones. The Australian Defense Force has bought Rafael’s Trophy Active Protection System for its armored vehicles.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-
Clean water for Cameroon. (TY Hazel) I featured previously (17th Jun) the water purification technology of Israel’s NUFiltration. Now the company is to provide its unique water filtration systems to thousands of people in the Cameroon who currently have no access to clean water and are suffering a severe cholera epidemic.
https://www.jpost.com/Jpost-
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
Zulu King mobilizes support for Israel. Nkosi Zwelakhe Mthethwa, a Zulu king from South Africa’s Mthethwa tribe, has returned from a visit to Israel with a pledge to mobilize Christians all over the world to support the Jewish state. “because this place [Israel] is our tangible and intangible heritage site”.
https://www.algemeiner.com/
Israel trains rescuers. Israeli officers from the IDF's Home Front Command have just returned from Dallas, Texas where they conducted their fifth session training local civilians in Israeli emergency response techniques. Meanwhile in Israel, Israeli NGO ZAKA and the IDF trained 40 rescue leaders from 5 countries.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
One year later - Israel is still there. Who can forget the devastation hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, José and Nate did to the USA and Caribbean? Israeli aid organizations IsraAID and the Israel Trauma Coalition haven’t. They have stayed in the region to continue healing wounds and preparing residents for the next big storm.
https://www.israel21c.org/one-
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology Conference. The Nano.IL conference (9th - 11th Oct) in Jerusalem will connect companies, universities, corporate research scientists, investors and government representatives from around the world. It features cutting-edge innovations, new technologies and presentations by top scientists.
http://nanoilconf.com/
Innovation Festival - DLD Tel Aviv 2018. DLD (Digital Life Design) Tel Aviv (Sep 3 – 6), celebrates Israel’s tech and innovation ecosystem. Thousands of guests from 110 international delegations will attend the two-day digital conference and a three-day innovation festival. Here is a list of free events, mostly open to the public.
http://nocamels.com/2018/08/
Intel’s Israeli processors go even faster. I reported previously (8th Oct) that Intel had unveiled its Israeli-designed 8th generation processors - the fastest ever. Now Intel’s Haifa-based team has announced even faster ones. The U and Y series, codenamed Whiskey Lake and Amber Lake, are for laptops and laptop-tablet hybrids.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
Reading the web to the visually impaired. Thanks to AI technology developed in Israel, Google’s Go app can now read articles and web content out loud in 28 supported languages. Go is a lightweight, faster version of Google’s flagship search engine, primarily for devices with little space and unreliable internet connections,
http://nocamels.com/2018/08/
Remote control for driverless cars. I reported previously (see here) on Israel’s LiveU whose technology streams live video for the BBC, Fox News, Sky, CNN, Facebook etc. Its remote-control technology is now sought by autonomous car makers in California who are required to monitor road testing by remote control.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Mini-firewall to protect Internet of Things. Israeli cybersecurity giant Check Point is focused on protecting the Internet of Things (IoT) - any device connected to the Internet. A company photo shows CEO Gil Shwed reportedly holding Check Point’s exciting next generation security product, entitled “Nano Security”.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Really smart customer service. (TY ILTV) Israeli startup 7Twenty’s aim is to put customers and business in touch for the digital age. Whether through the phone, social media, email, chat, video etc., enterprises, such as BNP Paribas, can communicate effectively with their customers, using 7Twenty’s innovative hi-tech platform.
http://7-twenty.com/about_us/ https://www.youtube.com/embed/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Startup wins Euro sports-tech award. Israel’s Track160 won the 2018 European SportsTech competition in Hamburg. Track160 is developing a fully automatic team sports analytics service using deep learning technology. The system tracks player and ball position and produces performance and tactical metrics.
https://www.israel21c.org/
Chilean cherries to China. Israeli-based StePac together with Israel’s Tadbik have developed Xgo modified atmosphere resealable lidding film to extend the shelf-life of fresh fruit and reduce waste. It will be showcased at the Asia Fruit Logistica trade show in Hong Kong and used initially to ship cherries from Chile to China.
https://www.producereport.com/
http://www.tadbik.com/ http://www.stepac.com/
Why Israeli bees are thriving. (TY Martha) Although I posted the video on World Bee Day (20th May), this article explains why Israel’s bee population is increasing, in contrast to that of the rest of the world. It is mainly due to the vast planting of trees that are essential for protecting the bees’ habitat.
https://israelunwired.com/the-
Eye of Sauron powers up. A new 240-meter high solar thermal tower near Beersheva in Israel’s Negev Desert has been connected to the country’s electrical grid. Nicknamed the “Eye of Sauron” from the novel and film “Lord of the Rings”, the tower will generate 121 megawatts of power when completed in early 2019.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
More Solutions. I reported previously (see here) on the book “Solution Nation” by David Wanetick, which describes 62 Israeli startups developing solutions to some of the World’s most intractable problems. David generously sent me a copy of his book which I’m finding mind-blowing. More to follow in future newsletters.
https://www.amazon.com/
No stopping this robot. (TY UWI) Ben Gurion University engineers Dr David Zarrouk and Liran Yehezkel have developed RSTAR (Rising Star) - a new highly maneuverable search and rescue robot. It can creep, crawl and climb over rough or soft terrain without getting stuck; through tight spaces and even vertically.
http://in.bgu.ac.il/en/pages/
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
Israel invests record $16 billion on civilian R&D. In 2017, Israel's national expenditure on civilian research and development increased by 5% to a record NIS 57.8 billion (almost $16 billion), or 4.5% of Israel's gross domestic product (GDP). https://www.calcalistech.com/
Economy continues to grow. (TY UWI) Having just received S&P’s AA- credit rating, Israel’s rating has never dropped in the last 30 years. It has the second fastest growing economy in the OECD over the last decade. Unemployment is at a record low. Israel has over 350 R&D centers for major tech companies. And much more.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
Israel’s tourism projects. Tourists contribute over NIS 20 billion to the Israeli economy. The 3.6 million tourists in 2017 was 25% higher than 2016 and 2018 is up even more. New projects include Jerusalem’s cable car, the Tel Aviv to Jerusalem train, plus Eilat’s new airport, ecological beach and education center. And in Aug 2018 alone, a record 2.7 million passengers were scheduled to travel through Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport.
https://www.israel21c.org/7-
https://www.calcalistech.com/
Israel exports to Gulf states worth $1 billion. (TY Hazel) Israel's exports to Gulf Arab states were worth nearly $1 billion in 2016, despite their refusal to recognize Israel or have diplomatic relations with it. Israeli exports outstripped those to allies and giant economies such as Russia and Japan.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/
Sodastream exits for $3.2 billion. (TY Hazel) PepsiCo is buying Israel’s SodaStream, producer of DIY soda makers, for $3.2 billion. Pepsi says it wants to offer healthier options in SodaStream’s environmentally friendly re-usable bottles. SodaStream will remain based in Israel and is paying large bonuses to all its 3,000 employees. Meanwhile, PepsiCo selected 3 Israeli food-tech startups for its 2018 Nutrition Greenhouse incubator program.
https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
UK Centrica funds Israeli cyber company. I reported previously (see here)that UK Energy firm Centrica was investing in and acquiring Israeli startups. It has now participated in a $18 million funding round for Israeli cybersecurity startup Indegy, which provides cybersecurity technology for industrial control systems.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
More direct flights. China’s Sichuan Airlines is launching a new direct route connecting Tel Aviv with Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan province in Southwest China. The twice-weekly service commences on 26th Sept and flight times are just 8 hours 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines is to operate a second daily direct service from New York’s JFK to Tel Aviv, in Summer 2019.
https://www.calcalistech.com/
https://www.calcalistech.com/
More Russian broadband connectivity. I reported (see here) on previous deals won by Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks with two Russian satellite operators. Now Gilat will install two SkyEdge II-c gateways for the Yamal 601 Ka satellite, operated by Gazprom Space Systems, to provide broadband services in remote areas of Russia.
https://www.gilat.com/
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
The Hidden Scrolls. I was recommended previously (Feb 2012) to visit the Moshe Castel museum in Ma’ale Adummim. A new exhibition opens at the museum on 14th Sep (until Oct). It features the work of Israeli artist Meira Ohad Dori whose latest paintings using asphalt and salt were inspired by the Dead Sea scrolls.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
See King David in Jerusalem. Join the journey along the majestic story of King David, from shepherd to king, as told through a colorful night experience in Jerusalem's Tower of David Citadel.
https://www.youtube.com/
We are the Natives. The Complete Jessy Cohen Museum (CJCM) in the Tel Aviv suburb of Holon is housed in the Israeli Center of Digital Art. The CJCM documents the 1950s Jessy Cohen slum neighborhood and in Sept opens a “We are the Natives” exhibit of bronze-age artifacts found during 1965 excavations of the area.
https://www.israel21c.org/we-
Israeli gymnast wins two golds and breaks world record. (TY Hazel) Israeli gymnast Linoy Ashram, scored a world record 20.65 in the clubs-handling round at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Challenge Cup in Minsk. She went on to win the gold medal in the all-around category and a second gold in the rhythmic gymnastics.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/
https://www.ynetnews.com/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
THE JEWISH STATE
No stone unturned. Hundreds of policemen, canine rescue units, and volunteers searched for an 84-year-old man who was last seen on Herzl Street in Haifa. A police chopper pilot spotted a man lying down in the Haifa forests. Using new location tracking systems, the elderly man was rescued - exhausted but otherwise unharmed.
http://www.israelnationalnews.
Pulling out the stops. A Bnei Brak policeman chased a speeding MDA paramedic who jumped red lights and ignored his calls to pull over. However, the policeman recognized the address where the paramedic eventually stopped and was saving the life of an unconscious 64-year-old heart attack victim - the policeman’s own father.
http://www.israelnationalnews.
Defending the Jewish State. The NGO Honest Reporting has been leading the fight against media bias for many years. On 26th Aug it opened its new international headquarters in the heart of downtown Jerusalem.
http://honestreporting.com/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
400 new Olim from the Ukraine. 400 new immigrants from Ukraine have just arrived in Israel via two special flights coordinated by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (IFCJ).
https://unitedwithisrael.org/
The inspiration for SodaStream’s CEO. At the event to announce the $3.2 billion takeover of his company, SodaStream’s CEO Daniel Birnbaum honored his father. Ervin Birnbaum survived the Shoah, sailed on the infamous Exodus and founded the award-winning She’arim Netanya charity supporting Russian Olim.
https://www.jpost.com/Israel-
http://esra-magazine.com/blog/
The Jerusalem Stone. (TY UWI) This powerful film, in production, could solve Israel’s PR problem … once and for all. Ancient secrets buried beneath the Dome of the Rock have the potential to bring humanity together in the most positive and profound way imaginable. And YOU can be a part of it.
https://www.kickstarter.com/
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2)
Together the missile threats represent a creeping power play by Tehran at the same time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Jerusalem will continue to act against threats, and after John Bolton visited Jerusalem in mid-August.
By reportedly basing its missiles near Russian forces in northern Syria and near US-led Coalition forces in Iraq, Iran is trying to protect its missiles while threatening Israel and potentially dragging Israel into a regional conflict should Jerusalem strike at these facilities. Tehran seeks to play this dangerous regional missile game as it carves out an arc of influence from Baghdad via Damascus to Lebanon.
On August 30th, ImageSat International released a report noting that “Tehran is a major contributor to the Syrian missile project, including building the new SSM facility near Baniyas.” ImageSat International had previously released satellite images of the Wadi Jahanamm site last August. But the new details link the Wadi Jahannam facility to the nearby Masyaf facility which was repeatedly hit by IAF air-strikes. Both Masyaf and the other site are “located within the operational range of an S-400 deployment” because they are close to Russian facilities at Tartus on the coast.
The warnings about the development at the Syrian site come as a new report emerged that Iran has sent missiles to its allies in Iraq. Iran has transferred three missile types into Iraq, including its latest Zolfaghar (Zulfiqar) missile, which is a solid-fueled short range ballistic missile capable of reaching a range of 700 km. It was first used in a strike by Iran against Islamic State in June 2017, and was fired from Kermanshah, Iraq. Its deployment there puts it within range of Israel.
The Zolfaghar is complimented by Fateh 110 short range, road-mobile missiles that can reach up to 300 km. To reach Israel, these missiles would have to be deployed in Iraq’s Western Desert. According to the report, Iran also transported Zelzal-3 rockets that can reach up to 250 km. Iranian and Iraqi sources told Reuters that Iran had made a decision to produce missiles in Iraq. A Western source said that factories had been established east of Baghdad and north of Kerbala. “It seems Iran has been turning Iraq into its forward missile base.” Kata’ib Hezbollah, a Shi’ite militia in Iraq that is allied to Iran, controls the areas where the missiles are located. It shares a similar name and role as Lebanese Hezbollah, but is a separate militia.
There are two interesting details here. First, that the missiles or warheads for them are being produced in Iraq, and that Shi’ite militias run the factories. Second, that Kata’ib Hezbollah is specifically mentioned. These militias are part of a group of militias that make up the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) which helped Iraq fight ISIS. In 2016, the PMU was incorporated into Iraq’s official paramilitary structure. In 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said that these Shi’ite militias were the “hope” of the future of Iraq. In 2018, the militias gained even more influence when their political party, the Fatah alliance, came in second in the May elections.
This puts militias like Kata’ib Hezbollah close to the center of power in Baghdad. US officials said in May that these militias “posed the greatest threat to the safety of US personnel” and could harm the stabilization of Iraq. The US Department of Treasury has not only sanctioned Kata’ib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis but also sanctioned Iraq’s al-Bilad Islamic Bank, accusing it of transferring funds to Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In June, an air-strike in Syria near al-Bukamal on the Euphrates River near the Iraqi border allegedly killed numerous members of Kata’ib Hezbollah. The militia is operating in Syria aiding Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The militia blamed the Americans for the air-strike but Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida blamed Israel. It now appears that Iran has transferred new missiles to Iraq since June, according to the Reuters report. This also took place as the Fatah alliance was jockeying for control of a coalition government in Iraq. So the transfer of weapons into Iraq to be managed and run by the Shi’ite militias gives these militias new power and leverage over Iraq, allowing them to act not only as an official force of the government, but as a parallel state with their own missiles capable of striking Israel.
In effect, this allows the militias like Kata’ib Hezbollah to be the long arm of the IRGC and Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Iran can use Iraq as a base to threaten Israel, and not only do Iraqis pay the potential consequences, but Iran’s proxy forces hope that the US coalition would have to defend Iraq from any potential Israeli retaliation for the presence of these missiles. The US is still training and equipping the Iraqi army.
This is the strategic paradigm that underpins Iran’s goals in Syria and Iraq. It wants to build missile factories underneath the S-400 air defense umbrella in northern Syria near Russian forces in order to protect its facilities. In Iraq, it wants to locate missiles near coalition air bases and facilities in Anbar province.
Jerusalem has the multi-layered missile defense to confront these threats, including David’s Sling, the Arrow and US Patriot batteries. But Tehran’s goal is to pressure Israel on two or more fronts, making any Israeli moves more complex in this dangerous chessboard of missile threats.
Iran’s power play shows depth of missile threat
Two recent reports reveal the depth of Iran’s missile threat emanating from Iraq and Syria. In Syria, a clandestine surface-to-surface missile (SSM) facility at Wadi Jahannam will likely be completed by early 2019. In Iraq, the Iranian regime has deployed medium-range missiles with Shi’ite militia proxies that are capable of hitting Israel.Together the missile threats represent a creeping power play by Tehran at the same time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted Jerusalem will continue to act against threats, and after John Bolton visited Jerusalem in mid-August.
By reportedly basing its missiles near Russian forces in northern Syria and near US-led Coalition forces in Iraq, Iran is trying to protect its missiles while threatening Israel and potentially dragging Israel into a regional conflict should Jerusalem strike at these facilities. Tehran seeks to play this dangerous regional missile game as it carves out an arc of influence from Baghdad via Damascus to Lebanon.
On August 30th, ImageSat International released a report noting that “Tehran is a major contributor to the Syrian missile project, including building the new SSM facility near Baniyas.” ImageSat International had previously released satellite images of the Wadi Jahanamm site last August. But the new details link the Wadi Jahannam facility to the nearby Masyaf facility which was repeatedly hit by IAF air-strikes. Both Masyaf and the other site are “located within the operational range of an S-400 deployment” because they are close to Russian facilities at Tartus on the coast.
The warnings about the development at the Syrian site come as a new report emerged that Iran has sent missiles to its allies in Iraq. Iran has transferred three missile types into Iraq, including its latest Zolfaghar (Zulfiqar) missile, which is a solid-fueled short range ballistic missile capable of reaching a range of 700 km. It was first used in a strike by Iran against Islamic State in June 2017, and was fired from Kermanshah, Iraq. Its deployment there puts it within range of Israel.
The Zolfaghar is complimented by Fateh 110 short range, road-mobile missiles that can reach up to 300 km. To reach Israel, these missiles would have to be deployed in Iraq’s Western Desert. According to the report, Iran also transported Zelzal-3 rockets that can reach up to 250 km. Iranian and Iraqi sources told Reuters that Iran had made a decision to produce missiles in Iraq. A Western source said that factories had been established east of Baghdad and north of Kerbala. “It seems Iran has been turning Iraq into its forward missile base.” Kata’ib Hezbollah, a Shi’ite militia in Iraq that is allied to Iran, controls the areas where the missiles are located. It shares a similar name and role as Lebanese Hezbollah, but is a separate militia.
There are two interesting details here. First, that the missiles or warheads for them are being produced in Iraq, and that Shi’ite militias run the factories. Second, that Kata’ib Hezbollah is specifically mentioned. These militias are part of a group of militias that make up the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMU) which helped Iraq fight ISIS. In 2016, the PMU was incorporated into Iraq’s official paramilitary structure. In 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, said that these Shi’ite militias were the “hope” of the future of Iraq. In 2018, the militias gained even more influence when their political party, the Fatah alliance, came in second in the May elections.
This puts militias like Kata’ib Hezbollah close to the center of power in Baghdad. US officials said in May that these militias “posed the greatest threat to the safety of US personnel” and could harm the stabilization of Iraq. The US Department of Treasury has not only sanctioned Kata’ib Hezbollah leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis but also sanctioned Iraq’s al-Bilad Islamic Bank, accusing it of transferring funds to Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
In June, an air-strike in Syria near al-Bukamal on the Euphrates River near the Iraqi border allegedly killed numerous members of Kata’ib Hezbollah. The militia is operating in Syria aiding Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The militia blamed the Americans for the air-strike but Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida blamed Israel. It now appears that Iran has transferred new missiles to Iraq since June, according to the Reuters report. This also took place as the Fatah alliance was jockeying for control of a coalition government in Iraq. So the transfer of weapons into Iraq to be managed and run by the Shi’ite militias gives these militias new power and leverage over Iraq, allowing them to act not only as an official force of the government, but as a parallel state with their own missiles capable of striking Israel.
In effect, this allows the militias like Kata’ib Hezbollah to be the long arm of the IRGC and Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani. Iran can use Iraq as a base to threaten Israel, and not only do Iraqis pay the potential consequences, but Iran’s proxy forces hope that the US coalition would have to defend Iraq from any potential Israeli retaliation for the presence of these missiles. The US is still training and equipping the Iraqi army.
This is the strategic paradigm that underpins Iran’s goals in Syria and Iraq. It wants to build missile factories underneath the S-400 air defense umbrella in northern Syria near Russian forces in order to protect its facilities. In Iraq, it wants to locate missiles near coalition air bases and facilities in Anbar province.
Jerusalem has the multi-layered missile defense to confront these threats, including David’s Sling, the Arrow and US Patriot batteries. But Tehran’s goal is to pressure Israel on two or more fronts, making any Israeli moves more complex in this dangerous chessboard of missile threats.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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