Netanyahu hints at Israeli involvement in Iraq blasts

[webfact]

Netanyahu hints at Israeli involvement in Iraq blasts

 

FILE PHOTO - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news briefing following the talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kiev, Ukraine August 19, 2019. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

 

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted on Thursday of possible Israeli involvement in attacks against Iranian-linked targets in Iraq.

 

A series of blasts in the past few weeks have hit weapon depots and bases belonging to paramilitary groups in Iraq, many of them backed by Israel's regional foe Iran. The groups blamed the United States and Israel for the blasts on Wednesday.

 

In an interview with Russian-language Israeli television Channel 9, broadcast on Thursday, Netanyahu was asked whether Israel would operate against Iranian targets in Iraq if needed, he said:

 

"We are operating - not just if needed, we are operating in many areas against a state that wants to annihilate us. Of course I gave the security forces a free hand and instructed them to do anything necessary to thwart Iran's plans."

 

Netanyahu did not directly name Iraq as one of those areas.

 

Israel says it has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria, some of them against Iranian targets, to prevent Teheran from establishing a permanent military presence there and to stop advanced weapons reaching its proxies in the area.

 

Israeli officials suggested recently they viewed Iraq, whose main ally is Iran, as more of a threat than in recent years, but have not directly commented on the recent blasts at Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) sites in Iraq.

 

On Wednesday, the PMF, the umbrella grouping of Iraq's mostly Shi'ite Muslim paramilitary groups, said the United States had allowed four Israeli drones to enter the region accompanying U.S. forces and carry out missions on Iraqi territory.

 

The Pentagon denied involvement. The U.S.-led coalition, in Iraq to fight remnants of the Islamic State group, dismissed the statement.

 

As tensions between Washington and Tehran increase, Iraq finds itself caught between neighbouring Iran, whose regional influence has grown in recent years, and the United States.

 

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi last week ordered all ammunition dumps belonging to the armed forces or paramilitary groups to be moved outside of cities.

 

He also cancelled all special flight permissions for Iraqi and foreign aircraft, meaning that sorties, including by the U.S.-led coalition operating against Islamic State militants, must be cleared in advance by the prime minister.

 

(Reporting by Maayan Lubell; Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-08-23

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[ThaiPauly]

Gotta be tough with Iran, they seem more of a threat to world peace than North Korea these days

[Morch]

 

According to this report, the supposed Israeli air raids are approved by both Russia and the USA:

 

Israel ‘Pursues’ Iran in Iraq with US approval, in Syria Under ‘Russian cover’

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1866281/israel-‘pursues’-iran-iraq-us-approval-syria-under-‘russian-cover’

 

I wouldn't know that's accurate, but not impossible, and certainly interesting.

 

Netanyahu's irresponsible statements are more related to posturing for the upcoming Israeli elections. The venue chosen is hardly accidental as well.

[DaddyWarbucks]

If this leads to renewed conflict in Iraq on a large scale, then the outlook is for continuing deterioration in Israel's image and moral standing. This promises to catalyze discord in the US as well as the progressive enfeeblement of American influence in the region.

By the time that Israel recognizes the need to make compromises for peace in the interests of its own survival, it may well be too late to bring this off. It would not be the first time in history that Jewish zealotry resulted in the disappearance of a Jewish state in the Middle East. 

The collateral damage to the US and to world Jewry from such a failure is hard to overstate. That is why the question of American enablement of self-destructive Israeli behavior needs public debate, not suppression by self-proclaimed defenders of Israel  operating as thought police.

 

[Morch]

1 minute ago, DaddyWarbucks said:

If this leads to renewed conflict in Iraq on a large scale, then the outlook is for continuing deterioration in Israel's image and moral standing. This promises to catalyze discord in the US as well as the progressive enfeeblement of American influence in the region.

By the time that Israel recognizes the need to make compromises for peace in the interests of its own survival, it may well be too late to bring this off. It would not be the first time in history that Jewish zealotry resulted in the disappearance of a Jewish state in the Middle East. 

The collateral damage to the US and to world Jewry from such a failure is hard to overstate. That is why the question of American enablement of self-destructive Israeli behavior needs public debate, not suppression by self-proclaimed defenders of Israel  operating as thought police.

 

 

How would such attacks lead to "renewed conflict in Iraq on a large scale"? And considering it possible two superpowers condone such actions, how would the supposed dire consequences play out? By the way, nicely done there ignoring Russia's part. Guess it doesn't compute or fit the usual narrative offered.

 

Unless you missed it, this doesn't have a whole lot to do with the run-of-the-mill peace effort narrative. That, and peace requiring more than one side, in order to pull off.

 

And this gem -

 

"suppression by self-proclaimed defenders of Israel  operating as thought police"

 

Do tell.

 

 

 

 

 

[bendejo]

Pre-election politics to be sure.

Looks like Netanyahu's relationship with The Chosen One is causing him to experience Enlarged Scrotum Syndrome.  Perhaps these days there is a stronger unity among the countries in the region that consider Iran the enemy. 

On the other hand, wouldn't it be something if all this mess DT has been saying about Jews in the past few days causes the Israelis to turn against Bibi in the upcoming election?

 

 

[DaddyWarbucks]

11 hours ago, Morch said:

 

How would such attacks lead to "renewed conflict in Iraq on a large scale"? And considering it possible two superpowers condone such actions, how would the supposed dire consequences play out? By the way, nicely done there ignoring Russia's part. Guess it doesn't compute or fit the usual narrative offered.

 

Unless you missed it, this doesn't have a whole lot to do with the run-of-the-mill peace effort narrative. That, and peace requiring more than one side, in order to pull off.

 

And this gem -

"suppression by self-proclaimed defenders of Israel  operating as thought police"

Do tell.

 

"...ignoring Russia's part."

As detailed in your link to Asharq al Awsat. The news source owned by Prince Faisal bin Salman.

Before Russia can be linked to these bombings it will require more credible proof than that.

[bristolboy]

1 hour ago, Morch said:

 

How would such attacks lead to "renewed conflict in Iraq on a large scale"? And considering it possible two superpowers condone such actions, how would the supposed dire consequences play out? By the way, nicely done there ignoring Russia's part. Guess it doesn't compute or fit the usual narrative offered.

 

Unless you missed it, this doesn't have a whole lot to do with the run-of-the-mill peace effort narrative. That, and peace requiring more than one side, in order to pull off.

 

And this gem -

 

"suppression by self-proclaimed defenders of Israel  operating as thought police"

 

Do tell.

 

 

 

 

 

Gives those forces a good motive to attack US forces in Iraq. Given the present tense relations between the US and Iran, it seems eminently possible.

[Jingthing]

56 minutes ago, bendejo said:

Pre-election politics to be sure.

Looks like Netanyahu's relationship with The Chosen One is causing him to experience Enlarged Scrotum Syndrome.  Perhaps these days there is a stronger unity among the countries in the region that consider Iran the enemy. 

On the other hand, wouldn't it be something if all this mess DT has been saying about Jews in the past few days causes the Israelis to turn against Bibi in the upcoming election?

 

 

Why would it? "trump" attacked American Jews, NOT Israeli Jews. Most Israeli Jews couldn't care less about the damage "trump" has done to American Jews making them a political football. 

[candide]

16 minutes ago, bristolboy said:

Gives those forces a good motive to attack US forces in Iraq. Given the present tense relations between the US and Iran, it seems eminently possible.

Throwing Oil on the fire.......

[Syduan]

8 hours ago, ThaiPauly said:

Gotta be tough with Iran, they seem more of a threat to world peace than North Korea these days

So you believe following the Globalists plan to start WW3 is a good step forward to world peace.

[Jonnapat]

Electioneering,  probably prompted by donald.

[Morch]

4 hours ago, DaddyWarbucks said:

"...ignoring Russia's part."

As detailed in your link to Asharq al Awsat. The news source owned by Prince Faisal bin Salman.

Before Russia can be linked to these bombings it will require more credible proof than that.

 

There's that. But then the reporter who released the story isn't exactly a lightweight. Also not too clear from your post what Saudi Arabia's angle would be, publishing the information.

 

With regard to Russia - if you imagine that Israel could freely carry out long range air raids and missile attacks in Syria and Iraq without Russia being aware, turning a blind eye or approving them - try harder.

 

Some form of coordination is certainly in place.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, Jonnapat said:

Electioneering,  probably prompted by donald.

 

The electioneering part would be publicly commenting on these air raids in the manner he did - not the air raids themselves being carried out.

[metisdead]

A conspiracy troll post has been reported and removed. 

[Brigand]

The Muslims need to be left to it to have their civil war as we in the west had them all long ago and the winners shaped the future. As far as Israel goes, well ... if any country or countries took the same stance against the EU/US/Russia or many others as some do against Israel, and made it policy that the country must be destroyed, then, yeah, you are going to get a negative reaction from almost all. The Mullahs also need to drop the hatchet too but the problem is that the nutjob clerics are in charge. Six of one and half a dozen of the other on this one and it's been going on for centuries and religion is at the core of it all. As usual, there are injustices on all sides but these people have to try to bury the past ... however hard this is and it also seems to not be in everyone's interest to do so. The haters will hate on all sides and profit from it with power and money as that is what's at stake ... think about who would lose if there was actually peace. Seems that it's like neither side actually wants peace.

[theoldgit]

Inappropriate troll post removed.