Drumbeats of War - Bunker Busters to Diego Garcia
The fog of war is preceding the actual event like a herald before a great general.
The US is apparently sending a large shipment of bunker busters to our primary staging base in the Indian Ocean, Diego Garcia.
This news was reported by Military Industry Today, a news service for Military Industry Professionals, on March 17, citing ‘media sources.’ Since then they have run more news regarding the shipment. International sources from England to India have added details, and the story is now widespread in the world press. But not in America.
The original story was probably the one in The Herald of Scotland last Sunday: Contract details for the shipment to Diego Garcia were posted on an international tenders’ website by the US navy. Superior Maritime Services, will be paid $699,500 to carry many thousands of military items from Concord, California, to Diego Garcia…..the cargo includes 195 smart, guided, Blu-110 bombs and 192 massive 2000lb Blu-117 bombs.
The Times of India says that contract was signed in January.
But the fog rolls in. Is the shipment simply General Purpose bombs, or are they being shipped with the JDAM kits that turn them into bunker busters made for Iran’s nuclear facilities? Are they intended for use by the United States… or Israel?
A usually accurate source (but not always… they have their agendas) tied to Israel’s highly respected intelligence agency Mossad, says it’s definitely the whole nine yards, and the intended recipient was Israel. They say those 387 bombs are a major element of the sophisticated arms systems Defense Minister Barak desires so desperately, and over which he almost punched out Prime Minister Netanyahu after the squabble over East Jerusalem during VP Biden’s visit.
And that’s why a little diplomatic flap turned into a real ruckus.
The Israeli source is believable because President Obama has said no to all Israeli requests for advanced U.S. weapons since he took office. That includes AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, refueling systems, data on a stealth variant of the F-15E fighter-bomber, and of course the bunker busters. A case could be made that the other military hardware can be ‘defensive’ against an attack by, say, Lebanon’s Hisballah. But the bunker busters are entirely an offensive weapon. A first strike weapon.
Apparently Barak will accompany Netanyahu to Washington for a meeting with Obama being reported in the US press as scheduled for Tuesday, March 23. It remains to be seen if such an audience has actually been granted, or if it was a trial balloon to gauge American public reaction, or if it will be rescinded after Netanyahu speaks at the annual conference of the primary Jewish political lobbying organization in the United States, AIPAC. I think it is far from a sure thing.
If it does take place, the assumption is that both Netanyahu and Barak will plead with Obama to release the weapons necessary to defend Israel. Or for a first strike against Iran’s almost completed nuclear facilities.
When the meeting is completed, if everyone comes out smiling and happy, you’ll know which way the wind is blowing.
If they walk out under a cloud of gloom, you’ll know the Israelis are between a rock and a hard place. Will they decide they must make do with what they’ve got, as they have done in the past? Or will they try talking the people of Israel into accepting a nuclear Iran?
The question remains whether Obama will keep on tethering Israel in a concerted effort to prevent them from a first strike… or if all this is a highly orchestrated plan to goad Israel into a military adventure against Iran so that the US will have no choice but to expand the war in the Middle East after Iran, Syria, Lebanon and others retaliate against both Israel, and American troops and other US assets in the Persian Gulf.
Quite a question. Perhaps the most important worldly question of our times.
My feeling is that Obama is not up to the decision. He will drag his feet until events overtake him. Perhaps his true intent is peace, and if so, I sincerely applaud his great wisdom in that quest. But it seems that neither he nor his advisors have the foggiest idea how to actually accomplish that worthy goal.
My cynical side thinks events are far beyond his control in any event. And that he just might not be the one pulling the strings.
