so has any more new info come out about the apparent thousands of US troops being sent to Israel?

[charlie and algernon]

all I've seen seems to be the same article posted over and over again about how the US is apparently sending thousands of troops and a missle defense system to Israel. Has ANY other news outlet confirmed this, or is this just a blog rumor and speculation?



EDIT: don't know where i got 9,000 from. None of the reports mention a specifc number.

[Riftaxe]

1. Which article?

The AP one, the Reuters one, or the several dozen other articles easily googled confirming US troops being sent to Israel?

[a simple pattern]

2. I guess Google is my friend*

*I am not Rick Santorum

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. Hopefully just a rumor!

[MicaelS]

4. Seems legitimate...

It's an exercise, and the troops don't appear to be going to be stationed there for long term.

Google "Austere Challenge 12"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/israeli-and-us-troops-gear-up-for-major-missile-defense-drill-after-iran-maneuvers/2012/01/05/gIQAE0QqcP_story.html?tid=pm_pop

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/06/tensions-gulf-iran-us-israel?newsfeed=true

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2082961/Face-Gulf-U-S--Israel-Iran-launch-war-games-force-nuclear-plans-key-oil-route.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hLZ5xEhG_tMkOqCm1g3xMuN71IvQ?docId=f34cf1f17fcf4b9e958e306e7b592f60

[tammywammy]

5. It's a joint exercise drill

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/israeli-and-us-troops-gear-up-for-major-missile-defense-drill-after-iran-maneuvers/2012/01/05/gIQAE0QqcP_story.html?tid=pm_pop

Israeli and US troops gear up for major missile defense drill after Iran maneuvers

JERUSALEM — The Israeli military is gearing up together with U.S. forces for a major missile defense exercise, the Israeli military announced Thursday, as tension between Iran and the international community escalates.

The drill is called “Austere Challenge 12” and is designed to improve defense systems and cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli forces. It follows a 10-day Iranian naval exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

Israel’s military said the drill with the U.S. was planned long ago and is not tied to recent events.

Both Israeli and U.S. officials said the exercise would be the largest-ever joint drill by the two countries.
-snip-

[Joe Shlabotnik]

6. nothing concrete

But the prevailing story is that it's a routine exercise with Israel. Although, according to some non-mainstream foreign media, it's for war with Iran (HIGHLY unlikely), but more likely a Libya-style adventure into Syria.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. You mean Iranian media

.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

8. lol, honestly I can't remember

I've seen it in a few places recently, possibly like press-tv, as you suggest. I'm just saying that it's been floated as a 'feel good' war of bringing democracy...blah blah blah.... to a push over nation thats already crumbling. Attacking Iran WILL NOT happen: everyone looses in that scenario.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. It came straight from press tv

It is the annual exercise and the annual war is comming.

Perhaps some day they might be right, but right now, even with all tensions, the us would need a draft.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

10. you may very well be right.

But if NATO en masse joined in, and say some neighboring states started arming rebels (courtesy of the CIA of course), I think Syria would 'almost' be as much of a push over as Libya. But ya, you're right, on one hand it's part of the annual news cycle, but on the other hand there is some real serious Arab spring shit goin' down there too. I think I've seen/read it elsewhere, other than from press-tv, but your point is well taken.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. The other place I saw it is RW israeli propaganda

Aka Debka. They are correct even less often.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

13. LOL I'm not arguing, and I'm not familiar with Debka

but then again, it's not like the Israeli's have never bombed Syria before (Operation Orchard in '07 comes to mind).

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. They bombed Iraq too

And technically they were still at war.



Most likely, same shit, different year.

But seriously Debka has some serious funny shit. And some take them way too seriously. During the gulf war two they pulled some real duzzies, that anybody familiar with militaries, could tell were creative writing galore. My fav was the Galil commandos destroying missiles on the ground, of course per anonymous IDF senior staffer. If there is something the IDF would not do is release that to the Israeli equivalent of stratfor...at least the latter are credible. That idiocy could have led to a whole middle eastern war.

By the way press tv got that from the pentagon release on the exercise. The best propaganda has a hint of reality.

I write fiction, so sometimes following this shit is helpful for ideas.

[zbdent]

16. off-topic, but ... THE JOE SHLABOTNIK?

Damn ... I went through a bunch of packs of baseball cards for yours, spending my entire allowance, and didn't get one ... and that damn Lucy buys one pack and gets your card, right in front of me!

[Joe Shlabotnik]

20. lol, sorry, but I'll come and speak at your little leauge banquet

as long as I don't get lost along the way like last time.

[Bolo Boffin]

11. Austere Challenge 2008 wasn't in Israel

http://www.army.mil/article/8478/austere-challenge-testing-new-7th-army-concept/

The establishment of early-entry and operational command posts in late March during the deployment phase of Austere Challenge 2008 marked a significant milestone in the merger of U.S. Army Europe and V Corps into a single organization known as 7th Army.

Equipment, vehicles, and high-tech electronics flooded into Grafenwoehr Training Area. Soldiers from staff sections of V Corps and USAREUR headquarters elements then established a deployed command post ready to provide command and control for a joint task force engaged in combat.

"It's part of the 7th Army transformation. We're bringing together the USAREUR staff and the V Corps staff into a single functional staff," said Lt. Col. Ransford A. Reinhard, V Corps deputy chief of operations. "It's a different paradigm than what we're used to."

So Austere Challenge exercises have been going on for a while, and they are about coordination between different allied militaries.

[Rex]

15. Can you provide a link please?

Is it just one source or more?

[The Straight Story]

17. Washington Post: Israeli and US troops gear up for major missile defense drill after Iran maneuvers

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/israeli-and-us-troops-gear-up-for-major-missile-defense-drill-after-iran-maneuvers/2012/01/05/gIQAE0QqcP_story.html?tid=pm_pop

[The Straight Story]

18. And this from house armed services:

http://armed-services.senate.gov/statemnt/2011/03%20March/Stavridis%2003-29-11.pdf

Mar 29, 2011 – multinational maritime exercise which included 12 nations focused on ... successfully execute the AUSTERE CHALLENGE exercise series

[The Straight Story]

19. More (with a powerpoint of other operations)

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dtic.mil%2Fdoctrine%2Ftraining%2Fconferences%2Fwjtsc10_1%2Fwjtsc10_1wgjetp_fy1112.ppt&ei=YlsIT7TfKYTVgQeLqMSmAg&usg=AFQjCNHaVcqqYP-kdp87YpGIGn4cD3yjPA&sig2=F43ehKrfg1-pGWBwuPw_fg

2009 version:
http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entries/government_approach_stability/

Also mentioned here on Sept 1:
http://www.eur.army.mil/news/archive2011/09012011-CCP.htm