The SAAF Forum

The Times - Friday 4 November 2011

The Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak held talks in London yesterday with the Foreign Secretary William Hague, the Defence Secretary Philip Hammond. British and Israeli officials confirmed that Iran was discussed.
General Sir David Richards, Britain's Chief of the Defence Staff, has been holding talks in Israel this week with Israeli Defence Force Chief Lt Gen Benny Gantz.

Yeah, it looks like the final phase of the USA taking over the Middle East is about to start.

I would be very surprised if the USA and by association, the UK, would seriously engage in what would enivtably be a prolonged war against a country bigger than Iraq & Afghanistan combined. Public opinion for one in both countries, just isn't there.

Air striks will only drive the program under ground and delay it. But it will not stop it.

Wars cannot - and have never been won - without committing troops on the ground.

Report: Mysterious blast in Iran's Isfahan damaged key nuclear site

London Times quotes Israel intelligence officials as saying that satellite images show this week's reported blast in Isfahan was 'no accident.'

A mysterious blast which reportedly rocked Isfahan in western Iran on Monday damaged a key nuclear facility in the city, the Times of London reported on Wednesday. On Monday, Haaretz cited Iranian media as reporting that an explosion was heard near Isfahan, home to a uranium conversion plant operational since 2004.
According to reports by the semi-official Iranian Fars news agency, frightened residents called the fire department after the blast, forcing the city authorities to admit there had been an explosion. Residents reported that their windows shook from the explosion's force.
At first, Iranian officials denied the reports, with the governor of Isfahan later alleging that the blast was caused by an accident that had occurred during a nearby military drill.

However, a report in the Times on Wednesday alleged that the blast had not been a military accident, and that the city's nuclear facility was damaged.

The report quotes Israeli intelligence officials who based their conclusion on updated satellite images showing smoke billowing from the direction of the conversion plant. According to the Israeli sources, there was "no doubt" that the blast had damaged the nuclear facility, and that the explosion was not an "accident."

1. Economic sanctions.
They need the USSR and China to agree to be effective
2. Financial friezing and curtailment.
Ditto above

3. Modern media eg press and television and the Internet.
How will that work. People have made up there mind on iran and will not change

American-Iranian relations could be strained as reports indicate that an American UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), or drone, was “hijacked” and brought down by an Iranian-cyber warfare unit. The operators of the unmanned drone reported losing control of the aircraft. More so, the downed drone apparently was only slightly damaged and was recovered by Iranian officials. It is unclear whether or not this was a test by Iran's cyber warefare organ, a true act of aggression, or a show of force on the part of Iranians. What remains clear is that an American UAV now lies in the hands of Iran.

Aside from the likely international relations ramifications that this episode will cause, it is also important to wonder how a piece of sophisticated U.S. military machinary could be "hijacked." This crisis represents a need for the U.S. military to buttress its cyber defenses, especially in regards to drones.

Iran has a history of acting out against America, in many ways, and this could be another critical situation in the already soured relationship between the two states. But it is also a very serious matter when American technology is hacked into and controlled by another operator.

This is the second time in two months the U.S. drone fleet has been hacked.

These drones have become a major part of America's military apparatus, and to ensure their continued use, they must be inaccessible to other nation's cyber systems. Immediate action must be taken against Iran to ensure they can no longer infiltrate America's military related computer networks and systems. Actions must be taken to foolproof the communication systems between ground operators and UAVs.

Whether action is taken against Iran to stop them from doing this again, or actions are taken to defend our systems is another story. What needs to happen is a reconsidering of how we allow our UAVs to operate without cyber defense or security measures.

It was also reported that the type of UAV, RQ-170 is not the most advanced UAV in use today.

This story is still unfolding. What do you think? Was this an act of aggression against America's military influence in the Afghanistan region? Was this a test? Or, is this a taste of things to come, until America acts?