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Israel is running critically low on interceptors, US officials say
- shablulman 7mo ago[dead]
- thisislife2 7mo agoInteresting that Iran has started using cluster munition missiles to strike Israel. Apparently Iran, Israel and US are some of the few countries that haven't signed the international convention banning cluster munitions. Israel has also used cluster munitions against the Hezbollahs.
- XorNot 7mo agoCountries tend to sign munition restrictions when they don't use those munitions or are in a position where they wouldn't be useful. The map of countries which sign the convention against landmines is extremely obvious in that context.
- markdown 7mo ago> are in a position where they wouldn't be useful. No such country exists. So long as enemies are likely to put boots, wheels, or tracks on the ground in your country, landmines are extremely useful, extremely cheap, and extremely effective.
- cpgxiii 7mo agoThe point is that almost all of the signatories considered themselves to be immune to a "real war" in their futures at the time they signed. E.g. basically all of the European signatories assumed that the end of the cold war and existence of NATO would ensure the end of any possible threat. Given that assumption, as obviously flawed as it was, signing on to a ban was cheap PR (literally cheap, too, because it meant they could divest those weapons and their delivery mechanisms to reduce defense expenditures).
- breppp 7mo agowhich is exactly why european countries threatened by russia are starting to withdraw from the treaty, five had recently announced so
- palmotea 7mo ago> Given that assumption, as obviously flawed as it was, signing on to a ban was cheap PR (literally cheap, too, because it meant they could divest those weapons and their delivery mechanisms to reduce defense expenditures). Doubly so, since they understood themselves to be backed up by a non-signatory (the US).
- spwa4 7mo agoYou also have the large number of countries that sign treaties, then just ignore them. Iran is an example of a nation that signs UN treaties, then openly boast about violating them. Iran signed the human rights treaties ... and openly executes gays and minors. They boast about this publicly.
- Qem 7mo ago> Israel has also used cluster munitions against the Hezbollahs. Estimated around 4 million of them against south Lebanon: https://imeu.org/resources/key-issues/quick-facts-israels-illegal-use-of-cluster-bombs/460 https://imeu.org/resources/key-issues/quick-facts-israels-il... https://www.hrw.org/report/2008/02/16/flooding-south-lebanon/israels-use-cluster-munitions-lebanon-july-and-august-2006 https://www.hrw.org/report/2008/02/16/flooding-south-lebanon...
- dogma1138 7mo agoIt’s because it’s one of the only things that effectively can hit Israel. They release the submunitions at much higher altitudes than they were intended so they spread across a much larger area and thus ineffective at hitting anything other than an urban target. But on the plus side for the Iranians they separate outside of the interception envelope of even the exo atmospheric interceptors Israel has so they actually get through even if each sub munition is only a nuance at best.
- coldtea 7mo agoNothing that saying they're sorry for being offensive and seeking a peace deal can't fix...
- dlubarov 7mo agoIt's not "peace" when the Iranian regime sends tens of thousands of projectiles to Hezbollah specifically for attacking Israel. It's not "offensive" to respond to decades of bombardment. If we want peace, regime change in Iran is the only option, otherwise the best case is a return to somewhat slower paced proxy warfare.
- tharmas 7mo agoDon't worry. The USA needs to maintain the Petro Dollar so this war will go on until Iran is rubble like Gaza. The Gulf States are finished.
- goatlover 7mo agoHow many arms has the US sent Israel? Why do you believe only one side is responsible for this conflict?
- dlubarov 7mo ago[flagged]
- themafia 7mo agoThen it was a very strange choice to go to war with a neighbor that's known to have massive stockpiles of missiles. Maybe it's just me, but if I were in such a suboptimal defensive materiel position, I would try diplomacy first. In fact, I would make it my mission to be the world recognized leader in diplomacy.
- cindyllm 7mo ago[dead]
- mohsen1 7mo agoNeighbor?!
- spwa4 7mo agoDo you honestly believe Israel hasn't done that for decades?
- Nevermark 7mo agoI am certainly not defending Iran, but one of their gripes had merit. Israel’s illegal annexation and settling of land that wasn’t theirs. And their policy of overlooking violence against the previous inhabitants. Genocide slow burn. So I don’t know what good any diplomacy could have been in that context.
- jazzpush2 7mo agoI.e. time American tax dollars to save the day!
- Drupon 7mo ago[flagged]
- mcs5280 7mo agoSounds like they only went into this with concepts of a plan
- deleted 7mo ago[deleted]
- _dke7 7mo agoKeep in mind who pays for the replacements - U.S. Citizens to the tune of $317.9 billion over the last 70 years [1]. https://taxpayersforpeace.org/ https://taxpayersforpeace.org/
- alephnerd 7mo ago[flagged]
- spaghetdefects 7mo agoThere were plenty of other alternatives, starting with sanctions against Israel and followed with military action. The boomer generation's support for Israel created a very odd relationship that was entirely one way. Younger generations will certainly reverse this.
- alephnerd 7mo ago[flagged]
- spaghetdefects 7mo agoThe US has given over $300B to Israel since its creation: https://usafacts.org/answers/how-much-foreign-aid-does-the-us-provide/countries/israel/ https://usafacts.org/answers/how-much-foreign-aid-does-the-u... That does not count the money we've spent fighting their wars. We could have cut that off and sanctioned them at any time if they worked against our interests. Israel's strategy has been to compromise US leadership to stop this from happening, and until recently it was successful at that.
- alephnerd 7mo ago[flagged]
- spaghetdefects 7mo ago
- Qem 7mo agoI hope they have their Cuito Cuanavale[1] moment and follow the steps of South Africa in replacing their own version of the apartheid regime with democracy. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cuito_Cuanavale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cuito_Cuanavale
- glob_roman 7mo ago[flagged]
- Qem 7mo agohttps://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2022/02/israels-system-of-apartheid/ https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2022/02/israels-...
- UltraSane 7mo ago[flagged]
- richbell 7mo agoIs the implication that someone can't dislike both?
- UltraSane 7mo agoAbsolutely not but it is very rare for people who are very anti-Israel to apply the same criteria they judge Israel by to other countries.
- spaghetdefects 7mo agoI consider Iran to be led and inhabited by indigenous people and not foreign colonizers.
- hersko 7mo ago[flagged]
- breppp 7mo agoOn the other side, iran's launch capability had fallen by 92% since the start of the war https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-889435 https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-889435 Iran is actually attacking their former close friends at the gulf uninvolved civilian population centers more often than it attacks Israel EDIT: fixed to 92%
- wodenokoto 7mo agoThey are attacking close friends who literally harbor the armies attacking Iran. The logic seems very straight forward imho. Attack the US army bases and pester the nations that allows those bases in hopes that they might ask the us to get bend.
- breppp 7mo ago[flagged]
- gravisultra 7mo agoThey've attacked many US bases. They've also retaliated against US/Israeli business interests when the US/Israel did the same to Iran. Iran is waging a very strategic war and quite a moral one I might add. They even gave evacuation orders to Tel Aviv neighborhoods they were targeting military installations in.
- Hikikomori 7mo agoIsrael uses human shields for their bases? Imagine that.
- breppp 7mo ago[flagged]
- dogma1138 7mo ago[flagged]
- excalibur 7mo agoLet's send them thousands of tiny violins.
- helf 7mo ago[dead]
- burnt-resistor 7mo agoThat's the plan in both Lebanon and Iran. Send out an initial impulse and steady stream of drones and ballistic missiles to expend expensive interceptors that take a long time to make. Make it seem like the traditional launch capability and stockpiles are low. After that time, Iran and/or Lebanon maintain an option to ready and launch underground-stockpiled Shaheeds and similar from improvised launchers on the back of pickup trucks and trailers by the hundreds/thousands to obliterate US bases and major Israeli cities like Haifa and Tel Aviv. That's the most likely scenario should Iran/Lebanon decide escalation would be essential for existential defense.
- zombot 7mo agoI have lost patience with Israel. The state behaves like a hopelessly spoiled child because they know their stupid parent will bail them out of any bad situation of their own making. I'm quite disgusted with both of them.