Israel: On Ground Updates - June 20, 2008

Israel:
On Ground Updates
Friday, June 20, 2008

* Bloomberg.com brings us this report today and it starts off like this... A wide-ranging Israeli military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean was likely aimed at warning both Iran and the U.S. about the possibility of a strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, a U.S. analyst said... “It's very hard to think of any other enemies Israel has that would require such a massive use of forces or an attack waged at such a distance,” said Michael O'Hanlon, a foreign- policy analyst at Washington's Brookings Institution... The June 2 exercise involved about 100 aircraft and included mid-air refueling missions...
Read the full report at link below...
Israel Exercise Seen as Preparation for Possible Iran Strike

* Telegraph.co.uk reports...
Israel rehearses strike on Iran nuclear sites

* YNET.com brings us this bit of news today... Hamas' leader in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh said on Friday the group would not stop smuggling activities in the territory. Stopping smuggling is a central Israeli demand in an Egyptian-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreed between Israel and Hamas that came into force on Thursday... Palestinian groups smuggle arms and ammunitions into Gaza through tunnels across the border with Egypt and on boats along the coast. Israel has also demanded Egypt step up efforts stop the flow of arms into Gaza...
Read the full story at link below...
Hamas says smuggling to go on despite Gaza truce

* Pitpundit Blog has this real short report...
Crude jumps after Pentagon hints at Israeli attack on Iran

IAF file Photo