debka.com

A Dutch AIVD Secret Service ultra-secret operation underway in Iran in recent years has been halted and an agent recalled in view of “impending US plans to attack Iran,” within weeks, writes Joost de Haas, known for his good intelligence contacts, in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

The AIVD operation aimed to infiltrate and sabotage the weapons [and nuclear] industry in the Islamic Republic.

According to intelligence sources in the Netherlands, the US [or Israel] was expected to make a decision within weeks to attack nuclear plants with unmanned aircraft, used to avoid risking the lives of air crews and warplanes.

DEBKAfile’s military sources report this would be the first time drones operated by remote control were used against major strategic targets, necessary in Israel’s case to hold its air fleet and flight crews ready to defend the country against reprisal from Iran’s allies. Syria and the Lebanese Hizballah have stockpiled thousands of rockets for this purpose.

The Iranian targets to be bombed would include also military installations brought to light partly by the Dutch espionage operation, described by De Telegraaf as extremely successful. “One of the agents was able to infiltrate the Iranian industry” and for years shared information with the American CIA. “Various supplies could also be sabotaged and stopped. These were parts for missiles and launching equipment.”

According to DEBKAfile’s sources, the expectation disclosed by the Dutch newspaper would explain the fresh spate of threats from Iran.

Thursday, Aug. 28, Iranian sources told the London-based Arabic al Quds that Tehran had recently transferred to Hizballah new long-range rockets capable of hitting every inch of Israeli soil with great accuracy.

They were to be fired if Israel or the United States attacked Iran.

Dep. Chief of General Staff Masus Jazairi said Saturday, Aug. 30, that any attack on Iran would mean the beginning of a new world war. He said the “greed of the US and Zionists” is gradually leading the world to collapse as demonstrated in Sudan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the Caucasus.

DEBKAfile’s Iran sources report a shakeup is in progress in the Islamic Republic’s top military command.

Amir (Maj. Gen.) Seyed Abdollrahim Mousavi was named acting chief of staff of the armed forces – a new post created as backup in case the army chief comes to harm in combat.

Amir Mohamad Hosseyn Dadras becomes deputy chief of staff for coordination.

Amir Reza Pourdastan is the new commander of the army’s ground corps.

Scoop This editors have consistently blogged about America’s impending attack against Iran. There is a great possibility of this happening, especially since President Bush does not want to leave Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power for the next President to deal (or not deal) with. Also, an attack on Iran in order to destroy their nuclear facilities will take more than unmanned drones. It’s going to take the entire U.S. Air Force, as well as assistance from the Israeli Air Force. Even the British Royal Air Force will probably have to get into the action.

Israel recently made a decision to attack Iran before they reach any significant nuclear capability. Iran has 4,000 centrifuges that are currently online. Also, Iran is threatening “world war” if it is attacked. As the article states above, Hizb’Allah has received Iranian orders to launch thousands of rockets if Iran is attacked by America or Israel. So, if the IAF attacks Iran, Israeli ground forces will have to attack Hizb’Allah in Lebanon.

jpost.com

Iran claimed Sunday it has increased the range of its warplanes, allowing them to fly as far as Israel and back without refueling.

State TV quoted air force chief Gen. Ahmad Mighani as saying Iranian warplanes can now fly 3,000 kilometers without refueling. He didn’t specify the aircraft type or explain how the range was extended.

Israel is about 1,000 kilometers from Iran. Such a range could be achieved by using external fuel tanks attached to the wings or fuselage that can be released when empty.

Sunday’s report did not refer to Israel by name, but Mighani’s remarks come after an IAF air exercise in June that US officials described as a possible rehearsal for a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

As Scoop This reported on July 25th, Iran has lied about the capabilities and types of aircraft it has in its arsenal, so it comes as no surprise that General Mighani declined to specify which Iranian warplanes are capable of reaching Israel. What is real, however, is the recent, and speedy, buildup of U.S. Navy warships near Iran in the Persian Gulf, a story which Scoop This broke six days ago. The buildup may be in preparation for a combined Israel / American strike on Iran. Scoop This believes that a strike on Iran is eminent, especially with a new report from Debka File stating that Russia is considering arming Syria with nuclear missiles. Could Syria then transport those nuclear missiles to Iran?

cnn.com

Dramatic video from CNN!

This video was recorded on Sunday and aired yesterday on Turkish television. All the journalists in the video went back into Georgia yesterday. The journalist shot in the head, miraculously, does not have any life-threatening wounds.

UPDATE 1: If the CNN video above does not show…

…the video is now on .

breitbart.tv

According to Ynet: “I tried to get into the car and run, but the soldier pushed me and then he fired a round which nearly hit my foot, it actually hit the tip of my sandal.”

Breaking News…

Developing…

UDPATE 1: It looks like the video is breaking over the internet, but by Scoop This calculations, Hot Air has had the video posted for almost 3 hours now.

The Israeli journalists were robbed at gunpoint by Russian soldiers. The car was stolen, then returned 20 minutes later. Also, Hot Air is reporting that the Russian soldier was drunk!

Read the amazing story of Tzur Sheizaf, the Israeli journalist nearly shot, on Ynet News.

Hat Tip: Hot Air

UPDATE 2: I just checked around and it looks like the videos of both the Israeli journalist and the Georgian journalist being shot at broke at the same time around the conservative blogosphere. Some conservative outlets had the “Israeli journalist” video, while others had the “Georgian journalist” video.

Check out the Scoop This previous entry: Georgian TV Reporter Shot By Russian Sniper!

Wow! Tamara Urushadze is lucky that the sniper mostly missed his shot and it’s just a flesh wound on her left arm. Also, at least it was not a head shot, because four more bullets passed by her! Tamara was reporting live when she was shot in the city of Gori, which is now known as “sniper’s alley”. After finishing her live report, Tamara was taken to the hospital.

Read more about this story at This Is London.

Little Green Footballs

Several news organizations have reported that the Russian military is now within minutes of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is giving a press briefing…

Breaking News…

Developing…

UPDATE 1: Earlier today, President Bush warned Russia that “the U.S. would stand behind its ally Georgia and warned Russia that it must respect the ‘territorial integrity’ of (Georgia).” By advancing forward towards Tbilisi, the Russians have effectively violated the truce designed to end the six-day war. There are also reports of gunmen targeting children and another report claiming that pro-U.S. Ukraine is next on Russia’s hit list.

UPDATE 2: Say Anything Blog is reporting that President Bush has ordered the U.S. military to provide humanitarian aid to the Georgian people. Two C-17 cargo jet planes are heading to Tbilisi, Georgia’s capital city. The value of the aid is estimated at $1.28 million.

As many readers may already be aware, Scoopthis broke the story that this past weekend, the US Navy completed its buildup in the Persian Gulf consisting of 5 major task force battle groups, the largest buildup of its kind since operation Iraqi Freedom.

As if the naval buildup wasn’t enough to get the speculation going, our sources tell us that Russia was set to deliver High Tech anti-aircraft missiles to Iran in September, a move which would’ve severely hindered any Israeli or American air assaults. However, Moscow has signaled that the shipment will be delayed for an indefinite amount of time. Scoopthis speculates that such a move signal’s Moscow’s uneasiness about supplying significant armament to a country which could be facing the United States in the near future. Should those arms prove ineffective in the field against the United States, it would cripple Russia’s arms industry.

In addition, Moscow’s recent invasion of Georgia and possible desire to control or destroy the major oil pipeline that runs through that country could indicate that they are attempting to secure additional oil production in the event that Iran, also a major oil producer, is taken off of the global market for a while.

At this time, Scoopthis believes that military action against Iran is indeed a very real possibility and could be far closer than previously imagined. Stay tuned for more on this story as it unfolds.

msnbc.msn.com

TBLISI, Georgia - Russian President Dmitri Medvedev ordered an end to the military operation in Georgia on Tuesday, the Kremlin said.

Medvedev said the military has punished Georgia and restored security for civilians and Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia.

But he ordered the military Tuesday to defend itself and quash any aggressive action and armed resistance from Georgian forces.

“I have taken the decision to bring to an end the operation to force the Georgian authorities to peace,” Medvedev told Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, according to a Kremlin spokesman.

Earlier, Russia’s foreign minister said that Georgia’s president must leave office and Georgian troops should stay out of the breakaway South Ossetia region for good.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow won’t talk to President Mikhail Saakashvili and that Saakashvili had “better go.”

Both statements came as French President Nicolas Sarkozy headed to Moscow Tuesday to negotiate an EU-brokered truce for the fierce conflict over the breakaway region.

Sarkozy was aiming to win Kremlin backing for a joint European Union-OSCE ceasefire plan which Georgia says it has already accepted.

Sounds like the Russian Army just annexed South Ossetia!

Plus, the Russian government, which is calling for Georgian President Saakashvili to step down, will most likely try to install a Georgian puppet loyal to the Kremlin.

As I said in a previous blog, Russian Czar Prime Minister Putin is trying to reclaim the 15 satellite states that broke away from the U.S.S.R., starting with pro-U.S. Georgia.

breitbart.tv

This video was just posted through the AP Wire.

The video shows a Russian convoy of troops that were engaged in an intense firefight with Georgian soldiers at a bridge in Achabet, South Ossetia on Monday.

I’ve just learned from debka, believed to be the public voice of the Mossad (Israel’s CIA), that 3 new US Naval task forces just showed up in the Persian Gulf bringing the total to 5, a number not seen since Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Debka speculates that the buildup could have any one of five possible explanations:

“1. The US, aided also by France, Britain and Canada, is finalizing preparations for a partial naval blockade to deny Iran imports of benzene and other refined oil products. This action would indicate that the Bush administration had thrown in the towel on stiff United Nations sanctions and decided to take matters in its own hands.

2. Iran, which imports 40 percent of its refined fuel products from Gulf neighbors, will retaliate for the embargo by shutting the Strait of Hormuz oil route chokepoint, in which case the US naval and air force stand ready to reopen the Strait and fight back any Iranian attempt to break through the blockade.

3. Washington is deploying forces as back-up for a possible Israeli military attack on Iran’s nuclear installations.

4. A potential rush of events in which a US-led blockade, Israeli attack and Iranian reprisals pile up in a very short time and precipitate a major military crisis.

5. While a massive deployment of this nature calls for long planning, its occurrence at this time cannot be divorced from the flare-up of the Caucasian war between Russia and Georgia. While Russia has strengthened its stake in Caspian oil resources by its overwhelming military intervention against Georgia, the Americans are investing might in defending the primary Persian Gulf oil sources of the West and the Far East.”

This news may be the most indicative yet that the Bush Administration is willing to put its money where its mouth is should the UN or the international community fail to act in a meaningful way against Iran’s continued defiance on Nuclear Proliferation. War is still very much on the table and it is truly sobering to know that the brink may have already arrived.