ts. Think Responsibly

The Mid-East War Is A Joint Operation: The US...

David Reavill

October 06 2024 at 01:47 pm

When Joe Biden met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war cabinet during his visit to Israel, the U.S. president assured them: “I don’t believe you have to be a Jew to be a Zionist, and I am a Zionist.”* The great irony of the Middle East War is that Americans are presented, almost exclusively, with the Israeli point of view, not the American. Consequently, we learn that Israel invaded Gaza and that it has a limited military operation in Lebanon and with Iran. This jaundiced, Israeli-centric perspective leads us to believe that the United States plays a minimal role in any hostilities. But nothing could be further from reality. Today, we’ll review how America is actively involved in this rapidly escalating regional conflict, which may go global at any moment. Although it has dropped off the headlines, Operation Prosperity Guardian is still very active. You may recall that this was the name that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave to American warship’s effort to keep the Red Sea shipping lane open for Israel. For ten months, the United States Navy has been tasked with keeping the Ansar Allah group, also known as the Houthis, from targeting ships headed for the Port of Eilat, one of the four critical Israeli ports. Portrayed as a separate and distinct operation, this is an integral part of the Mid-East War. The Houthis, after all, are only engaged in this operation because Israel invaded Gaza. Settle the Gaza dispute, and the Houthis indicate that they would re-open all shipping in the Red Sea. Last week, the U.S. Air Force carried out 15 strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. This was exclusively an American operation and represents the ongoing direct strategy of the U.S., which has become a full partner in the Middle East Conflict. Interestingly, the U.S. does not recognize the Houthis as a legitimate national organization and thus does not hold any direct negotiations with them. Any communications between Washington and the Houthis take place in the Yemen Consulate in Saudi Arabia. Earlier in the week, Iran launched a massive missile attack against Israel. By most estimates, Iran employed nearly 200 rockets and missiles. Although most of the targets were Israeli, one was likely aimed at U.S. participation. The Nevatim Airbase is Israel’s largest, most crucial airfield. The Israelis station their American-made, state-of-the-art F35s fighter jets here, many transport planes, other fighters, and even Prime Minister Netanyahu’s official plane. It’s also where American logistics aircraft, like the C-130 Hercules and the C-17A Globemasters, daily offload the armament and munitions to fight this War. It is a critically important supply chain hub. Without Nevatim Airbase and American supplies, the War could not continue for long. National Public Radio, NPR, reports that Nevatim was struck at least 30 times, with at least one major crater in its runway. In the following days, observers saw several F-35s using their STOL, vertical take-off, and landing capability, indicating that the full runway may not be operational. https://www.npr.org/2024/10/04/nx-s1-5140058/satellite-images-dozens-iranian-missiles-struck-near-israeli-air-base Undoubtedly, the principal target for the Iranian missile strike was Israel’s military facilities. However, it is also undeniable that Israel’s logistical partner, the United States, was also a target, indicating that Iran sees this War as a partnership between the U.S. and Israel. And Iran is not alone; increasingly, the international community sees the War as a joint partnership between the United States and Israel. In July, the International Court of Justice ruled in an advisory opinion that the Israeli occupation of Gaza was illegal and should come to an end. Further, they ruled that other nations were obliged to NOT “render aid or assistance” to Israel in maintaining its presence in Gaza. The United States ignores this ruling and continues to supply Israel with its war efforts. https://www.icj-cij.org/node/204176 Two weeks ago, the United Nations overwhelmingly passed a non-binding resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from Palestinian territories. If it fails to do so, the U.N. will apply global sanctions. This followed the U.S. Veto of a U.N. Resolution condemning the violence against civilians in Gaza passed last year. Repeatedly, the United States has been Israel’s protector in the United Nations, vetoing any resolution that would condemn Israel’s actions. So close are Washington and Tel Aviv that President Biden is discussing war strategy, suggesting future Israeli strikes against Iran, for instance. All this, after last week’s missile attack, Iran has now become front and center in Israel’s war plans. This week, the press reported that Biden is discussing whether or not Israel should attack Iranian oil facilities, while he cautioned against attacking Iranian nuclear plants. It indicates a level of planning and cooperation that goes well beyond a mere proxy war, like Ukraine. This war was a partnership in which American leadership and know-how were actively involved in planning and execution. Today, much of the Arab world has lined up against Israel and its senior partner, the United States, from paramilitary groups like the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah to Iran, Lebanon, and Yemen. For many, this is a multi-generational conflict with roots in the decades past. Their memories recall a history of Arab Israeli struggles, as yearly they honor the martyrs of battles long ago. To think that we can step in and solve these issues with a decisive military engagement is naive, and to say nothing arrogant. America is now a highly visible part of this War. We should expect an enemy as resourceful and resilient as this will include us in their future battle plans. ** Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

How Israel Outsources War

David Reavill

October 01 2024 at 01:09 pm

Israeli Airforce F16I Sufa, made in the USA Outsourcing is a modern business practice in which a local company uses an external provider to carry out business practices that would otherwise be handled internally. My local bank, for instance, uses Visa to process all its credit and debit cards.** Last Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, calmly picked up the secure telephone and ordered Yoav Gallant, the Defense Minister, to attack Hezbollah. He then strode to the podium to address the United Nations General Assembly. It was an amazing piece of theater by Israel’s always-measured and controlled leader. But what was most amazing about this production was the carefully proscribed part Israel played in its production. When Minister Gallant turned to order the I.A.F. Air Force to commence, he was ordering his U.S. trained fighter pilots to board their U.S.-made fighter jets, likely the General Dynamics F-16 Fighter Jet (although the other two I.A.F. Fighter jets are also American, The F-15 and F-35), and then to drop the feared Bunker Buster Bomb, the GBU-28. This bomb was designed during the Second Gulf War, Operation Iraqi Freedom, to take out Saddam Hussein’s underground bunkers. Only two of these bombs were dropped in that war, both with devastating effect. Two more of these 4,000-pound bombs were dropped Friday on Hezbollah’s underground compound, with equal devastation. All of Hezbollah’s leadership, including its General Secretary Hassan Nasrallah, were killed — effectively decapitating the entire Hezbollah leadership. However, while the stage was in Lebanon, and the principal actors were Israeli, much of the production and equipment were “made in the U.S.A.” This did not go unnoticed by all the onlookers who filed past the gaping hole in the ground — while prayers for the dead were heard, there was also the sentiment that this was, in considerable measure, an American production. This type of warfare was impossible before the advent of a global economy. Most of what Israel utilized in this attack, and indeed how the Israeli economy survives, is through “leverage.” This means using other countries’ materials, commodities, and components to assemble a final product. It’s how Israel, a country with few resources and few traditional industries, works. Five years ago, Forbes Magazine described Israel as a “Manufacturing Minnow…But An Industrial Technology Power.” Many considered Israel the model of a new, outsourced economy, which some call “Smart manufacturing.” For these thinkers, Israel had all the benefits of a new economy without the regrettable side effects, like pollution and environmental degradation. However, the reality that the current war with Hezbollah reveals is that Israel has moved those “nasty” manufacturing functions off-shore to the United States, much like the U.S. Has been doing to Asia for the past 50 years. Israel has “outsourced” America’s war-making capability and called it their own. Just the way so much of our new “global economy” does it. Israel’s prowess has been in providing software or component upgrades to existing products. Standout products created by Israeli innovation include self-driving software Mobileye, a G.P.S. app WAZE, and a public transit app MOOVIT. All are valuable “add-ons,” but they fall short of manufacturing the automobiles, buses, and trains that actually provide transportation. In the same sense, Israel has produced “add-ons” to much of its war machinery but not the actual weapons, planes, and tanks themselves. This raised the question: how long could Israel continue any war without the United States' supply of weapons and equipment? Even more pertinent, how long could Israel continue a war without imported oil, chiefly from Turkey? Israel may be far more dependent upon outside energy and resources than its current aggressive posture reveals. Today, Israel Invaded Lebanon For the third time in recent memory, Israel has invaded Lebanon in an effort to take out Hezbollah. Axios reports that a senior Israeli Official has said that this is a short-term tactical operation designed to move Hezbollah back from Northern Israel. “We have no intention of drowning in the Lebanese mud. We will go in and go out at the end. This is a tactical operation that is limited in time and scope,” the official said. https://www.axios.com/2024/10/01/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-middle-east-wars Of course, Israel’s strategy is intimately connected to services and data provided by the United States. Although specifics are highly classified, it’s reasonable to assume that American Geo-positioning services, targeting, weapons, and equipment will be involved. Provider Vulnerability Following this line of thinking, two important points are raised. Each provider presents a potential vulnerability. Israel is totally reliant upon the U.S. to maintain complete silence on any of the data presented to the I.D.F. Any American “leak” would be deadly for the Israeli soldiers. But the reverse is also true. Is it possible that Israel has recently been able to exploit a security leak within the Hezbollah or Hamas outsourcing system? In other words, has Israel exploited other vendor relationships to spy? Beginning in March 2023, Israel has adopted a dramatically new and deadly strategy of taking out the leadership of their enemies. After less than 16 months, Israel has now decapitated the leadership of both Hamas, killing Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh and now all nine leaders of Hezbollah. It represents both an escalation of the conflict and a remarkable ability of Israel to track these individuals. Many have speculated that MOSSAD, Israel’s chief spy agency, has perhaps infiltrated these groups. Others have speculated that communication devices, such as cell phones and pagers, were compromised somewhere along the supply chain. Either or both of those may turn out to be true. But a third possibility is that Israel has somehow compromised the networks that provide cell, pager, or other services. Conclusion Over the past year, the Middle East has steadily escalated hostilities. In another week, it will be exactly one year since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Since that time, we’ve seen the near destruction of much of the Gaza Strip, with its countless loss of life. At the same time, Hezbollah, as well as the Houthis, have launched missiles against Israel. Today is one more step in that steady escalation to a major regional war. The question that needs asking, as the chief provider of Israel’s military, will the United States be able to avoid becoming even more involved? ** Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

Drones: How An Established Weapon Can Reshape...

David Reavill

October 17 2024 at 03:24 pm

Iranian Drones launched from back of semi trailer. ** In the mid-1700s, the British Empire faced a burgeoning rebellion in one of its colonies. The Americans dared to claim their independence from the Crown. A group of rag-tag backwoodsmen attacked General Howe’s army with unconventional tactics and weapons. The British were fighting in the “proper” way. Festooned in their bright red uniforms, they stood side by side in battle formation. Not the Americans. These ruffians hid behind the hedgerows and trees, not wearing a uniform. The British used their trusty Brown Bess muskets to fight in close quarters. Although inaccurate, it didn’t need to be at such a tight range; the muskets could be reloaded quickly to send off the next round. The Americans, on the other hand, used the legendary Kentucky Long Rifle. In the right hands, these weapons were incredibly accurate. Although the initial models were cumbersome and difficult to load, the Americans soon learned to take cover in the woodlands and underbrush to reload. As the Revolutionary War unfolded, the British came to fear this established weapon and the dead-eye sharpshooters who shot them. Reports are that the British came to feel that the American Rebels “never missed.” ** The Revolutionary War was a David vs. Goliath struggle, as the underfunded 13 American Colonies took on the wealthiest, most powerful country of its day, the British Empire. The American’s introduction of an established battlefield technology, the long rifle, proved decisive. The British, you see, were using a smooth boor musket, while the Americans used a rifle. Rifling is the process of cutting a groove inside the barrel, giving each bullet a “spin,” providing that the bullet travels straight to its target. European makers introduced these new rifles to the colonies in the 1720s and 30s, nearly half a century before the American-British Conflict. By the time of the Revolutionary War, the Colonists had mastered making their own Kentucky Long Rifles, and history was made. Watching the Middle East today, you must wonder if history repeats. The parallels between the American Colonies of two and a half centuries ago and today's Middle East are startling. The Israeli side has military superiority in the region. Most military analysts give Israel the nod with a more capable Air Force, Navy, and land-based Army. This strategic advantage also includes over the Iran Military. Indeed, most of Israel’s other opponents in the region, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and the Islamic Resistance, do not have either an Air Force or a Navy. Combining the Israeli capability with the US Military makes this advantage overwhelming. That, at least, is the conventional thinking. However, that was the analysis before considering the new “Kentucky Long Rifle”: the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), the Drone. Using Drones in warfare is nothing new; the Europeans used hot-air balloons to drop bombs on their opponents centuries ago. The difference today is how those drones are put to use. For the Americans, and by extension for the Israelis (America provides almost all the drones for Israel), the approach has been to develop very sophisticated, high-tech drones. Thus, the top three American Drones are the Predator (MQ-1), the Reaper (MQ-9), and the Triton (MQ-4C), all with multi-million dollar price tags, the Triton at nearly $200 million per copy. Beyond that, the US has a selection of smaller Drones, with surveillance as their primary mission. Only the small “Switch Blade 300 Drone” has, as its primary mission, to deliver munitions (it’s a kamikaze Drone). For America, the principal mission of most of its Drones is to provide eyes-in-the-sky, an additional level of surveillance of any battlefield. With America’s nearly unlimited budget, this has enabled our country to push the envelope in developing new and innovative Drone technology. On the other side of the battle line, the Axis of Resistance has neither the resources nor technology to match the American-Israeli side. The Drones they produce are inexpensive to make and, by and large, use technology developed by Iran more than 25 years ago. But it’s how they utilize their drones that make the difference. To the Axis, Drones are an offensive weapon used to strike specific targets. This week, the headlines all report the attack by Hezbollah on the Golani Brigade, killing four and injuring 60 Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military reports that the Drone used was a Sayyad 107. Produced in Iran, this Drone has a range of only 60 miles, with targeting and guidance set at launch, although it does have some ability to elude defenders. It can fly at low altitudes, making tracking difficult with radar. In the attack on the Golani Brigade, the Israeli Air Force reported seeing the Drone, but it then dropped off their radar before they could intercept it. Of course, this is only one of many Drone attacks that the Axis of Resistance has carried out. Perhaps the most successful has been the blockade of the Red Sea by Ansar Allah, better known as the Houthis. For nearly a year, the Houthis have denied access to the Red Sea for any ships bound for Israel. The United States responded to the Houthi blockade by assembling a fleet of warships in opposition. Included in the group were the USS Eisenhower Carrier strike group, three US Destroyers, and two British Destroyers. In addition, 20 other nations pledged their support for “Operation Prosperity Guardian.” Although the US continues to initiate air strikes on Yemen (the Houthis home country), the blockade continues. Last week, the port of Eilat (Israel’s only Red Sea port) declared bankruptcy. The Houthis did all this by using the Samad Drones, a series of drones first supplied by Iran. According to all reports, the Houthi produce the Drone’s fuselage, while Iran and European defense contractors supply components. These low-cost, low-tech drones have effectively halted sea traffic in one of the world’s most significant transport points. Finally, there has been the increasing use of Drones to overwhelm Israeli air defenses. We first saw this tactic during Iran’s first missile attack on Israel on April 13, 2024. Using their own slow-flying Drones as decoys, the Iranians followed with a fuselage of missiles aiming to take out primary targets. While the Iron Dome anti-missile system focused on the slow-flying drones, some of the Iranian missiles apparently did reach their targets. The Israelis and Americans now face a substantial challenge: a new offensive weapon has been introduced. The low-tech, relatively inexpensive Drone has now become a formidable foe. No doubt, Israel’s battle plans presumed that they might receive drone attacks from nearby Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon; some newer drones are attacking Israel from a distance. Just last week, Israel received drone attacks from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, over 500 miles away, and from the Houthis, in Yemen, over 1,300 miles away. The Islamic Resistance has demonstrated new ways to use an old weapon, drones, to attack Israel. This is taking the battle Israel faces to an all-new level. Like the Kentucky Long Rifle, the lowly Drone is proving to be a most formidable weapon. ** Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

The Power of Salesforce Solutions for...

anavclouds

October 16 2024 at 07:13 am

Salesforce provides a broad range of solutions to help businesses optimize processes, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. Here's a quick review of the main advantages of Salesforce solutions: Lead Generation with AI-Powered Tools: Einstein, Salesforce's AI-powered tool, helps personalize and optimize lead-generation methods. Its Opportunity Scoring function guarantees that sales teams focus on leads with the highest conversion rates, increasing revenues and completing more transactions. Scalability: As businesses expand, so do their needs. Salesforce provides scalable solutions that grow alongside your organization, ensuring long-term flexibility and effectiveness. Predictive Customer Insights: Salesforce provides predictive marketing tactics by combining numerous marketing channels (web, mobile, email, and more). Marketing Automation: Salesforce Marketing Cloud automates customer journeys, enabling businesses to provide personalized experiences while focusing on more important parts of their operations. Integration and Custom Development: Salesforce offers customized development and integration services, allowing businesses to create solutions that are tailored to their specific needs. Integration with third-party systems is straightforward, resulting in a streamlined workflow. Salesforce Consulting & Implementation: Salesforce consulting services offer experienced direction for a successful implementation, allowing organizations to better serve their target audience with efficient, cutting-edge technologies. Salesforce's flexibility and powerful features make it the go-to CRM solution for businesses trying to improve efficiency and drive growth in today's competitive environment. Additionally, Salesforce offers cloud-based solutions tailored for different industries and functions, such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Health Cloud, and Financial Service Cloud. These specialized tools help businesses manage industry-specific workflows, handle large volumes of customer data, and engage clients with personalized marketing and service strategies. Salesforce also offers advanced technologies like Einstein AI, which leverages predictive analytics to generate insights, optimize campaigns, and forecast sales trends, giving businesses a competitive edge. By integrating these powerful solutions, businesses can improve customer satisfaction, increase operational efficiency, and accelerate growth. Salesforce's versatility makes it applicable Source: https://www.anavcloudsoftwares.com/blog/salesforce-solutions/

BRICS - The Emergence Of A Global Super Alliance

David Reavill

October 25 2024 at 04:13 pm

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets US Secretary General Antonio Guterres. ** Russian President Vladimir Putin must have realized that this week’s BRICS Summit would be something special when UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres promised to attend. This was no ordinary visit; this was Guterres giving tacit approval to BRICS’ efforts to form a new international organization that would rattle the windows in places like New York, Brussels, and, of course, Washington. Guterres saw the writing on the wall when leaders of 35 countries, representing nearly half the world’s population, said that this meeting was of vital international importance and that he could not miss it. In addition to the nine BRICS member states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates), 26 other countries came as visitors to the Summit, with several expressing their desire to join. Belarus, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Venezuela were among the most significant visitors. Most of Southeast Asia also showed up, including Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Palestine was also there, perhaps looking for recognition from BRICS as an independent country. Bilateral meetings were held between President Putin and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, where they discussed opportunities for peace in the Middle East. Putin also met with Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of Mauritania and head of the African Union, a region with which Russia is establishing extensive military and economic relations. Finally, Putin will meet with several leaders from Southeast Asia, where we can expect to see increasing multinational cooperation and trade. However, far beyond the significance of who attended, substantive agreements were reached. India and China sat down face-to-face and settled their long-standing border dispute for the first time in four years. Like any business conference, BRICS presents an opportunity to showcase projects that have been in the development stage for some time. Egypt and Uzbekistan could announce their plans for their Nuclear Power Plants, which Rosatom, the state-owned Russian Nuclear Power Company, will construct. https://www.rosatom.ru/en/press-centre/news/-the-russian-federation-and-uzbekistan-sign-an-agreement-on- the-construction-of-a-small-nuclear-powe/ Russia announced a new payment system, the National Payment Card System (NPCS), which will replace Apple Pay and Google Pay online payment systems. Apple and Google/Alphabet blocked Russian accounts after the Ukraine war began. https://www.rt.com/business/605900-apple-pay-replacement-russia/ BRICS showed off its New Development Bank, a joint effort to fund emerging and developing economies. https://russiaspivottoasia.com/brics-and-the-new-development-bank-2024-progress-report-and-potential- expansion/ Most of the headlines from the Global West center on the potential impact that BRICS will have on the US Dollar’s Status as the World’s Reserve Currency. While that is an important factor and no doubt a negative for the Dollar, this one-dimensional analysis overlooks how BRICS is building new relationships among the nations of the Global South. It’s doubtful, for instance, that US-based Nuclear Contractors were asked to bid on the current Egyptian project. In 2008, Egypt signed a contract with US-based Bechtel Corporation to provide site selection and a feasibility study for an Egyptian Nuclear Power Plant. Less than a year later, that contract was transferred to Australian-based Worley Ltd., which selected Russian Contractor Rosatom, and the project has been Russian-bound since. As Russian enterprises sought to divest from the West, Apple Pay and Google Pay lost the Russian App Payment systems. As BRIC relationships are established, we will see whether Apple and Google can maintain their relationships throughout the Global South. I suspect that all the BRICS nations will look to move away from their American Vendors. As BRICS gains momentum, American companies may find themselves playing defense for existing accounts in the Global South for the first time in years. As the 2024 BRICS Summit comes to a close, momentum seems to be solidly in its corner. It is reported that 36 countries throughout the Global South remain in Kazan and are requesting to become members of BRICS. Among this group are Turkey and Saudi Arabia, considered essential allies of the West. Turkey is a member of NATO but not the European Union, while Saudi Arabia has close ties to the United States. Both countries would bring significant assets to BRICS: Turkey, which has one of the largest armies in Eastern Europe, its center as a “gas hub” for distribution throughout Western Asia, and Saudi Arabia, which has vast oil and gas deposits. In the 80 years since the signing of the Bretton Woods Agreement, the American Financial Hegemony has not faced a challenge as significant as BRICS. Under Vladimir Putin's leadership, Russia is pushing for a commercial and economic organization to match the one established by the United States near the end of World War II. BRICS is rapidly becoming the de facto alternative to the American-centric financial and economic system that has existed for generations. This is an audacious challenge that America seems slow to recognize. Follow me here on ThinkSpot for more stories from the ValueSide.

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