• Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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    2 months ago

    Very weird-

    Shortly after the US statement was released, the Israeli military said it had not yet identified an aerial threat from Iran.

    “As of this moment, Israel does not perceive imminent threat from Iran,” Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari said.

    You would think this would be a propaganda win for Israel whether it was true or not, so you would think they would just say it was true. It’s not like the IDF has a problem with lying.

    So I am confused here.

    • Saleh@feddit.org
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      2 months ago

      Outside vs. inside Propaganda. Netanyahus popularity soared, as he managed to promise more bloodshed and more land to take. Telling people they are at imminent danger as they dance in the streets, could strain this newfound popularity.

    • Chainweasel@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      The same things were said by the Ukrainian government just before the very obvious Soviet Russian invasion began.
      I believe at the time it was generally accepted that it was to keep the Ukrainian citizens calm because having to deal with civil unrest in the form of widespread panic would only serve to complicate the incoming invasion response.

    • kitnaht@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Netanyahu would probably rather his people be actually hurt, so that it could bolster popularity of ongoing war.

      When nothing happens, and security manages to intercept these things - people start questioning if they’re actually in any kind of danger. Occasionally leaders have allowed things to happen to their citizens, in order to garner acceptance for going to war.

        • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
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          2 months ago

          The US intelligence apparatus had better information which is really no surprise. The US has satellites that can count the hairs on someone’s head let alone see missiles being moved around, fueled, and / or prepared for launch. Israel doesn’t have those, or at least not nearly as many of them as the United States does.

          • tal@lemmy.today
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            2 months ago

            The US has satellites that can count the hairs on someone’s head

            Naw, there are physical limits significantly above that. US reconaissance satellites do get pretty close to the theoretical limits, though.

            It came up back when Trump was in office and tweeted some satellite picture from one of his briefings at full resolution, was in the news for a bit in that he’d inadvertently exposed satellite capabilities.

            kagis

            https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathanocallaghan/2019/09/01/trump-accidentally-revealed-the-amazing-resolution-of-u-s-spy-satellites/

            Based on the resolution of the photo Trump tweeted, though, it appears USA 224 has a resolution of at least 10 centimeters, if not better as Trump appears to have taken an image of a printout.

            That being said, no disagreement on the broader point, that the US probably has a pretty good idea of what Iran is doing with its ballistic missiles.

            • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
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              2 months ago

              I have to chuckle, I didn’t think anyone would take my comment about “count the hairs on someone’s head” so literally! You are correct though, there are no satellites with that kind of resolution. We have…other toys…for that. :)