8 thoughts on “Israeli Attack on Syrian Reactor, Template for Iran Attack? – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. “The first article posits that Israel’s intelligence apparatus may’ve inserted an electronic “kill-switch” into a chip contained within the electronics of Syria’s radar defense system. The altered chip, which could’ve been added either through a component supplied by an Israeli supplier or through a component to which Israeli intelligence had access, could’ve been activated as Israeli jets streaked toward Syria”

    Prima facie, the “kill switch” theory strikes me as a bit far fetched. Sneaking specially configured chips into enemy computers as they’re being fabricated doesn’t seem to me to be a viable strategy.

    “The Aviation Week article is a more straightforward portrayal of the Israeli attack on the Syrian reactor, also serving as a bit of puffery for the entire Israeli electronic warfare industry. It begins with the rather startling claim that U.S. military intelligence cooperated with the Israelis:”

    How is this claim startling? The head of the CIA described the strike as a collaborative effort between the US and an unnamed foreign country:
    http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1649269020080916

    “To a certain extent, I think we can discount some of this flattering picture as the product of a promotional article in an international aviation trade journal. ”

    Is there anything specific you know to be false in this account, or are you just instinctively averse to successful IDF operations?

    “That this article is a bit of puffery is confirmed by the following passage”

    How does that passage constitute”puffery”? Do you deny the sensitivity of cyber ops or that it’s possible that they’re poorly understood by many in the IDF, due in part at least to the secrecy surrounding them?

    “This article, written all the way back in 2007, provides an early glimpse of the neocon anti-Iran meme claiming that Iran financed the Syrian reactor”

    Again, why is it necessarily a “neocon meme”? I’ve seen conflicting reports about Iran’s involvement. You have no basis to assume by default that people who point to Iran are not sincere in their beliefs.

    “In a sidebar, one of Aviation Week’s Israeli government informants reveals a typically racist attitude toward that country’s Palestinian citizens.

    Ah yes, the old calumny about Israel’s Palestinian citizens being a Fifth Column supporting Hezbollah. When this jackass should know that the only Israeli governmental body ever to attempt to assert this claim, the Shabak, can’t even make it stick when the secret police accuses Israeli Palestinian leaders of espionage (cf. Makhoul, Said, etc.). ”

    FFS, the article didn’t suggest that Israel’s Arab population as a whole constitutes a fifth column, nor does the Shabak for that matter. But it is true that an Arab is more likely to spy for an Arab country than a Jew. Smearing the Shabak compulsively won’t change that.

    1. During Operation Orchard and it’s aftermath, I was scrambling for local, regional reports and engaging in a protracted online discussion with another poster of great expertise (a true polymath) in the technological aspects of SIGINT, satellites, computers, military hardware, etc. We were attempting to cobble together a picture of the events from the spotty & confusing information available. To little avail.

      Israel’s ELINT capabilities (as discussed in the article, “Israel Shows Electronic Prowess” above) would seem to be a likely source for disabling local radar installations. During Operation Orchard, there were also multiple reports of cellphone networks in Lebanon being completely shut down; even satellite tv reception in Lebanon and to a lesser extent, northern Israel was affected. There were also reports of sonics booms in northern Lebanon and Syria indicating low-flying aircraft unconcerned with stealth.

      (My correspondent was extremely puzzled by the “fading” phenomenon of satellite tv interference as it gradually disappeared over a 3-day period in the Lebanese case.)

      On a radar-related note, there was a post-mission Israeli complaint to Germany about “interference” from one of the German ships assigned to monitor Lebanese coastal waters under the UNIFIL mandate. The ship in question, the Alster, was equipped with Germany’s most advanced spy technology that includes ELINT capabilities and secret service personnel. Presumably, that ship would have been able to watch the whole thing unfold.

      Another odd bit of reporting from a Gulf source was the allegation that post mission accomplished, IAF jets rendezvoused with USAF aircraft circling over Cyprus before returning home.

      As for the raid on the suspected reactor, the speculation that it was a dry run for Iran was rife at the time. A Turkish general was quoted as stating that the F-15I external conformal fuel tanks were superfluous given the relatively short distances flown. Turkish military familiarity with IAF assets is first hand.

      In Sept of 2007, a route to Iran along the borders of Syria and Turkey would have appeared to be a viable option.The dumped conformal fuel tanks recovered on Turkish soil elicited only pro forma protests from the Turkish government.

      Demonstrating Israeli prowess to Syria is another likely objective for the IAF raid.

      Operation Orchard remains one of the most mysterious & highly secretive military events of the recent past and given that reality, plus the sketchy and unverifiable reports about some real-time occurances, it will remain so.

      1. Hello lally. I’m not quite sure whether your post was intended as a reply to mine, but in any case you make some interesting points. A few remarks:

        “Israel’s ELINT capabilities (as discussed in the article, “Israel Shows Electronic Prowess” above) would seem to be a likely source for disabling local radar installations.”

        You’re right in the sense that ELINT capabilities underpin electronic warfare, however the jamming of radars is a separate discipline. The term ELINT refers to passive intelligence collection, while radar jamming is active (electromagnetic radiation is emitted).

        “On a radar-related note, there was a post-mission Israeli complaint to Germany about “interference” from one of the German ships assigned to monitor Lebanese coastal waters under the UNIFIL mandate. The ship in question, the Alster, was equipped with Germany’s most advanced spy technology that includes ELINT capabilities and secret service personnel. Presumably, that ship would have been able to watch the whole thing unfold.”

        Yes, I read about this. I imagine an informal agreement was reached with the German authorities…

        “Another odd bit of reporting from a Gulf source was the allegation that post mission accomplished, IAF jets rendezvoused with USAF aircraft circling over Cyprus before returning home.”

        Now this is news to me, and puzzling news at that. Why would (friendly) planes “rendezvous” in mid air? Surely any information that required sharing could’ve been conveyed via terrestrial means?

        “As for the raid on the suspected reactor, the speculation that it was a dry run for Iran was rife at the time. A Turkish general was quoted as stating that the F-15I external conformal fuel tanks were superfluous given the relatively short distances flown. Turkish military familiarity with IAF assets is first hand.”

        Yes, the discarded conformal fuel tank remains a mystery. It either suggests an urgency that isn’t apparent in the emerging Israeli\American account of events, or an attempt at deception with regards to the route chosen by the IAF.

        “In Sept of 2007, a route to Iran along the borders of Syria and Turkey would have appeared to be a viable option.The dumped conformal fuel tanks recovered on Turkish soil elicited only pro forma protests from the Turkish government.”

        Imagine the response that a similar move would elicit today… Things really have changed quite a bit since 2007 in terms of the regional dynamics.

        “Operation Orchard remains one of the most mysterious & highly secretive military events of the recent past and given that reality, plus the sketchy and unverifiable reports about some real-time occurances, it will remain so.”

        Well put. Say what you will about Israel, we do keep things interesting. 🙂

        1. Say what you will about Israel, we do keep things interesting. 🙂

          As in the old Chinese saying/warning (slightly modified): “May you be cursed to live in interesting times with ‘interesting’ nations.”

  2. Lets analyze what needs to happen for anyone to install a kill switch on the hardware level.

    few axioms
    1. The Radar attacked was of a Russian origin.
    2. The Radar was purchased at least 2 years prior to the attack.
    3. the radar was built at least 3 year prior to the attack.

    bsaed on the above there are two options:
    1. Israel knew few years in advance which specific radar system will be bought by the Syrians and provided the Russian company that built it the specific microprocessor, and they just installed it.
    2.Israel installed the same hardware on all Russian radars

    Radar jamming is an art Israel specialized in as a lesson from the 73 war. hardware manipulation has anything to do with it.
    further more, if you had a bit more knowledge in Radar systems you would have known that Radar’s are installed in a way their coverage overlaps each-other for redundancy purposes. so now you need to manipulate the hardware in more then one radar. is it possible yes of course as Israel actually installed that specific microprocessor in any Russian based Radar out there. but there are other ways to mislead a radar.

    you are wasting everyone’s time with your Mickymouse analysis.

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