Israeli air force shoots down drone aircraft

[libertygrl]

JERUSALEM | Sat Oct 6, 2012 10:12am EDT

(Reuters) - The Israeli air force shot down a drone after it crossed into southern Israel on Saturday, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from.

The drone was first spotted above the Mediterranean Sea in the area of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to the west of Israel, said military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich. Once it crossed into Israeli air space, it was escorted by air force jets.

At about 10 a.m. (0700 GMT), after it traveled east some 35 miles across Israel's southern Negev desert, the drone was shot down above a forest in an unpopulated area near the border with the occupied West Bank, she said.

"We are considering this interception successful," Leibovich said. Soldiers were searching the area where the drone was downed to locate and identify the drone, the military said.

(Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

ht tp://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/06/us-israel-aircraft-idUSBRE89508720121006?feedType=RSS

[QuickZ06]

tisk tisk

[Zippyjuan]

What sort of drone was it?
http://modelsaviation.com/articlepics/rubber-band-airplane.png
http://modelsaviation.com/Rubber-Band-Powered-Airplanes.html

[Lucille]

http://voxday.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-drone-war-widens.html


Drones are already being flown into Israel. How much longer before they are flown into the USA and Americans become targets? I mean, of course, those Americans who aren't already being targeted by their own government.
[...]
It should be illuminating indeed to hear federal officials angrily decrying the monstrosity and inhumanity of those flying lethal drones firing missiles at Americans inside the USA.


Previously:

http://voxday.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-need-to-restrict-drone-use.html


First, it has successfully established a precedent for using them domestically for routine law enforcement. Second, and more problematic, the administration has foolishly granted a comprehensive justification for the use of drones by foreign forces against Americans on American soil. When foreign militaries acquire access to drones, and they will, the US will find little sympathy from other nations when the equivalent of Hellfire missiles begin raining down on New York and California.

And the threat of disproportionate response won't necessarily be a convincing deterrent, because clever attackers will be careful to disguise who is piloting the drone. An Iranian drone might actually belong to China. A Chinese drone might actually be utilized by American rebels... or by China making it look like American rebels. The widespread use of drones is a very foolish move on the part of the U.S. Commander-in-Chief and can be safely expected to result in some serious blowback.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-10-06/israel-shoots-down-unidentified-drone-over-its-airspace

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2012-10-06/israeli-air-force-releases-video-explosive-drone-interception

[sailingaway]

It is hard to blame anyone for shooting down a drone.

And the horse has already bolted, they ARE being used here.

[acptulsa]

In other news, Israeli military spokesman Avital Leibovich was court martialed today for releasing classified information. Court documents allege that Leibovich single-handedly foiled the false flag operation that was intended to spark the Iran-U.S. war.

Leon Panetta was understandably irritated about the situation, when contacted this afternoon. 'We were supposed to be in the middle of the long-awaited, splendid little war by now. Instead, I can't even admit one of our drones is missing, for fear that we'd attack our friend, partner in international crime, and major campaign donor Israel instead...'

[presence]

It is hard to blame anyone for shooting down a drone.



FOLKS WE HAVE A QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!

[youngbuck]

In other news, Israeli military spokesman Avital Leibovich was court martialed today for releasing classified information. Court documents allege that Leibovich single-handedly foiled the false flag operation that was intended to spark the Iran-U.S. war.

Leon Panetta was understandably irritated about the situation, when contacted this afternoon. 'We were supposed to be in the middle of the long-awaited, splendid little war by now. Instead, I can't even admit one of our drones is missing, for fear that we'd attack our friend, partner in international crime, and major campaign donor Israel instead...'

Hahaha, good one.

[emazur]

FOLKS WE HAVE A QUOTE OF THE DAY!!!

"The first American patriot that shoots down one of these drones that comes too close to his children in his backyard will be an American hero." - Judge Nap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fNP51hZtVI

[Czolgosz]

The Judge is awesome.

[libertygrl]

With all the war hawks beating their war drums, they could have also intentionally sent this in themselves in order to blame Iran. An Israeli parliment member is already making accusations:

JERUSALEM — The Israeli air force shot down a drone after it crossed into southern Israel on Saturday, the military said, but it remained unclear where the aircraft had come from.

The drone was first spotted above the Mediterranean in the area of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to the west of Israel, said military spokeswoman Avital Leibovich.

*It was kept under surveillance and followed by Israeli air force jets before it was shot down above a forest in an unpopulated area near the border with the occupied West Bank.

Leibovich said it was shot down at about 10 a.m. (3 a.m. ET), after it travelled east some 55 kilometers (35 miles)*across Israel's southern Negev desert.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak praised the interception as "sharp and effective."

"We view with great severity the attempt to compromise Israeli air space and will consider our response in due course,"Barak said in a statement.

Soldiers, assisted by helicopters, were searching the area for the remains of the drone, which security sources said most likely did not originate from the Gaza Strip.

Israel's Army Radio reported the drone was not carrying any explosives.

Israeli parliament member Miri Regev, a former chief spokesman of the military, wrote on Twitter it was an "Iranian drone launched by Hezbollah," referring to the Lebanese Shi'ite group that fought a war with Israel in 2006.

Defense officials would not confirm Hezbollah's connection to the drone.

On at least one occasion, Iranian-backed Hezbollah has launched a drone into Israel. And in 2010, an Israeli warplane shot down an apparently unmanned balloon in the Negev near the country's Dimona nuclear reactor.

The Israeli military released a 10-second video clip of what it said was Saturday's mid-air interception. In the video, a small, unidentified aircraft is seen moments before being destroyed by a missile fired from a fighter jet.

h ttp://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/06/14264335-israel-shoots-down-unidentified-drone?lite