Jerusalem - Feb 23 - 2011
A historic Peace Treaty was signed at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem today which recognizes the Palestinian state and sets new borders to include the controversial International Guardianship provisions which gives equal rights to all nationalities in the contested holy city of Jerusalem. At the same time that the world leaders seated themselves for the ceremony the United States warship USS Cole fired 17 RIM-3 missiles, part of our sea based global missile defense system on two outbound Iranian missiles that were headed on a trajectory towards Jerusalem. As most global leaders were present for this historic signing, security in the region was already at it's tightest and following the signing the leaders met for an impromptu summit where President Obama informed them of the current situation with Iran. The Prime Minsters of Israel and Palestine met for their first time alone and declared joint security cooperation during this "sensitive new beginning" issuing a joint order declaring a ban on all celebrations and travel throughout both countries until the situation settles. Meanwhile, the US Senate met jointly in an emergency session called by the Speaker of the House, Senator Newt Gingrich and a declaration of war against Iran was quickly passed with only 2 members voting nay. Currently both the Israeli and Palestinian parliaments are in their own emergency sessions and sources say each body is hotly debating what their positions are and what actions they will take with both promising to fully cooperate with each other under the new security frame work of the treaty.
Global condemnation has been overwhelming towards Iran for its attempt to destroy the historic treaty signing along with all the world dignitaries who came to observe and the UN has called for an immediate resolution as soon as it can gather again in New York due to so many U.N. delegates attending the signing ceremonies in Jerusalem. Although the US has gone it alone, US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice, said "we (America) have acted so only because of the extreme urgency that the situation demanded" and with an obvious sigh continued "lets all understand, it was the Iranians who fired first, they launched two big missiles pointed straight at the biggest gathering of world leaders ever who came in the name of peace and we had the ability to stop them". Ambassador Rice also stated that the Security Council had already met since all six delegates had been attending the signing ceremony and that the full assembly vote will take place as soon as everyone returns to New York. Meanwhile, governments around the world called emergency sessions to discuss and debate official responses to Iran's actions with many already committing troops and support for America's newest war.
A press conference held at U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forward headquarters at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar just hours after the incident and was overcrowded with press flowing into the hallways as CENTCOM Commander Admiral William Fallon gave the briefing himself via satellite from its HQ in Tampa, Florida. Looking stressed and with his staff around him explained that at 1230 hours Iranian time mutiple launches where detected from a Republican Guard base in Qom Province just south of Tehran. He continued to detail how "airborne assets" tracked the missile trajectories and "calculated target and time to impact" stating he, at all times, was in real time communications with the "go" order decision makers but did not elaborate on who nor did he take questions after. Once the order was giving the USS Cole, best know for the attack on it by al-Qaeda in 2000 in which 17 sailors lost their lives, fired 17 of the newest class of anti-missile missile the RIM-3 in an attempt to knock out the two Iranian Shahab-3 targeting Jerusalem and at 1259 hrs and 1302 hrs respectfully, successfully intercepted and destroyed them over the border between Iraq and Saudi Arabia. No other information was given as to the other 15 missiles or to any other strikes which might have occurred. As of this time no reports are being allowed from reporters embedded with the American forces and the only reports, other than the briefing, have come from radio broadcast emanating from Iran which described multiple large explosions in and around government installations and facilities across Iran.
An historic day it was.