Israel Bombed Sudan. Rehearsal for Iran?

Tipped by reports in the Egyptian press, CBS and Haaretz are reporting that Israeli bombers killed 39 people in a raid on a convoy in Sudan in January. The reports initially claimed that the bombing was the work of American jets (which have bombed targets in nearby Somalia, but not Sudan, at least not of late).

In Haaretz's words, "Two senior Sudanese politicians confirmed Thursday that unidentified aircraft attacked a convoy of suspected arms smugglers as it drove through Sudan toward Egypt in January, killing almost everyone in the convoy. An American news network said that the attack was carried out by the Israel Air Force. CBS reported that the IAF carried out the attack on a convoy of trucks in Sudan carrying arms for Hamas in the Gaza Strip."

Israel is neither confirming nor denying the reports, a tap-dance that historically indicates tacit confirmation. Outgoing Israeli prime Minister today essentially confirmed the attack when he said that "Israel hits every place it can in order to stop terror, near and far."

The 17 trucks destroyed in the attack were allegedly carrying weapons heading for Gaza, by way of Egypt, and supposedly originating in Iran. If that's the case, the bombing was a two-fold message to Iran: First, that neither geography nor international law will stop Israel from carrying out attacks it deems necessary to reduce threats against it, namely, in this case, a better-armed Hamas. Second, a bombing run on Sudan (or Syria) is loud proof of Israeli capabilities against Iran itself, should Iran continue down the path of nuclear armament.

Whether the convoy in Sudan was, in fact, carrying weaponry for Hamas is all speculation, though the reports give it the sheen of certainty.

It bears mention that Israeli weaponry is generally flown or shipped in directly from the United States to airports and shipping ports in Israel. There's no history of Palestinian bombing runs on those convoys. Israel signed on to a $30 billion, 10-year military aid agreement with the United States in 2007. As the Congressional Research Service reported last year, "In August 2007, the Bush Administration announced that it would increase U.S. military assistance to Israel by $6 billion over the next decade. For FY2008, Israel is receiving $2.4 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF). The agreement calls for incremental annual increases in FMF to Israel, reaching $3.1 billion a year by FY2018.1."

Total US military aid to Israel since 1949, and up to 2007, totals $54 billion. The new aid package will push that sum to at least $84 billion. Total aid, including economic aid, added up to $101 billion by 2007.

Double standards have always been the cancer cells saturating bloodshed in the Middle East.

See the full CRS report on US-Israeli aid.