An Israeli Attack On Iran?

[Lord Jim]

Israel's Peres warns attack on Iran getting 'closer'

Israeli President Shimon Peres warned on Sunday that an attack on Iran is becoming increasingly likely, days before a report by the UN's nuclear watchdog on Iran's nuclear programme is due.

"The possibility of a military attack against Iran is now closer to being applied than the application of a diplomatic option," Peres told the Israel Hayom daily.

"We must stay calm and resist pressure so that we can consider every alternative," he added.

"I don't think that any decision has already been made, but there is an impression that Iran is getting closer to nuclear weapons."

His comments came after he warned in an interview aired by Israel's privately-owned Channel Two television on Saturday that an attack on Iran was becoming "more and more likely."

"The intelligence services of the different countries that are keeping an eye on (Iran) are worried and putting pressure on their leaders to warn that Iran is ready to obtain the nuclear weapon," he said.

In France meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe warned that an attack on Iran would be disastrous.

"We have imposed sanctions that continue to expand, we can toughen them to put pressure on Iran," Juppe told Europe 1 radio.

"We will continue on this path because a military intervention could create a situation that completely destabilises the region," he said.

"Everything must be done to avoid the irreversible."

In recent days, speculation in Israel has grown about the possibility of a pre-emptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities, with Haaretz newspaper reporting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak were seeking cabinet support for an attack.

And the military last week carried out what Israeli media called a "ballistic missile" test, as well as a large-scale civil defence drill simulating the response to conventional and non-conventional missile attacks.

Officials said both events were long-planned, but they drove talk here about whether Israel is ramping up plans for an attack.

On Sunday, Haaretz reported that US officials had failed to secure a commitment from Israel that it would coordinate any attack plans with Washington.

Still, media reports suggested no final decision has been taken and that a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog on November 8 or 9 would have a "decisive effect" on decision-making.

http://news.yahoo.com/israels-peres-say ... 12256.html

This is somewhat noteworthy because it involves Shimon Peres, who has hardly been one of the main Hawks in the Israeli leadership....

However, it seems to me that if the Israeli's were really preparing for an imminent strike against Iran to knock out its nuclear program, the last thing they would be doing is talking about it.....

It seems to me that it's far more likely, at least at this point, that this is designed to put pressure on the IAEA, (which has been less than forceful in dealing with Iran, and has bent over backwards to be patient and accommodating) and the rest of the international community for tougher measures against the Iranian regime...

Which would be a good thing....

[Gob]

Could be nasty, Israel could force the US's hand on this.

[rubato]

The threat thereof could be a way of getting some spine in our too-often feckless NATO 'allies'. Although the stellar performance of France in leading the group in Libya is very heartening.


yrs,
rubato

The best leaders are those to teach others to lead not those who always claim the spotlight; go Obama!

[Sue U]

Really, for Israel, what would be the downside of an attack that took out Iranian nuclear weapons facilities? Iran's direct retaliatory capabilities are extremely limited, and it's unlikely it could get Hezbollah or Hamas to do its work on this front -- too much risk for them. It's not like the Arab world is going to rally to the support of Iran (Saudi Arabia, for one, would undoubtedly be cheering Israel on). There will be a lot of hand wringing in Western capitals and votes of condemnation in the U.N., but frankly no one is going to be terribly sad about the result.

Making a lot of noise about it now is actually quite useful on the diplomatic front: for one, it lets Israel say it raised the issue and gave fair warning that it would take direct action against what it perceives as an existential threat; for another, it lets Washington distance itself from any action ultimately taken.

[dgs49]

Iran's psychotic leader has frequently announced his intention to obliterate Israel.

The world generally takes the position that such pronouncements, particularly by Iranians and Palestinians are inconsequential, and not to be taken seriously.

Why?

As far as I'm concerned, if Israel has sufficient military intelligence to take out Iran's nuke program (which is a big "if"), more power to them. The downside is that the UN will condemn them and the Arabs won't like them any more?

Really?

WGAS?

Ironically, this would be a case in which Barry's total lack of influence on Israel would be a good thing. Nobody would question his assertion that there was nothing he could do about it.

[Lord Jim]

On this one, I find myself in complete agreement with both Sue, and Dave....

I've agreed with Sue on some things...

And I've agreed with Dave on some things....

But to be agreeing with both of them at the same time....

Wow, how weird is that?

[Sue U]

Makes me question my sanity.

[dales]

It is best to NOT question one's sanity....the answers might not be what one would expect.

[loCAtek]

I notice the press has shelved the W-M-D word.

[Lord Jim]

Now this, was a profoundly stupid announcement:

Iran threatens to hit Turkey if US, Israel attack

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran will target NATO's missile defense installations in Turkey if the U.S. or Israel attacks the Islamic Republic, a senior commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard said Saturday.

Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the head of the Guards' aerospace division, said the warning is part of a new defense strategy to counter what he described as an increase in threats from the U.S. and Israel.

Tensions have been rising between Iran and the West since the release of a report earlier this month by the International Atomic Energy Agency that said for the first time that Tehran was suspected of conducting secret experiments whose sole purpose was the development of nuclear arms.

The U.S. and its Western allies suspect Iran of trying to produce atomic weapons, and Israel, which views Tehran as an existential threat, has warned of a possible strike on Iran's nuclear program. Iran says its program is for peaceful purposes.

"Should we be threatened, we will target NATO's missile defense shield in Turkey and then hit the next targets," the semiofficial Mehr news agency quoted Hajizadeh as saying.

Tehran says NATO's early warning radar station in Turkey is meant to protect Israel against Iranian missile attacks if a war breaks out with the Jewish state. Ankara agreed to host the radar in September as part of NATO's missile defense system aimed at countering ballistic missile threats from neighboring Iran.

So these nimrods are publicly announcing that if they are attacked by Israel, they will respond by launching an attack against the one NATO country that has shown any sympathy for them and been reluctant to embrace stronger measures....

So they have now, at a single stroke, moved a wobbly ally more firmly into the Western camp, and assured that those anti-missile and radar sites will receive greatly enhanced protection...

I wish all our enemies were this accommodating....

[Scooter]

The Iranian strategy has always been to appear so completely wacko that you would believe them capable of anything. One has to wonder if their entire nuclear weapons program is nothing but a sham designed to discourage attacks. If so, it has certainly worked so far...