Israel Shown To Be Driver Of Iran Attack Plan
The U.S. planning for an attack, possibly nuclear, on Iran--which we have been discussing here for months--is being driven by the geopolitical desires of our (perhaps erstwhile) ally, Israel.
U.S. officials continue to pursue the diplomatic course but privately seem increasingly skeptical that it will succeed. The administration is also coming under pressure from Israel, which has warned the Bush team that Iran is closer to developing a nuclear bomb than Washington thinks and that a moment of decision is fast approaching...
Although Bush insists he is focused on diplomacy for now, he volunteered at a public forum in Cleveland last month his readiness to use force if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries to follow through on his statement that Israel should be "wiped off the map."
"The threat from Iran is, of course, their stated objective to destroy our strong ally, Israel," Bush said. "That's a threat, a serious threat. . . . I'll make it clear again that we will use military might to protect our ally Israel."...
The British government has launched its own planning for a potential U.S. strike, studying security arrangements for its embassy and consular offices, for British citizens and corporate interests in Iran and for ships in the region and British troops in Iraq. British officials indicate their government is unlikely to participate directly in any attacks.
Israel is preparing, as well. The government recently leaked a contingency plan for attacking on its own if the United States does not, a plan involving airstrikes, commando teams, possibly missiles and even explosives-carrying dogs. Israel, which bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear plant in 1981 to prevent it from being used to develop weapons, has built a replica of Natanz, according to Israeli media, but U.S. strategists do not believe Israel has the capacity to accomplish the mission without nuclear weapons...
Iran lately has tested several missiles in a show of strength.
Israel points to those missiles to press their case in Washington. Israeli officials traveled here recently to convey more urgency about Iran. Although U.S. intelligence agencies estimate Iran is about a decade away from having a nuclear bomb, Israelis believe a critical breakthrough could occur within months. They told U.S. officials that Iran is beginning to test a more elaborate cascade of centrifuges, indicating that it is further along than previously believed.
"What the Israelis are saying is this year -- unless they are pressured into abandoning the program -- would be the year they will master the engineering problem," a U.S. official said. "That would be a turning point, but it wouldn't mean they would have a bomb."...
As the administration weighs these issues, two main options are under consideration, according to one person with contacts among Air Force planners. The first would be a quick and limited strike against nuclear-related facilities accompanied by a threat to resume bombing if Iran responds with terrorist attacks in Iraq or elsewhere. The second calls for a more ambitious campaign of bombing and cruise missiles leveling targets well beyond nuclear facilities, such as Iranian intelligence headquarters, the Revolutionary Guard and some in the government...
(I)f generals want land-based aircraft in the region, they face the uphill task of trying to persuade Turkey to allow use of the U.S. air base at Incirlik.
Planners also are debating whether launching attacks from Iraq or using Iraqi airspace would exacerbate the political cost in the Muslim world, which would see it as proof that the United States invaded Iraq to make it a base for military conquest of the region...
Pentagon planners are studying how to penetrate eight-foot-deep targets and are contemplating tactical nuclear devices...
(Retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner, an expert in targeting and war games who teaches at the National Defense University) outlined a five-day operation that would require 400 "aim points," or targets for individual weapons, at nuclear facilities, at least 75 of which would require penetrating weapons. He also presumed the Pentagon would hit two chemical production plants, medium-range ballistic missile launchers and 14 airfields with sheltered aircraft. Special Operations forces would be required, he said.
Gardiner concluded that a military attack would not work, but said he believes the United States seems to be moving inexorably toward it. "The Bush administration is very close to being left with only the military option," he said.
In logic, you can only reach conclusions based on the premises you are operating from.
The foreign policy wonks in Washington operate from a set of accepted premises, the most prominent of which is that Israel is our indispensable ally.
Middle East policies of the United States have catered to Israeli concerns to the point in which we have suffered enormous damage to our country. Not just the loss of American lives in Iraq, but the loss of international prestige due to our enabling of Israel's approach to the Palestinian people. This is not even counting making us a target for Muslim terrorism.
We should let Israel look out for themselves at this point.
U.S. officials continue to pursue the diplomatic course but privately seem increasingly skeptical that it will succeed. The administration is also coming under pressure from Israel, which has warned the Bush team that Iran is closer to developing a nuclear bomb than Washington thinks and that a moment of decision is fast approaching...
Although Bush insists he is focused on diplomacy for now, he volunteered at a public forum in Cleveland last month his readiness to use force if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tries to follow through on his statement that Israel should be "wiped off the map."
"The threat from Iran is, of course, their stated objective to destroy our strong ally, Israel," Bush said. "That's a threat, a serious threat. . . . I'll make it clear again that we will use military might to protect our ally Israel."...
The British government has launched its own planning for a potential U.S. strike, studying security arrangements for its embassy and consular offices, for British citizens and corporate interests in Iran and for ships in the region and British troops in Iraq. British officials indicate their government is unlikely to participate directly in any attacks.
Israel is preparing, as well. The government recently leaked a contingency plan for attacking on its own if the United States does not, a plan involving airstrikes, commando teams, possibly missiles and even explosives-carrying dogs. Israel, which bombed Iraq's Osirak nuclear plant in 1981 to prevent it from being used to develop weapons, has built a replica of Natanz, according to Israeli media, but U.S. strategists do not believe Israel has the capacity to accomplish the mission without nuclear weapons...
Iran lately has tested several missiles in a show of strength.
Israel points to those missiles to press their case in Washington. Israeli officials traveled here recently to convey more urgency about Iran. Although U.S. intelligence agencies estimate Iran is about a decade away from having a nuclear bomb, Israelis believe a critical breakthrough could occur within months. They told U.S. officials that Iran is beginning to test a more elaborate cascade of centrifuges, indicating that it is further along than previously believed.
"What the Israelis are saying is this year -- unless they are pressured into abandoning the program -- would be the year they will master the engineering problem," a U.S. official said. "That would be a turning point, but it wouldn't mean they would have a bomb."...
As the administration weighs these issues, two main options are under consideration, according to one person with contacts among Air Force planners. The first would be a quick and limited strike against nuclear-related facilities accompanied by a threat to resume bombing if Iran responds with terrorist attacks in Iraq or elsewhere. The second calls for a more ambitious campaign of bombing and cruise missiles leveling targets well beyond nuclear facilities, such as Iranian intelligence headquarters, the Revolutionary Guard and some in the government...
(I)f generals want land-based aircraft in the region, they face the uphill task of trying to persuade Turkey to allow use of the U.S. air base at Incirlik.
Planners also are debating whether launching attacks from Iraq or using Iraqi airspace would exacerbate the political cost in the Muslim world, which would see it as proof that the United States invaded Iraq to make it a base for military conquest of the region...
Pentagon planners are studying how to penetrate eight-foot-deep targets and are contemplating tactical nuclear devices...
(Retired Air Force Col. Sam Gardiner, an expert in targeting and war games who teaches at the National Defense University) outlined a five-day operation that would require 400 "aim points," or targets for individual weapons, at nuclear facilities, at least 75 of which would require penetrating weapons. He also presumed the Pentagon would hit two chemical production plants, medium-range ballistic missile launchers and 14 airfields with sheltered aircraft. Special Operations forces would be required, he said.
Gardiner concluded that a military attack would not work, but said he believes the United States seems to be moving inexorably toward it. "The Bush administration is very close to being left with only the military option," he said.
In logic, you can only reach conclusions based on the premises you are operating from.
The foreign policy wonks in Washington operate from a set of accepted premises, the most prominent of which is that Israel is our indispensable ally.
Middle East policies of the United States have catered to Israeli concerns to the point in which we have suffered enormous damage to our country. Not just the loss of American lives in Iraq, but the loss of international prestige due to our enabling of Israel's approach to the Palestinian people. This is not even counting making us a target for Muslim terrorism.
We should let Israel look out for themselves at this point.
posted by Effwit at 9:45 AM
4 Comments:
Most observers believe that Israel already has "the bomb". Yet everyone is all up in arms - no pun intended - about Iran's supposed nuke ambitions. Does Iran want to use those nukes on Israel? Maybe. Of course, Israel wouldn't hesitate a moment to strike back with their own. The end game being annihilation of both sides. In some ways, perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing.
Israel needs to fight its own battles. The problem is...that could be an ugly proposition all the way around. Israel needs us far more than we need them. And their alleged involvement in 9/11 to instigate U.S. involvement in the Middle East really isn't such a stretch of the imagination. The Mossad are the kings of info-ops and psy-ops. Sadly, the neo-cons and the Israelis seem to be leading all of us down a proverbial primrose path. And Iran appears to be the next stepping stone down that path.
Yes, Israel's intelligence services seem quite fond of the false-flag ops, from what I've heard.
DrewL:
Correct.
The fact that they have emigres from every important country in the world allows them to work spooky wonders of disguised deception.
I think when the attack on Iran goes completely haywire we're gonna see an unfortunate backlash on jews because of the unfortunate conflation of certain barbaric aspects of Israeli state policy with jewry in general.
This conflation is perhaps best expressed per example whereby critique of Israeli policies is defined as tantamount to insidious anti-semitism.
That approach is dangerous, especially if the perception is established that our Middle East catastrophes were brought on by undue Israeli influence. The Zionist lobbyists have, with cynical and short-sighted opportunism, equated Israel with jewry.
It is an atrocious game to equate the vicious rascist policies of a relative few in a state apparatus with the interests of an entire people - and many are rightly scared shitless that it will backfire on the innocent. I for one am such a person.
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