Iran Poses Three-Fold Threat To Israel: Nukes, Rockets and Regional Terror

Haaretz ^ | February 5, 2002 | Gideon Alon

[FresnoDA]

w w w . h a a r e t z d a i l y . c o m

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IDF Chief of Staff says Iran poses three-fold threat to Israel

 

IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Shaul Mofaz said Tuesday that Iran presents a three-fold threat to Israel. Mofaz also vehemently criticized the IDF reserve officers who have recently refused to serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

	Shaul Mofaz: IDF's morality unequalled by any other army. (Photo: Ha'aretz Archive)

Speaking after leaving a Knesset Defense Committee meeting, the chief of staff said that the first threat posed by Iran was its desire to achieve unconventional weapon capabilities as well as its long-range missile capabilities, both of which are a threat to Israel's existence.

The second element, he said, is the deployment of Katyushas and rockets in Lebanese territory, which are operated by Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.

The third element is Iran's support of terrorist organizations in the region, including the Lebanon-based Hezbollah.

The chief of staff blasted the reservist officers refusing to serve in the territories, saying that their opposition should be expressed in a non-military forum. "Anyone who wants to protest must do so outside the army confines, in legitimate ways enabled by a democratic country," he said, adding that there was no place for refusal in an army of a democratic state "at war."

"We cannot afford for the IDF to have officers that are prepared to fight in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, while other officers are willing to fight Hezbollah on the northern border, or God forbid, the Syrians. This cracks our defense wall at a time in which the IDF is at war and the Palestinian Authority has not changed its strategic decision to continue escalation."

Mofaz added that some of the officers were ideologically motivated in their refusal, and doing so at the expense of the IDF was an extremely serious step. "This is more than refusal, it's incitement to mutiny," he said.

Referring to the actions of IDF troops at roadblocks, Mofaz said that the soldiers' lives were at risk and that there had been incidents in which soldiers had paid with their lives for treating people and vehicles as innocent. Mofaz added that the IDF's moral behavior was unequalled by any other army.

_{By Gideon Alon, Ha'aretz Correspondent}

[FresnoDA]

1 more item.....

DEBKAfile
Tuesday, February 5, 2002

HEADLINES

 

Israeli Minister Sneh:
Iran Is Developing Missiles and Weapons of
Mass Destruction To Attack Israel’s Cities,
But Israel is Best Defended Country in World Against
Ballistic Missiles and Biological Warfare!

[spycatcher]

U.S poses three-fold threat to Iran: *Real* Nukes, Smart Bombs, and Global Reach

[FresnoDA]

Bump to your Wit!

[Jackie222]

LOL........but seriously, I don't see how they can have a nuclear war or even a hit without it contaminating themselves..... They live so close to each other.

[HOYA97]

Please call the RNC and have Racicot tell Bush to go before the cameras and state his case about the stimulus package.

The number is (202) 863-8500

[spycatcher]

If we nuked Iran the fallout would rain on Afghanistan and Pakistan so we better get out of there first! Hopefully the Iranian people are realizing they're in for a big war if they don't overthrow the gov't. That's part of the war-talk objective I think. Hopefully we hear some news of riots and revolt in Tehran soon.

Israel is too small to even imagine a nuke, that's why they have the best anti-missile defenses. But what would be worse is a dirty-nuke. Much worse contamination long-term.

[Zviadist]

It would be useful if you would post the correct link.

[BJClinton]

Hopefully we hear some news of riots and revolt in Tehran soon.

I hope we see peaceful demonstrations demanding an end to the support of terrorism and the stifling of the media there. Then the Islamists bring out their jack-booted thugs and start stomping on the protestors. All of this gets televised...then we have riots and revolt.

[BJClinton]

Do you think the Israelis really want a nuclear war with Iran?

Of course they don't want it. But Iran is supporting those that would destroy Israel, and any nation faced with annihilation would use WoMD.

[Mitchell]

In spite of the headline, Mofaz did not specifically mention nukes. What he said was: "...the first threat posed by Iran was its desire to achieve unconventional weapon capabilities as well as its long-range missile capabilities...." "Unconventional" includes biological and chemical as well as nuclear.

There's a possibility that Iran was involved in the anthrax mailings. See this thread about a Sept. 26, 2001, speech on terrorism by Khamenei of Iran. The chants accompanying the written rendition of that speech, as well as the habitual chants of Iranian demonstrators, are very similar to the wording of the anthrax letters. And it seems that the anthrax letters served a military deterrence function, since they were accompanied by warnings.

[BrooklynGOP]

I don't think they want to destroy Israel.

Don't be naive. PLO was established in 1964 - FULL 3 YEARS before the "occupation". Its sole purpose was to destroy Israel. What's more, if Palestinians really wanted "justice" and their own state, they would mention their land that's being occupied by Jordan - but they don't, because they know they will loose the arab support and their buttsk kicked if they start messing with Jordan (like they tried - "black september"). What's more, Faisal Husseini (PLO representative in Jerusalem and a PA minister) admitted that OSLO was nothing more then a Trojan Horse that pallies are using against Israel.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Radical muslims don't care if they kill themselves or their families. It's all about killing Jews and Christians. In their religion "killing the infidels" is more important as a tenet of the faithful, than taking communion is for catholics, or reading the bible is for fundamentalists.

It's all about killing the Great Satans of the Earth.

It's settled amongst them WE americans are the GREAT SATAN... great.

Now that we have the "great satan thing" settled... let's get on with wiping them out.

[crystalk]

I think he means that the IDF's MORALE is better than any other army. Morality, well....war is hell, as Sherman said.

Here is what I am hoping for: Wouldn't it be nice if Israel could set back IRAN's nuclear program by 20 years or so like it did Iraq's? What a breather the whole world could take, the whole world would be in Israel's debt for ever.

And,... Wouldn't that be a nice little Purim gift, hoisting the ayatollahs on their own petard, hanging the Persian Haman on his own gallows, why the spirits of Esther and Mordekhai would walk proud like they haven't now, for 2500 years!

Why, it would make Bush and Sharon permanent Purim heroes, dreydels and hommentashen might give way to Khomeini-tashen and cowboy hats, or whatever.

We might even change the spelling of "Israel" to 'IS REAL.'!!!

(not, of course)

[crystalk]

You are dreaming. You are cruising for a decision in favor of "Foe."

[evad]

Ahhh...the old "triple threat" ploy from the tri-axis of evil.