Israel sir force chief to plan war on Iran

Telegraph ^ | 08/27/2006

[markedmannerf]

Israel has appointed a top general to oversee a war against Iran, prompting speculation that it is preparing for possible military action against Teheran's nuclear programme.

Maj Gen Elyezer Shkedy, Israel's air force chief, will be overall commander for the "Iran front", according to military sources spoken to by The Sunday Telegraph.

News of the appointment comes just days before a United Nations deadline expires for Iran to give up its nuclear programme, which Western governments fear will be used to produce atomic weapons. Despite Iran's offer last week to engage in "serious talks" on the matter, Israel fears even more than other Western nations that the offer is simply to buy time for Teheran to secure all the technology it needs to build the bomb.

[markedmannerf]

For more on Iran check http://markedmanner.blogspot.com/

[markedmannerf]

ooops supposed to be air force not sir force

[COBOL2Java]

Let's hope Olmert is replaced soon.

[JSteff]

" prompting speculation that it is preparing for possible military action against Teheran's nuclear programme."

Did the Israeli's find something in Lebanon that made them more serious about this? Inquiring minds would love to know.

[Brilliant]

The only way that Israel could fight a war with Iran would be with nukes.

[JSteff]

"The only way that Israel could fight a war with Iran would be with nukes."

This would end up being a war with all muslim countries.. and probably a worse rift with the EU.

[huckfillary]

These nuclear weapons that the U.S. and Israel have been stockpiling for all these years are just getting rusty. I mean we don't even know if they work or anything. Iran would make the perfect guinea pig.

[tobyhill]

Israel wasn't buying the Bunker Busters from us for use on the Hezbos, it was for Iran.

[GSlob]

"This would end up being a war with all muslim countries.. "
And who would miss them?

[bnelson44]

I don't know about that. They could do the following:

1) Wipe out Iranian Air Forces (not hard)
2) Wipe out missile defenses around nuke plants (also not hard)
3) Wipe out missle defenses around long range missile sites (moderately hard)
4) Attack the aforementioned sites

[jrooney]

I am confident we have upgraded our bunker busters too, and they will be able to penetrate anything the Iranians could build.

Personally I do not think the Arab countries would be up in arms in the middle east if Israel attacks Iran. The arabs fear the power the persians (Iran) are seeking. The arabs see the persians as wanting to dominant the nmiddle east. They will not sit by and allow this to happen. Israel and our government knows this.

[Kozak]

This would end up being a war with all muslim countries.. and probably a worse rift with the EU.

Not much when balanced against the survival of Israel. The EU will be secretly relieved when the job gets done.

[tomzz]

This would end up being a war with all muslim countries..

I strongly suspect that if Egypt, Saudi, and Jordan HAD to fight in such a war, it would be on Israel's side. They have no reason to fear Israel and much reason to fear Iran.

[tobyhill]

I agree, the Sunni Arabs will be a hooten and hollering for a while because it's a requirement but in reality they wouldn't mind seeing Iran kicked down a few notches.

[jrooney]

The mullah's will be worried about their own backyard too because 85% of the population do not support them and the students of Iran could revolt and topple the government.

[letsgonova19087]

Its telling that they put the head of the IAF in charge of the planning. That suggests to me that any campaign against Iran would be mostly an airborne operation. IIRC, the IDF Chief of Staff that screwed it up so badly in Lebanon was an IAF general, so one would hope that they would have learned to put an army general in charge if they planned to use substantial ground forces.

[justiceseeker93]

Did the Israelis find something in Lebanon that made them more serious about this?

I saw reports on Israeli web sites indicating that Iranian made and/or Iranian shipped weapons were used by the Hezzies. Also, a captured Hezzie bigwig, under questioning, revealed that he received his advanced training in Iran.

I believe that the presense of some Iranian troops in Hezbollah ranks was also documented.

[Fred Hayek]

After the Osirak raid, didn't the other Arab nations publicly denounce the attack yet privately thank Israel?

[thoughtomator]

It's about time we settled accounts with Islam.

[BluH2o]

Let's hope Olmert is replaced soon.

Not quite sure what you mean by that statement ... let me assure you, if Iran develops nuclear capability, and it appears they are close, Israel will, and rightfully so, consider itself in immediate and mortal danger. Israel will never allow the Iranians the opportunity to strike first ...