Posted on 8/29/2008, 8:55:39 PM by mojito
Israel will not agree to allow Iran to achieve nuclear weapons and if time begins running out, Jerusalem will not hesitate to take whatever means necessary to prevent Iran from achieving its nuclear goals, the government has recently decided in a special discussion.
According to the Israeli daily Ma'ariv, whether the United States and Western countries will succeed in toppling the ayatollah regime diplomatically, through sanctions, or whether an American strike on Iran will eventually be decided upon, Jerusalem has put preparations for a separate, independent military strike by Israel in high gear.
So far, Israel has not received American authorization to use US-controlled Iraqi airspace, nor has the defense establishment been successful in securing the purchase of advanced US-made warplanes which could facilitate an Israeli strike.
The Americans have offered Israel permission to use a global early warning radar system, implying that the US is pushing Israel to settle for defensive measures only.
Because of Israel's lack of strategic depth, Jerusalem has consistently warned over the past years it will not settle for a 'wait and see' approach and retaliate in case of attack, but rather use preemption to prevent any risk of being hit in the first place.
Ephraim Sneh a veteran Labor MK which has left the party recently, has sent a document to both US presidential candidates, John McCain and Barack Obama. The eight-point document states that "there is no government in Jerusalem that would ever reconcile itself to a nuclear Iran. When it is clear Iran is on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons, an Israeli military strike to prevent this will be seriously considered."
According to Ma'ariv, Sneh offered the two candidates the "sane, cheap and the only option that does not necessitate bloodshed." To prevent Iran's nuclear aspirations, Sneh wrote, "real" sanctions applied in concert by the US and Europe is necessary. A total embargo in spare parts for the oil industry and a total boycott of Iranian banks will topple, within a short time, the regime which is already pressured by a sloping economy and would be toppled by the Iranian people if they would have outside assistance.
The window of opportunity Sneh suggests is a year and a half to two years, until 2010.
Sneh also visited Switzerland and Austria last week in an attempt to lobby those two states. Both countries have announced massive long-term investments in Iranian gas and oil fields for the next decade.
"Talk of the Jewish Holocaust and Israel's security doesn't impress these guys," Sneh said wryly.
Hearing his hosts speak of their future investments, Sneh replied quietly "it's a shame, because Ido will light all this up." He was referring to Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan, the recently appointed commander of the Israeli Air Force and the man most likely to be the one to orchestrate Israel's attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, should this become the necessity.
"Investing in Iran in 2008," Sneh told his Austrian hosts, "is like investing in the Krupp steelworks in 1938, it's a high risk investment." The Austrians, according to Sneh, turned pale.
In related news, Israel Radio reported that Iran has finished installing an additional 4,000 centrifuges in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility. The Islamic Republic also announced it will install an additional 3,000 centrifuges in coming months.
The pan-Arabic Al Kuds al Arabi reported Friday that Iran has equipped Hizbullah with longer range missiles than those it had before the Second Lebanon War and also improved the terror group's targeting capabilities.
According to the report, which The Jerusalem Post could not verify independently, Hizbullah would begin a massive rocket onslaught on targets reaching deep into Israel's civilian underbelly in case the Jewish State would launch an attack on Iran.
F-15’s and F-16’s wont do it this time.
All they have for the job is their nukes.
Likely near the end of Ramadan.When the Iranians are at their weakest.
Oh Well.....
“Investing in Iran in 2008,” Sneh told his Austrian hosts, “is like investing in the Krupp steelworks in 1938, it’s a high risk investment.” The Austrians, according to Sneh, turned pale.”
That is a classic line. It may well be that those Swiss, Austrian and German investments in Iran end up in smoke.
I wonder when time "begins" running out.
And what was it doing before then?
Do you agree with my amateur assessment?
(F-16- I )will do the job, NO PROB
Not from Israel to Iran it wont. They need heavy Bombers.
The F-16/F-15 cant carry the ground penetrators that would be needed. Even the F-111 would not be enough for this task.
“sane cheap and the only option that does not necessitate bloodshed.”
Total embargo, total boycott.
Ha! An act of war as the only ‘option’ to avoid it.
I agree its time to quit dicking around.....
If it doesn’t happen porior to Nov 4, ‘08, it will happen within the next nine months following, with or without a friendly American administration. And the ensuing days after the strikes will be an all out war against the terrorists on Israel’s borders. Perehaps the ghouls in Syria will be changed int he process and Lebanon can come alive again.
Had Bush given Israel the go-ahead to strike Iran, that would kill the GOP in November. Now that it’s become clear McCain is going to win the election thanks to his Palin pick, Israel can act without fear of a Dem getting elected, and McCain can say whatever he wants about Israel hitting Iran.
Yes they will.
Some one is going to lend them Tankers and AWACs
And on the sly.
If it is done, I think it will be us doing it on the sly LOL
F-15Is are perfectly capable of carrying several kinds of specialized munitions that could do the job. And they can be refueled in the air.
Regular F-15Cs can fly cover, while F-16s can suppress the ground defenses.
The tanker in that photo is from the USAF Reserve's 507th Refueling wing at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. But the Israelis have a few KC-707s, which use the same boom, and are similar to the KC-135, but not identical. This is supposedly one of them:
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