[MestaMachine]

Take THAT, Barack!!!
Homodinejad, YOU can worry now.

[Neidermeyer]

Now they need tankers or a friendly base close in..

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Won't happen despite a lot of wishful thinking on this board..

[GonzoGOP]

The question is can they do enough damage in one strike to take Iran all the way down, or will they just make Iran angry. Iran learned from what they did to Iraq. Their nukes are spread out, they are also much farther along in the process than Iraq was. If Israel doesn't knock Iran out of the game in the first hours, the mullahs are going to hit back with a barrage of long range missiles on Israel. The Quality of the Iranian built weapons are debatable, but they probably can provide them in quantity if nothing else. Then there is the wave of rockets launched by Iran's surrogates in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria.

Most importantly if Israel fights, they will fight alone. In 1973 Israel only survived because the US staged the largest airlift since Berlin to fly in tanks, helicopters, but especially ammunition. At one point before the attack in the Golan was contained Israel's supply of 155 mm shells was literally being measured in hours. Such an airlift is not going to happen this time. Obama is firmly on the side of Imanutjob in Iran. The UN, always friendly to an Muslim dictator, will block sales of weapons, supplies and possibly oil to Israel.

In contrast Russia and China will sell the Iranians and Syrians all the weapons they need to make up for losses, but every bomb dropped or rocket fired by Israel is one less they have. Iran may simply use the bodies of their fanatic Palestinian allies to run the Israelite out of ammo.

Don't get me wrong, I want to see Iran get smacked down as much as anyone. But I just don't think seeing Israel overrun is a price worth paying to do it.

[SunkenCiv]

I'm sure the timing is just a weird coincidence.

The systems are being installed in both the F-15 and the F-15I -- a model of the F-15 that was developed by its U.S. manufacturer specifically for the IAF... The Barad Pelada advanced weapons system has been operational in the IAF's F-16s for almost four years, but had to be modified in order to fit the F-15. Barad Pelada is an advanced Israeli armament that operates like a smart bomb.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you'd like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

..................

[justiceseeker93]

Ping!!!

[ctdonath2]

I’m wondering if a flight back is necessarily part of the plan.

Having just seen “Munich”, the philosophy of “here’s your task, you’re on your own now” is historically not off the table.