If Israel Wants To Attack, It Better Do It This Summer

Iran Times ^ | May 16, 2014

[Strategy]

If Israel really wants to bomb Iran's nuclear sites, maybe it better do that in the next three months - because in September the United States will start sending Iraq F-16s to build its Air Force.

Except for some helicopters and small planes, Iraq has not had an air force since the United States buried it in 2003. Until the United States withdrew from Iraq two years ago, the US Air Force protected the skies of Iraq.

But for now, the sky is open for Israeli jets to fly back and forth over Iraq if they choose. To strike Iran, Israel would have to refuel its combat jets once along the way. A logical plan would have the combat planes suck up fuel from aerial tankers over Iraq where there is no threat. But starting in September, those tankers will be sitting ducks.

The Israelis must still whiz across Jordan. They could face a threat coming back when the Jordanians would have been alerted. But, on the other hand, Jordan might not want to object to an attack on Iran the way a Shia-led government in Iraq would feel a need to object.

[Fennie]

Iran will present on September 1 a new radar station capable to detect aircraft invisible to radars.

Iranian Chief of Staff of Air Defense General Farzad Ismaili said on May 17.

[Grzegorz 246]

I know, they will have to spend at least ~$100 billion on military equipment alone within the next decade and much more on infrastructure, technology etc. I still believe Iraqi war was not a bad idea, post-war stabilization was screwed up on mid political level (no clue how to handle all those ethnic/religious divisions over there etc.) that's why it was so long and painful. Iraqis are civilized people (by Muslim standards) they have universities, thousands miles of paved roads, international airports etc. Afghanistan is a real shithole where majority of people can't even read and any attempts to build there anything resembling modern statehood are doomed to fail. No idea why US/NATO went for full scale occupation of that strange place.

[elcid1970]

Please, tell us more.

[apoliticalone]

“If Israel attacks Iran all hell will break loose, world markets will collapse and the United States will morph from our current contained depression into a real and protracted depression. Iran is not Iraq.”

I believe what you say to be true. There will be enormous cost that could bring down our dollar.

Also if Israel ever attacks, it is they who need to bear the full costs in their lives of their youth and in their standard of living, and leave the USA out of it. We’ve already frittered away about 5 trillion too much, and way too many young lives on the worthless ME and that so-called Cheney cake walk.

I have yet to see an entangling alliances that is in our benefit.

[steve86]

world markets will collapse

Good, I'll try to short them.

[cpdiii]

Jordan and Saudi Arabia will publicly condemn the attack. Privately they will thank Israel. Hell, the Saudis might even underwrite the cost of the attack.

[headstamp 2]

“By the fall of 2017, Iraq will have received 36 F-16 fighters, said Mark Johnson, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-16”

I guess the Chinese oil wells need protecting.

[DuncanWaring]

I went to college with a guy who ended-up as an instructor-pilot trying to teach Iranians to fly, back when the Shah still ran things.

Said he had to learn to speak Farsi to even have a faint chance of getting anywhere.

[DuncanWaring]

I doubt the Iraqis will do any better.

[AmericanExceptionalist]

If Israel attacks Iran all hell will break loose, world markets will collapse and the United States will morph from our current contained depression into a real and protracted depression.

Well, this would almost certainly be the case on the actual day of the attack; and for several days thereafter.

But what makes you suppose that it would be a protracted conflict, thereby leading (inevitably) to a protracted market correction--either in the US or worldwide?

[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.

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Amongst the many challenges confronting Israel (and perhaps an Arab ally or two, not America) in terminating Iran's nuclear program, I have a feeling that newly delivered F16s is way down the list. Unless Obama plans on delivering American pilots.

[gura]

The F-16 is pretty limited when it comes to air to air combat.

Uh, ok.

[Cen-Tejas]

.......even then they would haul ass for Iran if they saw Israeli War Planes armed for battle heading at them. We’ve seen it before.

Frankly, I don’t think Israel worries much about an Iraq Air Force in combat.

[primrose]

They will when they are ready,watch.

[Netz]

It ain't gonna happen the same way it did in 1981 at Osirak, Iraq. Everybody thinks this will be a replay of that most daring of raids. Nope. It's gonna be different as the Israelis think outside of the box...just wait.