Posted on 04/18/2009 5:48:20 AM PDT by IsraelBeach
The Israel military is preparing itself to launch a massive aerial assault on Iran's nuclear facilities within days of being given the go-ahead by its new government. Among the steps taken to ready Israel forces for what would be a risky raid requiring pinpoint aerial strikes are the acquisition of three Airborne Warning and Control (AWAC) aircraft and regional missions to simulate the attack.
Two nationwide civil defence drills will help to prepare the public for the retaliation that Israel could face. “Israel wants to know that if its forces were given the green light they could strike at Iran in a matter of days, even hours. They are making preparations on every level for this eventuality. The message to Iran is that the threat is not just words,” one senior defense official told The Times.
Officials believe that Israel could be required to hit more than a dozen targets, including moving convoys. The sites include Natanz, where thousands of centrifuges produce enriched uranium; Esfahan, where 250 tonnes of gas is stored in tunnels; and Arak, where a heavy water reactor produces plutonium. The distance from Israel to at least one of the sites is more than 870 miles, a distance that the Israel force practised covering in a training exercise last year.
There has been a recent move, a number of on-the-ground preparations, that indicate Israel's willingness to act,” said another official from Israel's intelligence community.
An Israel attack on Iran would entail flying over Jordanian and Iraqi airspace, where US forces have a strong presence.
According to Israel Intelligence they will have the bomb within two years. Once they have a bomb it will be too late, and Israel will have no choice to strike — with or without America,” an official from the Israeli Defence Ministry said.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
I think the Iranian program is too dispersed and too deeply buried to deeply to be taken out by conventional weapons.
And this was not done with a more understanding and PRO-Israel
President Bush in office?
bunker busters?
Did we sell them to Israel?
tactical nukes?
How far is Israel willing to go to stop Iran from getting to tools to wipe Israel out?
Perhaps the intent is just to take out what they can, even though that would be less than 100%...
They don’t have to take out all facilities. Disabling a handful of key structures such as enrichment and heavy water facilities can stop the program for a decade. Winning time is the most important thing now.
You have it right.
Yes, Israel got the latest bunker busters under Bush.
That in itself might be more beneficial to Israel.
Unfortunately under Bush, Israel had the clueless, corrupt Olmert/Kadima gang running it’s affairs.
I think if Netanyahu was at the helm under Bush, we wouldn’t have to deal with an nuclear program in Iran (and Syria) right now.
If they can actually get an explosion into the areas where the centrifuges are and damage a couple of them, they could conceivably "fail catastrophically" and, ironically, initiate a chain-reaction destroying many more. The subsequent release of the UF6 would cause even more damage.
It is obvious that Obama stands not with America's former allies but with her former enemies. He will turn against Israel at some point and Israel will be alone.
God bless Israel!
Pretty much how I thought with the appeasing lawyer Olmert.
God Bless Israel.
The fact that this is news means that Iran will be prepared for Israel (unlike what happened in Iraq almost 30 years ago under Saddam Hussein).
Yes, Israel got the latest bunker busters under Bush.
But Jewish voters broke heavily for Obama. Go figure.
I don’t know if Iran has taken delivery of any of the new AAW missile systems it was going to buy from Russia. In any event unskilled operators are going to have a hard time with expert air attack with heavy ECM. I’d bet on the Israelis.
Iran won’t know what hit them.
>>God Bless Israel.<<
Amen!
What happens when Obama denies the Israeli air force the right to fly over Iraq...and orders the USAF to intercept and thwart any raid attempts?
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