Posted on 04/14/2005 9:01:15 AM PDT by LSUfan
On 7 June 1981, Israeli pilots flying F-16s, escorted by F-15s, bombed Iraq’s nuclear reactor at Osirak, near Baghdad.
Though almost universally condemned at the time, for the most part the world later realized that it owed these pilots a great debt of gratitude, for they prevented Saddam Hussein from obtaining nuclear arms.
Had Israel not destroyed that reactor, the course of history could have been far different. Kuwait would probably now be a province of Iraq and Saddam Hussein might also be the most powerful man in the Middle East, instead of a prisoner.
Of course, the Israelis were certainly acting in their own self-interest. Given Saddam’s professed hatred of Israel and his support for terrorist attacks on the Jewish nation, there is little doubt that Israel would have eventually become a target of his nuclear weapons.
Fast Forward to 2005
There is now speculation in the media and on various weblogs that Israel will repeat its Osirak operation, but this time in Iran.
This speculation is unfounded. Israel does not have the capability to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program through air attack.
(Excerpt) Read more at worldtribune.com ...
Bump for the IAF. I don't care what the author says, the Israelis have survived by doing what the naysayers say can't be done.
Does Israel have cruise missles, or some equivalent thereof?
The Israelis are not 8 feet tall and bulletproof.
It's just been a case of the 6th graders beating the crap out of the kindergarteners for years.
When our guys go up against Arab armies, we clean their clocks even faster and more thoroughly. I agree with the author. The Israelis do not have the capability to do an Osirak in Iran.
But, if Israel's intel is good, they might use other means.
Best solution, IMHO, is for the US to do what needs to be done and screw the UN and the EU. They only want to preserve their oil and gas contracts with the Ayatollahs anyway...
What was it that Churchill said about crocodiles?
Yeah, and pork don't come from pigs either.
"This speculation is unfounded. Israel does not have the capability to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program through air attack."
-The one who looks at the last 56 years and knows that the Israel Defense Forces have astonished the world a time after time and achieved victories against all odds, thinks differently.
My boss just came back from a tour of 8 Israeli military bases as a Friend of the IDF. He was especially impressed with the young ladies in the 414th Intel Brigade.
Iranis going to soon experience several large scale "indiustrial accidents".<P.
BTW, lest we forget, one of the IAF pilots on the 1981 raid was the Israeli astronaut lost on the shuttle mission..
Not only that - why did Sharon bring satellite photos of Iran's stuff to President Bush .. are they looking for a partner to help in this job - since Iran has scattered their facilities all over their country ..??
"... destroyed 70 or 80 enemy tanks" Um, I don't think so, unless they had amazing logistics for getting lots of extra HEAT rounds, and a profoundly STUPID enemy.
If true, I'd like to see that documentary.
"I watched a documentary on "Tanks" that told the history of TWO Israeli tanks that defended against and destroyed 70 or 80 enemy tanks. Those are the kinds of victories achieved by the IDF!"
The story that you are talking about took place during the first two days of the Yom Kippur War of October 1973.
In that war an Arab force, at the size of the entire NATO forces in Europe, stood against the IDF.
About 1400 Syrian tanks stood against 180 Israeli tanks at the Golan Heights in the first days of the war.
The 180 Israeli tanks managed to stop the 1400 Syrian tanks, against all possible odds and scenarios.
The tankists which you mentioned above recieved later the Medal of Heroism, and they will be remembered forever as the heroes who saved Israel.
It is true.
I wonder that as well. It kind of appears that GWB has decided to call off the War On Terror...because he doesn't have any broad support internationally or domestically (so he and Rove must think) to finish the job. Hence, Condi has been tasked with "whistling in the dark", and doing a Clinton...publicly pretending there is nothing to worry about. Did you see that they are now, in choreagraphed fashion...saying that the Iranians having the bomb is five years into the future? And that the North Korean bomb threat is overrated?
Israel has constantly surprised those who underestimated her. As messy as things are with the whole Sharon vs. Settlers situation, should Israel decide to act against the mad mullahs, history has shown that action will be taken, one way or another. Nobody thought'd they'd be able to rescue the hostages at Entebbe in 1976, either!
"The Israelis are not 8 feet tall and bulletproof."
I think Pharoah said something like that when he sent the Egyptian army after the unarmed and fleeing Israelites who were crossing the Red Sea.
Since the War of Independence when a newly created practically armless Israel faced off against six Arab countries backed by the British, Israel has been defying the odds. Not that I don't wish them better ones, but they are stuck in a hostile world.
Israel does not have the capability to end Iran’s nuclear weapons program through air attack.
yeah--and they didn't have the ability to rescue hundreds of prisoners 1000 miles away in Uganda...
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