Israel Ready to Move Against Iran Nuclear Facilities After Transfer of Advanced Munitions

Geostrategy Direct ^ | 10/19/04 | Bill Gertz

[gopwinsin04]

Israel is preparing for military action against Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor and other nuclear facilities, including underground plans and storage depots, US defense officials say.

Officials said a transfer of 5,000 bombs in Israel is likely preparation for the attacks.

[DTogo]

"Come get some..."

[SquirrelKing]

Just as soon as President Kerry gives them their "nuclear fuel".

[syberghost]

May their aim be true, may the wind be blowing away from civilians, and may the pilots all make it home safely.

[snowsislander]

However this one happens, it won't be allowed to fail.

[broadsword]

Go, Israel!

There is nothing civilized about letting uncivilized barbarians hold WMDs. It's like putting a machinegun in the hands of a chimp.

[StJacques]

I have to be honest and state that I doubt this is true. I wish it was true, so please don't bust my chops for what I am posting, but here is why I am a doubter.

The U.S. is trying very hard to get Iran to agree to stay within the U.N. framework for handling nuclear proliferation. Yes, that's right, the U.S. is trying to look to the U.N. - forget what Kerry says about Bush ignoring the organization - and France, yes France!, is trying to make the U.N. system work in this instance so that the U.S. does not go off on its own and make the U.N. completely irrelevant. France has a genuine interest in protecting the value of its veto power in the U.N. Security Council and if the U.N. cannot handle the Iranian situation France, and everyone else, will have to sit by and watch the U.S. go off on its own again, even though it would be Israel doing the dirty work, to settle the matter.

For these reasons I doubt that the U.S. is giving Israel a green light for the operation. This could be an attempt to frighten the Iranians into cooperation, but that is as far as I think it goes.

[blackdog]

The holdup has been the working out of paying Russia for it's efforts up to the point of kaboom. Look for the Russians calling their workers home for a technical reason. Then the bombing starts. It's my guess that the Iranians will attempt to prevent the Russians from leaving and will move mass populations of human shields to encircle nuclear sites.

[broadsword]

Why breath a word about any of this in advance? are they nuts?

No. They just know full well that the Iranians are not even close to competent enough to stop them.

[blackdog]

Russia, France, and China have been telling Iran that the UN security council will veto any action against them. Of course there is no credibility there, but assurances have been bought.

[Neoc0n]

Green light or no, the State of Israel will not allow a nation still officially at war with it to aquire nuclear weapons.

The only time constraint, is it must be hit before the reactor goes live, to not cause radiation issues.

[crazyhorse691]

The worst kept secret in the world is that Israel will destroy Irans reactor. The Iranians planned for that, but, Israel will be able to do it. As for the question of before or after the election; I am leaning towards within 72 hours before the election unless there is a prominent terrorist attack. Then, I figure it would be within hours.

[cynicom]

If they are going to drop the really beeeeg ones, what do they have to deliver them with??? C-130???

[StJacques]

I agree with you that Israel will not sit quietly by and do nothing while Iran arms itself with nuclear weapons.

If anyone is going to hit this complex, it will be us. Bush made it clear in the O'Reilly interview a couple of weeks ago that he would not permit Iran to get nuclear weapons.

[Boundless]

> Before or after the election, I wonder....

After, as needed.

[*] Targetting
[*] Staging
[*] Routing
[*] Training
[*] Munitions
[_] Coalition regional radar "malfunction"
[_] Schedule

After the election, Bush will explain the facts of life
to the mullahs, and give them very few days to decide.

[gopwinsin04]

Wow, that would be a crazy 72 hours!

[Psycho_Bunny]

I think everyone Knows it's going to happen sooner or later

[syberghost]

Maybe more than that. The girls at Time are really worried about this:

http://www.time.com/time/europe/magazine/article/0,13005,901041025-725067,00.html

[WCoastRepublican]

Bombs away... go Israel!!!

[GSlob]

"Before or after the election, I wonder..."
During, probably. It would be much more dependent on local weather, visibility (full moon vs. new moon) and other considerations of nature than on election.

[Shqipo]

Put on your seat belts after this hits the fan. Iran will invade Iraq in retaliation. You'll know when Israel is ready, as the entire US Navy will need to get at least in the Indian Ocean to guard against this.