Posted on 12/05/2005 10:57:03 AM PST by Ben Mugged
Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in remarks published Monday that he would support a pre-emptive strike against Iran's nuclear program.
Netanyahu's comments, made in the heat of a campaign for leadership of the hardline Likud Party, drew criticism from rivals, who accused him of playing politics with the country's security. Iranian leaders brushed off the threat, warning that an attack "will have a lot of consequences."
Israeli leaders have long identified Iran as the nation's biggest threat. Israel accuses Tehran of supporting Palestinian militant groups and rejects Iran's claim that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, said in October that Israel must be "wiped off the map."
Iran's announcement Monday that it plans to build a second nuclear power plant along with a deadly suicide bombing the same day by the Iranian-backed Islamic Jihad group in the central town of Netanya is likely to heighten Israel's concerns.
While Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says the world cannot accept a nuclear Iran, he contends that diplomacy remains the first line of defense. He has not said what should be done if diplomacy fails.
Netanyahu left few doubts about his solution: a pre-emptive strike similar to the 1981 attack ordered by then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin that destroyed an unfinished Iraqi nuclear reactor.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
now just get france, germany and the UN to sign on and problem solved!!!!
I support it also. Did it once, they can do it again.
Bibi's right. Go Bibi! The US should be the one destroying the facility, but the Israelis are gutsier.
Do you Netanyahuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
I support them 100%. Especially when the leader of Iran publicly stated that Isreal needs removed from the face of the earth.
Playing politics!? If I was an Isreali citizen Iran would be first second and third on my concerns list.
The US and Israel are planning a joint strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. The Israelis wil conduict the operation the US will write the Environmental Impact Statement .
Can you say "Siemens" ? I thought you could.
Buckle up folks, anytime in the next 12 to 16 weeks it's gonna hit the fan and there is no way to stop it now.
I'm sure Sharon is thinking hard right about now.
And FEEMA will move in for the cleanup, led by Director Blanco.
I can't believe Israel has been as restrained as it has. The end of the proverbial rope is almost here.
Note, he said nothing about a "conventional" pre-emptive strike. If the Iranians don't pull back from the brink, it's going to be "lights out Tehran". Iran would do well to consolidate their nuclear facilities at above-ground locations and let Israel destroy them conventionally. If Israel determines they're out of reach, the only solution is a catastrophic decapitation of the Iranian government. Iran gets to choose how they want to be dealt with.
Wonder what he would do to North Korea? China? Pain-in-the-ass Russia?
Would love to see that happen - BUT -
How can Israel access Iranian targets without violating other nations' airspace?
Unless we give the go-ahead to over-fly Iraq - which would really complicate our relationship with the fledgling nation.............
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.