Posted on 03/10/2006 2:21:23 AM PST by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
Former Chief of Staff, Moshe (Bogi) Ya'alon says that Israel has a military option against Iran's nuclear program and that it should not take it out of consideration. In a speech at the Hudson Institute - a Washington think tank - this Tuesday, Ya'alon gave a rare detailed description of Israel's military possibilities regarding Iran. He acknowledged the fact that Iran has its nuclear programs spread out in many sites and said that Israel can overcome the Iranian air defense system and carry out air strikes against several dozen sites which are used for the nuclear development project.
According to Ya'alon, who is now a visiting fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an attack against Iran's nuclear facilities should include not only the Israeli air force, but also air forces of the US and European countries and should take place only after Iran is isolated internationally both economically and diplomatically.
Ya'alon stressed in his speech that such air strikes against Iran, will not completely destroy the Iranian nuclear program, but can set it back several years. The former chief of staff predicts that, if not dealt with, Iran is only 6 to 18 months away from achieving the nuclear know-how and 3-5 years from acquiring a nuclear bomb.
The issue of an Israeli air strike against Iran's nuclear sites has been discussed many times in the past and was largely seen as impractical because the facilities Iran uses are spread out all over the country.
Ya'alon, in his speech at the Hudson Institute, said that striking a nuclear facility in Iran is no more difficult than targeting a terror suspect in the territories as Israeli air force has been doing for the past five years.
The former Chief of Staff did acknowledge the fact that any Israeli strike against Iran would lead to a harsh retaliation against Israel. He said that might try launching missiles from its own territory towards Israel or to use the Hizbullah in Lebanon and the Hamas in Gaza in order to fire rockets into Israel. Yet Ya'alon added that Israel can withstand such an attack, thanks to its effective anti-missile systems.
Ping
Conventional retaliation now or nuclear retaliation when they develop a bomb. Have no illusions, they will use it as soon as they get it.
No, they will disseminate the technology and materiel necessary to build additional bombs to their terrorist friends in Hezballah and Al Qaeda first. They will ensure that fundamentalists have parity with the west. Even if Iran decides to use a device against Israel later, the dissemination of the technology is assured.
The Samson Option-- what is known about Israel's Nuclear Weapons?
U.S. Air Force: Israel has 400 nukes, building naval force
The latter report is illuminating, given that it is 4 years old, and the most commonly-quoted number of Israeli warheads is 200... wonder how many they really have?
This guy is right. We should take them out - the sooner the better.
WE have finally worked out the key issues with Israel. Israel take out the Iranian nuclear sites, the US writes the environmental impact statement.
I agree. That makes them harder to find and harder to find who to blame.
Execute.
/johnny
This isn't even close to being true! Distance counts, bigtime. So does the fact that Iran has an air force and surface air defense systems and the Paliwhackers do not. This guy does Israel no good by saying dumb things.
You're right.
The Iranians are merely stalling for time.
Its time for some neotiating with the Euroweenies and Russians and then we should turn Iran into a smoking ruin from the sky.
No ground troops. No invasion.
AND NO NATION BUILDING!
Let them rot in their own juices. If they try a come-back, bomb them again.
Turn Iran into a smoking warning for the other Islamic Kook states in the area.
You don't need planes or cruise or other missles to destroy with a nuke. It simply assures larger destruction area. Israel ain't that big.
And in the name of allah,Iran would gladly martyr the west bank and gaza and its pali citizens.
Bwahahahahahahaha! Sure they do. Do they mean anything? The same as Iraq, only faster to crush.
/johnny
I don't have any idea what you're trying to say with this reply to me.
/johnny
You are being unrealistic and illogical. It was not Israel who crushed Iraq's air defenses, it was the United States. Further, Iran is a larger, wealthier country that has had very different experiences over the last 15 years than has Iraq (e.g. no U.N. sanctions, no Gulf War I, no no-fly zones, no ongoing U.S. airstrikes targeting their air defenses, etc.) I commented on a specific comparison made in the article; Iran vs. West Bank. Your reply has missed this point entirely.
Islamists can't fight in the air.
I really feel for Iran, and wish it wasn't under the heel of the islamists, but as long as it is, and it's a threat, it needs to die.
/johnny
Dude! I am bored by your non sequiturs. Please talk to someone else. I prefer to talk to those who make sense.
It's not rocket science. Well, maybe just a little.
/johnny
Bite me.
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