'Israel will attack Iran on its own'

Jerusalem Post ^ | 12/21/2007 | Staff

[mojito]

I came back from a trip to Israel in November convinced that Israel would attack Iran," Bruce Riedel, a former CIA official and senior adviser to three US presidents, George W. Bush among them, told the American Newsweek magazine in an article published Friday.

Citing conversations he had in Israel with officials in Mossad and the Israeli defense establishment, Riedel concluded that "Israel is not going to allow its nuclear monopoly to be threatened."

While some US experts doubt Israel's ability to tackle Iran alone, David Albright, of the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, was quoted by Newsweek as saying that although information on the exact location of Iran's nuclear facility is incomplete, Israel's air strike on an alleged Syrian nuclear facility on September 6, widely discussed in foreign media outlets, could be seen as a test run for any future strike on Iran's facilities, as well as a direct warning to Teheran.

Riedel told the magazine his impression that Israel would venture a strike on Iran on its own was formed before the publication of the joint US intelligence agencies' report, the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE). "This [the NIE] makes it [a strike on Iran] even more likely," he said.

Since the publication of the NIE, which reversed a previous American assessment by concluding that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003, leaders worldwide have been adjusting their publicly stated positions on the Iranian nuclear issue.

Even inside the US, President Bush attempted some damage control by stating a day after the report's publication that "Iran was dangerous, Iran is dangerous and Iran will be dangerous."

In Israel, responses to the report ranged from subtle criticism of the report's conclusions to outright slamming of the US intelligence community's capabilities, so much so that on last Sunday's cabinet meeting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert instructed his ministers to refrain from commenting any further on the report.

In the international scene, Russia's decision to renew fuel shipments to Iran main nuclear facility at Bushehr was interpreted by many anlysts as stemming directly from the NIE's publication; another development possibly stemming from the report is Russia and China's hardened position on further sanctions against Teheran.

In Teheran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quick to capitalize on the NIE, calling it an "Iranian victory" and demanding that the United States publicly apologize for its previous bellicose stance.

Uzi Arad, a former Mossad official and adviser to opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu, told Newsweek that on a recent trip to Moscow, a Russian general poked fun at the naiveté of the NIE, commenting that if the Iranians had halted weapons development in 2003 it was partly because they were satisfied with progress there and wanted to devote investment to harder parts of the nuclear equation, like enrichment.

"The irony is that the effect of this report may be self-negating - by itself it will accelerate Iranian acquisition of nuclear weapons," Arad told the magazine.

[CowboyConservative]

Your right to a degree we have people on the left who interpret the Bible and the Bill of Rights to say anything they want, but both manuscripts are true to the last word.
You can interpret anything into oblivion or you can take each for the value and truth contained.

[mkjessup]

Actually, most of Iran/Iranians are pro-western and not anti-American. We should be helping them overthrow that regime.

I'm open to suggestions, I'm sure the Iranian people are too.

What do you have in mind?

[mkjessup]

This is a very mixed multitude of hardened sinners, committed believers, u Jews, Catholics, Ayn Rand atheists, etc.

uJews?!?

EXcellent! A YouTube for Jews! I love it!

Oy!

(just kidding with you, your points are well taken, and glad to see that another Christian has heard of Dr. McGee, truly a wise voice empowered by the Holy Spirit and still being heard today nearly 20 years after going home to the Lord.)

[Marysecretary]

Our government needs to infiltrate and give them weapons to fight and kill their oppressors. I’m sure they know how since they’ve done it so often before.

[Marysecretary]

I guess I can see your point.

[shield]

ping

[nicmarlo]

Dr. McGee was a learned and very wise man.

[nicmarlo]

Merry Christmas, Mary. : )

[nicmarlo]

Funny we never hear anything about ‘why’ Iran turned into an enemy of the United States, when the reason is as plain as the fake chicklet-grin on Carter’s lying face.

True that. I had the privilege once of having the Shah's family as our law firm's clients. I also met many Persians who fled Iran after the Shah was ousted. The Shah's family and son seemed to be kind and decent people and would have, no doubt, led Iran to a better place, had it not been for Carter.

[Marysecretary]

Same to you, my dear!

[SJackson]

If you'd like to be on this middle east/political ping list, please FR mail me.

High Volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. or WOT [War on Terror]

----------------------------

[Salem]

"The Bush Administration does all they can do to protect Israels enemies isn't that interesting. If Condi gets wind of any military actions by Israel she'll be on her broom and in the M.E. faster than you can say Mad Maddie the second...."

Israel's relationship with the United States is not a suicide pact. If the Israelis unilaterally fly a strike force in there tomorrow, Rice and the rest of the world will find out after the fact, as the Reagan Administration found out after the fact, post-Osirak. Rice can scream all she wants.

Israel's choices, since the publication of the worthless NIE report, are limited. Any sane person, well versed in Middle East affairs (as most FReepers are) and contemporary Islam, could not but conclude any Israeli operation (whether truly effective or not) would be a clear self defense act, at the least in light of the Persian leadership's constant threats to destroy Israel.

Some believe Israel does not have the military capability to shut down the Persian nuclear program. Many believe they do, as well as me. At the least, set it back many years.

Western power brokers have apparently decided a strike right now on Iran would be too "disruptive" to the global economy. So, personally, I anticipate waking up one morning in the future to hear about an IDF strike on Iran that will have been sophisticated, well planned out, and quite surprising, AGAIN, in its reach and scope, to the rest of the world.

Now, whether self defense pacts between Russia and Iran kick in, and alliances between certain radical Islamic Middle East states which have realized the rotten fruit of years of Islamic hatred whipped up against the Jews coming to full fruition in war, and TIMES person of the year, Vladimir Putin invokes and co-opts Bush's "preemptive" war doctrine to invade the Middle East to "stop the threat" of the Jewish nation like we did with Iraq (while seeking to counter U.S. hegemony in the region)—and whether people choose to believe this is Ezekiel chpt. 38 and 39 fulfilled, is for future discussion.

Nonetheless, nothing has changed. The U.S. can stop Iran. The U.S. and Israel together can stop Iran. But if the U.S. doesn't want to stop Iran, they are delusional if they think Israel will idly stand by while Iran develops their nuclear warfare capability.

Those are Rice's choices.

---

AMERICA AT WAR
At Salem the Soldier's Homepage ~
Islam, a Religion of Peace®? Some links...  by backhoe
Translated Pre-War IRAQ Documents  by jveritas
Mohammed, The Mad Poet Quoted....  by PsyOp
"PLAES DO NOT TOCH THE WAR"  by AnnaZ
The Clash of Ideologies - A Review

"...It's time we recognized the nature of the conflict. It's total war and we are all involved. Nobody on our side is exempted because of age, gender, or handicap. The Islamofacists have stolen childhood from the world." [FReeper Retief]

"...That the totalitarian force pitted against freedom wears a religious makes this civil war among mankind all the more difficult to engage. Loving freedom as we do, it seems reprehensible to deliberate against a religion. But this is no ordinary religion as it demands absolute obedience of all to their religion at the cost of freedom itself." [FReeper Backtothestreets]

[JasonC]

Um, did everyone take their stupid pills today or something? Iran wants to be left alone to pursue nuclear weapons, to the point where they have 200 of the things and are making another 25 a year. Then they will give them to all their terrorist friends, holding the rest as a deterrent. And millions will die. Or, instead, we could stop them - which requires not brinksmenship of any kind, let alone the kind where we'd worry that oh no, maybe Iran might not be nice, but pre-emptive attacks by Israel or the US before they get said nuclear weapons.

If that is too complicated for you, our side will be starting it, not Iran. It won't be up to Iran whether there is a war. Iran is going to barrel straight ahead getting nuclear weapons regardless. The only question is whether anyone will have the balls to stop them.

[gonzo]

Never underestimate Israels resolve. They will always act in their own best interests, as they see fit.

You're correct in saying that Rice isn't in their equations ................ FRegards

[M. Espinola]

The sooner the Russian supported Iranian terrorist exporters are removed - the better for the entire world.

[Simcha7]

Shalom & Blessings!

How are You Salem?~!

And I sure do agree with You!

Israel knows how to take care of herself, and let us Never forget that Israel and God's Chosen People are THE APPLE OF HIS EYE!

AMEN & AMEN.

PS: It really is me, Im back to FR!

[Wiz]

There is a better way doing the job than Israel going on its own. Just put pressure on President Bush to force anti-war administration members kicked out of the White House, ask him to kick out the defeatist Clintonists in the CIA, and ask President Bush to let Bolton, Rumsfeld back into the administration, making US more Hawkish. Then the US will be able to do the job for Israel.

[mkjessup]

An excellent, informative post. Thank you.

Nonetheless, nothing has changed. The U.S. can stop Iran. The U.S. and Israel together can stop Iran. But if the U.S. doesn't want to stop Iran, they are delusional if they think Israel will idly stand by while Iran develops their nuclear warfare capability.
Those are Rice's choices.

Rice should have worked harder at becoming NFL Commissioner.

"A man (or woman) has got to know their limitations"
- Clint Eastwood as Inspector Harry Callahan in 'Magnum Force'.

[mkjessup]

There is a better way doing the job than Israel going on its own. Just put pressure on President Bush to force anti-war administration members kicked out of the White House, ask him to kick out the defeatist Clintonists in the CIA, and ask President Bush to let Bolton, Rumsfeld back into the administration, making US more Hawkish. Then the US will be able to do the job for Israel.

You mean the way he's responded to pressure to pardon Agents Ramos and Compean?

So far as the Middle East is concerned, our Commander-In-Chief has been neutered at the worst, is suffering from battle fatigue at best.

[alarm rider]

“This is not America, you can’t just get rid of your politicians. You could hang from a noose if you go to far”.

Interesting take on the subject. I suppose they are disarmed. So, in that case, there needs to be enough of them with some strong leadership to get the job done. Some people would rather die on their feet than live on their knees, and if you get enough of them together you have yourself a start.

On the other hand, if they cannot/will not do it for themselves or at least try, then all they can do is talk until some event happens that forces the issue.