Posted on 08/13/2008 7:16:48 AM PDT by WilliamReading
The American administration has rejected an Israeli request for military equipment and support that would improve Israel's ability to attack Iran's nuclear facilities.
The Americans viewed the request, which was transmitted (and rejected) at the highest level, as a sign that Israel is in the advanced stages of preparations to attack Iran. They therefore warned Israel against attacking, saying such a strike would undermine American interests. They also demanded that Israel give them prior notice if it nevertheless decided to strike Iran.
Recently, however, Israel has concluded that Bush is unlikely to attack, and will focus instead on ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on Tehran. It prefers to wait until this process has been exhausted, though without conceding the military option. Israel's assumption is that Iran will continue to use delaying tactics, and may even agree to briefly suspend its uranium enrichment program in an effort to see out the rest of Bush's term in peace.
The American-Israeli dispute over a military strike against Iran erupted during Bush's visit to Jerusalem in May. At the time, Bush held a private meeting on the Iranian threat with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Ehud Barak, and the Israelis presented their request for certain specific items of military equipment, along with diplomatic and security backing.
Therefore, they said, the U.S. would not allow Israeli planes to overfly Iraq en route to Iran.
The Americans sent a similar message to Iraq, which had objected vociferously to the idea of its air space being used for an Israeli attack on Iran.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
How can Israel attack Iran without overflying Iraq?
Is this for public consumption or an accurate portrayal of U.S. opposition to a mission to bomb the Iranian nuclear sites?
GOOD
Bush will lose his only positive legacy, the War on Terror, if he allows Iran to get the bomb.
Israel likely needs bunker busters to use to get the deep underground nuke facilities.
If Obama wins the election those weapons will be off limits to Israel and Iran will indeed get the bomb. Not good news here.
What equipment do they need that they don’t already have ?
BREAKING NEWS:
THE US LEADERSHIP HAS NOT READ THE BIBLE OR DOES NOT UNDERSTAND IT’S MEANING
If Israel bombs Iran, the US will be blamed for it. How GOOD is this for the US troops in Iraq and our mission there? What impact will this have on US interests in the region? On world oil supplies and the price of oil? On our economy?
A little mis-information maybe?
Let's hope so.
Rationale for the US to help. Better that the US helps, thus tipping the operation to being more successful, than Israel going at it alone, and it not being as successful. The other aspect is what Syria/Terrorist groups do in both those cases... quite a mess!
I AM SURE OIL PRICES WILL FALL AND THE DOW JUMP WHEN IRAN HAS/USES NUKES. WHO WILL BE BLAMED FOR THAT? THE US ANYWAY SO I SAY LET THEM BLAME US FOR THE NON NUCLEAR OPTION.
I'd say it would have less of an effect than if Iran destroyed the ENTIRE state of Israel with a nuclear bomb.
That's not the issue. Bombing is the last resort and I don't believe we have reached that point.
Edward N. Luttwak: "Three reasons not to bomb Iran - yet"
I believe many of the reasons cited by Dr. Luttwak still obtain. The Iranians are trying to percipitate a strike to divert the Iranian people's attention from a failing economy and growing domestic dissatisfaction with a repressive regime. An attack now will result in unifying the people against a perceived external threat. We need regime change in Iran and that can be done in a number of different ways.
Shhh! ;-)
If Israel attacks the Iranian reactor, there is a good chance that Iran will not do anything in response. Neither Syria nor Hussein’s Iraq retaliated against Israel.
If Iran does attack Israel, there is a good chance that Bush would try to use the occasion to overthrow the Theocracy of Iran.
The Iranians see a nuclear weapon as insurance against US intervention against them and as a means to achieve regional hegemony using nuclear weapons as blackmail and a means of putting pressure on its neighbors.
Different times, different circumstances. Diffferent players. If you believe that there will be no consequences for us and those in the region following an Israeli attack against Iran, you are mistaken.
How would he do that?
If Iran attacks Israel, it is likely that GWB would use the occasion to attack Iran in support of Israel. There is a good chance that in so doing, the USA would target the Iranian government, including Ahmadinajad and the Ayatollahs.
This is such nonsense. We've been hearing this for years and years and still nothing at all has come from it.
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