Israel has Iran in its sights

latimes.com ^ | August 30, 2009 | Micah Zenko

[Free ThinkerNY]

Iran has until late September to respond to the latest international proposal aimed at stopping the Islamic Republic from developing a nuclear weapon. Under the proposal, Iran would suspend its uranium enrichment program in exchange for a U.N. Security Council commitment to forgo a fourth round of economic and diplomatic sanctions.

But if diplomacy fails, the world should be prepared for an Israeli attack on Iran's suspected nuclear weapons facilities. As Adm. Michael Mullen, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently acknowledged: "The window between a strike on Iran and their getting nuclear weapons is a pretty narrow window."

If Israel attempts such a high-risk and destabilizing strike against Iran, President Obama will probably learn of the operation from CNN rather than the CIA. History shows that although Washington seeks influence over Israel's military operations, Israel would rather explain later than ask for approval in advance of launching preventive or preemptive attacks. Those hoping that the Obama administration will be able to pressure Israel to stand down from attacking Iran as diplomatic efforts drag on are mistaken.

The current infighting among Iran's leaders also has led some to incorrectly believe that Tehran's nuclear efforts will stall. As Friday's International Atomic Energy Agency report on Iran's nuclear programs revealed, throughout the political crises of the last three months, Iran's production rate for centrifuges has remained steady, as has its ability to produce uranium hexafluoride to feed into the centrifuges.

So let's consider four past Israeli military operations relevant to a possible strike against Iran.

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

About time!!!

[Bender2]

Re: Micah Zenko is a fellow in the Center for Preventive Action at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sounds to me like this fella is from... The Øbamanation's Center for Ø Action!

[bert]

.....President Obama will probably learn of the operation from CNN rather than the CIA......

One can only wonder at that statement. Will he ever learn anything else from the CIA? Will they even tell him about folks from Pakistan coming to get him?

[Repeal The 17th]

Not if, but when.

[Stepan12]

If Israel attempts such a high-risk and destabilizing strike against Iran, President Obama will probably learn of the operation from CNN rather than the CIA.

Why should the CIA tell anything to "the Messiah" anyway?

And how are those anti CIA witch hunts going?

[Castlebar]

The writer states that Israel initiated the 6-day war in 1967.

While technically correct, it ignores the extreme provocations that Nasser was making in the spring of 1967.

[himno hero]

Diplomacy has failed since 1979! At what point is anyone going to wake up?

[Signalman]

Israel is not going to give Obama any heads-up on a raid, and why should they? Trust Obama? Give me a break.

[DrC]

Gosh, wouldn’t it be AWFUL if Obama got so wrapped around the axle trying to stop this or dealing with its aftermath that Obamacare died due to lack of presidential care and feeding?

Admittedly, current evidence suggests that the odds of passage are inversely proportional to the amount of air time Obama devotes to it. But if the Dems take their marching orders from the Old Grey Lady (and there’s every reason to believe they might), Obama’s arm-twisting might well be needed for them to successfully pursue a reconciliation cram-down.

In any case, if the Israelis take out both the Iranian nuclear threat AND Obamacare, they deserve the eternal gratitude of all Americans.

[himno hero]

you are right. He has divorced them.

His next step will be to continue their demise. Complete dismantling.

Then he will do something like give it to his civilian force, the Black PAnthers

[Canedawg]

Without looking anything up to refresh my recollection, I’d say it was a pre-emptive strike.

[Jack Hammer]

For more than a year now, war between Israel and Iran has been striding down Main Street with a neon sign on its head; the only question is whether or not the conflict will become a major pan-Middle Eastern war, and whether or not any of the major powers - the U.S, Russia, or China, or some combination of them - will get drawn in. Due to the madness of Ahmadinejad, the global scene has the potential to get real ugly real quick; too bad the U.S. has such an utterly feckless loser at the helm and a congress packed with venal, corrupt, dishonest, and incompetent egomaniacs - it could go badly for us.

[dfwgator]

I only have one thing to say to Israel:

“Get Some!”