[AnotherUnixGeek]

Israel would do the world an enormous favor if it could eliminate Iran's nuclear capability, but I don't really buy this story. From what I've been reading, Israel would require more than one mission to seriously cripple or destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, many of which are underground in fortified strongholds or in mobile labs. This wouldn't be as easy as taking out the Iraqi facility.

Are the Saudis going to keep their airspace available to the Israelis for the several days of missions it would probably take? How about for the war that follows? Isn't there a real danger that the Saudi royals would be toppled by the Wahabi fanatics who their rule depends on?

[valkyry1]

//Israel would require more than one mission to seriously cripple or destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities, many of which are underground in fortified strongholds or in mobile labs. This wouldn’t be as easy as taking out the Iraqi facility.//

Thanks, because I have been saying that all along and no one would listen. Also F-16’s and F-15’s do not have the lift capability for the size of bunker buster they would need to penetrate these facilities IMO. The B-52 and the B-1 could do it but they’ll need stealth and means the B-2. Of course they dont have anything like that.

[LeoWindhorse]

all Wahabis , everywhere , on this entire planet , should be rounded up and shot . Any opportunity would do

[monkeyshine]

My thinking is that Israel will start the war, “forcing” us, Britain and France to finish. Israel will willingly be made to look like the scapegoat for our interests. We all want Iran disarmed, President Obama doesn’t want to look like a hawk, so he will let Israel start it and then claim that we had no choice but to finish the job to contain what would otherwise be escalation in the region.

[bert]

The Saudis and Qataris will be flying interference, high cover providing Awacs guidance.

[Niuhuru]

” that the Saudi royals would be toppled by the Wahabi fanatics who their rule depends on?”

If Iran is neutralized, then the Suadis could likely break the back of their own Wahabi clerics who likely stifle the ability of Saudi Arabia to modernize more. Iran is a base for them to operate and a ‘back up.’ If I were a member of the Saudi family, then I would be more than happy to eliminate the ‘base’ and then deal with the radical clerics afterwards.

[JerseyHighlander]

I do not believe this story.

The bunkerbuster bombs, ONLY produced in the United States, have NOT been cleared for export to Israel.

At this point, outside the use of tactical air to ground nukes (which still might not destroy the facilities and just create radiation no go zones around the bunker complexes), Israel has no capacity to penetrate at least 4 of the larger bunker complexes that the Iranians have constructed for their nuclear warhead program.

[infowarrior]

Isn't there a real danger that the Saudi royals would be toppled by the Wahabi fanatics who their rule depends on?

The Wahabbi fanatics you speak of, are Sunni. They currently are enjoying the profits generated by devout Muslims on the compulsory Hajj to Mecca. Should Iranian nuclear aspirations be fulfilled, their position to receive those profits would be jeopardized, with themselves being displaced by Shiite Iranian mullah-approved clerics in charge of Mecca.

The Wahabbi clerics may be fanatical, but I doubt they're stupid...

the infowarrior