Halevy - MegaTerror Against Has Changed Everything

Mega-terrorism and global jihad have changed the rules of the game in the balance of national and international security, said Ephraim Halevy, immediate past head of the Mossad and current chief of the National Security Council, at Monday's opening of the third annual Herzliya Conference.

"A successful terrorist mega-attack would instantly change a long series of rules of conduct and behavior," he said.

Last Thursday's attack on an Arkia plane in Kenya would have constituted such a "terrorist mega-attack" if the missiles had hit their target and would have changed the country's policy on self-defense, Halevy said. There are a broad range of responses to the threat of mega-terrorism, he said, and Israel has many of the capabilities needed, though it would not be appropriate to make them public.

A mega-terror attack against Israel, like downing a civilian aircraft, would "create an international dynamic that would open options that up to now were unacceptable to public opinion,"Halevy said.

Halevy did not spell out the type of action Israel would take, but implied that retaliation would be far harsher than anything that has been done up to now. Even so, he said, "it can be assumed that the international community would understand, accept and internalize the changes in the rules of the game and fields of activity."

With Iranian and Iraqi weapons of mass destruction aimed at Israel, it is in the country's interest that the American operation in Iraq prove successful, he said. There has never been such a synthesis of interests between Israel and the US as there is today, he said.

Israel and Russia also have common interests, he said. Whereas the USSR was the key economic and military supporter of Israel's enemies, today Russia, even though it still provides military aid to Syria and Iraq, has come a long way in fighting global jihad.

As to the Palestinian conflict, Halevy said that the Palestinian voices against the violence and the suicide bombings, "are not the voices of the righteous but the voices of realists," who can see that if the current situation continues, it will imperil Palestinian ambitions.

Israel has paid a very high toll in human life, Halevy said, and it will be no source of comfort to those who have lost loved ones that the price paid by the Palestinians will be much greater if they do not put a new responsible, pragmatic, and trustworthy leadership in place.

"The intifada is one of the most salient factors in the collapse of the economy," he said. An unemployment rate of 10.5 percent caused him to recommend setting up an emergency task force of all economic sectors.

Halevy expressed regret that the efficiency and accomplishment of the defense establishment has not been emulated by civilian leaders, even though some of them made the transition from military to civilian leadership.

Foreign Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Monday that the world must take concerted action against world terrorist groups and the regimes that support them, and it must also cooperate in fitting civilian aircraft with defensive capabilities.

Because the devices are expensive, Netanyahu said in a CNN interview, "if they are organized, manufactured and distributed by a consortium of countries, you can bring down the cost significantly. Some of it could be passed to the passengers." Netanyahu said this must be done urgently, because "once planes start falling from the sky, we're going to live in a very different world."

Comments by Efraim Halevy, Head of the National Security Council at the Herzliya Conference on December 2: "From a national perspective, it would be correct to treat the Mombassa attack (on the Arkia plane) as if it had ended in true disaster, and examine our new reality as if a terror attack of enormous proportions has been perpetrated against Israel. When terror acts of such magnitude succeed, rules of conduct and operation change immediately. The meaning of this emerging threat amount to genocide, against the state of Israel, and the destruction of our nation's basic principles." "Against such a threat Israel possesses a wide and diverse range of abilities, which are best left undisclosed prematurely." Efraim Halevy, head of the National Security Council, spoke at the opening session of the third Herzliya Conference on the Balance of Israel's National Security. He addressed the state of national security in accordance with the primary parameters which the State of Israel now faces: "In times like these, weighing the national security balance cannot be performed periodically. We must engage in such a balance as part of a continuous, ongoing process and try to review the balance whenever current events alter the strategic landscape, within or outside the Nation's boundaries. The political echelon is our primary objective, they, above all others, are entitled to examine the products of our work, and use it before it becomes public". Halevy also referred to Russia, pointing out that an infrastructure for security and intelligence cooperation between Israel and Russia has been formed. Regarding Europe, Halevy said: "It would not be right to end this session without referring to Europe and its influence over Israel's balance of national security. On this issue, it is appropriate to differentiate between the collective voice of Europe and the actual policies of key mainland countries towards Israel". There are countries in Europe whose demands towards the PA are similar to those of Israel itself. Relationships cultivated with those countries should also be based on the extensive economic cooperation between us, said Halevy. Commenting on the economic crisis and recession in Israel, Halevy said: "Israel's unemployment crisis is critical, because, amongst other things, it has direct bearings on our national security. A 10% unemployment rate, or more, should serve as a warning signal".

A rocket attack on an airliner, such as was tried and missed in Nigeria, would apparently be considered a mega-terror attack.

It would up the ante for the terrorists.

Jerusalem Post left out this line from halevy, ""Against such a threat Israel possesses a wide and diverse range of abilities, which are best left undisclosed prematurely."

Should the terrorists be excused from their attempted mass murder simply because they missed the target? The terrorists should be punished all the same, even though they did not succeed in their murderous intent. Why wait for them succeed next time? Does anyone believe this is the last attempt?

Democracies, again, waiting to be hit, before taking remedial action.

So we wait, for the megahit, while incompetent jihadis or good preventive work work against the pre-emptive tactics and hinder and delay the sweeping action that needs to be taken.

If it takes a successful mega-terror attack to "change the rules of the game" then maybe they should let one happen since the current "rules" aren't working. The Muslims don't play by the "rules" anyway...so why should the Israeli's?

You all make very good points.

I posted this because of the term "mega-teror" and what it might mean. I think 911 was mega-terror. I guess they consider an attack that'd kill 200 mega-terror vs the suicide bombings that are 10 fold less in general.

I had though mega-terror would mean and nuke or biological attack.

In this regard, I felt this is indicative of things to come -- mega-attacks and retaliation of a new level.

I agree with all your points, though.

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