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Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran
The Sunday Times ^ | December 11, 2005 | Uzi Mahnaimi, Tel Aviv, and Sarah Baxter, Washington

Posted on 12/10/2005 6:48:44 PM PST by rhainw

ISRAEL’S armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed. The order came after Israeli intelligence warned the government that Iran was operating enrichment facilities, believed to be small and concealed in civilian locations.

Iran’s stand-off with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over nuclear inspections and aggressive rhetoric from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, who said last week that Israel should be moved to Europe, are causing mounting concern.

The crisis is set to come to a head in early March, when Mohamed El-Baradei, the head of the IAEA, will present his next report on Iran. El-Baradei, who received the Nobel peace prize yesterday, warned that the world was “losing patience” with Iran.

A senior White House source said the threat of a nuclear Iran was moving to the top of the international agenda and the issue now was: “What next?” That question would have to be answered in the next few months, he said.

Defence sources in Israel believe the end of March to be the “point of no return” after which Iran will have the technical expertise to enrich uranium in sufficient quantities to build a nuclear warhead in two to four years.

“Israel — and not only Israel — cannot accept a nuclear Iran,” Sharon warned recently. “We have the ability to deal with this and we’re making all the necessary preparations to be ready for such a situation.”

The order to prepare for a possible attack went through the Israeli defence ministry to the chief of staff. Sources inside special forces command confirmed that “G” readiness — the highest stage — for an operation was announced last week.

Gholamreza Aghazadeah, head of the Atomic Organisation of Iran, warned yesterday that his country would produce nuclear fuel. “There is no doubt that we have to carry out uranium enrichment,” he said.

He promised it would not be done during forthcoming talks with European negotiators. But although Iran insists it wants only nuclear energy, Israeli intelligence has concluded it is deceiving the world and has no intention of giving up what it believes is its right to develop nuclear weapons.

A “massive” Israeli intelligence operation has been underway since Iran was designated the “top priority for 2005”, according to security sources.

Cross-border operations and signal intelligence from a base established by the Israelis in northern Iraq are said to have identified a number of Iranian uranium enrichment sites unknown to the the IAEA.

Since Israel destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981, “it has been understood that the lesson is, don’t have one site, have 50 sites”, a White House source said.

If a military operation is approved, Israel will use air and ground forces against several nuclear targets in the hope of stalling Tehran’s nuclear programme for years, according to Israeli military sources.

It is believed Israel would call on its top special forces brigade, Unit 262 — the equivalent of the SAS — and the F-15I strategic 69 Squadron, which can strike Iran and return to Israel without refuelling.


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Israel; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: attack; forces; iran; irannukes; israel; nuclear; strike; war
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To: rang1995

I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Fantasy non-sense. It reads like a Debka story!


241 posted on 12/11/2005 12:19:00 PM PST by Tommyjo
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To: No Blue States
The most unsettling thing to me is America doesnt seem to be a major player, even unworthy of biblical mention as far as I can see. What happened to the USA by the time the biblical prophecies play out?

Do you have any thoughts on that?

I do. Personally, I believe that the rapture will take place before the tribulation and all the nasty stuff. Anyway, I believe that the rapture will be a major factor in the destruction of the US. If any country would be destroyed by the rapture, it would be America. It would be devestating. But for the Islamic countries, there would be almost no ill effects.

The Bible predicts that Israel will be occupied by enemy forces during the tribulation. Now if you assume that the US is no longer a world power - how does Israel then defend itself over a sustained period of time?

The Bible predicts four major concentrations of power in the "End Times," and today they would appear to be:

The EU

The Islamofascists

The Communist Chinese

The Russians

242 posted on 12/11/2005 12:27:38 PM PST by JWojack
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To: JWojack
I never really considered the effects on America of losing all its Christians at once...in the blink of an eye.
It wouldnt be pretty at all for who is left. Thanks for reply, good points.
243 posted on 12/11/2005 12:36:05 PM PST by No Blue States
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To: No Blue States

Just losing the president would be rather disruptive.


244 posted on 12/11/2005 12:37:58 PM PST by JWojack
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Comment #245 Removed by Moderator

To: rhainw

Do you mean, as in the West vs. Islam, as WWIII? If the mohammedans toss a nuclear weapon of any kind at anyone, I would hope it would be a pretty short war, with their side being the recipient of a kill ratio of 1000/1.


246 posted on 12/11/2005 12:43:09 PM PST by john drake (roman military maxim: "oderint dum metuant, i.e., let them hate, as long as they fear")
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To: rhainw

God bless Sharon, and the people of Israel.


247 posted on 12/11/2005 12:45:15 PM PST by MarMema (http://www.curenikolette.org/)
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To: rhainw

It'll be WWIII, I doubt have any doubt in my mind.



We are already in WW3, its just that we havn't realized who the enemy is yet = ISLAM ...the Great Religion of Peace.


248 posted on 12/11/2005 12:46:52 PM PST by TomasUSMC (FIGHT LIKE WW2, FINISH LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM.)
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To: F15Eagle

Thanks, Im going to study this. All else pales in comparison.


249 posted on 12/11/2005 12:54:28 PM PST by No Blue States
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To: omega4179
>>>I thought it was decided Israels best planes can barely even reach the sites.<<<

As in Israel's 1981 attack on Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor, everyone but the Israelis had decided that they didn't have the range to reach the target.

250 posted on 12/11/2005 12:58:00 PM PST by HardStarboard (Read Stephen Hayes "Spooked White House" - Weekly Standard. It explains a an awful lot.)
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Comment #251 Removed by Moderator

Comment #252 Removed by Moderator

To: COBOL2Java

If you recall what correctly?


253 posted on 12/11/2005 1:04:35 PM PST by streetpreacher (If at the end of the day, 100% of both sides are not angry with me, I've failed.)
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To: rhainw
The key thing to look for expecting possible nuclear conflict is what our forces in Afghanistan do. If our guys start making preparations for possible nuclear fallout, or moving into areas where they may not be affected; something big will be coming.
254 posted on 12/11/2005 1:06:04 PM PST by KoRn (Merry Christmas!!)
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To: reagan_fanatic
>>>I know the mullahs are crazy, but their posture defies all logic.<<<

Slightly misstated: ...their posture defies all your logic.....and it defies all logic of rational men. Ergo, muslim-militant-fascist leaders are not rational.

....and thus we arrive back at your original premise..."...the mullahs are crazy,...!

255 posted on 12/11/2005 1:06:44 PM PST by HardStarboard (Read Stephen Hayes "Spooked White House" - Weekly Standard. It explains a an awful lot.)
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To: HardStarboard
Israel announced a few days ago that it would have a nuclear-tipped missile ready for use sometime in 2006, that would be capable of striking almost any point in Iran. Israel's current nuclear missiles can only reach western Iran, and the Iranians have scattered their nukes sites all over the country. The best the Israelis can hope for is to delay Iran's nuke dreams long enough for the U.S. to get its head out of the sand. Or, you could nuke Tehran. No more regime, but who knows where the nukes would end up. And the Iranian people, who are very friendly to Jews and Americans, would almost certainly not feel that way any more.

There is no good military option. But keep in mind if things get out of hand, you'll have as many as a half-million personnel at your disposal (Israel+Iraq+US).

But if the good guys don't screw things up again, one month from today, regime change in Syria will be imminent, if it doesn't happen before then. Syria first, then Iran. That is the proper way. Which is the #1 reason why we went to war in Iraq in the first place.

256 posted on 12/11/2005 1:07:43 PM PST by JWojack
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Comment #257 Removed by Moderator

To: F15Eagle

"Others, like me, think there's no clear role of the USA in End Times events."

Many individuals have experienced prophetic visions or dreams, to the effect that the United States will suffer a surprise attack, with all coastal regions virtually destroyed by nuclear missiles, primarily from submarines. According to these visions or dreams, our missile shield defenses, as well as our own missile silos, will have been compromised somehow, with several envisioning some kind of electrical symbolism as the cause. The seat of government will have been moved to eastern Colorado. Invasion follows the nuclear attack, down from Canada and up from Mexico, with the intent of striking the final blow, but God will intervene, as the people will have repented after this great chastisement, and the heartland will stand, fending off the attackers, who are out of many different countries and races, brown, yellow, red and white.

So, if these truly are prophetic, then the United States will remain in existence, but greatly diminished.


258 posted on 12/11/2005 1:30:54 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: F15Eagle
Yes, Israel does have a navy. Only the Israelis truly know what they are capable of doing. An interesting fact in that in March, the Israelis will be having elections.

Some time after the ballots are tabulated, it would appear that something in that region of the world may go "boom."

259 posted on 12/11/2005 1:31:01 PM PST by JWojack
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Comment #260 Removed by Moderator


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