Israel raises fears of military action against Iran with missile test

Telegraph ^ | 2nd November 2011 | Adrian Blomfield

[markomalley]

Israel tested a long-range ballistic missile capable of a carrying a nuclear warhead yesterday amid growing speculation that Benjamin Netanyahu is preparing to authorise military action against Iran.

The test came just hours after the Israeli prime minister was reported to have stepped up pressure on his cabinet to back military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.

Indicating that a rapid reassessment of policy was under way, Israeli newspapers suggested that an attack could take place either before the onset of winter or in the summer of next year.

The dramatic disclosures came as the Israeli defence ministry confirmed that it had fired "a rocket propulsion system" from its Palmach airbase after a white streak was spotted in the skies above the centre of the country early yesterday morning.

The ministry, which insisted that the launch had been long-planned, censored further details. But western experts concluded that Israel had fired a Jericho-3 ballistic missile, which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and could form an essential component of any attack on Iran.

Giving further grist to claims that military action is being seriously contemplated, it also emerged that Israel's air force simulated a long-range attack at a Nato base in Sardinia last week.

[mountainlion]

Israel will not attack but defend herself. How many rockets does it take to make a war? Israel has already been hit by over 1000!

[CynicalBear]

One day soon I think we will see Psalm 83 prophesy fulfilled.

[Terry Mross]

Attacking may be the only way she can defend herself. You KNOW their intelligence knows everything Iran has. If Iran is close to nukes, Israel has no choice but to take them out. They don’t have the luxury of playing defense.

[353FMG]

Better today when there is still time than tomorrow when it is too late.

[Bobalu]

My best guess is that Israel can strike any point on earth with a ballistic payload.

I also bet that Israel’s ABM’s are nuclear tipped....an incoming Iranian ballistic missile possibly armed with chem/bio/nuke makes it foolish to rely on hitting a bullet with a bullet. Hit it with a nuke.

Russian ABM’s are nuclear tipped.

[aces]

God speed my friends, see ya in Heaven..let’s roll

[Venturer]

Israel would be stupid to wait until Iran tests their Nuclear weapon by turning it on Israel.
Iran has been begging for someone to kick the crap out of them for long time now

We should have done it when we discovered the IED’s in Iraq were supplied by Iran, The Brits should have done it when they captured British soldiers on the water.Iran has been making threats and promising what they would do when they got the bomb, If thay are attacked, remember, They asked for it.

[CynicalBear]

I think Psalm 83 comes first then Ezekiel 38. Could get interesting.

[mountainlion]

I think that Hamas may jump the gun and attack too soon. Turkey has a new terrorist aid flotilla headed to Israel. I expect that Egypt and Syria both have nukes. Syria has most of Husain's WMD supplies. It is the 60’s all over again but bigger weapons and bigger defeat.

[CynicalBear]

>> Yes possibly if Psalm 83 wasn’t fulfilled in a previous war like 1973 - it is hard to tell<<

My take on that is that the Psalm 83 conflict hasn’t happened yet because Israel is not living “without walls” and feeling safe. At the start of the Ezekiel 38 war they are pretty much living in a situation that they fell rather safe. That surely isn’t the case today. I think with the Psalm 83 conflict much of Islam is eradicated in that region and Damascus is totally destroyed. That would get the attention of all of Israel’s enemies and make them fear her which leads to the “without walls” scenario in Ezekiel 38. Just my take on it.