Posted on 09/22/2012 12:08:33 PM PDT by mojito
President Obama is enjoying a quiet dinner with Michelle, Sasha and Malia at the White House residence on a Thursday evening in October when he gets the call.
Two dozen Israeli fighter jets have just entered Jordanian airspace, apparently en route to Iran, chief of staff Jack Lew tells him. They will enter Iranian airspace, via Iraq, in approximately 85 minutes.
Damn it, Obama says under his breath. Bibi told me he was going to hold off.
Within 45 minutes, the presidents national security brain trust has convened in the Situation Room. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta informs the group that attempts to reach Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have so far failed but that Israeli military commanders are briefing the Pentagon on Israels targets.
Panetta lays out the United States options: either persuade Netanyahu to call it off, or shoot down the planes.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
On the bright side Obama might be forced to suspend exploration and drilling bans on federal lands and the continental shelf, order a universal gasoline blend for all states, and allow the Keystone pipeline to proceed.
US citizens? Not so much.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/new-poll-majority-of-americans-oppose-military-strike-on-iran.premium-1.464330
I dont like physics, Malia says. Its too complicated.
That's sexist. Or is it racist? I'm confused.
There is something that makes me think the strike may be near at hand. The fact that massive amounts of military assets are right now in the area for wargames, training or whatever they are gathered for. They are due to leave before long and I can't imagine Israel would miss the opportunity to strike while so many assets are in the area.
Here is a post by freeper tentmaker... I think it's a brilliant post and it does seem like a very likely time for the strike...and occurs before the arrayed forces leave the area.
Israel will attack Iran next week, probably on Tuesday or Wednesday, while Ahmadinejad is still in NY at the UN, but before Netanyahu is scheduled to arrive. (during Yom Kippur)
Israels hand is being forced by the progress that Iran has made in producing low enriched uranium. They already have over 200 kg of 20% UF6 and that's enough to disperse it to various locations making it much more difficult to destroy, while they finish enriching it to weapons grade.
Israel needs to attack soon, while it can be most effective and they can't count on US support from Obama. They either go now or risk Obama winning re-election or have to wait until next year if Romney wins. The waiting scenarios are not good, either way.
Attacking now offers the element of surprise, with Netanyahu scheduled to be in NY at the UN, Ahmadinejad out of the country and the Jewish holidays. A bonus would be that Ahmadinejad would immediately fly home, putting him in hostile air space at a time when the Israelis can predict where he'll be and make him a target.
Using a nuclear bomb detonated at high altitude over Iran would provide a crippling EMP (ElectroMagnetic Pulse) strike against Irans infrastructure without the negative stigma of the radiation effects of using nukes. Once the electric grid is down, and most of the Iranian defenses, taking out the nuclear development sites becomes much easier.
Israel can cripple the Iranian economy, set back their nuclear program by ten years and destroy most of their military capability and it can be accomplished in 2-3 days.
This is just my personal theory, based on open source knowledge and common sense. It goes without saying that it could be wrong. We'll know in a few days.
p.s. Obama loses more face in foreign policy
It is my opinion that Israel can destroy Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons only if they use unconventional means. This would involve the use of neutron and EMP weapons. EMP to cause mass confusion and loss of communications and neutron weapons to clear the area around nuclear sites so teams can destroy them..
Israel could of course use city-buster weapons but that is very unlikely.
The hope would be that the use of nuclear weapons that did not cause massive fallout would keep the conflict from escalating to WW3....I have no idea how this would play out.
There is one possibility that may help reduce the possibility of escalation to WW3. The Israeli's could mount a very ineffective attack on Iran. The world would immediately point the finger at Israel and laugh at their weakness. Iran and all her proxies would jump in with both feet against Israel and try to take advantage of the moment. They would likely overplay their hand by allowing chemical weapons to be used by Hezbollah in southern Lebanon or by Syrian forces.
Everything would change once weapons of mass destruction were used on Israel. At that point Israel could clean house across the ME using whatever force was needed.
If this ploy of using an ineffective strike to cause an attack by Iran's proxies using chem/bio did not work then nothing is lost as Israel could immediately attack using neutron and EMP weapons, such an attack would be successful and in any case Iran would unchain their proxy forces anyway so why not at least try to make them escalate first.
Someone I respect has told me they think the best time for a strike is immediately before we go to the polls in Nov. This does make a certain sense to me.
I suggest every freeper start saying some prayers....I think its going to be a bumpy ride.
Well if someone posts some more Mohammed cartoons on the internet beforehand then the rest of the Arab world would be so busy rioting that they wouldn’t even notice Israel bombed Iran.
Lower risk approach. Take out the power grid and as much C and C as possible.
“On the bright side Obama might be forced to suspend exploration and drilling bans on federal lands and the continental shelf, order a universal gasoline blend for all states, and allow the Keystone pipeline to proceed.”
I believe he would rather we were all dirt poor Okies. The intention of the Cloward Piven strategy was to make all Americans poor so we’d accept Communism.
“Take out the power grid and as much C and C as possible.”
I doubt that would collapse the regime. The bomb program proabaly has its own power generation too. If not, it could be easily supplied.
When was the last time a war was won through airpower alone?
This "scenario" is the kind of nonsense you get from beltway desk jockey's whose military experience is that they drive past the Pentagon on their way in to work.
Should that happen, 20+ million of us should go to DC to file a complaint, in person.
If such a scenario were to unfold in October, I don’t think that Obama would do a damn thing, except to make it appear as though he’s engaged.
After the election, win or lose, Obama will have much “more flexibility”.
Don't look at me.
Go get some education.
Actually Obama would go to bed early if the attack started in early evening so he could be ready to fly some where for a fund raising event with his wealthy Hollywood supporter. If it occurred during the day he would not let it interfere with his golf game and fund raising. His spokes people would blame Bush/Chaney and the neocons. They would twiddle their thumbs as the middle east burns. The other alternative would be that they would notify the Iranians of the pending attacks and give them info from our AWACs planes and land based sites to teach the Israelis not interfere with hiscreelection efforts.
Something we must keep in mind, the Israelis have a
history of preemptive strikes, the few times they have
been late it has been a close run thing.
It would seem to me that it would be the time to
deal with Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, and to secure the
west bank to bring Jerusalem completely under their
control.
In for a penny, in for a pound.
It’s a lot to swallow, but they will be on the receiving
end no matter what they do.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4282169,00.html
Ummm, seems like some of their facilities are susceptible to power cuts. Don't get me wrong, I look for the Israeli's to attack the oil industry and transportation. I think they might have something special in mind for the power grid. It would wreak absolute havoc.
What if you just sealed up the entrances to the facilities?
Obviously fiction. The real line would be:
"Allahu akbar," Obama fumes under his breath "The infidel dog zionist told me he was going to bomb England".
1. To shoot down Israeli aircraft, they would have to be found, first. We tried to get ‘too close’ in 1967, and they closed that door, rather quickly.
2. Most of the winds that blow across Iran, blow easterly. The radioactive cloud, rising from the remains of the reactor, would not endanger Iraq.
3. A strike against Command and Control would be smart, considering the blustering Iranians talk of new ground-to-air missiles.
4. A strike on the theopolitical heads of government, would be in turn, with Command and Control. This would include all civilian TV and radio communications.
5. Israeli aircraft purchased from the U.S., are capable of Mach 2 sustained flight. As a rule of thumb, for a nuke-loaded and all fuel tanks full, with all fires lit, F-4 Phantom II, during the Cold War, from RheinMein AB, West Germany to Moscow, USSR, was a one-way of 20 minutes!
I’m sure, with the newer jet engine efficiency, and with a flying gas station somewhere, the scenario of 88 minutes could be shaved a bit.
6. Friday is “church day” for Mohammedans. The Jewish ‘shabbatz’, begins at sundown on Friday. I am sure whatever is stewing for ‘shabbatz’, will be well enjoyed by all the returning aircrews, and in time to wash up, and for mama to light the candle.
7. Whatever happens, pay no mind to our effeminate ‘short timer’ President. (Somebody ought to send him an old GI Short-timers Calendar!) I’m sure that the real President, Valerie Jarrett, will be busy with something, and cannot be found right away.
“I dont care if its Obama or Romney our defense should not be beholden to Tel Aviv. We are the big dog in this relationship and they go when we say or go alone.”
Oh goodness, a not so transparent anti-Israel bigot. Israel can and must act in its best interests as we in America have always done. The “big dog” thinking, in dealing with an ally, is specious.
Actually, destroying Iran’s capability to produce nuclear weapons is in American interests as well as Israeli. Unfortunately, American leaders (of either party) don’t have the courage to do what is in our best interests...because of short term pain (oil prices). However, IF we fail to act, then our children and grand children will inherit and even more unstable world than now....if that is possible.
I hope Israel does take the action necessary to preempt further Iranian agression. America will only act IF forced. The same thing that happened in WWII by the attack on Pearl Harbor. IF America had of gotten more involved, and sooner, then it may have preempted many of the German and Japenese attrocities committed.
Whatever, take your anti-Israel bigotry elsewhere. It doens’t really belong on Free Republic.
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