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| Syria-Lebanon-Iran |
| Israelis plan pre-emptive strike on Iran |
| 2006-01-11 |
| Not a retread, this report has plans. Found at In from the Cold Israel is updating plans for a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities which could be launched as soon as the end of March, according to military and intelligence sources. The news comes as Germany yesterday warned Tehran's regime that it would face "consequences" if it removes UN seals from portions of its atomic programme and resumes enrichment of fuel which could be diverted for military use in breach of international agreements. The Israeli raids would be carried out by long-range F-15E bombers and cruise missiles against a dozen key sites and are designed to set Tehran's weapons programme back by up to two years. Pilots at the Israeli air force's elite 69 squadron have been briefed on the plan and have conducted rehearsals for their missions. The prime targets would be the uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, 150 miles south of Tehran, a heavy-water production site at Arak, 120 miles south-west of the capital, and a site near Isfahan in central Iran which makes the uranium hexafluoride gas vital to the arms manufacturing process. Sources say one, possibly two airfields in Kurdish northern Iraq have been earmarked as launch-points to reduce flying time over Iran. The Iranians have meanwhile dispersed production facilities across hundreds of miles of remote countryside to make a single, knockout blow more difficult. They have also ringed the sites, some of them deep underground, with missile batteries and radar-controlled anti-aircraft guns. Part of the reason for an acceleration of Israel's contingency strike plans is that Russia agreed last month to sell Tehran £700m-worth of advanced SA-15 Gauntlet mobile missile systems. Some are believed to be destined for defence of Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant on the Gulf coast, which Russian engineers are helping to build. Although Western military strategists think an attack on Tehran's scattered sites would be fraught with difficulties and could not be carried out without loss to the attacking forces, few doubt Israel's commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear firepower. An Israeli source said: "We believe Iran will have useable nuclear weapons by 2007 unless something is done to prevent it. If Tehran is allowed to start enrichment of uranium, it will be too late. "Underground facilities have to be supplied with air, water and fuel from the surface. They also have entrances which are vulnerable to conventional attack. Close down the infrastructure and you close down the facility." |
| Posted by:Nimble Spemble |
| #26 and this must wait for the repatriation of Jews out of arab lands All five of them. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-01-11 23:59 |
| #25 The Use It Or Lose It scenario will quickly ascend to the top priority in Iran's response. If they don't cry uncle such as Lybia did, after the first night; all targets (US) in Iraq, and in the Gulf will become target "Ace" from the Iranians. Movement of Defensive missile batteries into Iraq and Israel must precede the secret first strike by the west; and this must wait for the repatriation of Jews out of arab lands to Israel and The US. Watch for these visa movements (on the scale of Katrina evacuees) in the coming months! |
| Posted by: smn 2006-01-11 23:43 |
| #24 Russia agreed last month to sell Tehran £700m-worth of advanced SA-15 Gauntlet mobile missile systems. It's astonishing how Russia goes on pissing in our ear and just keeps telling us that it's raining. A very long time ago I mentioned a strike against Iran that severs all of the main feeders into the Kharg Island terminal. Without damaging the island's tanker pumping facility, but strangling all supply lines and power feeds. This would almost totally choke off Iran's oil exports. I think it would be a wonderful sidebar message to send Russian and China about how stupid it is to rely on the success of a unstable despotic regime. I also agree with others here that hydroelectric power sources are a prime lever. Purification of fissile material is insanely power intensive, especially considering the underground placement of so many facilities. Collapsing entries, ventilation stacks, air purification facilities, water piping runs and other infrastructure will essentially cripple that which we cannot destroy. I especially hope that all sites are struck during periods of maximum occupancy. Snuffing all of Iran's nuclear research staff would go a long way towards crippling their efforts and facilitate the placement of moles as personnel are replaced. I am also almost on board with a little mayhem in or around Qom and other significant monuments. It's time that Ahmadinejad is sent a message that his brand of |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-01-11 22:18 |
| #23 One more time. NO troop committment. No massive stikes by planes until the main deed is done. Look for the birds to pop out of the Indian Ocean in the dead of night. Multiple warheads per bird. MASSIVE strike alright. Their lights will be out in just a few minutes. REAL BIG BOOMS ! |
| Posted by: SOP35/Rat 2006-01-11 21:58 |
| #22 Infrastructure is the key. It will be hard to destroy u/g installations. The MMs Nork friends have probably been quite happy burrowing and making some righteous caverns far from the maddening crowd. However ventilation, supplies, and electricity are the weak points. They will have to be attacked. Also, oil pump stations and other critical nodes in the infrastructure will stop the money making machine. Etc etc. Iran can make quite a bit of mischief with their hoards of cannon fodder. That will have to be taken into account. This is a major operation. You do not do it half assed like the bay of pigs. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-01-11 21:21 |
| #21 Gawd damn it! I want to see the 10K rabid ferrets and zillions of coral snakes inflitrating the underground Nuke facilities. I think they would be more effective for the FIRST STRIKE. Nobody like vermin sliter up on them or drooling at the rest room.... Its got to start funny. It just has to as it will end so brutal. Everybody needs the initial laugh. "We went the humane extra mile..." heh |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-01-11 21:16 |
| #20 AT this point in time it'll likely will take more than airstrikes, includ so-called "Rods from God" to take out the facilities and future NucProg dev, i.e. it means commandoes, ground units, and ultimately an AYSMMETRIC ground war which is in reality what the Anti-US Lefties and Agendists actually want. The Left > the WOT/9-11 is about defeating America, Democracy, Capitalism, and Westernism; empowering and entrenching knowingly failed and failing Socialism everywhere. i.e. alleged "Democratic" Universal Despotism, OWG, and ultim CONTROL OF THE WORLD - iff the oversuccessful. hyperpower+ USA does not attack or make war it will be attacked and warred against no matter what it the USA does.Iff for America's enemies SAVING THE USA = DESTROYING THE USA, thus for the Left THE USA DESTROYING IRAN-NORTH KOREA, ETC. = SAVING IRAN-NORTH KOREA, ETC. FROM THE USA. Dubya and the USDOD are NOt worried about NOrth Korea because everybody knows the NorKor's primary warfighting assets and its military in general is controlled by China - any attack from the NorKors is the same as an attack from China or Russia-China. Iran, however, is a geopol WILD CARD, wid both Russia-China and US-NATO, etal. using Iran against each other as competitive nations or regions often do in antiquity. Americans must realize that our enemies will prob time any American Hiroshima/new 9-11(s)at roughly the same time as any American mil action against Iran andor North Korea, as the Spetzlamies gain little by enabling any new 9-11 = attack on the GOP without any American invasion of Iran. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-01-11 20:04 |
| #19 I vote for Farkus' scenario. Makes sense. US can take out the Khomeni monuments first to divert attention....nothing like a monument swarm...then the Israeli's can zap the half-life sites. |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-01-11 19:02 |
| #18 Uncle Sam isn't going to do Jack. Bush doesn't have the authority and I doubt he could get it right now. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-01-11 18:12 |
| #17 Israel's not going to do anything by March. Likud just pulled out of the coalition. By the time March rolls around, they'll still be trying to figure out who gets which portfolio. I think Israel's not going to do anything, period. Why do anything if Uncle Sam is in a position to do it bigger and better? Why do anything if Uncle Sam will feel the Iranian backlash directly in Iraq and will get really angry if there's no advance warning? Makes no sense at all. If the US does it, it will occur with overwhelming force. Days, perhaps weeks, of bombing missions involving hundreds of planes, and the complete destruction of Iranian air defense systems. Israel just doesn't have that kind of capability. |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2006-01-11 18:05 |
| #16 You got that right, every Iranian with a toothpick in his mouth, will be brandishing his rifle, musket and slingshot, peering to the west, in the month of March!! |
| Posted by: smn 2006-01-11 17:01 |
| #15 Any scenario would involve the US. US patience with limited-war implementation is at the end of its tether. I foresee something crushing, that will end Iran's military capacity. Ie: total commitment, in the Dr Strangelove sense. Nukes will fly by March, and the Sadrites will be liquidated at the same time. The only thing Muslims understand is force; and they need to feel application of same in large numbers. Euros? Germany accepted the lowest level of refugees - read: jihad tourists - ever. Almost 20 jihad recruiters were arrested in Spain, yesterday. Danes, French, English, Italians, Spaniards are all fed up with their own Muslims, and Muslims in general. Euros are well aware that Iranian missiles can reach Europe. The only use of cruise missiles in the attack, will be against the disgusting, billion dollar Khomeni Monument in Teheran. Muslim life is cheap. |
| Posted by: CaziFarkus 2006-01-11 15:32 |
| #14 An Isreali attack will be a disaster they dont posses enough air power to crush the Iranian forces enough to avoid the retaliation that will concentrate on Isreal with ballistic missles and US assest all around the gulf region. The US has to lead the attack we are the only ones with the power to hit the Iranians with enough power to limit thier coutner attack to a few ballistic missles and of course the Iranian terrorist assets. I think we are not going to see another UN debacle the Iranians have already said they would strike first if they think attack is immenent and besides I think Iraq and collen powells failurein the UN will not be repeated by the US. I think we are coming up on a air campain along the lines of GW1 with a decapitation aspect and then a nation wide no-fly zone and then SOF insertion to assist the rebelion if one pops up if not we at least no the score when we go in. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2006-01-11 15:24 |
| #13 Israeli military and intelligence operatives are active in Kurdish areas of Iran, Syria and Iraq, providing training for commando units and running covert operations that could further destabilise the entire region, according to a report in the New Yorker magazine. http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1243588,00.html Or some early morning, totally sort out the Iranian nuclear issue. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-01-11 15:23 |
| #12 How will that work? Land, pay inside, gas up, go. Rest rooms around the side. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-01-11 15:10 |
| #11 depotguy - lol! |
| Posted by: 2b 2006-01-11 15:06 |
| #10 Can someone explain this part to me, "Sources say one, possibly two airfields in Kurdish northern Iraq have been earmarked as launch-points to reduce flying time over Iran." How will that work? |
| Posted by: Penguin 2006-01-11 15:05 |
| #9 Feb26-Mar2 and Mar27-Apr1 are nights with new moons. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2006-01-11 14:44 |
| #8 It would be prudent for the US and Briton to send additional squadrons on alternate low level routes to help scramble the Iranian defenses. Or, better still, we could just take out their air force and navy as a prelude to future operations. Further, these plans may have been leaked to watch Iran scramble and pinpoint centers of such activity. Expect the raid in February. But, if not then, the day after March fourteenth looks good. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-01-11 14:09 |
| #7 "...according to military and intelligence sources...Sources say...Some are believed...Western military strategists think...few doubt...An Israeli source said...We believe..." Proof Positive! |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-01-11 14:08 |
| #6 Gosh, I don't know about this. Wouldn't the muslims get angry and start calling for the death of Israel or something? |
| Posted by: BH 2006-01-11 14:08 |
| #5 It was pointed out to me by an expert that in some cases, the actual facility would only need to have its power knocked out--deprived of massive amounts of electricity, it would take 6-9 months just to get one of these sites back "online". Other indirect means would be to attack dams, very specific political and religious targets, such as the city of Qom, and other targets essential to their economy, yet difficult and time-consuming to replace. Like screwing up their entire power grid and also blowing up their domestic fuel refineries and reserves. Major highways being cluster-mined and bridges blown would also severely screw things up. Many of these are soft targets, that could be done with minimal risk, but would result in enormous popular crisis and discontent. This would also give the Israelis the ability to commit far more assets to *defensive* anti-missile measures, very important in this case. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-01-11 14:00 |
| #4 Osiraq / Tammuz I 33°12'30"N 44°31'30"E At 15:55 on 07 June 1981, the first F-15 and F-16's roared off the runway from Etzion Air Force Base in the south. Israeli air force planes flew over Jordanian, Saudi, and Iraqi airspace After a tense but uneventful low-level navigation route, the fighters reached their target. They popped up at 17:35 and quickly identified the dome gleaming in the late afternoon sunlight. Iraqi defenses were caught by surprise and opened fire too late. In one minute and twenty seconds, the reactor lay in ruins. Lets Getr done! |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-01-11 13:54 |
| #3 Nothing new or "breaking" in this article. Its common knowlegde that the F-15E will have to be used, that they would prefer to have access to airstips closer to Iran (ie Kurdistan or Turkey), and the choice of targets are obvious. Methinks the collective Rantburger minds could come up with this "plan" in about 15 minutes and with more details. |
| Posted by: Yosemite Sam 2006-01-11 13:37 |
| #2 Boy, some people need to be shot, so these leaks stop. Free societies can't seem to keep thier mouths shut. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2006-01-11 13:23 |
| #1 March 2006 ******** 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 16 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 The Safar, the "raiding month" begins on the 11th. Seems only appropriate. Any side bets. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-01-11 13:16 |