Do ya feel lucky, punk?
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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israel official: Strike on Iran possible |
| 2006-11-10 |
| JERUSALEM - The deputy defense minister suggested Friday that Israel might be forced to launch a military strike against Iran's disputed nuclear program — the clearest statement yet of such a possibility from a high-ranking official. "I am not advocating an Israeli pre-emptive military action against Iran and I am aware of its possible repercussions," Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh, a former general, said in comments published Friday in The Jerusalem Post. "I consider it a last resort. But even the last resort is sometimes the only resort." Sneh's comments did not necessarily reflect the view of Israel's government or of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said government spokeswoman Miri Eisin. Olmert, who was arriving in Washington on Sunday, said he was confident in the U.S. handling of the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program. The Bush administration and other nations say is a cover for developing atomic weapons, but Tehran says the program is peaceful. "I have enormous respect for President Bush. He is absolutely committed," Olmert said in an interview on NBC's "Today" show. "I know that America will not allow Iran to possess nuclear weapons because this is a danger to the whole Western world." The United States and its European allies have proposed a raft of sanctions to try to curb the country's nuclear development. Israel sees Iran as the greatest threat to its survival. Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for Israel's destruction, and Israelis do not believe his claims that Iran's nuclear program is meant to develop energy, not arms. Israel crippled Iraq's atomic program 25 years ago with an airstrike on its unfinished nuclear reactor. Experts say Iran has learned from Iraq's mistakes, scattering its nuclear facilities and building some underground. Sneh's tough talk is the boldest to date by a high-ranking Israeli official. Olmert and other Israeli leaders frequently discuss the Iranian threat in grave terms, but stop short of threatening military action. Years of diplomacy have failed to persuade Iran to modify its nuclear program so it can't develop weapons. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #8 Sneaze I agree Iran is not Iraq or Afghanistan. Iran has a large missile force, limited air force/navy, and a conventional force that if allowed to get first strike could do some substantial damage to our forces in region and of course our allies populations. Iran has said many times they will not sit by as we prepare to strike they will hit first. Some odd ball history the Iraq war started in Febuary 03' and Irans Buesher Nuclear reactor is set to get fuel and start warming up in March 07'. At that point to destroy it would mean Chernobyl. The Isreali's hit Saddams reactor right before it went online and the option of blowing it up was taken off the table. |
| Posted by: C-Low 2006-11-10 23:35 |
| #7 The President needs to rely on the fait accompli. In the cases of Granada and Panama, intervention was NOT disclosed until the attack was well under way. In the SE Asia intervention, President Nixon telegraphed most US actions, by making solemn declarations about enemy depravity. Bush1 and 2 have followed in kind, giving opponents ample opportunity to sandbag public support. A fait accompli means: do it first, talk about it later. Posted by Sneaze Shaiting3550 2006-11-10 19:17 Freaking Excellent Point, as Napoleon Dynamite might say! |
| Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-11-10 21:49 |
| #6 Boxer Carrier Group is a rapid attack force. Ergo: there will be war. I can't see use of conventional weapons - smart missiles - against Iran's missiles. They have too many and possess the capacity of doing serious damage to Bahrain, and nearby US forces. The pretext for escalation? Ahmadinejad has made repeated genocide threats against Americans and Israelis. GWB will not permit development of an ICBM threat to the US Homeland. The President needs to rely on the fait accompli. In the cases of Granada and Panama, intervention was NOT disclosed until the attack was well under way. In the SE Asia intervention, President Nixon telegraphed most US actions, by making solemn declarations about enemy depravity. Bush1 and 2 have followed in kind, giving opponents ample opportunity to sandbag public support. A fait accompli means: do it first, talk about it later. |
| Posted by: Sneaze Shaiting3550 2006-11-10 19:17 |
| #5 The number of international obstacles that would be removed if we could just get the bastards to attack us, ineffectively, first, makes it a prime consideration. So the big question is what can we do, or how can we stimulate them to throw a missile right at our anti-missile defenses? Ideally, if we could get them to throw a missile at Europe, maybe Berlin. In that case it would be best if it "broke up in flight". Of course, if they threw a salvo of Shahab-5s, well, sorry, Berlin. That's what you get for being so pussy. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-11-10 16:19 |
| #4 Do ya feel lucky, punk? |
| Posted by: BigEd 2006-11-10 15:52 |
| #3 USS Boxer Strike Group, entered the Persian Gulf Thursday, Nov. 9, the largest US landing force to reach this water in a decade. The Boxer Expeditionary Strike Group (BOXESG) now in the US Fifth Fleet area headquartered in Bahrain, consists of Boxer (picture), Amphibious Squadron 5, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Seals), the Coast Guard cutter Midgett and Canadian frigate HMCS Ottawa, as well as the USS Dubuque, USS Comstock, the largest landing craft in the US Navy, USS Bunker Hill and the guided missile destroyers USS Benfold and USS Howard. The Boxer Group has just come from joint maneuvers with the Indian navy in the Arabian Sea opposite the coast of Goa, including large-scale landing practices. The group’s commander, Capt. David Angood said that if “anything important happens in the real-world environment, the task force will deal with it in the most efficient manner.” www.debka.com |
| Posted by: doc 2006-11-10 15:49 |
| #2 Why are they talking about it. Say nothing. Plan it. Execute it. Cut out the political BS. Talk is cheap. We do not believe much of what we hear anymore. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-11-10 15:33 |
| #1 George isn't going to make the first strike, but he would provide backup. Israel is just going to have to wait until they have a PM with the testosterone. Given the current U.S. Navy deployment in the region, now may be the best time to strike with U.S. backup. |
| Posted by: Darrell 2006-11-10 15:20 |