U.S. Says Israeli Exercise Seemed Directed at Iran (ie wag the mutherfuckin' dog)

[Mister E]

WASHINGTON ? Israel carried out a major military exercise earlier this month that American officials say appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential bombing attack on Iran?s nuclear facilities.

Several American officials said the Israeli exercise appeared to be an effort to develop the military?s capacity to carry out long-range strikes and to demonstrate the seriousness with which Israel views Iran?s nuclear program.

More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighters participated in the maneuvers, which were carried out over the eastern Mediterranean and over Greece during the first week of June, American officials said.

The exercise also included Israeli helicopters that could be used to rescue downed pilots. The helicopters and refueling tankers flew more than 900 miles, which is about the samedistance between Israel and Iran?s uranium enrichment plant at Natanz, American officials said.

Israeli officials declined to discuss the details of the exercise. A spokesman for the Israeli military would say only that the country?s air force ?regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel.?

But the scope of the Israeli exercise virtually guaranteed that it would be noticed by American and other foreign intelligence agencies. A senior Pentagon official who has been briefed on the exercise, and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the political delicacy of the matter, said the exercise appeared to serve multiple purposes.

One Israeli goal, the Pentagon official said, was to practice flight tactics, aerial refueling and all other details of a possible strike against Iran?s nuclear installations and its long-range conventional missiles.

A second, the official said, was to send a clear message to the United States and other countries that Israel was prepared to act militarily if diplomatic efforts to stop Iran from producing bomb-grade uranium continued to falter.

?They wanted us to know, they wanted the Europeans to know, and they wanted the Iranians to know,? the Pentagon official said. ?There?s a lot of signaling going on at different levels.?

Several American officials said they did not believe that the Israeli government had concluded that it must attack Iran and did not think that such a strike was imminent.

Shaul Mofaz, a former Israeli defense minister who is now a deputy prime minister, warned in a recent interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot that Israel might have no choice but to attack. ?If Iran continues with its program for developing nuclear weapons, we will attack,? Mr. Mofaz said in the interview published on June 6, the day after the unpublicized exercise ended. ?Attacking Iran, in order to stop its nuclear plans, will be unavoidable.?

But Mr. Mofaz was criticized by other Israeli politicians as seeking to enhance his own standing as questions mount about whether the embattled Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, can hang on to power.

Israeli officials have told their American counterparts that Mr. Mofaz?s statement does not represent official policy. But American officials were also told that Israel had prepared plans for striking nuclear targets in Iran and could carry them out if needed.

Iran has shown signs that it is taking the Israeli warnings seriously, by beefing up its air defenses in recent weeks, including increasing air patrols. In one instance, Iran scrambled F-4 jets to double-check an Iraqi civilian flight from Baghdad to Tehran.

?They are clearly nervous about this and have their air defense on guard,? a Bush administration official said of the Iranians.

Any Israeli attack against Iran?s nuclear facilities would confront a number of challenges. Many American experts say they believe that such an attack could delay but not eliminate Iran?s nuclear program. Much of the program?s infrastructure is buried under earth and concrete and installed in long tunnels or hallways, making precise targeting difficult. There is also concern that not all of the facilities have been detected. To inflict maximum damage, multiple attacks might be necessary, which many analysts say is beyond Israel?s ability at this time.

But waiting also entails risks for the Israelis. Israeli officials have repeatedly expressed fears that Iran will soon master the technology it needs to produce substantial quantities of highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons.

Ethan Bronner contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/20/washington/20iran.html?em&ex=1214107200&en=db4df3a1b3d6b6ed&e i=5087%0A

[pornguy]

Thats fucking scary.

[pussyserver - BANNED FOR LIFE]

Read between the lines?.


Whats really happening is that Israel is preparing to provoke war with Iran while bush is still in office just in case Obama gets in and will not throw American soldiers in the line of fire every time someone makes a comment about Israel

I think they know that more likely than not ? that Obama will be the next president and with an Obama presidency America and Americans come first?.. before any other country

If they can provoke the war while George W is still on office then they can count on American soldiers and funding etc to push their objectives

I hav nothing against Israel ?. But I am tired of us footing the bill for them with American lives and money



this is why liberman has had his own little meltdown... because as a plant working for a foreign country an obama president will pretty much mean America first...everyone else second

[teomaxxx]

Originally Posted by pussyserver

Read between the lines?.
I hav nothing against Israel ?. But I am tired of us footing the bill for them with American lives and money

If there will be war Israel X Iran or air raides on Iranian facilities, better prepare for 200-300$ oil for some time. That would be biggest, involuntary, bill every paid in support of Israel by US and every other country in the world.

[GetSCORECash]

Bush won't let Israel go to war with Iran, while US troops are in Iraq.

He, and the people around him are not going to let this happen. (If they do they are idiots...)

[CaveCreek_Russell]

Originally Posted by SCORE-Cash

Bush won't let Israel go to war with Iran, while US troops are in Iraq.

He, and the people around him are not going to let this happen. (If they do they are idiots...)

This scares me as well. The chain reaction that could be involved in a war between Iran and Israel. Other Arab nations could decide to declare war on Israel in retaliation, and Iran might decide on attacking US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of going directly for Israel.

[mikeyddddd]

Originally Posted by SCORE-Cash

Bush... and the people around him ... they are idiots...)

Well, you're right about that.

[The Judge]

haha......lol

[Rochard]

Originally Posted by CaveCreek_Russell

This scares me as well. The chain reaction that could be involved in a war between Iran and Israel. Other Arab nations could decide to declare war on Israel in retaliation, and Iran might decide on attacking US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of going directly for Israel.

You need to read up on the six day war and then look at a map.

[SmokeyTheBear]

didnt isreal get nukes the exact same way as iran is doing ? seems to me it would be silly to attack your neighbour because he is doing something you also did.

[tony286]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080620/...eu/russia_iran
Russia's Lavrov warns against attack on Iran

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV, Associated Press Writer Fri Jun 20, 8:33 AM ET

MOSCOW - Russia's foreign minister on Friday warned against the use of force on Iran, saying there is no proof it is trying to build nuclear weapons.


Sergey Lavrov said Iran should be engaged in dialogue and encouraged to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency.

Lavrov made the statement when asked to comment on an Israeli Cabinet member's statement earlier this month that Israel could attack Iran if it does not halt its nuclear program.

"I hope the actual actions would be based on international law," Lavrov said. "And international law clearly protects Iran's and anyone else's territorial integrity."

Israel's military refused to confirm or deny a report Friday that its warplanes staged a major rehearsal this month for a possible attack on Iran.

The New York Times report quoted U.S. officials as saying more than 100 Israeli F-16s and F-15s staged the maneuver over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece in the first week of June. It said the aircraft flew more than 900 miles (1,450 kilometers), roughly the distance from Israel to Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, and that the exercise included refueling tankers and helicopters capable of rescuing downed pilots

[spacedog]

The tinfoil hat people say before November we will be at war with Iran.. Bush will declare martial law and cancel the elections saying it's a national emergency..

Prepare for the new world order!!!

[SmokeyTheBear]

Originally Posted by spacedog

The tinfoil hat people say before November we will be at war with Iran.. Bush will declare martial law and cancel the elections saying it's a national emergency..

Prepare for the new world order!!!

didn't your momma teach you not to talk to the people wearing tinfoil hats ?

we simply don't have enough people to do anything to iran except piss them off. Plus there arent really any other regime's to change to in iran.

[crockett]

Originally Posted by CaveCreek_Russell

This scares me as well. The chain reaction that could be involved in a war between Iran and Israel. Other Arab nations could decide to declare war on Israel in retaliation, and Iran might decide on attacking US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of going directly for Israel.

The other nations didn't do shit when Israel bombed Iraq's reactors back in the 80's and they didn't do shit when Israel bombed the targets in Syria just a few months ago. Most of the middle east is "all" talk with very little ability to back it up.

I'm not a fan of Israel, but they are about the only country over there that will back up their talk with action.

[spacedog]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

didn't your momma teach you not to talk to the people wearing tinfoil hats ?

we simply don't have enough people to do anything to iran except piss them off. Plus there arent really any other regime's to change to in iran.

Israel has been an aggressive antogonist for decades and it's unlikely they're going to stop starting shit.. It's not a question of if, but when.. Israel will start the war.

Washington recently sold Israel a fleet of F-22 Stealth bombers. This coming after airstike plans were drawn up back in February.

It would 100% be Israel initiating the attacks but Iranian retaliation would be directed at both Israel and the US thereby provoking us into action.

[Odin]

Originally Posted by CaveCreek_Russell

This scares me as well. The chain reaction that could be involved in a war between Iran and Israel. Other Arab nations could decide to declare war on Israel in retaliation, and Iran might decide on attacking US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan instead of going directly for Israel.

Bit of a misunderstanding, outside of fellow Shia Iran doesn't have much influence. The Taliban / Al Qaeda (and basically every Arab nation) have just as much hatred for Shia as they do for Israel (well ok maybe not that much, but close). What will happen is we will foot a massive bill in the form of oil (as someone already mentioned) it would likely head towards the $300 barrier, I have no doubt Iran will take extreme actions in that respect.

Militarily wise Iran has been positioning itself for years now with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Al Sadr in Iraq (the two places outside of Iran where large populations of Shia exist). They know militarily they can't match Israel and the US, but these two militant guerrilla groups can sure cause a lot of fucking trouble. The immediate reaction will be that Al Sadr, etc in Iraq will spill a lot of American blood, for the most part the Shia in Iraq have held back waiting for the US to leave knowing that they will control the parliament when they do and essentially pursue their Islamic revolution that way. Should the US support Israel (and of course AIPAC will make sure of that) in this endeavor against Iran I've no doubt they will send Iraq into a greater chaos than has ever existed there, even greater than the previous peaks in violence - and of course the Sunni Al Qaeda type will jump in with car bombings etc to further destabilize the whole situation.

In Lebanon it is a bit different. Although Hezbollah undoubtedly controls the state, it also tries to position itself favorably with all other parties and sects in the country. Lebanon has been torn apart for decades fighting other peoples wars and there is little tolerance for it now. So I can't see Hezbollah initiating a war with Israel on Iran's behalf directly, though I would not be suprirsed if one of the smaller Shia militia's does something crazy (no doubt with Nasrallah's support) that brings Israel against Lebanon and than allows Hezbollah to unload the real high tech weapons Iran has been supplying it with - and no they are not katyusha's.

Now some words of wisdom:

"I should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish state. Apart from practical consideration, my awareness of the essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish state with borders, an army, and a measure of temporal power no matter how modest. I am afraid of the inner damage Judaism will sustain -- especially from the development of a narrow nationalism within our own ranks, against which we have already had to fight strongly, even without a Jewish state." [1] Albert Einstein (1938).

[pussyserver - BANNED FOR LIFE]

Originally Posted by Chief

"I should much rather see reasonable agreement with the Arabs on the basis of living together in peace than the creation of a Jewish state. Apart from practical consideration, my awareness of the essential nature of Judaism resists the idea of a Jewish state with borders, an army, and a measure of temporal power no matter how modest. I am afraid of the inner damage Judaism will sustain -- especially from the development of a narrow nationalism within our own ranks, against which we have already had to fight strongly, even without a Jewish state." [1] Albert Einstein (1938).

Do you have the article where Einstein said this

thats incredible

[Odin]

Originally Posted by pussyserver

Do you have the article where Einstein said this

thats incredible

It was in a speech in made. But it was also included here:

Albert Einstein, in Ideas and Opinions, Crown Publishers, New York, 1954, p. 190.

It actually isn't incredible. It was the mainstream belief at the time, even after the Holocaust, among the majority of Jewish peoples that there should NOT be a Jewish homeland. The primary reason for opposition was religious, according to their own beliefs Jewish people are meant to live in exile from Palestine, with no homeland. Zionism was/is not something that describes all Jews. Many religious, intelligent (i.e. Einstein) opposed Zionism very strongly for many years, and also opposed the establishment of a Zionist state. This was the mainstream Jewish belief at the time.

[teomaxxx]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

didnt isreal get nukes the exact same way as iran is doing ? seems to me it would be silly to attack your neighbour because he is doing something you also did.

On the other side, if your neighbour is telling "we are going to annihilate you". what would you do?
For Isreal it really makes sense to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities (if they exists)

[Vick!]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheBear

didnt isreal get nukes the exact same way as iran is doing ? seems to me it would be silly to attack your neighbour because he is doing something you also did.

Exactly.

If Iran had nukes as deterrent, Israel would not be jumping around and threatening.

This is universal truth that there is no space for weak in the world.

Originally Posted by teomaxxx

On the other side, if your neighbour is telling "we are going to annihilate you". what would you do?
For Isreal it really makes sense to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities (if they exists)

US have said the same many times to Iran, should Iran bomb US nuclear facilities?

[DaddyHalbucks]

If Iran is going to defy the world, it will richly deserve what it gets.

If there is a military confrontation, Iran is going to get its ass kicked.