Defense official: Israel readying for attack on Iran

Defense official: Israel readying for attack on Iran

www.haaretz.com

Israel's recent deployment of warships across the Red Sea should be seen as serious preparation for an attack on Iran, an Israeli defense official told the Times of London on Thursday.

"This is preparation that should be taken seriously. Israel is investing time in preparing itself for the complexity of an attack on Iran. These maneuvers are a message to Iran that Israel will follow up on its threats," the official was quoted as saying.

Earlier this week, two Israel Navy gunboats openly...

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realier this week, i didnt think much more of this then an indicator of diplomatic ties between Egypt and Israel. Now, it would seem that this is being heralded as a crucial indicator of an imminent attack on Iran.

The two official reasons cited are "to stop arms smuggeling from iran into the gaza strip" and "to bolster their detturance against iran in the case of a conflict".

If Iran does possess nuclear capabilities, then i see the move against arms shipment to Gaza being an intelligent move. No better place to launch a WMD then from your neighbors backyard. However, im not so convinced that Iran does have nuclear weapons... or at least nothing that israel couldnt handel given their US defence budget.

To me, this is just an excuse to release old tensions. Or and excuse to turn the middle east into one big cluster-F#@%

www.haaretz.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

This is an Israeli defense official, saying that moving their ships is preparation for an attack?

I don't see any deterrent value in that at all? I see it as an escalation, and now Iran will have to make similar strategic moves! Plus, they alienate Egypt, who allowed them to pass through the Suez. If Egypt determines this is an act of aggression, they may not allow any more passage, and now you have two stranded ships?

Something is fishy!

Know what would be breaking news ?

Israel not readying an attack on something.

looks like theres an active thread on a similar article. Mods wanna lock this?

people can you please stop it with these mumbo jumobo? please? in a month you'll probably see 10 of these *almost* at war scenario and it will never happen. tomorrow, something about Nkorea. day after, isreal again. day after that, back to iran.

This is just a lot of posturing on the part of Israel. It's been going on well over a year now. Israel will be hard pressed to attack Iran without somekind of meaningful alliance and tacit approval from the Russians first.

Israel won't strike Iranian nuclear facilities with Russian scientists and workers stationed at them.

Israel could though in fact be putting pressure on the Iranians with all these agressive overtures and statements to create a dialouge with Russia to form a greater strategic allience with them now that there are also some public concerns that the Obama Administration might be less supportive towards Israel.

Nothing brings America running like courting the Russians instead of us!

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
This is just a lot of posturing on the part of Israel. It's been going on well over a year now. Israel will be hard pressed to attack Iran without somekind of meaningful alliance and tacit approval from the Russians first.

Israel won't strike Iranian nuclear facilities with Russian scientists and workers stationed at them.

Israel could though in fact be putting pressure on the Iranians with all these agressive overtures and statements to create a dialouge with Russia to form a greater strategic allience with them now that there are also some public concerns that the Obama Administration might be less supportive towards Israel.

Nothing brings America running like courting the Russians instead of us!

How much of that is influenced by Lieberman do you think? Or is this a general shift in policy for Israel?

Originally posted by getreadyalready
This is an Israeli defense official, saying that moving their ships is preparation for an attack?

I don't see any deterrent value in that at all? I see it as an escalation, and now Iran will have to make similar strategic moves! Plus, they alienate Egypt, who allowed them to pass through the Suez. If Egypt determines this is an act of aggression, they may not allow any more passage, and now you have two stranded ships?

Something is fishy!

Indeed, this is an escalation, not a deterrent, but then again Israel has always had a completely skewed view of what a deterrent is...

The ruling elite of a certain nation are always trying to foment conflict with or negatively paint a certain other nation.

Let's look at some classic propaganda from the elitist nation...

Mar 25, 2009

Iran able to build nuclear bomb in year: Israel
www.google.com...

May 1, 2008

Isreal: Iran Could Have Nuclear Bomb Technology Within Months
www.foxnews.com...

May 22, 2006

Iran could obtain N-bomb in 'months': Israeli PM
www.iranmania.com...

Sep 21, 2005

Iran to have nuclear bomb in six months, says Israel
www.independent.co.uk...

Feb 17, 2005

Iran can build nuclear bombs in six months: Israel
www.smh.com.au...

Sep 13, 2004

Iran can build the bomb in six months: Israel
www.iranmania.com...

Aug 6, 2003

Iran can produce nuclear bomb by 2005 - IDF
goliath.ecnext.com...

Feb 7, 2002

Iran could have nuclear weapon in three years, Israeli official says.
www.accessmylibrary.com...

and so on and so forth

What really sickens me is that they claim to be victims and yet look what they have done to the Palestinians for 60+ years.

If they do go ahead and attack Iran, the world will see that they truly are no better than those who victimized them during WW2.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka

Indeed, this is an escalation, not a deterrent, but then again Israel has always had a completely skewed view of what a deterrent is...

Or perhaps you just have a completely skewed view of Israel.....

The transit of 2 gunboats and a submarine through the Suez canal and some random maneuvering of warships is hardly evidence of an impending attack, and the Sa'ar 5 gunboats are hardly the most promising vehicle to use in an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, totally unsuitable would be a more accurate description.

Any attack, if it comes, will come from the air.

When Israel goes quiet, that's when they attack. No prelude, no warning, just action - that has been their MO for decades, I see no reason to think they will change in that regard.

If they are trying a little gunboat diplomacy, I don't see it working on the Iranians, unless of course they are just trying to add more pressure to the embattled regime in Tehran.

but there's always a reason..maybe they are testing the World's reation..because i dont think a defence official will give away the surprise element just like this

Originally posted by Oeden

Originally posted by ProtoplasmicTraveler
This is just a lot of posturing on the part of Israel. It's been going on well over a year now. Israel will be hard pressed to attack Iran without somekind of meaningful alliance and tacit approval from the Russians first.

Israel won't strike Iranian nuclear facilities with Russian scientists and workers stationed at them.

Israel could though in fact be putting pressure on the Iranians with all these agressive overtures and statements to create a dialouge with Russia to form a greater strategic allience with them now that there are also some public concerns that the Obama Administration might be less supportive towards Israel.

Nothing brings America running like courting the Russians instead of us!

How much of that is influenced by Lieberman do you think? Or is this a general shift in policy for Israel?

I honestly can't say what extent Joe Lieberman influences Israeli or U.S. Foreign Policy if he does at all. He is a pretty pragmatic guy who crosses party lines often in part because of his pragmatic notion that being tied to any one group might hold you back from your goals and agenda more than it might help.

I think Israel is very much the same way that it is bent on it's survival and being in a dominant position whenever and however possible.

Russia is rich in oil reserves and controls many former parts of the Soviet Union that are rich in oil reserves but land locked and dependent on Russian transportation hubs and networks to bring their crude to market.

The U.S. despite putting none of it's oil reserves into substantial play has been able to dominate the World Oil Market through it's dominance of the Middle East and it's strategic alliance with Israel out of 'concern' for Israel's 'security' has enabled the U.S. to dominate the Middle East and influence OPEC and drive the Market for oil in a way that keeps the Russians from really ever being able to capitalize to the fullest on their own sizeable oil reserves.

An alliance between Russia and Israel would certainly give Russia a much bigger bargaining chip in the Middle East and the Russians, the Israelis and America all have to be aware of that.

Much of what keeps the dollar the Reserve Currency is because of the status quo maintained with OPEN and the Middle East oil producing nations that it is almost impossible for Russia to make inroads with because of our hedgemoney over the area, which is in part why it has to court the 'fringe' regimes like Iran just to have a seat at the table at all.

If Russia wants to be the country whose currency is the next Reserve Currency it has to have some real dominance in the Middle East and the best way to achieve that is by partering with the nation that has the most dominating presence and effect in the Middle East next to the United States and that is Israel.

If Israel can't get everything it wants from the U.S. I would look for it to try to either get it from the U.S. by growing friendlier with the Russians and courting them, or to get it from the Russians alltogether if they can step up to the plate and provide the funds and military technology Israel requires to stay the dominant regional power in the Middle East.