Saudi Arabia Gives Israel Clear Skies To Attack Iranian Nuclear Sites, page 1

Saudi Arabia gives Israel clear skies to attack Iranian nuclear sites

Saudi Arabia has conducted tests to stand down its air defences to enable Israeli jets to make a bombing raid on Iran’s nuclear facilities, The Times can reveal.

In the week that the UN Security Council imposed a new round of sanctions on Tehran, defence sources in the Gulf say that Riyadh has agreed to allow Israel to use a narrow corridor of its airspace in the north of the country to shorten the distance for a bombing run on Iran.

To ensure the Israeli bombers pass unmolested, Riyadh has carried out tests to make certain its own jets are not scrambled and missile defence systems not activated. Once the Israelis are through, the kingdom’s air defences will return to full alert.

“The Saudis have given their permission for the Israelis to pass over and they will look the other way,” said a US defence source in the area. “They have already done tests to make sure their own jets aren’t scrambled and no one gets shot down. This has all been done with the agreement of the [US] State Department.”

Sources in Saudi Arabia say it is common knowledge within defence circles in the kingdom that an arrangement is in place if Israel decides to launch the raid. Despite the tension between the two governments, they share a mutual loathing of the regime in Tehran and a common fear of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. “We all know this. We will let them [the Israelis] through and see nothing,” said one.

Originally posted by ventian
I would've thought Saudi Arabia would take Iran's side before Israel's.

It makes perfect sense. Saudi Arabia, the chief Arab/Shiit power, does not want the Persian/Sunni Iran to become the dominant power in the region. This way, they get to let Israel do their dirty work for them and take most of the blame. They probably would/will also go on the record and "condemn" Israel for invading their sovereign air space in order to perform such a raid (something the Israelis probably know, and will just shrug their shoulders at, should this come to pass). So, Israel would get the condemnation, Saudi Arabia gets most of the benefit - though it could spark a war between SA and Iran too, though SA might figure Iran would have their hands full dealing with Israel.

It's win-win for Saudi Arabia, mostly, though it does threaten a very large, wider conflict in the region that could still draw them in, anyway, but maybe they've decided it's worth the risk?

I just don't see Israel attacking Iran anytime soon though. I very well may be wrong but right now, I don't see it. I am in America though, so I got no pony in this race.

I hope not, but then again I don't think Netanyahu and Likud are necessarily rational actors, so I don't know. The Second Intifada has made them and their supporters kind of insane, IMO. I'm a pro-Israel Jew, but I fear and distrust the Likud hate-and-warmongers. I think they are very, very dangerous.