Israel refuses to alert US over Iran attack

This turned up in our local paper here in Aus this morning.

Any more on this?

ISRAEL has refused to reassure President Barack Obama that it would warn him of a pre-emptive strike on Iran's nuclear infrastructure, raising fears that it may be planning an attack as early as the next northern summer.

The US leader was rebuffed when he demanded private guarantees that a strike would not go ahead without White House notification, suggesting that Israel no longer plans to ''seek Washington's permission'', sources said.

The disclosure, by insiders briefed on a secret meeting between America's most senior defence chief and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes amid concerns that Iran's progress towards nuclear weapons means Israel has lost hope for a diplomatic solution.

Last week, UN weapons inspectors released their most damning report to date into Iran's nuclear activities, saying it appeared to be building a nuclear weapon.

It was with that possibility in mind that US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta flew into Israel last month on what was a routine trip. Officially, his brief was restricted to the Middle East peace process, but the most important part of his mission was a private meeting with Mr Netanyahu and Defence Minister Ehud Barak.

Once all but a handful of trusted staff had left the room, Mr Panetta conveyed an urgent message from Mr Obama

. The President, Mr Panetta said, wanted an unshakable guarantee that Israel would not carry out a unilateral military strike against Iran's nuclear installations without first seeking Washington's clearance.

The two Israelis were notably evasive in their response, according to sources both in Israel and America. ''They did not suggest that military action was being planned or was imminent, but neither did they give any assurances that Israel would first seek Washington's permission, or even inform the White House in advance that a mission was under way,'' one said.

Alarmed by Mr Netanyahu's noncommittal response, Mr Obama reportedly ordered the US intelligence services to step up monitoring of Israel to glean clues of its intentions.

What those intentions might be remains murky.

Over the past fortnight, Israel's press has given every impression that the country is on a war footing, with numerous claims that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Barak are lobbying the cabinet to support the military option.

Two weeks ago, Israel tested a ballistic missile capable of reaching Iran, its first such test since 2008. Shortly before, the Israeli air force took part in NATO exercises in Sardinia. A separate exercise around Tel Aviv tested civilian readiness in the event of a missile strike. In a sign of the febrility of the public mood, many beach-goers apparently mistook the air raid sirens for an attack and fled in panic for their cars. Likewise, there were similar jitters in Iran on Saturday when a vast explosion at an arms dump outside Tehran shook the city. Speculation about an imminent Israeli military action has been a regular occurrence over the years, but rarely as fevered as now.

Last week, a British official even suggested that an attack could come before Christmas.

But most Israelis believe the difficulty of mounting an operation when winter cloud cover hampers aircraft targeting systems means that if military action is being considered, it will not come before the spring or summer of next year.

www.smh.com.au...

Happy Xmas everyone.

Mungo

reply to post by mungodave


Ain't that a real pisser! Well, I'll tell you one thing, Rick Perry finally got something right last night at the Republican debate when he said "we need to cut off all foreign aid to everyone and start at $0.00", then consider why we're giving them money to begin with...that included Isreal too.

On the other hand Isreal wants Palestine to get permission from Isreal to join the UN...what hypocrisy!

I guess Natanyahu is a lil' ticked off by Obama and Sarkozy's exchange of words about him last week....I think they hurt his feelings


Thanks for the info OP

reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1


To get to the stage whereby the US has to intensify it's spying on Isreal alarms me the most probably.

That and Israels ballistic missile test.

I hope an attack is later rather than earlier... gives the place a little time for the back-channaling to have an effect.

Yeah, we keep aiding them, and they turn their back on us

I'm thinking Israel just can't be sure today that Obama wouldn't hang up with Tel Aviv and call Tehran without so much as putting down the handset in between. I wouldn't necessarily put warning Iran past Obama, and so, cannot blame Israel one bit. Allies tell each other these things....but then Allies don't treat each other the way Obama has treated Israel from almost his first day in Office.

We can't treat England, Israel and Japan among others like dog crap and then get offended when they don't run everything past us for a 'Mother, May I?'. Being a complete jerk on the international stage has consequences. Obama can now reap what he has sown. It's a shame so many others will likely be hurt by it.

Oh what I wouldn't give for a REAL LEADER of either party...I don't really care anymore...but just a man capable of leading instead of following way behind from the Oval Office.

Originally posted by mungodave
reply to post by ThePublicEnemyNo1

 

To get to the stage whereby the US has to intensify it's spying on Isreal alarms me the most probably.

That and Israels ballistic missile test.

I hope an attack is later rather than earlier... gives the place a little time for the back-channaling to have an effect.

Yeah, the ballistic missile test carried out by Isreal is disturbing to say the least. In my personal opinion, I'd rather not see anyone get attacked, but it looks like someone is itchin' for a stichin'

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
Oh what I wouldn't give for a REAL LEADER of either party...I don't really care anymore...but just a man capable of leading instead of following way behind from the Oval Office.

You took the words right outta' my mouth

reply to post by mungodave


Does the USA advise Israel everytime they are about to bomb a nation?

So why should Israel? Israel is not answerable to the USA and nor should the USA act as the world police; they do enough damage all of their own!

Originally posted by bluemirage5
reply to post by mungodave

 

Does the USA advise Israel everytime they are about to bomb a nation?

So why should Israel? Israel is not answerable to the USA and nor should the USA act as the world police; they do enough damage all of their own!

I have no doubt that in that area they do.

JMO

reply to post by GLaDOS


I'm a Potato

Apart from that, of course they wouldn't. we seem to screw everything up as is.

Originally posted by bluemirage5
reply to post by mungodave

 

Does the USA advise Israel everytime they are about to bomb a nation?

So why should Israel? Israel is not answerable to the USA

Perhaps because the US has given them $100 Billion (at least) in aid over the past 50 years...?

reply to post by FOXMULDER147


Let me repeat what i said on another thread without going in to the particulars.....

Are you aware of how that "aid" works? It don't come free and the USA does not hand out aid without a return on their money plus profit! Got it? Or shall I explain how it works?

What right does the US have to demand countires consult before they act. I don't like acts of war and aggression but this is egocentric of the US...

reply to post by bluemirage5


And just how dont you know that part of that payment for the aid is to keep the US informed of their intentions?

The Us should now cut off all aid and let them go it alone, no doubt their PM will be on the phone begging to Obama every day for one thing or another.

apparently they made up their minds. here we go www.youtu.be...
www.youtu.be...
www.youtu.be...
www.youtu.be...
www.youtu.be...
and our favorite alex jones www.youtu.be...

Ideal situation.....

Israel and Iran take each other out. Without the USA or anyone else getting involved.

It would "innocently" remove those shackles that Israel obviously has around Amerika's testicles. And can only mean a brighter future for all others involved (except of course the innocent civilians).

Thats the cost of sacrifice for the longer term good.

reply to post by mungodave



And just why would Israel give us a heads up on an attack on iran? obamas already made it perfectly clear how he feels about Israel. I wouldn't either. He's already effectivly isolated Israel by sticking his nose into egypt and lebanon, I'd even be willing to bet that obama would warn his buddys iran if Israel did alert him.

hurry up already blow each other off the planet infact nuke washington london rome and israel and we would have a good chance to find world peace-

this looks more like creating an enviroment of plausible deniability.

The US know its going to happen and are willing to let it happen. but do not want the public to know when it will happen.

So no matter what happens now, the US can leap to the defence on an ally, even if the ally started it but made themselves look like the victim.
Thats what allies do.

it coulb be possible that the mic mix up the other day was diliberate to fool the world, it was on every mainstreem news channel. Everything is theatre for the mind, to lead you to belive, to shape societys opinions thats why America still looks the good guy to most folks. NOW THEY CAN START THE WAR and pass blame Obama and natanahu are in kahoots, now the american people wont blame obama for starting the war. i belive a date and time has already been set this is there way of breaking it to us. it wasnt me it was him.......please