POLITICS: Israel May Not Be Able to Destroy Nukes

An analysis by both Israeli and foreign military experts is casting doubt on the countries ability to take out Iranian nuclear facilities. Their 1981 raid on the Osirak Reactor complex in Iraq, was a single target. By contrast, the Iranian nuclear facilities are located all across the country. Tensions between Iran and Israel have reached the boiling point over Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has indicated that Israel will take measures to defend itself. These and other comments have fueled speculation that Israel is considering an Osirak like attack.

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Recent arms purchases by the government have also raised eyebrows. The February deal of 102 F-16I’s, the first of which are being delivered with built in long range fuel tanks, and the more recent purchase of smart bombs. About 500 of the smart bombs are the bunker buster type able to penetrate 6 feet of reinforced concrete. Exactly the type of structure that contains most reactors. Iran has also stoked the fire by testing a improved range ballistic missile last week. In addition its Vice President Reza Aghazadeh, has stated that Iran has started converting uranium into the gas form needed for enrichment. This is one of the steps towards making a nuclear bomb.

The problem facing Israel in attacking Iran is multi faceted. From the military standpoint several experts have pointed tot he lack of intelligence makes targeting difficult. The facilities are spread out, have defense in depth and may be mirrored elsewhere in the country. The political element is also daunting. A unprovoked unilateral attack would spark outrage among the Arab nation and could result in collective attacks against Israel and the United States. Diplomatic action may be the best choice. Sanctions may have little or no effect given the high price of oil and the current tight market. The Israelis are calling for the UN Security Council to take action on Iran. The Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said at the UN last week "The time has come to move the Iranian case to the Security Council in order to put an end to this nightmare," .


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Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
US Debates Military Strikes on 'Nuclear Iran'
UK gives Iran ultimatum to freeze nukes program
NEWS: Iran Develops New Missile To Counter Israel

[edit on 28-9-2004 by FredT]

[edit on 28-9-2004 by FredT]

israel makes me laugh. Iran the nightmare? Please the world knows Israel is the nightmare, they want to take iran to UN ? i bet a resolution will be passed and Iran has to follow it. Does the real nightmare Israel follow UN demands ? Yet they got nerve to take other countries their?

If Israel attacks iran it will also attack other countries in region to disable or weaken a response attack on them. Whole of middle east will combine and attack Israel and normal Israeli people will wonder where they went wrong...

Its simple Israel want Iran to come clean, you lead the way and rest will follow.

[edit on 27-9-2004 by udsad1]

How do you know how strong or weak Israeli intelligence is? If they are doing a good job with their intelligence, there should be no way to know what they know.

Why do they need to take so many facilities at once? Unless Iran has lots of nukes, ready to be launched, I don't think that is very neccessary. What is Iran going to do after they take out the first one? If Iran is going to retaliate, they will do so regardless of how much Israel takes out. Israel doesn't have any kind of first strike capability against Iran, without resorting to nukes, so I don't see the point.

The whole Middle east already attacked Israel years ago and LOST. Israel, the "real nightmare"? Israel may have made some bad choices, but how can you say that ANY democracy is worse than a religious based dictatorship like Iran?

If Israel had been left alone from the beginning, then none of these problems would exist. Keep in mind that most of that entire region was CONQUERED by the Muslim Arabs not all that long ago (historically speaking). If I were Israeli, I wouldn't want any of my neighbors having nukes either lol.

veritas93 im guessing your talking about six day war. Big difference now the middle east countries have army's, missiles more united not like before.

How about this solution no country in middle east should have nukes, who cares what type of goverment runs a country, what gives another country the right to change a goverment to one it please's with ?

Your saying that israel should be left alone? maybe if it stopped getting into other countries affairs then maybe they would have no problem. Im not country firing missiles at innocent people

udsad,

The Middle East will leave Israel alone, and they know it. To attack Israel would be suicidal!


No Middle Eastern country except for Israel. If Israel didn't have a deterence, every country in the Middle East would be attacking Israel. Which would still be suicidal.


It sounds like you're over there. Why don't you stage a protest against your countries nuclear weapons and we'll see from there?

[edit on 28/9/04 by Intelearthling]

Wait a minute. Has Iran threatened to nuke Israel? No. Has Iran threatened to nuke any country? How about invading? Or maybe let's say attacking any? Nah, didn't think so. The only nations doing the threatening are Israel and the US. Why Israel? It;s the playground bully of the Mid-East jus now. The US is just follownig orders from Israel.

As to inteligence. Please, if the US can't even get it right on Iraq, then why the hell shouldwe believe them when they say Iran is making weapins grade plutonium? In fact, why shoulden't Iran be allowed to develop WMD? Is it fair that tthey get to be threatened by Israel, yet aren't allowed to defend themelves? Soundsa a litle hypocritical when Israel has nukes of their own.

This is all just to pacify nations that the US and Israel deem to be threats to their FOREIGN national interests. Who cares how Iran is run, it;'s up to them how they wish to rule her country. I see no genocide, no mass murdering of people, nothing but maybe an intolerance to free press and so on.

But let wait and see what crap he US puts out to justfy bombing the country.

I thought that the idea was to try to limit tyranny in the 21st century. As long as these countries are being led by so-called "religious leaders" then their people will not be truly free. It's easy to brain-wash a population when you countrol things like... freedom of speech and access to information. Look at history... every nation that's been run by religious institutions or cults has been responsible for the greatest attrocities in history. As long as one ethnic, religious, or political group has absolute power, then everyone else WILL be oppressed.

As far as the Middle Eastern nations being able to take Israel out... lol. You think the U.S. would let that happen? I'm sure Israel is sitting on one of our anti-ballistic missle platforms as well as a few MTHEL systems lol. History would simply repeat itself (and yes I was referring to the six day war).

Western society does not want the region of the Middle East to be stablized until after democracy is in place. As for the idea of none of those countries having nukes... I could certainly agree with that. I'm not sure how much I trust the Israelis either lol.