The Israeli military is preparing itself to launch a massive aerial assault on Iran's nuclear facilities within days of being given the go-ahead by its new government.
Officials believe that Israel could be required to hit more than a dozen targets, including moving convoys. The sites include Natanz, where thousands of centrifuges produce enriched uranium; Esfahan, where 250 tonnes of gas is stored in tunnels; and Arak, where a heavy water reactor produces plutonium.
The distance from Israel to at least one of the sites is more than 870 miles, a distance that the Israeli force practised covering in a training exercise last year that involved F15 and F16 jets, helicopters and refuelling tankers.
The possible Israeli strike on Iran has drawn comparisons to its attack on the Osirak nuclear facility near Baghdad in 1981. That strike, which destroyed the facility in under 100 seconds, was completed without Israeli losses and checked Iraqi ambitions for a nuclear weapons programme.
The distance from Israel to at least one of the sites is more than 870 miles, a distance that the Israeli force practised covering in a training exercise last year that involved F15 and F16 jets, helicopters and refuelling tankers.
The possible Israeli strike on Iran has drawn comparisons to its attack on the Osirak nuclear facility near Baghdad in 1981. That strike, which destroyed the facility in under 100 seconds, was completed without Israeli losses and checked Iraqi ambitions for a nuclear weapons programme.
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The implications of an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities could be catastrophic for the United States. Ahmadinejad has promised to turn the Middle East into an "inferno" in response. Should he be successful in closing the Straits of Hormuz, the knee-jerk reaction of financial markets could set off a rapidly moving downward spiral. If the oil supplies are reduced significantly in the wake of such an attack, economic stability would surely be in jeopardy.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the greatest unknown is the response of the radical Islamic element in both Europe and the United States as well as all the Middle East. Hezbollah and Hamas would likely joint the fray against Israel. Since it is now clear that Israel stands alone, things could become rather "sticky" for the President in his response to this potential crisis. Time is ticking away for Israel and it is a matter of survival from their perspective. There may be a heavy price to pay for the failure of the UN, European Nations, and the United States to have changed Ahmadinejad's relentless pursuit of a nuclear capability. It appears it may be too late for meaningful dialog. That 3AM phone call may be just around the corner.
Good point Undertaker, but Israel may have no choice. The new American Government is no longer friendly to Israel. They stand alone.
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