Is An Israel Attack On Iran Imminent?

P

pspr

Read the paragraph in bold below. Did Netanyahu indirectly say he is going to attack Iran before November if Iran doesn't suspend uranium enrichment?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insinuated in an interview published Friday that Israel cannot entirely rely on the U.S. to act against Iran's suspect nuclear program, a sign that the Israeli leader is not backing down from the sharp rhetoric that strained relations this week with the Obama administration.

Netanyahu has been arguing in recent weeks that Iran is getting close to acquiring nuclear weapons capability, a claim Iran denies. He has been pushing the U.S. to commit to the circumstances under which the U.S. would lead a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have repeatedly hinted that if the United States does not attack, Israel will.

"I hear those who say we should wait until the last minute. But what if the U.S. doesn't act? It's a question that must be asked," Netanyahu told Israel Hayom, in an interview marking the Jewish New Year.

"I am guided not by the elections in United States but by the centrifuges in Iran," he said. "If the Iranians were to say `stop' and cease enriching uranium and preparing a bomb until the end of the elections in the United States then I could wait."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/14/israel-leader-says-us-may-not-act-against-iran/
 
Pat Buchanan, admittedly no friend of Bibi, made a good point. BiBi seems to be running a bluff, designed to force Obama into a corner. Obama has called his bluff. Now it is Bibi who is in the corner. Put up or shut up time.

The threats from Israel have suddenly stopped.

Left unsaid by both sides is the fact that Israel has a sizeable nuclear arsenal of its own. There might soon be a point after which Israel could not take out Iran's nuclear facilities...with conventional weapons. But if Israel's very existence were truly at stake, wouldn't that justify resorting to nukes, which could surely take out Iran's nuclear capabilities and pretty much anything else. They could also take out pretty much all of Egypt, if Obama's Muslim Brotherhood pals get out of line.

Ironically, Obama's reelection might make nuclear war more likely.
 
Quote from pspr:

Read the paragraph in bold below. Did Netanyahu indirectly say he is going to attack Iran before November if Iran doesn't suspend uranium enrichment?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insinuated in an interview published Friday that Israel cannot entirely rely on the U.S. to act against Iran's suspect nuclear program, a sign that the Israeli leader is not backing down from the sharp rhetoric that strained relations this week with the Obama administration.

Netanyahu has been arguing in recent weeks that Iran is getting close to acquiring nuclear weapons capability, a claim Iran denies. He has been pushing the U.S. to commit to the circumstances under which the U.S. would lead a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have repeatedly hinted that if the United States does not attack, Israel will.

"I hear those who say we should wait until the last minute. But what if the U.S. doesn't act? It's a question that must be asked," Netanyahu told Israel Hayom, in an interview marking the Jewish New Year.

"I am guided not by the elections in United States but by the centrifuges in Iran," he said. "If the Iranians were to say `stop' and cease enriching uranium and preparing a bomb until the end of the elections in the United States then I could wait."

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/14/israel-leader-says-us-may-not-act-against-iran/
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I believe that Israel cannot effectively attack Iran on its own by conventional means and they aren't going to unilaterally and preemptively attack Iran with nuclear weapons.

Israel will have to settle down and learn to live with a nuclear Iran though that is an extremely dangerous scenario for the world. Israel will have to employ its early-warning system into a "hair-trigger" launch mechanism and foreshortened launch protocol.

It is possible, of course, that Iran would pass on attacking Israel and instead send a nuclear weapon to the United States in a shipping container. Obama may be creating conditions where it is the US that is attacked, not Israel. The US nuclear deterrent is moribund and Obama is not likely going to respond to the destruction of, say, the Port of Long Beach, California.

Obama has intended all along to allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and then press Israel for concessions regarding Gaza and the West Bank, cessation of settlement development etc. Obama was willing to take clandestine actions to stop/delay Iran but was never willing to overtly attack Iran to stop them.
 
Quote from 377OHMS:

I believe that Israel cannot effectively attack Iran on its own by conventional means and they aren't going to unilaterally and preemptively attack Iran with nuclear weapons.

Israel will have to settle down and learn to live with a nuclear Iran though that is an extremely dangerous scenario for the world. Israel will have to employ its early-warning system into a "hair-trigger" launch mechanism and foreshortened launch protocol.

It is possible, of course, that Iran would pass on attacking Israel and instead send a nuclear weapon to the United States in a shipping container. Obama may be creating conditions where it is the US that is attacked, not Israel. The US nuclear deterrent is moribund and Obama is not likely going to respond to the destruction of, say, the Port of Long Beach, California.

Obama has intended all along to allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons and then press Israel for concessions regarding Gaza and the West Bank, cessation of settlement development etc. Obama was willing to take clandestine actions to stop/delay Iran but was never willing to overtly attack Iran to stop them.
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No, Israel cannot use nuclear weapons. If they think Romney will win I think they will wait. If they think Obama will win then they will have to roll the dice and attack before or shortly after the election.

I think they do have the capability to delay Iran but they have to act soon. I'm pretty sure Obama won't give them the new deeper bunker busters that were just developed so he has boxed them in to a corner. No body knows if Israel has developed their own new bunker buster without testing it.

You are right about Obama and everybody knows it and will act accordingly. When was that next new moon again? Something like today and then again on October 15th?
 
It seems to me this is Israel's most opportune moment to strike Iran, with the US being attacked throughout the middle east. The middle east would absolutely explode. Every trouble maker in Egypt and other countries would seize the opportunity to attack the US as a proxy for Israel.

The resulting trumoil would probably cost obama the election. His ability to discipline Israel for acting on its own would be very limited due to the election.
 
Quote from pspr:

No, Israel cannot use nuclear weapons. If they think Romney will win I think they will wait. If they think Obama will win then they will have to roll the dice and attack before or shortly after the election.

I think they do have the capability to delay Iran but they have to act soon. I'm pretty sure Obama won't give them the new deeper bunker busters that were just developed so he has boxed them in to a corner. No body knows if Israel has developed their own new bunker buster without testing it.

You are right about Obama and everybody knows it and will act accordingly. When was that next new moon again? Something like today and then again on October 15th?
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What troubles me is that Obama quashed the deal to supply and operate Patriot installations across Israel that were supposed to augment the Arrow missile defense system developed domestically by Israel.

Obama reneged on the agreement and only a fraction of the number of Patriot systems have been delivered and they will not be manned by US personnel as previously agree.

This leaves Israel with some real consequences if they attack Iran in that they cannot adequately defend against incoming intermediate range missiles developed by Iran over the last 10 years or so. They are also facing thousands upon thousands of short-range unguided missiles from southern Lebanon (Hezbollah) and the Golan Heights (if Syria is still capable of engagement). Obama is simply refusing to honor previous agreements and avoiding any actions that would enable Israel to attack Iran.

I don't think Obama *wants* Iran to have nuclear weapons but he thinks he can use the circumstances to force Israel to make major concessions in Gaza and the West Bank even perhaps ceding East Jerusalem so that it becomes the "Palestinian" capitol instead of Ramallah. Obama thinks that these concessions would placate the Islamists worldwide and they would stop with the terrorism and start loving us. Its extremely naive and extremely dangerous for the entire world.
 
Quote from AAAintheBeltway:

It seems to me this is Israel's most opportune moment to strike Iran, with the US being attacked throughout the middle east. The middle east would absolutely explode. Every trouble maker in Egypt and other countries would seize the opportunity to attack the US as a proxy for Israel.

The resulting trumoil would probably cost obama the election. His ability to discipline Israel for acting on its own would be very limited due to the election.
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AAA will envision any scenario to get rid of Obama. He'll probably send his mother packing a 45 to the White House if all else fails.
 
Quote from 377OHMS:

What troubles me is that Obama quashed the deal to supply and operate Patriot installations across Israel that were supposed to augment the Arrow missile defense system developed domestically by Israel.

Obama reneged on the agreement and only a fraction of the number of Patriot systems have been delivered and they will not be manned by US personnel as previously agree.

This leaves Israel with some real consequences if they attack Iran in that they cannot adequately defend against incoming intermediate range missiles developed by Iran over the last 10 years or so. They are also facing thousands upon thousands of short-range unguided missiles from southern Lebanon (Hezbollah) and the Golan Heights (if Syria is still capable of engagement). Obama is simply refusing to honor previous agreements and avoiding any actions that would enable Israel to attack Iran.

I don't think Obama *wants* Iran to have nuclear weapons but he thinks he can use the circumstances to force Israel to make major concessions in Gaza and the West Bank even perhaps ceding East Jerusalem so that it becomes the "Palestinian" capitol instead of Ramallah. Obama thinks that these concessions would placate the Islamists worldwide and they would stop with the terrorism and start loving us. Its extremely naive and extremely dangerous for the entire world.
More...
I just don't think Israel can live with a nuclear Iran. They have to go. Unless they see a Romney Presidency, I don't see them waiting for help from the U.S. to go.

I'm sure they have been talking to supporters in the Senate to see if enough pressure can be put on Obama to get some help after the fact. I don't think Obama will be able to just stand down, especially if they attack before the election.

Then there is the problem of the Straight of Hormuz and the oil supply and also bases we have within striking range of Iran. Israel may find a way to trick them into firing on us. But after the initial attack, Israel had better have taken out their big targets then go into defensive mode taking out areas where rockets are coming from.

It would be a big gamble for Israel but another four years of Obama will spell the beginning of the end for them.
 
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