'Israel doesn't have an independent strike capability against Iran'
Writing in Haaretz, Amos Harel worries that Israel does not have the capability to inflict real damage on Iran in the event that it undertakes a strike against the Islamist nation's nuclear weapons capability. It must be stated plainly: Israel does not have independent strike capability against Iran - not in the broad sense of the term. The air force is capable of delivering a certain amount of explosives to a given target and bringing most of its aircraft back home intact. But it is doubtful whether Israel can allow itself to act against the wishes of the United States - to stand alone against an Iranian response and begin an open-ended operation against a nation of 70 million people.My gut reaction is that if Iran is getting close to the bomb and if no one else is acting (can anyone out there really see Obama going after Iran militarily?), Israel will have no choice but to act. So we will have to give it our best shot and pray for a miracle. We cannot live with a nuclear Iran.
An attack must be the last resort, not just another option placed on the table. It is best to disabuse ourselves of illusions about our ability to dictate a new Mideast order. That is the lesson learned, in blood, by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in Lebanon in 1982 and by George W. Bush in Iraq in 2003.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:38 PM
3 Comments:
Haaretz is promoting cowardice as a national virtue. Unbelievable! If the British had taken that advice after the Fall Of France, the UK today would be a German province. Israel may not be completely up to the task of destroying Iran's nuclear program but there is no alternative but to try. There is no way Israel can live with a nuclear Iran under the mullahs.
I actually agree, which makes this all the more dangerous. If Israel does decide to strike, I don't believe that they can do so effectively using conventional weapons. A further problem that I've mentioned is that I believe that most of the rest of the world actually wants Israel to strike because no matter what the benefit to Israel, the rest of the world will be able to play Israel off as the villian. It would also have the effect of uniting the Muslim world against Israel. Israel might remove or moderate the nuclear threat but everything else about Israel attacking would be net negative for Israel, imo. Plus, if Israel can be painted into a corner of attacking and removing the threat it means that everyone else won't have suffer the risk.
Kae true... but if Israel has to choose being liked and dead and being hated and alive, there's doubt what choice Israel would make. A democratic Iran that was nuclear would be a country Israel could adjust to. It just isn't possible under the mullahs. So the only question left is not if Israel will strike Iran but when.
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