Israel Bolsters Its Ability To Strike Iran

As Tehran Flouts International Demands, Israel Buys More Jet Fighters, Nuke-Capable Subs

(CBS/AP)  In Iran, multiple atomic installations are scattered throughout the country, some underground or bored into mountains - unlike the Iraqi and Syrian installations, which were single aboveground complexes.

Still, the Syria action seemed to indicate that Israel would also be willing to use force preemptively against Iran.

"For Israel this is not a target that cannot be achieved," said Maj. Gen. Aharon Zeevi-Farkash, former head of Israel's army intelligence.

However, it's unlikely Israel would carry out an attack without approval from the United States.

Recent signs that Washington may be moving away from a military option - including a proposal to open a low-level U.S. diplomatic office in Tehran and a recent decision to allow a senior U.S. diplomat to participate alongside Iran in international talks in Geneva - are not sitting very well with Israel.

That may help explain recent visits to Jerusalem by Mike McConnell, the U.S. director of national intelligence, and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, each of whom delivered a message to Israel that it does not have a green light to attack Iran at this time.

Senior Israeli officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they do not wish to appear at odds with their most important ally, said they were concerned about a possible softening of the U.S. stance toward Iran.

Apparently to allay Israeli concerns, Bush administration officials last week assured visiting Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak that the U.S. has not ruled out the possibility of a military strike on Iran. And the U.S., aware of Israel's high anxiety over Iran's nukes, is also hooking Israel up to an advanced missile detection system known as X-Band to guard against any future attack by Iran, said a senior U.S. defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions over the issue have not been made public.

With sanctions and diplomacy still the international community's preferred method to get Iran to stop building the bomb, an Israeli strike does not appear imminent.

If it did attack, however, Israel would have to contend with upgraded Iranian defense capabilities, including 29 new Tor-M1 surface-to-air missile systems Iran purchased from Russia last year in a $700 million deal.

Russia has so far not gone through with a proposed sale to Iran of S-300 surface-to-air missiles, an even more powerful air defense system than the Tor-M1. An Israeli defense official said the deal is still on the table, however. This is a big source of consternation for Israel because the system could significantly complicate a pre-emptive Israeli assault on Iran.

Military experts say an Israeli strike would require manned aircraft to bombard multiple targets and heavy precision bombs that can blast through underground bunkers - something Israel failed to do in its 2006 war against Hezbollah. It's widely assumed that Israel is seeking to obtain bunker buster bombs, if it hasn't already done so.

Elite ground troops could also be necessary to penetrate the most difficult sites, though Israeli military planners say they see that option as perhaps too risky.

America's ability to take out Iran's nuclear facilities is far superior to Israel's.

Unlike Israel, the United States has cruise missiles that can deliver high-explosive bombs to precise locations and B-2 bombers capable of dropping 85 500-pound bombs in a single run.

Yet the cost of an attack - by the U.S., Israel or both - is likely to be enormous.

Iran could halt oil production and shut down tanker traffic in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which could send the price of crude skyrocketing and wreck Western economies.

It could stir up trouble for the U.S. in Iraq by revving up Shiite militias there just as Washington is showing some important gains in reining in Iraqi chaos.

It could activate its militant proxies in both Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, from where Israel could come under heavy rocket attack. And it could strike Israel with its arsenal of Shahab-3 long-range missiles - something Israel is hoping to guard against through its Arrow missile defense system.

Perhaps most importantly, any strike on Iran - especially if it's done without having exhausted all diplomatic channels - could have the opposite of the desired effect, "actually increasing the nationalist fervor to build a nuclear weapon," said Meir Javedanfar, an Iranian-born Israeli and expert on Iranian affairs.

Whether an attack on Iran would be worth its cost would depend on how long the nuclear program could be delayed, said Chuck Freilich, a former Israeli deputy national security adviser and now a senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School.

"A two, three-year delay is not worth it. For a five to 10-year delay I would say yes," he said.

[factsearcher]

Stop making excuses why Iran, who has not and is not and will not follow the UN, EU, US or Israel sanctions, threats, advice (whatever u want to call it) concerning the enrichment. Iran and the entire world is fully aware they r not enriching for peaceful purposes (if u still believe that..u belong to the disney club world of fantasy)
Iran is to be taken seriously...lunatics are very eratic, irrational and the complex of superiority may take them to a dark place....so!
Now that we have establish the reality of things...
and with the volatile situation in the region (with the fact that Russia is belic)...
Everyone should bolster and get ready

[libsluv2spit]

Wow -the US middle class pays more than half its tax for the US military-Half of that for the obsolite surface navy,& a wad more for its super weak allies to appear strong-no wonder they are facing death by a thousand cuts!

Posted by babooph at 10:38 PM : Aug 08, 2008
+ report abuse



******

i dont mean to bust your bubble buddy boy..but iranians pays taxes up the arse AND HARDLY GET SH*T BACK..
thier weaponry looks ''cool'' after a few strokes in adobe photoshop...

[babooph]

Wow -the US middle class pays more than half its tax for the US military-Half of that for the obsolite surface navy,& a wad more for its super weak allies to appear strong-no wonder they are facing death by a thousand cuts!

[libsluv2spit]

Posted by big_house2 at 05:21 PM : Aug 08, 2008
+ report abuse


************

I dont think they need any help in any military strike...israel, if done right and quick, can end iran...yes..end it. but they are not terrorists..they dont send jews to iran with bomb vests and blow any iranian citizens..nor do they bombard palestine with shells or rockets BECAUSE it happens to be a good day to do it.

STOP THREATENING ISRAEL..STOP ATTACKING ISRAEL..and everything stops..seeesh its that simple.

[big_house2]

Israel can''t do anything in the Middle East without U.S. cover. If it is not military assistance, then it is the U.S. giving Israel cover via the U.N. Israel has over 200 nukes, Israeal isn''t a member of the NPT. Israel can''t strike Iran without violating the airspace of the neighboring countries "unless through Jordan" and then getting over flights rights courtesy of the U.S. in control of Iraq. Also, to allow Israel to attack Iran from Iraqi soil slaps of hypocrisy! If Israel attacks Iran, then they will have to deal with Hezbollah and Syria... Israel isn''t a threat to the U.S. and if Israel feels threatened, fight your own battles. You haven''t even helped out in Iraq, because you''re bogged down in Palastine!

-DJ... Los Angeles...

[libsluv2spit]

islam''s mission is to kill jews...liberalism''s mission is to kill jews..

that IS THE REASON why i am not suprised that majority of true hard core left winged liberal THINKS like these terrorists

[libsluv2spit]

The US invented and supported Israel due to the Suez Canal.

We no longer need the Suez Canal as a strategic interest.

Nor do we need Israel.

Bye, Israel, good luck with your God''''s protection.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by tuckerndfw at 11:24 PM : Aug 07, 2008
+ report abuse

************

come on..I dont think you care about american strategy..bridges..money..I can sense that all you care about is killing jews..

itan wants to do it..you want to do it

iran is islamic..you are a liberal

connect the dots brother..

[meanbiker]

tbweb you are correct.. They do not think like that..


DEATH TO HAMAS!!! Pay back time is coming..

[tbweb]

Excuse me people...but it is common knowledge that Hezbollah is 100% backed by Iran...If Iran makes a nuke...they don''''''''t have to fire s missle or put it on a plane...all they have to do is give it to Hezbollah and let them do the dirty work...That''''''''s how close Iran is to Israel.

Posted by guadalcanal3 at 11:15 PM : Aug 07, 2008

-Iran would not attack Israel, rightly because the proximity of Israel to Hezbollah land in Southern Lebanon, next to Israel! Nuclear Fallouts would be catastrophic for Israel but for Hezbollah as well.

Posted by trishab4 at 01:29 AM : Aug 08, 2008,,,

Western thinking and western logic do not apply! Suicide bomber mentality could care less about collateral damage! This is why mutuality assured destruction thinking will not work with Islamic extremist Iran, Iran doesn`t care if it gets destroyed in the same sense a normal nation would care, the Islamic extremist in Iran are death worshipers!

[trishab4]

Excuse me people...but it is common knowledge that Hezbollah is 100% backed by Iran...If Iran makes a nuke...they don''''t have to fire s missle or put it on a plane...all they have to do is give it to Hezbollah and let them do the dirty work...That''''s how close Iran is to Israel.

Posted by guadalcanal3 at 11:15 PM : Aug 07, 2008

-Iran would not attack Israel, rightly because the proximity of Israel to Hezbollah land in Southern Lebanon, next to Israel! Nuclear Fallouts would be catastrophic for Israel but for Hezbollah as well.

[trishab4]

Excuse me people...but it is common knowledge that Hezbollah is 100% backed by Iran...If Iran makes a nuke...they don''''t have to fire s missle or put it on a plane...all they have to do is give it to Hezbollah and let them do the dirty work...That''''s how close Iran is to Israel.

Posted by guadalcanal3 at 11:15 PM : Aug 07, 2008

-Iran would not attack Israel, rightly because the proximity of Israel to Hezbollah land in Southern Lebanon, next to Israel! Nuclear Fallouts would be catastrophic for Israel but for Hezbollah as well.

[tbweb]

`Israel Bolsters Its Ability To Strike Iran`

It would be great if Israel bolstered its ability to make peace too, and created conditions to make peace possible!

[guadalcanal3]

Excuse me people...but it is common knowledge that Hezbollah is 100% backed by Iran...If Iran makes a nuke...they don''t have to fire s missle or put it on a plane...all they have to do is give it to Hezbollah and let them do the dirty work...That''s how close Iran is to Israel.

[rave_on3]

Whether or not Iran is using its nuclear facilities to create bombs doesn''''t matter- bombing buildings in another country is an act of war.

Posted by nordeck52 at 07:47 PM : Aug 07, 2008

Let''s try to put a bit of logic into this situation. Let us say, for the sake of argument, you are my mortal enemy. That implies that I hate you, your family, your friends and anything you are associated with to include your ideals to include any freedoms you have. Let us further assume I begin to and continue to threaten you and everything you stand for with complete and utter annihilation. You suspect what means I may use to carry out such a diabolical scheme. I may be a farmer that has access to fertilizer materials I could easily employ to build a bomb. You call the cops because I''ve made such overt threats and you are scared for your life. The cops show up and I tell them to get bent. They can''t come into my property to investigate anything based on the inane ramblings of someone I feel threatens my beliefs. I have every right to own those materials you are so afraid of because they support my livelihood. Meanwhile, you happen to discover I''ve perfected a way to maximize the effect of a weapon to employ against you and you believe your fate is imminent. Nobody believes when you tell them your story as I have consistently maintained mine. You have the means to stop me as you have all along. what do you do?

[rave_on3]

just checking on the hypocisy level of your statement

Posted by libsluv2spit at 06:26 PM : Aug 07, 2008

Actually, our interests ran deeper than the oil. We had to deal with the opposing interest of the U.S.S.R. I''m not saying it was wrong for us to be involved in Iran. We just blew it by not understanding how disaffected the populace was, realiing how rife they were with fundamentalism and failing ro act to protect our interests.

Thank Carter for that one

[libsluv2spit]

Israel greatest threat is Hezbollah right next door in southern Lebanon where Israel war machine lost 2 years ago and not Iran.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by lovegetpeace at 07:57 PM : Aug 07, 2008
+ report abuse


***********

israel''s greatest threats are radical islam and its liberal zombies..just like a christian who sees the face of the lord jesus on a dog sh*t..liberals beleives what they want to believe..they believe in it SO MUCH that for them, it becomes reality..

DONT YOU CONCUR?

[libsluv2spit]

Anyone can give himself/herself this right they see most convenience.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by lovegetpeace at 07:58 PM : Aug 07, 2008
+ report abuse

***************

considering that the state of israel is literally surrounded by other states that TRIED several times and had publically declared its demise..its not convinience its more of a necessity

[lovegetpeace]

Posted by libsluv2spit at 07:53 PM : Aug 07, 2008

Anyone can give himself/herself this right they see most convenience.

[lovegetpeace]

Israel greatest threat is Hezbollah right next door in southern Lebanon where Israel war machine lost 2 years ago and not Iran.

[libsluv2spit]

".......Every country has a right to defend itself from attack...."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by nordeck52 at 07:47 PM : Aug 07, 2008
+ report abuse

***********

you said it yourself...israel has that right..