Israel readies forces for strike on nuclear Iran

SRAEL’S armed forces have been ordered by Ariel Sharon, the prime minister, to be ready by the end of March for possible strikes on secret uranium enrichment sites in Iran, military sources have revealed.

The order came after Israeli intelligence warned the government that Iran was operating enrichment facilities, believed to be small and concealed in civilian locations.

Iran’s stand-off with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over nuclear inspections and aggressive rhetoric from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, who said last week that Israel should be moved to Europe, are causing mounting concern.

The crisis is set to come to a head in early March, when Mohamed El-Baradei, the head of the IAEA, will present his next report on Iran. El-Baradei, who received the Nobel peace prize yesterday, warned that the world was “losing patience” with Iran.

A senior White House source said the threat of a nuclear Iran was moving to the top of the international agenda and the issue now was: “What next?” That question would have to be answered in the next few months, he said.

Defence sources in Israel believe the end of March to be the “point of no return” after which Iran will have the technical expertise to enrich uranium in sufficient quantities to build a nuclear warhead in two to four years.

“Israel — and not only Israel — cannot accept a nuclear Iran,” Sharon warned recently. “We have the ability to deal with this and we’re making all the necessary preparations to be ready for such a situation.”

The order to prepare for a possible attack went through the Israeli defence ministry to the chief of staff. Sources inside special forces command confirmed that “G” readiness — the highest stage — for an operation was announced last week.

Gholamreza Aghazadeah, head of the Atomic Organisation of Iran, warned yesterday that his country would produce nuclear fuel. “There is no doubt that we have to carry out uranium enrichment,” he said.

He promised it would not be done during forthcoming talks with European negotiators. But although Iran insists it wants only nuclear energy, Israeli intelligence has concluded it is deceiving the world and has no intention of giving up what it believes is its right to develop nuclear weapons.

A “massive” Israeli intelligence operation has been underway since Iran was designated the “top priority for 2005”, according to security sources.

Cross-border operations and signal intelligence from a base established by the Israelis in northern Iraq are said to have identified a number of Iranian uranium enrichment sites unknown to the the IAEA.

Since Israel destroyed the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in 1981, “it has been understood that the lesson is, don’t have one site, have 50 sites”, a White House source said.

If a military operation is approved, Israel will use air and ground forces against several nuclear targets in the hope of stalling Tehran’s nuclear programme for years, according to Israeli military sources.

It is believed Israel would call on its top special forces brigade, Unit 262 — the equivalent of the SAS — and the F-15I strategic 69 Squadron, which can strike Iran and return to Israel without refuelling.

“If we opt for the military strike,” said a source, “it must be not less than 100% successful. It will resemble the destruction of the Egyptian air force in three hours in June 1967.”

Aharon Zeevi Farkash, the Israeli military intelligence chief, stepped up the pressure on Iran this month when he warned Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, that “if by the end of March the international community is unable to refer the Iranian issue to the United Nations security council, then we can say the international effort has run its course”.

The March deadline set for military readiness also stems from fears that Iran is improving its own intelligence-gathering capability. In October it launched its first satellite, the Sinah-1, which was carried by a Russian space launcher.

“The Iranians’ space programme is a matter of deep concern to us,” said an Israeli defence source. “If and when we launch an attack on several Iranian targets, the last thing we need is Iranian early warning received by satellite.”

Russia last week signed an estimated $1 billion contract — its largest since 2000 — to sell Iran advanced Tor-M1 systems capable of destroying guided missiles and laser-guided bombs from aircraft.

“Once the Iranians get the Tor-M1, it will make our life much more difficult,” said an Israeli air force source. “The installation of this system can be relatively quick and we can’t waste time on this one.”

The date set for possible Israeli strikes on Iran also coincides with Israel’s general election on March 28, prompting speculation that Sharon may be sabre-rattling for votes.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the frontrunner to lead Likud into the elections, said that if Sharon did not act against Iran, “then when I form the new Israeli government, we’ll do what we did in the past against Saddam’s reactor, which gave us 20 years of tranquillity”.

TEHRAN MINISTER MET MILITANTS BEFORE NEW OFFENSIVE

Iran’s foreign minister met leading figures from three Islamic militant groups to co-ordinate a united front against Israel days before a recent escalation of attacks against Israeli targets shattered fragile ceasefires with Lebanon and the Palestinians, writes Hugh Macleod in Damascus.

The minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, held talks with leaders of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah in Damascus on November 15.

Among those who attended the meeting were Khaled Meshaal, the Hamas leader, and a deputy leader of Islamic Jihad, which claimed responsibility for last Monday’s suicide bombing of a shopping mall in Netanya that killed five Israeli citizens.

Ahmed Jibril, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine- General Command, was also present. “We all confirmed that what is going on in occupied Palestine is organically connected to what is going on in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Lebanon,” said Jibril.

Seven days after the talks, Hezbollah fired a volley of rockets and mortars at Israeli targets, sparking the fiercest fighting between the two sides since Israel’s withdrawal from south Lebanon five years ago.

If Israel does this you will have problem with: 1. EU, 2. Russia. 3.Syria, 4.Iran (they have missiles and planes themselves). 5. Pakistan

Anti-Israel emotions will explode in EU, the leaders in EU will be forced to withdraw the freetrade treaty with Israel (both out of legal concerns and public demands, Israeli ambassadors will be called before governaments to explain there actions)

A gigantic military aid program might be sent from Russia to Iran, giving them even more tecnology to use for weapons and possiably nuclear programs.

Pakistan will protest and if it ecalets to full scale war between Israel and Iran Pakistan will deter Israel from using Nukes with statement saying they will retaliate with there own nukes if Israel launches against Iran.

If israel by some stupid reason uses nukes EU will with draw all support whatsoever......

It´s a recipe for disaster to attack Iran.

There should be a MAD strategy in the Middle East as there was in the Cold war. If Iran has nukes then so be it, but the way in which to destroy the clerical regime of Iran is from the inside, and provide a healthy deterrent.

These are reasons as to why Israel or Iran won't attack each other.

And what if the Ayatollah wakes up one day and decides today is a good day to greet Allah? MAD only works when you have rational people in power.

Wow, thats some grade A bullshit your spouting there. 

Care to explain why??

And what if the Ayatollah wakes up one day and decides today is a good day to greet Allah?  MAD only works when you have rational people in power.

The Ayatollahs are VERY rational people. They have a hardcore theological outlook, however that does not make them beyond rational thought. Stalin was also a rational man, as was Mao. However, both had serious issues regarding paranoia and megalomania. Rational thought prevented WWIII from being started on their parts.

The Ayatollahs are VERY rational people. They have a hardcore theological outlook, however that does not make them beyond rational thought. Stalin was also a rational man, as was Mao. However, both had serious issues regarding paranoia and megalomania. Rational thought prevented WWIII from being started on their parts.

Castro, however, was willing to start WWIII, because his rationality had lost out to an emotional attatchment to his vision. We know that this has not occured with Iran.

BTW hitting Iran with bombers would be harder than hitting Iraq, and I would be more worried about possible instability in Iraq as a result.

Care to explain why??

And I also think the Syrian regime should be bombed.

If anything, Israel will likely get more support than it did 25 years ago. I'd be very surprised if Iraq (i.e the U.S. occupation forces) denied them overflight permission, and absolutely shocked if the U.S. occupiers actually fired on the Israeli aircraft.

With Sharon on death's door, who will have the balls to give the order?