Not normally a praying person - this may make you start

Israel considers strikes on Iran nuke facilities

Headline is linked (as usual). (From the TimesOnline in the U.K.)

Revealed: Israel plans strike on Iranian nuclear plant

March 13, 2005 - The Sunday Times World

Uzi Mahnaimi

ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans for a combined air and ground attack on targets in Iran if diplomacy fails to halt the Iranian nuclear programme.
The inner cabinet of Ariel Sharon, the Israeli prime minister, gave “initial authorisation” for an attack at a private meeting last month on his ranch in the Negev desert.
Israeli forces have used a mock-up of Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment plant in the desert to practise destroying it. Their tactics include raids by Israel’s elite Shaldag (Kingfisher) commando unit and airstrikes by F-15 jets from 69 Squadron, using bunker-busting bombs to penetrate underground facilities.
The plans have been discussed with American officials who are said to have indicated provisionally that they would not stand in Israel’s way if all international efforts to halt Iranian nuclear projects failed.
Tehran claims that its programme is designed for peaceful purposes but Israeli and American intelligence officials — who have met to share information in recent weeks — are convinced that it is intended to produce nuclear weapons.
The Israeli government responded cautiously yesterday to an announcement by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, that America would support Britain, France and Germany in offering economic incentives for Tehran to abandon its programme.
In return, the European countries promised to back Washington in referring Iran to the United Nations security council if the latest round of talks fails to secure agreement.
Silvan Shalom, the Israeli foreign minister, said he believed that diplomacy was the only way to deal with the issue. But he warned: “The idea that this tyranny of Iran will hold a nuclear bomb is a nightmare, not only for us but for the whole world.”
Dick Cheney, the American vice-president, emphasised on Friday that Iran would face “stronger action” if it failed to respond. But yesterday Iran rejected the initiative, which provides for entry to the World Trade Organisation and a supply of spare parts for airliners if it co-operates.
“No pressure, bribe or threat can make Iran give up its legitimate right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes,” said an Iranian spokesman.
US officials warned last week that a military strike on Iranian nuclear facilities by Israeli or American forces had not been ruled out should the issue become deadlocked at the United Nations.

Additional reporting: Tony Allen-Mills, Washington

For those that aren't into prayer and worship, this may be something that might make you start, or at least should be cause enough for concern that you should hope for a peaceful resolution to what increasingly is looking like it could be a dangerous situation.

Israel is highly unlikely to sit idly by and wait for it's neighbors to develop nukes. Even if Iran doesn't have the delivery mechanisms to use missiles against Israel they could easily sell a weapon (or just give it) to terrorists that would be in mutual agreement about whom to target with the weapon and leave Israel looking at many half-lifes full of radioactive lands.

In addition, the United States would like to know for our own security, and those of our allies, that Iran would have no such capability to assist terrorists in the acquisition of, or the provision to same of nukes. Again, even without a missile, a nuke could be smuggled into this country through any number of our very porous entry points -- which btw don't just include the many thousand mile border with Mexico or Canada. Try every harbor in the country, or air frieght systems which tend to receive little or no attention and filtering.

Even if we spent every available dollar in our budget, we'd have a near impossible task to insure that a WMD couldn't find it's way into the country through some means, and that circles back around to why we must be concerned about stopping weapon proliferation before it starts.

Iran must be convinced to give up it's nuclear ambitions, and if necessary, they may have to be convinced of this by force. Please note that I'm not advocating that we would go to war against Iran, nor am I advocating that Israel do our dirty work for us.

What I am advocating is that we all be just a little more worried about the situation in the middle east and perhaps include some thoughts in prayers we may say along the way.

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It isn't unprecedented. They did the same thing to Hussein decades back. Iran is like North Korea. They are balance precariously, banking on the fact we just don't want to go to the trouble and expense of mashing them to a pulp.

If they attack Israel, we will. Even if Isreal blows up their reactor, we will take their side. Iran simply can't deal with it. Sure, we are stretched way too thin for a ground assault, but honestly, unless you are overly concerned with collateral damage, what's the point in ground assault.

I hope there is no war with Iran. I hope Isreal doesn't need to blow up the reactor. I don't believe for a second, though, that Iran has a chance in hell of limping away if they retaliate.

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Israel is highly unlikely to sit idly by and wait for it's neighbors to develop nukes.

Ironic that you mention Israel when they have the most nukes in the region. Maybe Iran doesn't want to sit idly by and allow it's neighbor to develop nukes wihtout having some nukes of their own?

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Israel doesn' pay people to strap on bombs and climb abord Iranian busses or visit Iranian weddings. I guess if you went to the Middle East, you'd be scared of Israeli terrorists?

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