Planned US-Israeli Attack on Iran
by Michel Chossudovsky
The URL of this article is:
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO505A.html
At the outset of Bush's second term, Vice President Dick Cheney
dropped a bombshell. He hinted, in no uncertain terms, that Iran was
"right at the top of the list" of the rogue enemies of America, and
that Israel would, so to speak, "be doing the bombing for us",
without US military involvement and without us putting pressure on
them "to do it":
"One of the concerns people have is that Israel might do it without
being asked... Given the fact that Iran has a stated policy that
their objective is the destruction of Israel, the Israelis might
well decide to act first, and let the rest of the world worry about
cleaning up the diplomatic mess afterwards," (quoted from an MSNBC
Interview Jan 2005)
Israel is a Rottweiler on a leash: The US wants to "set Israel
loose" to attack Iran. Commenting the Vice President's assertion,
former National Security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski in an interview
on PBS, confirmed with some apprehension, yes: Cheney wants Prime
Ariel Sharon to act on America's behalf and "do it" for us:
"Iran I think is more ambiguous. And there the issue is certainly
not tyranny; it's nuclear weapons. And the vice president today in a
kind of a strange parallel statement to this declaration of freedom
hinted that the Israelis may do it and in fact used language which
sounds like a justification or even an encouragement for the
Israelis to do it."
The foregoing statements are misleading. The US is not "encouraging
Israel". What we are dealing with is a joint US-Israeli military
operation to bomb Iran, which has been in the active planning stage
for more than a year. The Neocons in the Defense Department, under
Douglas Feith, have been working assiduously with their Israeli
military and intelligence counterparts, carefully identifying
targets inside Iran ( Seymour Hersh,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/HER501A.html )
Under this working arrangement, Israel will not act unilaterally,
without a green light from Washington. In other words, Israel will
not implement an attack without the participation of the US.
Covert Intelligence Operations: Stirring Ethnic Tensions in Iran
Meanwhile, for the last two years, Washington has been involved in
covert intelligence operations inside Iran. American and British
intelligence and special forces (working with their Israeli
counterparts) are involved in this operation.
"A British intelligence official said that any campaign against Iran
would not be a ground war like the one in Iraq. The Americans will
use different tactics, said the intelligence officer. 'It is getting
quite scary.'" (Evening Standard, 17 June 2003,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/FOX306A.html )
The expectation is that a US-Israeli bombing raid of Iran's nuclear
facilities will stir up ethnic tensions and trigger "regime change"
in favor of the US. (See Arab Monitor,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/ARA502A.html ).
Bush advisers believe that the "Iranian opposition movement" will
unseat the Mullahs. This assessment constitutes a gross misjudgment
of social forces inside Iran. What is more likely to occur is that
Iranians will consistently rally behind a wartime government against
foreign aggression. In fact, the entire Middle East and beyond would
rise up against US interventionism.
Retaliation in the Case of a US-Israeli Aerial Attack
Tehran has confirmed that it will retaliate if attacked, in the form
of ballistic missile strikes directed against Israel (CNN, 8 Feb
2005). These attacks, could also target US military facilities in
the Persian Gulf, which would immediately lead us into a scenario of
military escalation and all out war.
In other words, the air strikes against Iran could contribute to
unleashing a war in the broader Middle East Central Asian region.
Moreover, the planned attack on Iran should also be understood in
relation to the timely withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon,
which has opened up a new space, for the deployment of Israeli
forces. The participation of Turkey in the US-Israeli military
operation is also a factor, following an agreement reached between
Ankara and Tel Aviv.
In other words, US and Israeli military planners must carefully
weigh the far-reaching implications of their actions.
Israel Builds up its Stockpile of Deadly Military Hardware
A massive buildup in military hardware has occurred in preparation
for a possible attack on Iran.
Israel has recently taken delivery from the US of some 5,000 "smart
air launched weapons" including some 500 BLU 109 'bunker-buster
bombs. The (uranium coated) munitions are said to be more than
"adequate to address the full range of Iranian targets, with the
possible exception of the buried facility at Natanz, which may
require the [more powerful] BLU-113 bunker buster ":
"Given Israel's already substantial holdings of such weapons, this
increase in its inventory would allow a sustained assault with or
without further US involvement." (See Richard Bennett,
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/BEN501A.html )
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FULL REPORT:
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO505A.html
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"The more Israel's image is strengthened as a country facing enemies
who attempt to attack it for no justified reason, the greater will
be the possibility that aid will be extended to Israel by NATO.
Furthermore, Iran and Syria will have to take into account the
possibility that the increasing cooperation between Israel and NATO
will strengthen Israel's links with Turkey, also a member of NATO.
Given Turkey's impressive military potential and its geographic
proximity to both Iran and Syria, Israel's operational options
against them, if and when it sees the need, could gain considerable
strength. " (Jaffa Center for Strategic Studies,
http://www.tau.ac.il/jcss/sa/v7n4p4Shalom.html )
===============
"Given Israel's already substantial holdings of such weapons, this
increase in its inventory would allow a sustained assault with or
without further US involvement." (See Richard Bennett,
http://globalresearch.ca/articles/BEN501A.html )
The Israeli Air Force would attack Iran's nuclear facility at
Bushehr using US as well Israeli produced bunker buster bombs. The
attack would be carried out in three separate waves "with the radar
and communications jamming protection being provided by U.S. Air
Force AWACS and other U.S. aircraft in the area". (See W Madsen,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/MAD410A.html
Bear in mind that the bunker buster bombs can also be used to
deliver tactical nuclear bombs. The B61-11 is the "nuclear version"
of the "conventional" BLU 113. It can be delivered in much same way
as the conventional bunker buster bomb. (See Michel Chossudovsky,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO112C.html , see also
http://www.thebulletin.org/article_nn.php?art_ofn=jf03norris ) .
According to the Pentagon, tactical nuclear weapons are "safe for
civilians". Their use has been authorized by the US Senate. (See
Miochel Chossudovsky,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CHO405A.html )
Moreover, reported in late 2003, Israeli Dolphin-class submarines
equipped with US Harpoon missiles armed with nuclear warheads are
now aimed at Iran. (See Gordon Thomas,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/THO311A.html
Even if tactical nuclear weapons are not used by Israel, an attack
on Iran's nuclear facilities not only raises the specter of a
broader war, but also of nuclear radiation over a wide area:
"To attack Iran's nuclear facilities will not only provoke war, but
it could also unleash clouds of radiation far beyond the targets and
the borders of Iran." (Statement of Prof Elias Tuma, Arab Internet
Network, Federal News Service, 1 March 2005)
Moreover, while most reports have centered on the issue punitive air
strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, there are indications that the
possibility of a ground war is also being contemplated.
Iran's Military Capabilities
Despite its overall weaknesses in relation to Israel and the US,
Iran has an advanced air defense system, deployed to protect its
nuclear sites; "they are dispersed and underground making potential
air strikes difficult and without any guarantees of success."
(Jerusalem Post, 20 April 2005). It has upgraded its Shahab-3
missile, which can reach targets in Israel. Iran's armed forces have
recently conducted high-profile military exercises in anticipation
of a US led attack. Iran also possesses some 12 X-55 strategic
cruise missiles, produced by the Ukraine. Iran's air defense systems
is said to feature Russian SA-2, SA-5, SA-6 as well as
shoulder-launched SA-7 missiles (Jaffa Center for Strategic
Studies).
The US "Military Road Map"
The Bush administration has officially identified Iran and Syria as
the next stage of the road map to war.
Targeting Iran is a bipartisan project, which broadly serves the
interests of the Anglo-American oil conglomerates, the Wall Street
financial establishment and the military-industrial complex.
The broader Middle East-Central Asian region encompasses more than
70% of the World's reserves of oil and natural gas. Iran possesses
10% of the world's oil and ranks third after Saudi Arabia (25 %) and
Iraq (11 %) in the size of its reserves. In comparison, the US
possesses less than 2.8 % of global oil reserves. (See Eric Waddell,
The Battle for Oil,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/WAD412A.html )
==============
The Israeli Air Force are slated to use the GBU-28s on their F-15
aircraft. (See text of DSCA news release at
http://www.dsca.osd.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2005/Israel_05-10_corrected.pdf
Late April 2005- early May: Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan in Israel for follow-up talks with Ariel Sharon. He was
accompanied by his Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, who met with senior
Israeli military officials. On the official agenda of these talks:
joint defense projects, including the joint production of Arrow II
Theater Missile Defense and Popeye II missiles. The latter also
known as the Have Lite, are advanced small missiles, designed for
deployment on fighter planes. Tel Aviv and Ankara decide to
establish a hotline to share intelligence.
May 2005: Syrian troops scheduled to withdraw from Lebanon, leading
to a major shift in the Middle East security situation, in favor of
Israel and the US.
Iran Surrounded
The US has troops and military bases in Turkey, Pakistan,
Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, and of course Iraq.
In other words, Iran is virtually surrounded by US military bases.
(see Map below). These countries as well as Turkmenistan, are
members of NATO`s partnership for Peace Program. and have military
cooperation agreements with NATO.
Many Middle East Peace activists have been reluctant to discuss, let
alone challenge, the Israeli monopoly on nuclear weapons in the
region, often leading to incomplete and uninformed analyses and
flawed action strategies. Placing the issue of Israeli weapons of
mass destruction directly and honestly on the table and action
agenda would have several salutary effects. First, it would expose a
primary destabilizing dynamic driving the Middle East arms race and
compelling the region's states to each seek their own "deterrent."
Second, it would expose the grotesque double standard which sees the
U.S. and Europe on the one hand condemning Iraq, Iran and Syria for
developing weapons of mass destruction, while simultaneously
protecting and enabling the principal culprit. Third, exposing
Israel's nuclear strategy would focus international public
attention, resulting in increased pressure to dismantle its weapons
of mass destruction and negotiate a just peace in good faith.
Finally, a nuclear free Israel would make a Nuclear Free Middle East
and a comprehensive regional peace agreement much more likely.
Unless and until the world community confronts Israel over its
covert nuclear program it is unlikely that there will be any
meaningful resolution of the Israeli/Arab conflict, a fact that
Israel may be counting on as the Sharon era dawns.
From John Steinbach, Israel's Nuclear Arsenal,
http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/STE203A.html
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