The stories about Israel hitting a Syrian/Korean nuclear facility have been coming fast and furious, and the most sensational are the ones in the London Times, penned by our old pal Uzi Mahnaimi. I would like to refresh your memory on some of the more spurious of his claims (the ethnic bomb that was supposed to target only Arab genes is the first and worst of his claims and, in fact, won me my title of “Master of Juvenile Scorn” during a blogwar several years ago).
There’s actually a very recent article by our man Mahnaimi that can be used to illustrate, well, how wrong he is. This is from June 17th:
ISRAEL’s new defence minister Ehud Barak is planning an attack on Gaza within weeks to crush the Hamas militants who have seized power there.
According to senior Israeli military sources, the plan calls for 20,000 troops to destroy much of Hamas’s military capability in days.
The raid would be triggered by Hamas rocket attacks against Israel or a resumption of suicide bombings.
Barak, who is expected to become defence minister tomorrow, has already demanded detailed plans to deploy two armoured divisions and an infantry division, accompanied by assault drones and F-16 jets, against Hamas.
And if that wasn’t breathless enough, there’s this conclusion:
A source close to Barak said that Israel could not tolerate an aggressive “Hamastan†on its border and an attack seemed unavoidable.
“The question is not if but how and when,†he said.
Let’s see, June 17th to September 24th, carry the one, um—suffice to say, more than three months have passed since Uzi Mahnaimi assured us in the Sunday Times that an attack on Hamastan was practically imminent, and definitely unavoidable.
Three months. Heading towards four.
When you read anything by Uzi Mahnaimi, add about three shakers of salt. And I have no confidence that his co-author, Sarah Baxter, has any legitimate sources in the Israeli Defense Forces, either. She co-authored one of the Mahnaimi pieces that purported Israel was about to attack Iran. As Allison Kaplan Sommers wrote about that article:
One thing is clear: Mahnaimi makes a regular habit of reporting that Israel is about to attack Iran. If his reporting was accurate, Iranian nuclear facilities would already be a smoking ruin – not once, but multiple times.
If you click the link to Allison’s PJM piece, you will find out exactly how many times Mahnaimi has claimed this. And Sarah Baxter is right there along with him for the ride on the last article. And just in case you’re not tired of the “Israel is going to bomb Iran” articles, they also wrote one about how America is planning to bomb Iran.
Read their words about Israel at your own risk. The truth is out there, but I don’t think it’s in the Sunday Times, no matter how many co-authors they give our man Mahnaimi. Once a liar, always a liar.
QUACK !!!
Actually, I would say that the Defense Department or the IDF would be at fault if they did not have contingency plans to take care of Iran by various means (including bombing or invasion). Part of the job of the military is to be able to provide answers to the question, “What would happen if …“. A contingency plan is not a definite plan to do something but an analysis of what to do if something is decided on. It is meant to provide the decision makers (such as the President) with options.
As Defense Minister, Ehud Barak must have plans on what to do just in case any or all of the Arab neighbors attack (as in Yom Kippur 1973) or what to do if “the government” decides to wipe out Hamas. These necessary plans do not mean that they will actually be carried out.
Here’s what I’ve put together from the pieces I’ve been reading:
I think the attack on Syria destroyed a facility that was going to be the very beginning of a Syrian nuclear facility, built with help of the North Koreans, and eventually Iran. I think Iran wanted to start a parallel nuke program based in Syria, in case their own was shut down or derailed through either diplomatic or military means. So this was a signal that Israel would have zero tolerance for a Syrian nuclear program. And, perhaps by contrast, a signal to Iran that if they’re willing to play by the rules of MAD, Israel is as well.
(I don’t think Israel can afford that gamble, but I don’t live there, so I don’t get to vote.)
Eric J don’t you wonder that normally nuclear programs are huge complex industrial programs, with thousands of workers and huge amounts of building space. For example to bomb Iran’s nuclear program it is estimated to be needed several hundred bombing raids. Syria has how ever managed after US-Israeli propaganda to create a mini nuclear program which was bombed by a couple of missiles and a commando team watching. Come-on, who believes that.
The other reason not to believe the propaganda is why on earth would Iran hide to Syria a “new nuclear program” to a open desert a stone throw away from Iraq border and US troops. Makes no sense. Iran is big country which a complex terrain, it would be much easier and safer to hide it there.
All signs are that this US Israeli propaganda is preparation to make the home fronts favourable for a new war.