Israel and the U.S. disagree on how soon a military attack on Iran would be necessary, Israel’s defense minister said Thursday, even after admitting Iran currently has no nuclear weapons program.
Ehud Barak claimed Iran is trying to make its civilian nuclear program immune from attack before making a decision to actually develop nuclear weapons, and said Israel “cannot afford” to wait for that completely speculative hypothetical situation.
The consensus in the U.S. and Israel is that Iran has no nuclear weapons program and has so far demonstrated no verifiable intention to do so. To suggest that an attack is warranted is to claim the right of preventive war, which flies in the face of both international law and any sane conception of just war.
In this case, it would be the right to wage war on a country who may at some unspecified point in the future develop weapons that it would certainly never use, although no evidence has been presented that said development has or will ever take place.
In a statement made simply to rattle Israel’s sabers and terrify Iranians, Barak told Israel Radio that the Jewish state could hold off waging preventive war for several more months to allow sanctions and negotiations to work, during which time it would become clear whether “the Iranians intend or don’t intend to stop their nuclear weapons program.” The one that doesn’t exist.
Neither Israel nor the U.S. seem willing to put an end to this seemingly impending conflict with Iran. For example, if Israel agreed to dismantling its vast stockpiles of un-inspected nuclear weapons and to a deal enforcing a nuclear weapons-free zone in the Middle East – a deal Iran has repeatedly proposed – Iran’s defensive opaqueness on certain aspects of its nuclear program would surely vanish, along with the pretext for war. But this remains out of the question for Tel Aviv and Washington.
After election, I said that while you were visiting me at white house, and again I said it when I called you later that week, after election. So wait and don't ruin my election, after election and again after election.
But Bibi doesn't trust Obama, and with good reason. After the election, Obama, — if he wins — can tell Bibi to suck eggs. Before the election, however, Bibi has the upper hand. If Bibi attacks before the election, and Obama doesn't join in, he almost certainly loses the election. Unless…
The wild card in all this is Iran. How will they respond to the Israeli attack? Americans tend to project their own bellicosity onto Iran, imagining that Iran would do what Americans would do in a similar situation. The Iranian leadership however are not arrogant room-temp-IQ American psycho-killers. They are Iranians. They are smarter. They are way better chess players. For example, they could vigorously defend their own territory against an Israeli attack, blunting it and reducing its effectiveness, while refusing any immediate retaliatory act that would "force" the US to join in.
Then Obama could win his election, point to the failure of the Israeli attack, and say, "We're not going there."
Of course the Israelis might anticipate such a scenario, and seek to force the issue with a false flag attack, on US naval forces probably. Yet this too, will be anticipated by both the Iranians and the Americans, and a simple phone call from Iran to the US declaring that Iran would not attack US forces could make an Israeli false flag attack backfire badly. In short, the whole affair is fraught with up-front operational difficulties and all forms of potentially catastrophic unpredictability.
That said, politics driven by existential threat-based fear-mongering, and arrogant siege-mentality psychosis, likely means Israel attacks in October.
Let hope by October that Bibi and moron Lieberman are gone. How can a nation like Israel be so stupid as to have these clowns as the face of their nation. Lieberman was overqualified as a bar bouncer and he probably has been banned from the porn indiustry as having too bad morals to fit into the values of the porn industry. Bibi is a low life rich kids son who would have moral probables no matter what industry he went to after being the local war mongers for the chosen.
BTW if Israel attacks Iran then I wish them the best but leave me and my kids out of it.
I agree I am completely sick of these clowns. When are the Israeli free and fair "elections"? Seems like Netanyahu and the incoherent embarrassment Lieberman have been on the scene for far too long.
Just because Israel has decided to be certifiable does not mean the US must follow along…It's high time the US let them know that we need to look after our own country and interests first. And guess what, Israels perceived "existential threats" are not high on the list. Maybe if they stopped acting like spoiled children – nah, ain't gonna happen.
actually, it is the other way around, Israel's interests are detrimental to America's interests. Why would people in the Arab world hate the US? If you said Israel you win a prize.
"…Israel's interests are detrimental to America's interests…" actually, that is what I said. And as for the Arab world hating the US, we've given them many reasons besides (including) Israel to hate us. We're an equal opportunity hate-creator.
Believe me curm, there is so much the Arabs respect in America. But the average Joe here just cannot understand WHY America has chosen to do what it does to them. A lot of it is more anger than hate.
"Neither Israel nor the U.S. seem willing to put an end to this seemingly impending conflict with Iran."
Of course they don't want,they lie about that since long time and managed to isolate Iran,to demonize this country,its regime and all on lies.And this stance became the "free world" attitude.Bibi and Peres began to use the slogan "time is running out"on Iran nuclear weapon since 1992.
Neither the Eugène Ionesco, the father of absurd theatre, could not invent a situation more ridiculous!
"We no longer can wait for does not exist, but is a real existential threat for us!"…
The more time goes by, the more clear the Israelis can be: the bottom line is this: Iran must dismantle it's modern economy, starting with civilian nuclear power, which it cannot be allowed to possess; then, its missiles and other armaments; finally, it must construct a pastoral nation based on farming. Then, perhaps, a postage-stamp of a country that controls a superpower will allow it to exist without attacking it with nuclear weapons. The choice is in the Iranians' hands.
Hmm, that sounds very much like the Morgenthau Plan. That, of course, could only be a random coincidence. 😉
You forgot one thing, Israel gets to "buy" the oil at a much lower price because they had to prepare for war and Iran did not surrender soon enough.
Will Israel ever quit lying about Iran? Will Israel ever sign a nuclear agreement? Will Israel ever submit to an inspection of its nuclear weapons?
Well, uh . . . no.
Timetable? As if it's all about timing, not whether or not Iran actually has a nuclear weapons program. Our fears matter more than the facts? For Israel it's been one 'existential' scapegoat after another and so far this is their biggest coup. When they attacked Lebanon in 06 Newt Gingrich proclaimed that this was the beginning of 'Armaggeddon'. He was utterly disappointed when that fiasco turned into a quagmire instead of a firestorm. This might be the doorway to Hell they've been searching for.
Time to tell Israel "go for it" and break a leg or something. And lets get back to cutting up countries into north and south like, Mali, Chad, Libya, Sudan, Syria, et al.
On Tuesday, Obama made a video appeal to the Iranian people on the occasion of Nowruz—the Persian New Year—saying that there was “no reason for the United States and Iran to be divided from one another.” This is a sharp deviation from the belligerent Israeli-American discourse in recent months. Reliable sources claim these words left Netanyahu speechless and blinking uncontrollably.
Netanyahu is now afraid that the USA will sign a deal with Iran. After all, these two could live together in peace. Yet, Israel depends on war for its survival; this is so because war is Israel’s main source of incomes, but also because it is a way of controlling its population by distracting it from the deep social problems this country faces. Netanyahu needs a war with Iran. The only way Netanyahu could prevent a deal between the USA and Iran is by attacking Iran before an agreement is signed, or by performing a false flag attack on American soil. Obama bluffed Netanyahu, who is now looking down into hell, right below the bluff he is precariously standing on. No good options were left for him.
After WWII, the new nuclear weapons of the USA and the USSR lead them into a Cold War. Nowadays we are watching a new Cold War, this time between nuclear USA and a nuclear country that likes to portray itself as its ally: Israel.
Reply
Minus Israel, the USA could live in peace with many countries, not just Iran.
What country is the most likly to use nukes without provocation or without warning? Isreal, thats who.
What would happen if Iran started making similar threats? "Israel is a danger to world peace; they have weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, bioological and bactereological); and it has leaders crazy enough to be willing to use them". Funny, but this would be the most truthful statement. However, Iran in the absence of any of the above is presented as all of the above.
Use of force to overcome evil — Israel’s desire that there always be blowback evil
The Israel concept that it has the unalienable right to prevent war by waging a superior war, this is akin to the CIA drone program of creating the most perfect terrorism to end all terrorism. For the war-hawk Empire builders grasp the reality that if they are to be successful at forever plundering the world, they need someway to forever control the vengeance driven blowback.
Syria, Iran Disagree on Timetable for Attacking Israel
Canada, Mexico disagree on timetable for attacking USA.
just testing how deep inside Bizarro world we sunk
nuclear missiles are obsolete. Russians can knock out any missile launch
with their plasma beams. According to Clark C. McClelland, former NASA ScO
the Soviet beam Terra-3 shot down the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.
He has a chapter on this in his new book "Stargate Chronicles".
Israel is in mode in bribing EU and US again, they got paid this and last year but BIBI and AIPAC thinks that is not enough. I don't think that Israel would dare to attack Iran in no way, terrorism yes but a real war I don't think so. No matter the Iranian political or social views, Iran have developed its arsenal to the point of almost a modernized military, at the same time USSR and China been helping for last 30 years or so, they do produce(to some degree) their own weapons and weapon system.
Israel – US – EU all are to lose their economic, political and above all their influence in the region, not because of the Iranians but for their own wrong doing for last 50 years in what they call “democracy”.
In general 72% of people in Middle east realize that’ which is the reason for 72% of population in middle east see the US and Israel as their #1 enemy. Saudis and UEA hand in hand with Sarkozi, Swedish, Danish, German and England, the new Liberal fascism in Europe, by creating these little wars here and there sounding their last war drum to keep what they have by using terrorist, barbarians and feudalist groups, therefore they want to change regimes who disagree with their barbarian, terrorist and feudalism idea wanting to establish a feudalist regime taking countries back in time, we have seen the result of such wrong doing by EU – US in Libya. As long as US and EU are not able to see who is the enemy of a functioning democracy in middle east, US – EU and people in middle east will suffer. Look Europe economically is dying, Europe having all kind of social political problems, social poverty is almost 30% , these Liberals job is to save the rich not to work for European people, saving here saving there by not being able to create jobs, entering wars, creating wars is all about saving the rich people and their interests, bet on the fact that by creating these wars they might get something out of it, thus far Libya is giving some dividend, otherwise they are losing in Afghanistan, so their invested creation of war in Syria and planed wars all over the middle east is not.
“In a statement made simply to rattle Israel’s sabers and terrify Iranians, Barak told Israel Radio…”
This type of saber rattling by Israel may terrify the US, but not Iran, as the US may start fearing: Is the stupid bunch in Israel going to get us involved in war again?
nuclear missiles are obsolete. Russians can knock out any missile launch
Using the U.S. governments 'logic' on the justification of pre-emptive war, wouldn't Iran be justified in bombing Israel and the U.S., overthrowing their governments, installing puppet governments of their choice and brutally murdering, indefinitely incarcerating and torturing anyone who resists?
The terror whore state of Israel should f*ck off.
Hi,
At teh end of his third paragraph the author addresses od "Sane and Just war."
Snce when has the mperium of the US worried avout justice and whoever agreed that any war was "Sane?"
War is stupid and wasteful of everythung but human life. But t does make one helluva a population control. What race has pad the majority of the price in the 4 most recent Imperium "Conquests"