New Concerns That Israel Is Close To Striking Iran's Nuclear Facilities

[Anomalocaris]

I don't think Iran is playing at hostility with isreal solely for domestic political purposes. I think Iran is genuinely following a long term policy with twin objectives of consolidating Iranian control over all of Shiite fractions in the middleeast, and weakening and fragmenting the power and influence of the Sunni regimes in the region.

Iran is picking fights with Isreal mainly for the purpose of whipping popular Arab and Muslim resentment, including Sunni resentment, so as to destabilize the west leaning governments of Saudi Arabia and gulf shiekdoms. In the long run collapse and fragmentation of Saudi Arabia and gulf shiekdoms under Sunni Wahhabi influence will change the landscape in favor of Iran far more than anything Israel can do to hurt Iran. If Iran succeeds, even the power of the united states can't keep the fruit of the landscape change from Iran for more than a few years.

[Justtristo]

This has the potential of becoming a great disaster. By all rights Israel has every reason to be concerned about Iran's nuclear facilities and has every right to defend itself. By the same token this whole war scenario could quite possibly expand to draw in other Arab Middle Eastern countries along with Russia and China, the United States and Great Britain, all who have vested interests in the region.

Possibly a great disaster for Iran, however not for Israel. Because Israel's military is the strongest in the Middle East by a big margin.

Although I do believe if Israel decides to strike Iran's nuclear weapons capability. It would be a lot like when Israel destroyed Iraq's nuclear weapons capability back in the 1980's.

[Anomalocaris]

You place too much faith in hard military power. The scenario Iran wants to create is far isreal, after hitting some Iranian nuclear installation, be then drawn into an endless medium intensity war against groups like hazballah, which are well organized, well supplied, fanatical irregulars in tactically oriented guerrilla movement with nation state sponsor ship, more like Vietcong than al Qaeda.

Israel will be compelled to use hugely costly hard power weapons to strike at cheap fanatics, inflicting collateral casualties with each blow, thus at once incensing muslim public opinions and enlarging the pool of volunteer fanatics with each blow, and forcing Israel in a trap whose other side is Israel's own domestic political reason. Isreal would be compelled for domestic political reason to keep trying to score tactical victories of the sort that puts strategic victory further and further out of reach.

While Israel is thus fully and expensively engaged, Iran would only need to drip in low cost weapon and cheap training to its deniable proxies to keep it going. But all the time, the west leaning despotic Sunni regimes would find itself ever more between a rock - western pressure to not give into anti-Israel public sentiment, and a hard place - domestic anti-Israeli sentiment and the extremist groups it spawns.

Iran is counting on the fact that those west leaning despotic Sunni regimes will be the first to crack in this complex game.

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Over the last few years, Iranian has been very cunning in supplying its proxy guerillas with the sort of weapon and tactics that forces Israel to make massively disproportionate countermeasures.

For example, they gave hazballah a single Chinese made anti ship missile they purchased in the 1990s. This missile hit and badly damaged on Israeli corvette. Who would have thought a rag tag band of guerilla would be able to fire a sophisticated sea skimming missile at a state of the art vessel from a real navy? All of a sudden every Israeli patrol boat must be equipped with multimillion dollar missile defense systems. Who knows whether the hazballah has another such missile.

They gave hazballah a single Russian smart mine. The mine blew up a merkava 5 tank and killed everyone inside. Who would have thought a rag tag band of guerillas would be able to utterly demolish one of the world's strongest tanks? All of a sudden every Israeli patrol must be circumspect and screen its tanks with vulnerable infantry

Israeli military is well equipped and enjoy superiority in one type if war. Iranians are very cunning in forcing another type of war upon the Israelis in which they enjoy no overall advantage.

[The Grand Nudger]

"Who would have thought"-

Anyone with a brain?.... Traditional warfare has gone the way of the dodo. You either go (a) very high tech, or (b) very low tech. The only room left in the middle is occupation. As you've said, complicated game. I would be hugely surprised if anyone in Isreali command was surprised by either of those attacks or their success. Trouble is (and this is a problem for many nations armed forces), they have alot of resources invested into current equipment and tactics, and they're much more willing to spend a little extra (billions is a "little extra" to retrofit) to make old equipment continue to serve than they are to entirely change the way they fight wars.

[Minimalist]

Because Israel's military is the strongest in the Middle East by a big margin.

We overran Iraq in 3 weeks and then stood around with our thumbs up our asses for 7 years while 40,000 guys got their balls blown off by a bunch of towel heads. All of this because Fearless Leader didn't have a fucking clue.

And Romney is stupid enough to repeat the mistake in Iran.

[A Theist]

This has the potential of becoming a great disaster. By all rights Israel has every reason to be concerned about Iran's nuclear facilities and has every right to defend itself. By the same token this whole war scenario could quite possibly expand to draw in other Arab Middle Eastern countries along with Russia and China, the United States and Great Britain, all who have vested interests in the region.

Possibly a great disaster for Iran, however not for Israel. Because Israel's military is the strongest in the Middle East by a big margin.

Although I do believe if Israel decides to strike Iran's nuclear weapons capability. It would be a lot like when Israel destroyed Iraq's nuclear weapons capability back in the 1980's.

Israel has one of the most powerful and experienced airforces in the world. I've seen it placed as high as third place behind the United States and Russia. My only concern is that a war between Iran and Israel will not be contained to just between those two countries. I believe it has a real possibility to draw in Russia, China, the United States, Great Britain and other countries who have vested interests in that region.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

“If there is ever a fascist takeover in America, it will come not in the form of storm troopers kicking down doors but with lawyers and social workers saying. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help.” ― Jonah Goldberg

OR:

“When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism’” – An uncredited New York Times reporter covering Halford E. Luccock in an article published September 12, 1938.

When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and waving a cross,” possibly attributed to Sinclair Lewis or Huey Long.

[popeyespappy]

Possibly a great disaster for Iran, however not for Israel. Because Israel's military is the strongest in the Middle East by a big margin.

Although I do believe if Israel decides to strike Iran's nuclear weapons capability. It would be a lot like when Israel destroyed Iraq's nuclear weapons capability back in the 1980's.

Israel has one of the most powerful and experienced airforces in the world. I've seen it placed as high as third place behind the United States and Russia. My only concern is that a war between Iran and Israel will not be contained to just between those two countries. I believe it has a real possibility to draw in Russia, China, the United States, Great Britain and other countries who have vested interests in that region.

While I don’t doubt that Israel could destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities if they really tried, any such effort would likely be very different in both execution and sustained loses than their attack against the target in Iraq 30 years ago. Iran currently fields one of the most extensive and advanced integrated air defense systems on the planet. Iranian command and control is better, their radars are much better and their weapons are both more numerous and more effective that what was available to Iraq in 1981.

Israel has a large and well trained air force, but the technology it has at its disposal isn’t much different than what they used against Iraq 30 years ago. They don’t currently have any attack aircraft with the stealth technology the US used to suppress the Iraqi air defense systems in the first Gulf war. If Israel wants to guarantee the destruction of Iran’s nuclear facilities they are going to have to bring a large force. The Iranians are probably going to see them coming, and the Israeli attack force would most likely sustain heavy losses as a result. That whole scenario is quite a bit different than their attack against Iraq when they came with a small force and suffered zero losses.

[Cato]

Ah yes, it's all coming into focus now. Let's put aside our differences and trust a dude that wears magic underwear. The wearer (Mormon) believes that the properly embroidered skivvies will protect the wearer from spiritual and/or physical threats.

I understand that you don't like Obama. I don't either, but for reasons you couldn't possibly understand. You, being hell bent on voting Obama out, must champion the magic underwear guy.

Aahhhhhhh, Uhhhhhhhh, Whewwwwwww....this takes my breathe away.

[A Theist]

Ah yes, it's all coming into focus now. Let's put aside our differences and trust a dude that wears magic underwear. The wearer (Mormon) believes that the properly embroidered skivvies will protect the wearer from spiritual and/or physical threats.

I understand that you don't like Obama. I don't either, but for reasons you couldn't possibly understand. You, being hell bent on voting Obama out, must champion the magic underwear guy.

Aahhhhhhh, Uhhhhhhhh, Whewwwwwww....this takes my breathe away.

....yeah well, I'll take the Mormon over the Moron who currently has his ass parked in the president's chair at the White House. Must be a real bummer for you lefties to realize that your leftwing messiah can't walk on water after all.

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“If there is ever a fascist takeover in America, it will come not in the form of storm troopers kicking down doors but with lawyers and social workers saying. "I'm from the government and I'm here to help.” ― Jonah Goldberg

OR:

“When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labeled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism’” – An uncredited New York Times reporter covering Halford E. Luccock in an article published September 12, 1938.

When fascism comes to America, it will come wrapped in the flag and waving a cross,” possibly attributed to Sinclair Lewis or Huey Long.

“Socialism provides safety in numbers. And that’s OK, if you don’t mind trading your name—your identity and individualism—for a number. 
”
― Jarod Kintz,

OR:

“Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
― Winston Churchill