Saudis give nod to possible Israeli raid on Iran

[Adeel]

July 5, 2009
Saudis give nod to Israeli raid on Iran
Uzi Mahnaimi in Tel Aviv and Sarah Baxter

The head of Mossad, Israels overseas intelligence service, has assured Benjamin Netanyahu, its prime minister, that Saudi Arabia would turn a blind eye to Israeli jets flying over the kingdom during any future raid on Irans nuclear sites.

Earlier this year Meir Dagan, Mossads director since 2002, held secret talks with Saudi officials to discuss the possibility.

The Israeli press has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including Ehud Olmert, the former prime minister, held meetings with Saudi colleagues. The reports were denied by Saudi officials.

The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia, a diplomatic source said last week.

Although the countries have no formal diplomatic relations, an Israeli defence source confirmed that Mossad maintained working relations with the Saudis.

John Bolton, the former US ambassador to the United Nations who recently visited the Gulf, said it was entirely logical for the Israelis to use Saudi airspace.

Bolton, who has talked to several Arab leaders, added: None of them would say anything about it publicly but they would certainly acquiesce in an overflight if the Israelis didnt trumpet it as a big success.

Arab states would condemn a raid when they spoke at the UN but would be privately relieved to see the threat of an Iranian bomb removed, he said.

Referring to the Israeli attack on an alleged Syrian nuclear facility in 2007, Bolton added: To this day, the Israelis havent admitted the specifics but theres one less nuclear facility in Syria . . .

Recent developments have underscored concerns among moderate Sunni Arab states about the stability of the repressive Shiite regime in Tehran and have increased fears that it may emerge as a belligerent nuclear power.

The Saudis are very concerned about an Iranian nuclear bomb, even more than the Israelis, said a former head of research in Israeli intelligence.

The Israeli air force has been training for a possible attack on Irans nuclear site at Natanz in the centre of the country and other locations for four years.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/w ... 638568.ece

 

[sagaciouscorpion]

@Adeel

I have been keepin an eye on the Jerusalem Post as I feel that the time of the fulfillment of the prophecies is just round the corner...

This might be interesting for you...

IAF to train overseas for Iran strike op

Jul. 5, 2009
yaakov katz and ap , THE JERUSALEM POST
On the day that US Vice President Joe Biden seemed to give Israel a green light for military action to eliminate Iran's nuclear threat, The Jerusalem Post learned that the IAF plans to participate in aerial exercises in the US and Europe in the coming months with the aim of training its pilots for long-range flights.

Biden was asked on ABC's This Week whether the US would stand in the way militarily if the Israelis decided they needed to take out Iran's nuclear program.

The US "cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do," he said.

"Israel can determine for itself - it's a sovereign nation - what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," he said in an interview broadcast Sunday.

"Whether we agree or not, they're entitled to do that. Any sovereign nation is entitled to do that. But there is no pressure from any nation that's going to alter our behavior as to how to proceed," Biden added.

"If the Netanyahu government decides to take a course of action different than the one being pursued now, that is their sovereign right to do that. That is not our choice," he said.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government says it prefers to see Iran's nuclear program stopped through diplomacy, but has not ruled out a military strike.

Asked about Biden's comments, Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US position on Iran and a military strike involved a "political decision."

"I have been, for some time, concerned about any strike on Iran. I worry about it being very destabilizing, not just in and of itself but unintended consequences of a strike like that," Mullen said on CBS's Face the Nation.

"At the same time, I'm one that thinks Iran should not have nuclear weapons. I think that is very destabilizing," he said.

IAF planes will take part this year in a joint aerial exercise with a NATO-member state that cannot be identified.

In addition, later this month, the air force will send F-16C fighter jets to participate in the Red Flag exercise at the Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. At the same time, several of the IAF's C-130 Hercules transport aircraft will participate in the Rodeo 2009 competition at the McChord Air Force Base in Washington state.

Defense officials said the overseas exercises would be used to drill long-range maneuvers. Last summer, more than 100 IAF jets flew over Greece in what was viewed as a test-run for a potential strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Israel has a number of defense pacts with countries under which the air force is allowed to fly in foreign airspace. In May, the French newsweekly L'Express reported that the IAF had staged military exercises over Gibraltar, some 4,000 km. away from Israel.

In 2006, then-defense minister Shaul Mofaz signed a five-year cooperation agreement allowing IDF forces to deploy in Romania for joint training exercises. In 1996, Israel and Turkey signed a bilateral defense alliance allowing their air forces to fly in each other's airspace.

The IAF did not participate in the recent multi-nation Anatolian Eagle aerial exercise in Turkey, "but defense officials said that the absence was not due to tensions between the countries sparked by Operation Cast Lead earlier this year."

Israel's rare absence from the exercise earlier this month drew attention and was reported on by the Turkish media. Another and larger Anatolian Eagle exercise will be held later this year. Israel has yet to announce if it will participate.

In the recent exercise, 83 jets drilled live bombing runs under a simulated surface-to-air threat environment.

On Sunday, the London Sunday Times reported that Saudi Arabia would allow IAF jets to fly over the kingdom during any strike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

According to the report, Mossad chief Meir Dagan held talks with Saudi officials earlier this year on the topic and recently conveyed news of the green light to Netanyahu.

The Prime Minister's Office issued an official denial on Sunday morning, saying the report was "completely false and baseless."

The Israeli media has already carried unconfirmed reports that high-ranking officials, including former prime minister Ehud Olmert, held meetings with Saudi officials, but the kingdom has denied the reports.

"The Saudis have tacitly agreed to the Israeli air force flying through their airspace on a mission which is supposed to be in the common interests of both Israel and Saudi Arabia," the Sunday Times quoted a diplomatic source as saying.

Former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton, who recently visited the Gulf, said it was "entirely logical" for the Israelis to use Saudi airspace.

Bolton, who has talked recently to a number of Arab leaders, added: "None of them would say anything about it publicly, but they would certainly acquiesce in an overflight if the Israelis didn't trumpet it as a big success."

Arab states would publicly condemn a raid when they spoke at the UN, but would be privately relieved to see the threat of an Iranian bomb removed, Bolton said.

While most experts are in agreement that there's a good chance Iran could have a usable nuclear bomb sometime during his presidency, President Barack Obama told The Associated Press in an interview Thursday, "I'm not reconciled with that."

A nuclear-armed Iran, Obama said, "probably would lead to an arms race in the volatile Mideast and that would be "a recipe for potential disaster."

He said opposing a nuclear weapons capacity for Iran was more than just "a US position" and that "the biggest concern is not simply that Iran can threaten us or our allies, like Israel or its neighbors."

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443724418&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

 

[sagaciouscorpion]

and this ...

Sub seen returning to Israel via Suez

Jul. 5, 2009
Yaakov Katz and JPost.com staff , THE JERUSALEM POST
An IDF Navy Dolphin-class submarine that participated in maneuvers off the Eilat coast last week returned to Israel via the Suez Canal on Sunday according to witnesses' reports.

The submarine was spotted returning through the waterway along with an Israeli missile boat.

However, an Israeli defense official told Reuters there would be no permanent deployment in Eilat of the German-made submarines, of which the Navy has three, with two more on order.

"If anything, we are scaling down our naval operations in Eilat," the official was quoted as saying on Sunday.

A senior naval source explained that the "submarines need the open water, and that's just not available at Eilat."

"Also, the navy cannot take on the logistical burden of setting up two bases, with all the specialized needs in terms of equipment, maintenance crews and security safeguards, for a submarine fleet that, at most, will comprise five Dolphins," he told the news agency.

On Friday, The Jerusalem Post was first to reveal that in a possible signal to Iran, the Israeli Navy returned to sailing through the Suez Canal after a long hiatus, and recently sent an advanced submarine through the canal to participate in a drill in the Red Sea.

IDF sources said the decision to allow navy vessels to sail through the canal was made recently and was a definite "change of policy" within the service. In 2005, then OC Navy Adm. David Ben-Bashat decided to stop sending Israeli ships through the canal due to growing threats in the area.

However, the Dolphin-class submarine sailed through last month to get from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Israeli officials said it passed through the canal above water, and that it was not done covertly.

"It is a question of policy," a senior officer explained. "Navy vessels have sailed through the canal on several occasions recently."

The significance of the move was debatable, but it could be interpreted as a message to Iran and a demonstration of strengthening ties between Egypt and Israel.

In the event of a conflict with Iran, and if Israel decided to involve its three Dolphin-class submarines - which according to foreign reports can fire nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and serve as a second-strike platform - the quickest route would be to send them through the Suez Canal.

The only way to get to the Gulf of Oman without refueling would be to go through the canal. With their reported 4,500 nautical mile range, taking the long way, around Africa, would require the Dolphins to make at least two stops for refueling at a friendly port, or for fuel to be replenished at sea.

This article can also be read at http://www.jpost.com /servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443726415&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

 

[Adeel]

From what i know, The Saudi's and Iranians have had a long history of feuding.

Boiling down the Sunni-Shia violence.

Shia's have long tried to desecrate and at the same time capture Makkah. Not to mention alot of their Politicians and leaders saying disgusting things about Sunni Muslims and the history of Islam.

Where Saudi's feel these Shia's are sponsored by the Iranians.

Whether that is actually the case, Allah (SWT) Knows best.

I doubt Israel will go to war with Iran, it will more likely to it's infamous bombing raids over Iran like they have done with Syria and Lebanon in recent years.

It's armed forces will not be able to even get to Iran, so it's restricted to espionage and the Aerial route.

 

[raju]

OK, so lets say Israel does bomb Iran.

Will that be the end of the story, and everybody lives happily for ever afterwards - just like the story books?

Or do you think that, with ever increasing technology along with communications such as those via the internet, it is only a matter of time until everyone and their dog will have the knowhow to build nuclear weapons?

And how much will an Israeli raid have destroyed? a few installations? a few nuclear facilities?

All that an Israeli raid will do is to create a short setback and to make the Iranians even more determined to get nuclear weapons and take revenge - upon Israel and those Arab countries and their Rulers who facilitated this attack.

Iran in 2009, in terms of Nuclear knowhow, is not the same as Saddam's Iraq in 1981, with it's one nuclear site being build by non-Iraqi's.

All that an Israeli attack on Iran will do is to set in motion a guaranteed revenge attack by Iran on Israel, maybe not tomorrow, but in 2 or 5 or 10 or....years time.
And then Israel will use it's Nuclear arsenal in response......
.
.Welcome to the beginnings of a nuclear devastated Middle East.