Mofaz hints at Netanyahu plan to attack Iran

[Zyzafyx]

Source: The Times of Israel

by David Horovitz, July 23

Israel’s opposition leader Shaul Mofaz, who until last week served as deputy prime minister to Benjamin Netanyahu, gave a broad hint on Monday that the prime minister intends to launch a military strike against Iran.

Mofaz, who led his Kadima party out of the coalition last week, declared that Kadima wanted no part in “operational adventures” planned by Netanyahu, which he said would endanger Israelis.

“Kadima will not set out on operational adventures that will endanger the future of our young women and young men and the future of the citizens of Israel in the State of Israel,” said Mofaz, a former chief of the General Staff and defense minister.

Mofaz was speaking after a bid by four members of his party to rejoin the Netanyahu coalition had been stymied. He is now working to evict the rebels from Kadima.

Read more: http://www.timesofisrael.com/mofaz-hints-at-netanyahu-plan-to-attack-iran/#.UA24uIJQLJM.email

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This item does not involve Palestine. It pertains to Israel, Iran, and probably us.

[Posteritatis]

1. Iran Invasion Any Minute Now, Ep. MMMDCXCI. (nt)

[SILVER__FOX52]

2. Netanyahu.....................

has got to go. He is dangerous and I believe, he is mentally ill.

[leveymg]

3. Haven't we had enough optional wars and mass murder?

Really?

[Betty Jo]

4. Romney and Netanyahu and Orit Gadiesh

Romney and Netanyahu are old Boston buddies.The pretty Bain Director,Orit Gadiesh,former Israli Defense Force Intelligence Officer who followed Mitt to Massachusetts to be his transition leader may well become Americas first female Secretary of Defense,or CIA head.She says she wants a Palestiian State,but I dont know how she feels about a war with Iran.The three are all Harvard Bizzes.I wonder if she and Ann get along?

[David__77]

5. Things are getting worse, not better, in that part of the world.

I really hope that no one launches any attacks against any of the states in that region. It would be ideal if parties would agree to an international peace conference without precondition.

[Ghost Dog]

6. "Operational adventures will endanger the future..." But Netanyahu discounts painful retaliation:

Last edited Tue Jul 24, 2012, 06:17 AM - Edit history (2)

Citing a number of officials and reports, the New York Times said that estimates that a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities “would set off a catastrophic series of events” is considered by some to be “partly a bluff,” and that these estimates are accepted at the top levels of the Israeli government.

...

One retired official told the New York Times that based on past scenarios including threats from Saddam Hussein to “burn half of Israel,” and threats from Hezbollah which resulted in limited harm to Israel, “If you put all those retaliations together and add in the terrorism of recent years, we are probably facing some multiple of that.”

“I’m not saying Iran will not react. But it will be nothing like London during World War Two,” the New York Times reported the official as saying, citing an internal report.

/... http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-officials-think-iran-retaliation-threat-is-a-bluff-nyt-reports-1.409465

Or...

Analysts agree that the scale and nature of Iran’s response will depend on many unpredictable factors, including the degree to which Tehran views Washington as having approved an Israeli strike.

The general assumption is that Iran would ask the Islamist militant groups Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon to fire rockets at Israeli population centers. Tehran also probably would launch some of its own long-range Shahab-3 missiles while sponsoring terrorist attacks against Israeli embassies and Jewish soft targets around the world.

Analysts disagree, however, about whether Iran would act against U.S. interests and other third parties in the region, given that all-out retaliation could draw an overwhelming U.S. response and dampen international sympathy in the aftermath of an Israeli attack.

“In Iran, there is this belief and perception that U.S. and Israeli interests in the Middle East are almost identical and convergent, so if Israel attacks Iran, Tehran will believe that the U.S. gave Israel the green light,” said Alireza Nader, senior international policy analyst at the Rand Corp. and co-author of “Israel and Iran: A Dangerous Rivalry.”

Mr. Nader said Iran might “play the victim” and offer limited retaliation against Israel, then exploit international outrage to kick out U.N. nuclear inspectors and restart its nuclear program.
But, he added: “All these things are very hard to tell because war doesn’t always go according to plan, and the situation could escalate out of control.” ...

/... http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/apr/2/iran-will-retaliate-if-attacked-but-how/?page=all

So...

This is where the bargaining gets really tricky. Both the Israelis and the Americans would prefer to do as little of the heavy lifting themselves, and to reap as many of the benefits as possible. Each country has a different calculus of its goals and capabilities, and each may find itself compelled to act under different circumstances. Needless to say, the actions of each influence the other.

On the Israeli side, domestic political considerations also weigh in. Last week, the largest party in the Israeli Knesset (parliament), Kadima, left the coalition, which it had joined barely two months ago. While this was due to a domestic intrigue, it will most likely lead to elections early next year, and will put pressure on Barak and his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to deliver on their promises to stop the Iranian nuclear program. Moreover, the exit from the top decision-making panel of Kadima's head, Shaul Mofaz, can be seen as conducive to rash military action. Mofaz, a Persian Jew born in Iran and a former chief of staff of the Israeli army, was widely perceived as a moderating influence when it comes to Iran.

Overall, it is hard not to agree with the acclaimed economist Nouriel Roubini, who predicted earlier this month that a "perfect (economic) storm scenario" was "unfolding," in part due to the high likelihood of large-scale violence in the Middle East. While it is not yet completely clear who the main actors would be - and whether Israel would be directly involved - the likelihood that the various diplomatic negotiations will succeed grows slimmer with each day that passes. Conversely, the danger of a regional war increases...

/... http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/NG25Ak01.html

[nanabugg]

7. Just in time for Mitt's visit so he can make his suck-up declaration of support for attacking Iran.

If Israel attacks, the US should just stay the f... out it. We no longer have the ME dictators to support us.