Israel to brief Bush on options for Iran strike during visit

[unhappycamper]

Israel to brief Bush on options for Iran strike during visit
John Byrne
Published: Monday January 7, 2008

In the midst of a highly competitive US presidential race, events occurring in the Middle East are threatening to take center stage.

As CNN reported Monday, a US Navy vessel was given orders to fire on an Iranian ship which purportedly threatened to "explode" it and was dropping white boxes in the water. Meanwhile, a little noticed report in the UK press gives new fears to those who believe the US is still considering mounting an attack on Iran.

Israel security officials are set to brief President Bush on their "Iran file" regarding the country's alleged nuclear weapons program "and how it could be destroyed - when he begins a tour of the Middle East in Jerusalem this week," the UK Times Uzi Mahnaimi reported Sunday.

"Ehud Barak, the defence minister, is said to want to convince him that an Israeli military strike against uranium enrichment facilities in Iran would be feasible if diplomatic efforts failed to halt nuclear operations," the paper added. "A range of military options has been prepared."

Despite a US National Intelligence Estimate last month which asserted that Iran abandoned a secret nuclear weapons program in 2003, Israel believes the program has been restarted. Still, the evidence largely matches the US estimate.


Rest of article at: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Israel_to_brief_Bush_on_options_0107.html

[Swamp Rat]

1. 2008 is going to be an interesting year.