Israel Flexes MusclesWith 'Iran attack' Drill. Chimpy Intends to Act Before Term Expires.

[tekisui]

An Israeli air force drill which appeared to be a rehearsal for a potential attack on Iran's nuclear facilities was intended as a deliberate flexing of muscles, military officials said today.

An Israeli political official who is familiar with the drill said that the Iranians should “read the writing on the wall.”

“This was a dress rehearsal, and the Iranians should read the script before they continue with their programme for nuclear weapons. If diplomacy does not yield results, Israel will take military steps to halt Tehran's production of bomb-grade uranium,” the official said.

The report of the drill was first published in the New York Times, which quoted a US Pentagon official who was briefed on it.

More than 100 Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter jets took part in manoeuvres over the eastern Mediterranean and Greece in the first week of June to gear the military for long-range strikes and demonstrate Israel's serious concern over Iran's nuclear ambitions, the US official was quoted as saying.

The report said that the aircrafts flew more than 900 miles, roughly the distance from Israel to Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

"They wanted us to know, they wanted the Europeans to know, and they wanted the Iranians to know…There's a lot of signalling going on at different levels," it said.

The Israeli military issued a statement saying only that the air force “regularly trains for various missions in order to confront and meet the challenges posed by the threats facing Israel.”

Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister, has said he prefers that Iran's nuclear ambitions be halted through diplomacy, but he does not rule out military action.

“Iran must be stopped by all possible means,” Mr Olmert told an American pro-Israel group earlier this month.

Israel has regularly consulted with President Bush on the Iranian nuclear threat. The issue ranked high on the roster Mr Bush’s visit to the region in May.

Following a meeting between Mr Olmert and Mr Bush, the Israeli prime minister said: "We reached agreement on the need to take care of the Iranian threat. I left with a lot less question marks regarding the means, the timetable restrictions and America's resoluteness to deal with the problem. George Bush understands the severity of the Iranian threat and the need to vanquish it, and intends to act on the matter before the end of his term in the White House.”

link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4178960.ece

[Hubert Flottz]

1. Nancy will cover his ass...

All the Joe Lieberman democrats should speak at the GOPer convention.

[tekisui]

2. The US and Israel are at best poking and goading Iran.

They want a war so bad, they are just begging for a reason.

It is sickening.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. Pissed to the max, because Iran said no to the worthless Dollar?

The rest of the world knows too that the Dollar ain't worth a dime anymore.

We are in a world of shit and we can't expect any help from Nancy or wimpy Harry.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

3. the range of those two fighter bombers is too small

to do the round trip without refueling.

since when did we sell the IDF refueling tankers, or are we simply lending them ours?

[tekisui]

4. US to Israel: Our military is your military.

Of course, in Iraq we are saying it to the returning Big Oil Companies.

[hokies4ever]

6. Israeli F-16s barely had enough fuel to attack Saddam's nuclear reactor

I'm sure Iran realizes this too. Israel needs to back down because they will not be successful. Here's an interesting video animation discussing some of the difficulties involved with attacking Iran's underground nuclear facilities:

http://www.ucsusa.org/global_security/nuclear_weapons/nuclear-bunker-buster-rnep-animation.html

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. wow, I just found this site

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/israel/iaf.htm

not only do we supply them with bombs for US made planes, with AWACS technology, but even with Boeing 707s which are converted as refueling planes.

[hokies4ever]

12. But they don't have any B2 bombers

It's clear to me that B2 bombers are needed to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. Also, where would the Israeli jets refuel? They definitely can't refuel over Syrian airspace. I don't think that the Iraqi government will let them refuel over their airspace. I don't know Turkey's stance, but I don't see them putting their neck this much out on the line for Israel.

[Altean Wanderer]

5. Olmert's last quote there - SHIT! n/t

[tekisui]

8. Yep. Olmert's questions answered. It's frightening.

[jimshoes]

9. Because 2 fucked up wars just isn't

enough. Sick, deluded, greed motivated psychos.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Of course, congress will impose sanctions against a country threatening war.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: