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Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and U.S. President George W. Bush. (Amos Ben Gershom)
Last update - 13:26 13/07/2008
Report: Pentagon official says Israel has 'amber light' for Iran strike
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Iran, Israel, nuclear attack 

U.S. President George W. Bush has given Israel an "amber light" to begin preparations for a military attack on Iran, a Pentagon official told The Sunday Times this week.

"Amber means get on with your preparations, stand by for immediate attack and tell us when you're ready," the official said.

The official told the Times that Bush informed the Israeli government he would back an Israeli plan to strike Iran's main nuclear sites with long-range aerial weapons if diplomatic talks over Tehran's contentious atomic program broke down.
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Bush's voice of support comes despite U.S. military officials' opposition to the risks of an aerial strike on Iran, the official told The Times. However, the U.S. would not deploy American forces for such a strike nor would Israel be able to depend on U.S. military bases in Iraq for logistical support, the official said.

The U.S. would not necessarily give the "green" light for an attack without unquestionable proof that Iran is involved in military preparations of its own, the official told The Times.

Iran last week test launched a series of medium-range ballistic missiles it claimed were capable of striking Israel. The tests were seen as provocative and prompted Israel to showcase its Eitam plane, released last year, which it said is capable of spying on Iran.

An image surfaced in all the major media outlets on the day Iran announced its first round of test launches, depicting four missiles being fired simultaneously.

However, the AFP and the Associated Press subsequently retracted the photo and replaced it with an image containing only three missiles.
After being shown the photograph by AFP, Mark Fitzpatrick of the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies said "it very much does appear that Iran doctored the photo to cover up what apparently was a misfiring of one of the missiles."

Ahmadinejad: Iran will 'cut hands' off anyone who tries to attack

Iran's president said that even before its enemies "get their hands on the trigger" the country's military would cut them off, media said on
Sunday, in an escalating war of words that has stoked Middle East tension.

The comments by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came a day after a senior Iranian official said Iran would strike Israel and U.S. bases in the region if the Islamic Republic was attacked over its disputed nuclear program.

"Before the enemies get their hands on the trigger the armed forces will cut off their hands," the official IRNA news agency quoted Ahmadinejad as telling reporters.

Israel, long assumed to have its own atomic arsenal, has sworn to prevent Iran from emerging as a nuclear-armed power.

Last month Israel staged an air force exercise that stoked speculation about a possible assault on Iranian nuclear sites.

Iran has vowed to strike back at Tel Aviv, as well as U.S. interests and shipping, if it is attacked, asserting that missiles fired during wargames last week included ones that could hit Israel and U.S. bases in the region.

Ahmadinejad said the weaponry displayed in the Revolutionary Guards' missile exercise, which was condemned by Western powers, was only a small part of Iran's defense capability.

"In the event of necessity, additional parts of our defence capability will be put on display for the world to see," the president said.

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  • VIDEO: Iran test fires missiles said to be capable of hitting Israel
  • Defense Minister Barak: Israel isn't afraid to take action against Iran
  • Did Iran doctor an image of its missile test launch?
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      1.   GO FOR IT 08:42  |  Paul 13/07/08
      2.   would be a huge mistake... 08:44  |  bashar 13/07/08
      3.   May G-d bless the IDF 08:48  |  Meir Weinstein 13/07/08
      4.   Israeli strike on Iran 08:50  |  Steve 13/07/08
      5.   Bush thinks 08:55  |  Guy From NYC 13/07/08
      6.   iranian missiles are duds 08:55  |  the gay imam 13/07/08
      7.   Bush thinks 08:56  |  Guy From NYC 13/07/08
      8.   Not up to Israel 09:00  |  Ron 13/07/08
      9.   Call on Iran`s bluffing and go for it!! 09:04  |  ScotGuy 13/07/08
      10.   Amber light 09:06  |  Geoff 13/07/08
      11.   Bush oversees the downfall of the American hegemony 09:07  |  Natallie Durson 13/07/08
      12.   What part of there won`t be Holocaust II don`t you understand? 09:20  |  Dan 13/07/08
      13.   why not? 09:24  |  Fauna 13/07/08
      14.   America`s colors 09:25  |  MR 13/07/08
      15.   IRAN WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH 09:26  |  Fred 13/07/08
      16.   US wont have a choice, Iran and proxies will 09:33  |  Fred 13/07/08
      17.   Quote "get on with your preparations" 09:37  |  Joseph.E 13/07/08
      18.   Blowback Probably Will Suck US In -- Fair After the 39 SCUDs 09:40  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 13/07/08
      19.   Feel free to commit suicide 09:42  |  spyguy 13/07/08
      20.   Shakespearian climax 09:48  |  allang 13/07/08
      21.   Bush got the Persian Empire on a roll 09:51  |  someone 13/07/08
      22.   People 09:52  |  Yosemite 13/07/08
      23.   BUSH: STUPIDEST AND WORST PRESIDENT EVER! 09:55  |  Samy 13/07/08
      24.   #15 ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE NOT EVIL? 09:58  |  someone 13/07/08
      25.   Who would tell the Sunday Times anything? 10:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/07/08
      26.   settle down 10:14  |  nyc christian 13/07/08
      27.   #16 Samy: Too much energy spent on hating 10:19  |  Sami 13/07/08
      28.   america cant learn from history... 10:21  |  ravi 13/07/08
      29.   Total FABRICATION 10:21  |  candida 13/07/08
      30.   Title deleted by moderator 10:22  |  notjewnotmuslim 13/07/08
      31.   #11 Ms Durson self appointed spokesperson of USA 10:23  |  Elly 13/07/08
      32.   natallie... youre stuck... 10:25  |  ravi 13/07/08
      33.   Israel can be bought for Money 10:26  |  Steve 13/07/08
      34.   Oh WHAT are these idiots playing at? 10:28  |  Colin Wright 13/07/08
      35.   fear 10:33  |  rob 13/07/08
      36.   WORDS OF WISDOM! 10:36  |  Cyrus the Great 13/07/08
      37.   re Fred #15 `IRAN WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH` 10:39  |  Colin Wright 13/07/08
      38.   Ah...freshly delivered buffalo droppings, hot and steaming 10:40  |  Clickfool 13/07/08
      39.   Iran has no interest in nuking Israel 10:41  |  Tulip 13/07/08
      40.   next comes green 10:43  |  Gregor 13/07/08
      41.   WORDS OF WISDOM! (2) 10:45  |  Cyrus the Great 13/07/08
      42.   Who`s controlling the stoplights at the intersection? 10:45  |  Tzfonit 13/07/08
      43.   The desperation of newspapers 10:46  |  Clickfool 13/07/08
      44.   re Ovadiah #18 `Blowback.` 10:47  |  Colin Wright 13/07/08
      45.   For Natallie Durson, on Danegeld # 11 10:50  |  Clickfool 13/07/08
      46.   The entire world will explode due to ME idiots (and Bush!) 11:00  |  Aaron 13/07/08
      47.   It comes down to McCain or Obama... 11:01  |  YZK 13/07/08
      48.   Who really is COLIN WRIGHT? 11:10  |  Michael 13/07/08
      49.   Americas role? 11:11  |  Natallie Durson 13/07/08
      50.   BUSH WAS JUST LIKE A MODERN CRAZY NERO 11:13  |  indrajaya 13/07/08
      51.   TEL AVIV BURNING 11:13  |  indrajaya 13/07/08
      52.   my son to me you`re a captain but by a captain you`re no captain 11:20  |  Nate 13/07/08
      53.   To # 1 11:23  |  Israeli Guy 13/07/08
      54.   Unnecessary war which only Iran can prevent 11:33  |  Realist 13/07/08
      55.   Amber Clouds of War on the horizon. 11:47  |  Stephen. 13/07/08
      56.   For all the for and against... 11:47  |  David Nigel Braham 13/07/08
      57.   TURNING up the heat on the Mulllahs.You signed the NPT 11:48  |  PETER SM 13/07/08
      58.   Answering Margie in Tel Aviv # 25 12:07  |  Clickfool 13/07/08
      59.   Israeli Guy - You were not paying attention 12:10  |  Natallie Durson 13/07/08
      60.   Reality check for Elly # 31 12:11  |  Clickfool 13/07/08
      61.   To # 49 Indrajaya 12:13  |  California Bear 13/07/08
      62.   True headline. Pentagon official says `don`t attack` 12:13  |  Michael 13/07/08
      63.   Rebuilding Tel Aviv, Indrajaya? 12:17  |  Tulip 13/07/08
      64.   Iranian Buffoons? 12:17  |  A. J. Myers 13/07/08
      65.   amber alert for Israel 12:24  |  Iranian-american 13/07/08
      66.   For Cyrus the Great # 36 12:26  |  Clickfool 13/07/08
      67.   How colors start wars 12:28  |  Iranian-american 13/07/08
      68.   US,Israelwould say`start to countdown`if theywere aboutto attack? 12:29  |  Marco 13/07/08
      69.   Bomb the evil terror state now! 12:39  |  de jong 13/07/08
      70. &nb