Former Mossad chief: Israel air strike on Iran 'stupidest thing I have ever heard'
In first public appearance since leaving post as Mossad chief, Meir Dagan warns of regional war if Iran is attacked; says fall of Assad regime would benefit Israel.
By Yossi Melman Tags: Iran Iran nuclearFormer Mossad chief Meir Dagan referred to the possibility a future Israeli Air Force attack on Iranian nuclear facilities as "the stupidest thing I have ever heard" during a conference held at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem on Friday.
Dagan's presentation during a senior faculty conference was his first public appearance since leaving his former role as chief of the Mossad at the end of September 2010.
Dagan said that Iran has a clandestine nuclear infrastructure which functions alongside its legitimate, civil infrastructure. It is the legitimate infrastructure, he said, that is under international supervision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Any strike on this legitimate infrastructure would be "patently illegal under international law," according to Dagan.
Dagan emphasized that attacking Iran would be different than Israel's successful air strike on Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981. Iran has scattered its nuclear facilities in different places around the country, he said, which would make it difficult for Israel to launch an effective attack.
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Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan |
| Photo by: Nir Keidar |
According to Dagan, there is proof that Iran has the capability to divert its nuclear activities from place to place in order to take them out of the watchful eye of international supervision and intelligence agencies. No one in Iran would have any problems in building a centrifuge system in a school basement if they wished to, he said.
The IAF's abilities are not in doubt, Dagan emphasized, but the doubts relate to the possibilities of completing the mission and reaching all targets.
When asked about what would happen in the aftermath of an Israeli attack Dagan said that: "It will be followed by a war with Iran. It is the kind of thing where we know how it starts, but not how it will end."
The Iranians have the capability to fire rockets at Israel for a period of months, and Hizbollah could fire tens of thousands of grad rockets and hundreds of long-range missiles, he said.
At the same time, Tehran can activate Hamas, and there is also a danger that Syria will join the war, Dagan added.
The former Mossad chief expressed disagreement with the opinions of pundits regarding the uprisings across the Middle East since the beginning of 2011 saying that "there is no tsunami of change in the Middle East." He added that events "historical schisms within Arab society."
What sparked the Egyptian people to mass protest on the street was not an "internet revolution," especially considering the fact that most Egyptians do not have computers. In Eygpt, there was no revolution, but regime change, according to Dagan, and he is convinced that there is no chance that the Muslim Brotherhood will gain power because of fears that their taking power will damage the Egyptian economy, particularly income from tourism and U.S. aid.
It will be better for Israel if Syrian President Bashar Assad is removed from power because this will stop help to Hizbollah, and weaken Iranian influence, Dagan said in regards to the situation in Syria. It will also strengthen the Sunni camp in Syria and in the Arab world in general, and these things will be good for Israel strategically, he added.
Dagan believes that Assad will fight to the end. "He has no alternative. It's victory or death," Dagan stated.
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Iran repetedly declared that they are not interested in posessing nuclear weapons. Israel is paranoid in this topic. The civil nuclear program is fully legal and above that there isn't anything. Why are Israelis fearing everybody in the latest weeks? Is this the expression of the progressing isolation in the world? Not Iran is the threat for safety of the region: Israel is! It has been 2 decades ago, Iran fighting a war against the dictator saddam. In self-defense, they had been attaced. Since then Iran has been in peace. But Israel has been in war for half a century. And there is discord with all of its neighbours! ALL!
shows he has not been listening to Netanyahu, Lieberman Regev and Barak.
He has been taking a lot of lumps with his wars and domestic policies. If the economy does not improve by the fall of 2012 the only other option is to do something that Americans will rally behind. Mr. Obama, the champion narcissist that he is, will be unable to resist such an opportunity.
If Barak and Dagan say it's not possible, then watch out Iran.
it's rare to find one of them in Israel's political arena these days..
The information he provides is common knowledge to newspaper readers and may be inaccurate and certainly incomplete. His conclusions are superficial and is reached through simplistic logical speculation, hardly the way real things happen in the real world. What leads him to thin that Bashar’s successor would not back Hezbollah? How does conclude that Syria will take part in a war between Israel and Iran? On the whole, this sounds like an entry into political life, but I don’t think it will succeed.
Perhaps the points Dagan makes are accurate but if Iran bypasses the supervision of IAEA and towards accumulating stash of nuclear technology, then that's a future concern for the region. If a nation with despotic rule has it, then there's no guarantee that they would not use it. Today Iran is not a pro-peaceful and socioeconomically progressive nation, but a somewhat isolated pariah state. This is unfortunate, despite its historical contribution to civilization. Nevertheless, what Dagan is probably contending is that efforts towards reaching a peace agreement between Israel and the PA is more of a priority at this time.
netanyahus warmongering is based on lies, fearmongering, scaremongering.
We are going to see a lot of them between now and September
Dagan is simply pragmantique. if Iran want nuclear weapons he will builds, nothing can't stop them, therefore the best option is deterrence and diplomacy and peace with Palestinians. congratulation for your foresight and realism
So,no matter who has the NUKES..will not use them Its only means is a DETERENT..The US,UK,France and all the above have them,but never been used since the Japanese war ..Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Only fools will think they can..
including those who run Iran.
Irans connection to the area "isolation ",no more funding hizboallha or Hamas or any other toy orginazations that thus stupid regime uses , AND IF PEACE IS FINALLY MADE WITH SYRIAN PEOPLE we know it will be a real one , as a Syrian I would to have friends from Israel and yes jewish friends , we know now who is really the thug and murderer "ASSAD & gang " I think I can this safely , Israeli can never shoot defensless unarmed civilians Arabs like stupid ASSAD is doing .... So Israel a hood investment for you would be strike Assad & gang , help us get rid of these sick people , you exactly where they are !!!! I sm sure of it ..
I wish your country good luck in the quest for freedom.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6b-TqmhvB8&feature=player_embedded
If I mistake me not,I think I am right in my assumption about BB not advocating Israel to attack Iran.That is all I can deduce having read what was a most pertinent aspect of Mr.Dagan's comments.
and you are 100% right. israel needs peace with all its neighbours now. Enough is enough!
Israel would make peace now, the problem is her neighbours do not know what the word peace means.
It's not about "what", but rather about "who"!
And talking about it openly for years then carrying it out is even stupider. Bibi's political ploy to keep the mindless patriots happy. Olmert was smarter, hinted for the US to do it. Political joke.
I know HE(BB) tends to mention it now and again when addressing Washington reminding Obama the danger that Iran poses..Especially withe the near proxies Syria and Hezbollah (thtough Iran). To my knowledge he has NOT..Corect me if I err.
Where is SEAL Team 6 when you need them?
Former officials in Israel could see better than before . I would very much like to see the current leaders in israel have better out look to the future.Peace is the only option that can garauntee security to israel and its people.Any military adventure in the region may bring destruction to the whole region including Israel.I wish our government could follow the peace track and comprehend the various changes taking place now.
agree. enough is enough!
How can the Haaretz publish such an uneducated,stupid remark such as this? At times Haaretz is truly a disapointment..
It's good to hear from you , while you are out of the office of secrets? ! but you missed to talk about the Palestinians ( except Hamas) and how do you think that making peace with them will be good for Israel strategically or did you give advice on the contrary ?!
It may not be the visible power, -it doesn't need it- but the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamism is definitely already the dominant power that shapes Egypt's foreign policies. After the elections in Egypt, Meir Dagan will be proven wrong. A "consensus" candidate (a figure that is secular, but who will channel the power and worldview of the MB will win, and Egypt's shift will be like Turkey's path under Erdogan). Hamas has already gained from the fall of Mubarak and the gradual rise of the MB in all realms of Egyptian life.
It is simply impossible for Israel to achieve the destruction of Iran's nuclear power program in a single strike. It would take a long campaign and then could only delay the program. Those who read too many Tom Clancy and other fantasy novels need to study some hard subjects such as the real range/payload capabilities of fighter aircraft; the Pk of modern weapons; the number of targets in various locations that would have to be destroyed; as well as the variety of air defense targets that would have to be deceived, jammed, or suppressed to attack those targets.
israel was the first to start the Nuke race in the M.East Israel introduced nuclear weapons to the Middle East in 1956. Israel is no position to lecture Iran or the rest of the world about nuclear proliferation. Indeed, If Israel, which occupies neighbors' land in violation of international law, can have nukes, why can't Iran? Israel introduced the law of the jungle, let us have the rule of the jungle. Period.
Israel air strike on Iran,'stupidest thing I have ever heard' I have been saying the same thing long before this recent item by Dagan. It's all in the Haaretz archives .You can ask them for copies.
Dagan is unique, do not try to outdo him please.
LMAO!
I call it "job for the boys"..But remember I did emphasize (no slur on Mr.Dagan) Just take it as it comes..Still a good advice by the ex Mossad man who was much appreciated ..indeed by the citizens of Israel.
and since when did israel care of international law?
every regime and everyone in the Arab world.
..binding ones. How many have they followed? Enough said.
Why do you feel the need to lie? Constantly? Is it the racial prejudice?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_resolutions_concerning_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_Nations_resolutions_concerning_Israel and its from the security council, making it illegal not to follow.
She's brainwashed.
Why? He might fight to the end of the movement opposing him, yes, but not to his own end. He will leave Syria and go into exile before he endangers himself, True, he has backed himself into a corner by committing atrocities against his own people, but he can still negotiate his way to exile. The question is what will follow ... will the international community demand that he stand trial in The Hague after (and if) his regime is driven out of Syria? Most likely ...
He won't be toppled because he has the Mukhabarat, the army and Iran backing him. And he has no scruples in killing however many Syrian civilians. Plus, the West is not eager to oust him, which would definitely be a good thing for all, except Iran and its proxies in Lebanon and Gaza, which will now move on to the West Bank as well.
The more important aspect of being a bully is because he simply is protected by Iran.. However,even Iran's time will disintagrate sooner than later..Then what? that is more a concern not knowing who will replace him.Especially in that den of thieves a mixture of various peoples..which abide by the rules of jihadism.The Druze,Alawits,Shiites,Sunnies,Lebanese ....gee what a mixed bag of peoples having to live in such environments..
Must be something in the Israeli air. Words emanating from Netanyhu's mouth have the same characteristic.
Netanyahu and Barak keep harping on this threat of bombing Iran, while everybody with a bit of brain can see that this is essentially impossible. A bombing will merely cause some delay in Iran's plans., but will have terrible long term consequences for Israel. Too bad that bombing Iran is the only idea Netanyahu has of improving Israel's position, and this is what he ran on in the 2009 elections. Barak is too smart for such stupidity, and I suspect this is his way of keeping Netanyahu interested in him as Defense Minister and, more importantly for him, as a Likud member to be.
It is haaretz that keeps on harping about "israel air force training in iraq" and other stuff. anybody with a brain who looks at a map knows that it is impossible.
When your enemy says that you will be the first target for his new atomic bomb and proceeds to build one, you should take him seriously. Perhaps Dagan is just spreading disinformation to provide a smokescreen for the impending attack. Let us sincerely hope that he is not so naive as to think that Ahmadinejad and his pals can be ignored when they have made threats to Israel as serious as Hamas' chatrer of death.
Barak will only be part of a negligible minority!
You guys sure like making things up to suport your hasbara!
Yes, but when your claimed enemy never said that, it would be pretty stupid to take the lies about what he has said seriously.