Haaretz WikiLeaks exclusive / Israel ruled out military option on Iran years ago
2005 report says senior defense officials did not believe an attack similar to Israel's assault on Iraq's Osirak reactor was possible.
By Yossi MelmanStory Highlights
- Israel ruled out military option against Iran as early as 2005
Senior defense officials ruled out an Israeli military attack on Iran's nuclear sites as early as five and a half years ago, telegrams sent from the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv in 2005 and 2006 indicate. The cables, which were revealed over the weekend, are among hundreds of thousands shared exclusively with Haaretz by the WikiLeaks website.
In the first telegram, sent on December 2, 2005, American diplomats said their conversations with Israeli officials indicate that there is no chance of a military attack being carried out on Iran. A more detailed telegram was sent in January 2006, summing up a meeting between U.S. Congressman Gary Ackerman (a Democrat for New York ) and Dr. Ariel Levite, then deputy chief of Israel's Atomic Energy Commission.
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A reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran on August 21, 2010. |
| Photo by: AP |
"Levite said that most Israeli officials do not believe a military solution is possible," the telegram ran. "They believe Iran has learned from Israel's attack on Iraq's Osirak reactor, and has dispersed the components of its nuclear program throughout Iran, with some elements in places that Israel does not know about."
Later on in the conversation, Levite told the Americans that Iran could obtain nuclear weapons within two to three years, but admitted the estimate could be inaccurate as "Israel does not have a clear or precise understanding of Iran's clandestine program."
Without citing any sources, Levite noted that there are rumors that Iran has already obtained "some warheads from Ukraine," the telegram added. He claimed that, "Israel knows that Iran has acquired cruise missiles from Ukraine."
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Israel sits on over 200 nuclear warheads with missiles capable of delivering them throughout the entire region and far beyond. Israel threatened to exercise its nuclear option during the 1973 war unless Nixon replaced its weapons destroyed by Egypt in the Sinai. Nixon complied - nuclear blackmail. Israel has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran. Iran has never threatened to attack Israel. No wonder Israel is viewed around the world as a pariah state.
Options change with changing conditions.
Their possession of the cruise missiles is in Jane's, available online, without even a password. That has been known for years. Why it would be in a "secret" cable is just paranoia. Here's another big secret, Iran's president doesn't care much for Israel - don't tell anybody though, it's a secret.
I thought Iran had obtained 16 nuclear warheads from Ajerbajain after the collapse of the former soviet union which is pretty much why nobody has done anything against Iran But then I read that in the Sunday Times, and what do they know about exposing clandestine nuclear programmes.
Things have changed since 2005! Presumably, Israel has better intelligence on the locations of Iran's nucleae bomb creation efforts, balanced against Iran's further progress in isotope seperation for a uranium bomb. Iran now has the Bushehr nuclear plant usefull for a Plutonium bmb, but Isael knows where that reactor is. The article does not make clear whether it was any militart action that was thought to be infeasable in 2005, or that a singke bombing raid, ala Osieak, was iincapable of destroying Iran's Nuclear bomb developement work.
Dont push your luck,you may have to eat your words.
Why does everyone have to pretend to be macho. the 'my dad is harder than your dad' mentality. Most people sound as if they are still in the playground.
If this list of assumptions is anywhere near accurate, why would Israel want to start a war with Iran? The world exists today only because America and the Soviet Union did not indulge in such tempting stupidity during the cold war. Does Israel expect another waiver on the double standard issue?
the only reason iran has not attack Israel,imo is they know as well as Syria,Lebanon,that that Israel would not think twice, about using their nukes stockpile to to wipe them off the face of the earth.
"ruled out" means Israel stopped considering the military action.
Iran wants to create a new middle east with itself as leader
who have better things to concern them,than the ideology of Shia expansionist dictators
and started considering American military action...lol...
Russia knew a launch on America would trigger a response in kind. MAD as it were. Russia did not want to wipe America off the map.Iran on teh other hand has repeatedly said it will wipe israel off the map. Israel woulod be justified with a pre emptive strike as much as some would complain, the world would breathe easier because a trouble maker would have been dealt with. As long as iran is anti israel and continues ton fund and arm terrorists whoch are alignbed against israel, Iran will be number one on a nuke target list from israel.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Iran is and has always been a leader in ME in my opinion. It has all the potentials and qualifications to be so. Faramarz Fathi