U.S. top brass: Nuclear Iran is existential threat to Israel

Two things about it saving lives. First, it certainly saved OUR lives; estimates of US casualties (based on our experience in Okinawa) were higher than the number of Japanese civilians killed in the two nuclear raids. Second, if we had had to fight our way through Japan village by village, could the civilian death toll possibly been smaller than the number killed in the raids?

The word "could" is the key there my friend. Anybody should be able to air an opinion, especially an admiral, but the ultimate decision will be made by your commander-in-chief so stop falling off your rocker.

I believe either all countries must have nuclear weapon or none. According to Israeli intelligence --stating that Iran will have a nuclear weapon in one year for the past 8-10 years-- Iran must already have a dozen or so nuclear weapons. Stop threatening Iran. Iran is no threat to israel or any of its neighbors. Anyway Israel thinks it is a great military power after all they always have bombed defenseless Palestinians.

Silvienne, I oppose the settler movement in the West Bank, but support Israel?s right to survive as a Jewish state.

MS KITTY STEPHEN IS RIGHT SWEETHEART.

"Actually Israel is on the front line defending Western civilization against the worst totalitarian threat ever. The US knows and appreciates this" Actually Israel is defending its right to build illegal settlements and lay seige to Gaza. Did you miss something?

For one thing, I oppose the settler movement.

For one thing I oppose the settler movement.

Before you get carried away, I should tell you that Israel is an Eastern country and its civilization is eastern as is its neighbors. It is not a western civilization. Before you attribute to Israel the attributes that you use to describe our western civilization I suggest you read the Haaretz article ?U.S. State Department: Israel is not a tolerant society?. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1126286.html The full report can be found on the state department web site at http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127349.htm BTW, Desert Storm, the war in Afghanistan, Gulf war two, were fought without Israel, but with the help of many Muslim countries.

My likes or dislikes are irrelevant to this forum, so are yours. You talk of freedom of expression, assembly and religion as if these are strictly western values! Whereas I recall the first declaration of Human Rights was issued by my very EASTERN forefather, Cyrus the Great-2600 years ago! He issued it upon freeing your people from babylonia, sent them home & also RAISED money so your people could rebuild their temple. Read it and see all your points mentioned in it! While I love most Israelis, Israel crams 20% of its population in 3% of its land. To me that doesn't sound very democratic and definitely not of Western values!! And that's one thing... Just b/c you keep telling yourself doesn't make it so...and repeating the line that israel is defending western civilization just makes you a laughing stock (no pun intended!) It's worth to mention that I despise any kind of religious extremism, to include islam, christianity, judaism, hinduism, etc. They are all ugly..and unGodly...

Persia no doubt was a center of civilization. However, that was eons ago. Today Persia is called Iran. Famous for pistachio nuts and its ugly emergence as a terrorist sponsor. Thanks to a revolution some 30years ago. Now all (Persians) Iranians are hostage to a theocratic repressive regime that if left to its own devices will undoubtedly be the main cause of its disappearance from history. Kitty, Iran cannot ever achieve its past greatness with Mr.Ahmadinejad et al. Stephen, Iran will implode, mainly due to the hand of Israel. Good night to both from snowy Alps.

Western Civilization: Freedom of expression, assembly and religion, a free press, an independent judiciary, rule of law, government with the consent of the governed. Hamas, Hezbollah and the other Jihadist movements abhor all of this and their goal is a worldwide caliphate. Israel is on the front line against this menace. Whether you like it or not.

Keep the garbage fed to you close to you. I hate hamas, hezbollah, and Iran's illegitimate government, but it's people like you who give them credibility where there exists none. Defending western civilization? Are you freaking kidding me? Huntington was a moron to introduce the theory. Clash of ideologies and religions SURE. Civilization encompasses culture, language, literature, customs/traditions, arts (of all form), cuisine and so much more. You have no idea what you sound like sprouting things like: Israel is defending western civilization!! Dude, do you know when and where civilization was even born? Let's just say it wasn't in Israel or NY

the only remedy would be in reconquest of the holy sites in Arabia. But the road there leads through Sunni Pak.

Dude, White House is on the phone

Iran knows very well that a nuclear attack on Israel will most probably cost more Muslim lives than Jewish lives. That Iranian do not give a damn about this is selve-evident and will never really bother them - then their hatred for Jews and Israel is so great and so incomprehensible, that possibly only a psychiatrist of the Freudian school might solve this puzzle, since only a sexual disorder caused by religious perversion can possibly provide an explanation.

Actually Israel is on the front line of defending it's illegal activities of the last 61 years. That is all it has ever defended.

I must credit Haaretz with at least delivering the punch line, even though it is the last line: "At the same time, a strike on Iran, getting into a conflict with Iran, I think would also be incredibly destabilizing."

We know what it takes to defend Western Civilization, we did it in WW ll. If Israel would back off and get along instead a land grab and expecting the US of A to bankroll them with $'s and lives. Lets share the Western Hemisphere load.

Actually Israel is on the front line defending Western civilization against the worst totalitarian threat ever. The US knows and appreciates this.

Mullen doesn't particularize the simplistic claim of "exiastential threat". Exactly, he doesn't claim Iran would aggressively attack Israel. If he believed that, for sure he would say it. Odds are, the so-called "existential threat" rises from Israel's awareness of growing Jewish EMIGRATION FROM ISRAEL largely attributable to the distaste of Israel's educated Jews to live in a place where war and war-mongering are a constant. Instead of aggravating war fears, Israel should get serious about peace as a member of the Near East nations and bingo! - net emigration stops and the existential threat is gone. Certainly Israeli threat-hype as a nationalistic tool is no issue for which Americans should shed blood and treasure.

Not to mention 25 to 75 new US supplied jets(who do you suppose will be paying for them),along with threats that can actually be carried out unlike Iran's. Doctor Strangelove and his offspring are alive and well in the US and Israeli "top brass" ...........PEACE EVER?

I wonder if Adm. Mullen realizes that Iran is no threat to the U.S., that Israel is not part of the U.S., and that we cannot allow Israel and its wealthy, disloyal lobby to manipulate us into war with Iran the same way that they did in Iraq. Obama is correct to engage in diplomacy with Iran and stop this warmongering insanity from the military.

Without a doubt, its the first time I have ever agreed with your verbiage. However, the good Admiral seems to have a far better grip on all military affairs than those who voted for the gracious president and his entourage. Iran, is not Indiana. OK. Neither is Mr.Ahmadinejad and his regime some quaint Persian nights paradise. Rather a nightmare, for many or maybe even most Persians. A nuclear Iran, is not an existential threat to only Israel, but to the Sunni nations and quite possibly Europe. However, the good admiral has only voiced his concern, publicly. Obviously, retractions will be made. That should not concern ourselves. Rather, a point has been made, whilst those in Tehran keep those centrifuges spinning and development of solid fuel missiles that could take out many US Bases in the region. Meanwhile, the Persian people pray that said regime will implode in order to achieve FREEDOM.

... revived Jewish presence in the Middle East (that rudely edited the definitive Mohammedan script of conquest and subordination of all other religions in the area from being developed into a non-fiction screenplay) began the Arabs chronic, militant attempts to eradicate this spiritual and physical abberation in their eyes. When you're a fledgling, new country and an all-out war of annihilation on the order of the Crusades is promised upon you and your children with no letup or reconciliation in sight, you create a deterrance as Israel has done. Israel is secure and at peace with its knowledge and belief in G-d and doesn't need to forcibly threaten other beliefs to substantiate and exalt itself, whereas Islam and its militant adherents cannot for the lives of themselves reconcile supposedly believing in the Most High G-d and yet being overshadowed physically by the "infidels" of the world. Shiite Iran only needs a nuclear deterrent from a major Sunni threat.

I'm thinking it's not. I can find no other trace of this quote, perhaps Haaretz has a scoop. However it is generally not cricket for a US military official to make political conclusions that might be taken as policy pronouncements. I'm curious to see where this little tidbit of so-called news will stand in about twenty-four hours or so...

It should begin to dawn on reasonable people that Iran needs a deterrant. If Iran is to be attacked by Americans and Israelis, the price of the invasion should be of biblical proportions. So total should the response be to aggression that the aggressors would know the pain that Japan felt. I believe the U.S. said, "it saved lives." Sure it did. Tell that to the Japanese civilians. Salaam/Shalom

It's hard for an outsider to understand why Israel is entitled to a nuclear deterrent and none of its potential victims are also entitled. the best thing for everyone's safety is mutual assured destruction.

... a military nuclear deterrent, before the totalitarian Regime totally believes its homeland will be rendered safe from even a conventional strike due to its immediate threat of severe reprisals and WMD counterattacks launched from both its territory and also from its growing international terror network. Under this protective umbrella Iran will then try and kickstart a more sinister phase of its plan to spread the "good news" of its self-appointed messianic role, by proxy force if necessary.

could be put into action as well..." It's a small detail but we, Americans, appeared to have elected admiral Mullen to make such decisions, and we don't even know it. So, now the U.S. military is running the show. Does Oren now have the inside dope that it is up to Mullen to make such decisions? It sure would come as a hell of a surprise to millions of Americans citizens who voted for Obama.