Iran Warns of Preemptive Strike to Prevent Attack on Nuclear Sites

[Telperion]

Iran Will Destroy Israeli

Nuke Facilities If Attacked
8-18-4

TEHRAN (AFP) -- Iran will strike the Israeli reactor at Dimona if Israel launches an attack on Iran's own burgeoning nuclear facilities, a commander of the elite Revolutionary Guards was quoted as saying Wednesday.

"If Israel fires one missile at Bushehr atomic power plant, it should permanently forget about Dimona nuclear centre, where it produces and keeps its nuclear weapons, and Israel would be responsible for the terrifying consequence of this move," General Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr was quoted as saying in the press.

Iran's controversial bid to generate nuclear power at its Bushehr plant is seen by arch-enemies Israel and the United States as a cover for nuclear weapons development, allegations that Iran denies.

As a result, Israel and Iran have been exchanging threats in recent weeks, raising the possibility of an attack on Iran's facilities similar to that carried out by Israeli bombers on the Iraqi nuclear plant at Osirak in 1981.

Israel refuses to confirm it has a nuclear arsenal but is estimated to possess some 200 warheads.

Iran last week tested an upgraded version of its conventional medium-range Shahab-3 missile, and Revolutionary Guards chief Yadollah Javani said at the weekend that all Israeli military and nuclear sites are now within range.

[walfiler]

Well.. let's see... What can we do?
Close the borders and let them party!
:jew :arab

[Vlad Cletus]

Israel shouldn't be able to let run loose like a mischivious rat. Finally, someone is standing up to them with a resolute decision and a formidable counter preparation. Hails to the Great Iranians.

[AngryPotato]

While it would be very interesting to see Iran hit Israel, it would probably be the worst thing Iran could do with the number of US troops on its border numbering in the six figures. Perhaps Israel will make a pre emptive strike to insure their nations safety.

:

[The Eastern Front]

Even if such a strike was made Israel would be holding the smoking gun. And assuming if the Israeli military decided to make an attack eliminating the threats I believe the missles would be launched at first sort of notice destroying the Israeali warhead facilities.

[Dr. Solar Wolff]

We can always hope!

[Newgrange]

DOHA (AFP) - Iranian Defense Minister Ali Shamkhani warned that Iran might launch a preemptive strike against US forces in the region to prevent an attack on its nuclear facilities. "We will not sit (with arms folded) to wait for what others will do to us. Some military commanders in Iran are convinced that preventive operations which the Americans talk about are not their monopoly," Shamkhani told Al-Jazeera TV when asked if Iran would respond to an American attack on its nuclear facilities.

"America is not the only one present in the region. We are also present, from Khost to Kandahar in Afghanistan; we are present in the Gulf and we can be present in Iraq (news - web sites)," said Shamkhani, speaking in Farsi to the Arabic-language news channel through an interpreter. "The US military presence (in Iraq) will not become an element of strength (for Washington) at our expense. The opposite is true, because their forces would turn into a hostage" in Iranian hands in the event of an attack, he said.

Shamkhani, who was asked about the possibility of an American or Israeli strike against Iran's atomic power plant in Bushehr, added: "We will consider any strike against our nuclear installations as an attack on Iran as a whole, and we will retaliate with all our strength.
"Where Israel is concerned, we have no doubt that it is an evil entity, and it will not be able to launch any military operation without an American green light. You cannot separate the two."

A commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards was quoted in the Iranian press earlier Wednesday as saying that Tehran would strike the Israeli reactor at Dimona if Israel attacks the Islamic republic's own burgeoning nuclear facilities. "If Israel fires one missile at Bushehr atomic power plant, it should permanently forget about Dimona nuclear center, where it produces and keeps its nuclear weapons, and Israel would be responsible for the terrifying consequence of this move," General Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr warned.

Iran's controversial bid to generate nuclear power at its plant being built at Bushehr is seen by arch-enemies Israel and the United States as a cover for nuclear weapons development. The latest comments mark an escalation in an exchange of threats between Israel and Iran in recent weeks, leading to speculation that there may be a repeat of Israel's strike against Iraqi nuclear facilities at Osirak in 1981.

Iran insists that its nuclear intentions are peaceful, while pointing at its enemy's alleged nuclear arsenal, which Israel neither confirms nor denies possessing. Shamkhani told Al-Jazeera it was not possible "from a practical standpoint" to destroy Iran's nuclear programs because they are the product of national skills "which cannot be eliminated by military means."

He also warned that Iran would consider itself no longer bound by its commitments to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the event of an attack. "The execution of such threats (to attack Iran's nuclear installations) would mean that our cooperation with the IAEA led to feeding information about our nuclear facilities to the attacking side, which (in turn) means that we would no longer be bound by any of our obligations" to the nuclear watchdog, he said.

Diplomats said in Vienna Tuesday that the IAEA would not say in a report next month whether Iran's nuclear activities are of a military nature, nor will it recommend bringing the case before the UN Security Council. The IAEA board is due to deliver the report on Iran's nuclear activities during a meeting at the organization's headquarters in Vienna from September 13 after the last of a group of IAEA inspectors returned from Iran last week.

The UN's nuclear agency is conducting a major probe into Iran's bid to generate electricity through nuclear power. The Islamic republic has agreed to temporarily suspend uranium enrichment pending the completion of the IAEA probe, but is working on other parts of the fuel cycle and has recently resumed making centrifuges used for enrichment.

source

[Telperion]

An interesting point to consider is that, while Israel is fully supported by the US, Iran is not without its own significant supporters, namely Russia and China. Both these countries support Iran by a variety of means, not least because they view Iran as a useful counterweight to American and Israeli influence in the Middle East. I tend to think that Iran would not be threatening pre-emptive action against US forces in the region without at least tacit support from its own great power backers.

[Laurelin]

A point to consider is that the Israeli-Iran confrontation is wrapped up in broader issues of great power politics. While Israel is totally supported by the US, Iran is supported by Russia and China, who view Iran as a useful counterweight to American/Israeli influence in the Middle East. If Iran is prepared to vigorously respond to any move against it by Israel/USA, rather than cave into Israeli and US demands, that implies it is receiving at least tacit support from both Russia and China for its willingness to resist Israel/USA.

In effect, anything that increases Israel's military capabilities relative to Iran's strengthens the US position in the Middle East, while weakening the Russian and Chinese position, and vice versa. (Russia and China have already suffered a loss in the region, due to Hussein's regime in Iraq, which they tacitly supported, being overthrown by the US.) The stakes involved in this current Israeli-Iranian confrontation are therefore quite high.

[friedrich braun]

A Bush pre-election strike on Iran?
White House insiders report "October Surprise" imminent
by Wayne Madsen
www.globalresearch.ca 23 October 2004
The URL of this article is: http://globalresearch.ca/articles/MAD410A.html


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Global Research Editor's note:

We bring to the attention of our readers this important article by Wayne Madsen. According to the White House sources quoted by Madsen, the Bush Administration has envisaged the possibility of starting "a dangerous war with Iran prior to the election and fear that such a move will trigger dire consequences for the entire world. The sources also report that a draft text of a proposed televised Bush speech to the nation to explain the attack has been prepared."

The implications of Wayne Madsen's report are far-reaching. Surgical strikes against Iran --involving the direct participation of Israel-- could unleash an extension of the war to the entire Middle East region.

According to a recent article in the Los Angeles Times, "Israel may Have Iran in Its Sights... If diplomacy fails, the Jewish state could call on military to strike any nuclear arms program." The government of Ariel Sharon would not hesitate in launching a military operation, if Tehran refused to shut down its uranium enrichment facility. Needless to say, this scenario of Israel's military involvement is planned in close coordination with the Pentagon.

A word of caution. The Bush administration as part of its war on terrorism agenda has envisaged a number of scenarios. The postponement of the November elections has also been envisaged by Homeland Security in response to a terrorist attack. (See Global research Selected References at http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/CRG408A.html )

The fact that surgical strikes againt Iran are envisaged, does not signify that they will take place prior to the elections.

What is important, is that these surgical strikes, however, are in the planning pipeline and that Israel is to play a role in the next phase of the war agenda. The underlying Iran scenario is consistent with the Administration's National Security doctrine. In fact, a military operation against Iran has been envisaged since the mid-1990s. (See John Stanton at http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/STA303B.html )

M. C. 24 October 2004


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

According to White House and Washington Beltway insiders, the Bush administration, worried that it could lose the presidential election to Senator John F. Kerry, has initiated plans to launch a military strike on Iran's top Islamic leadership, its nuclear reactor at Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, and key nuclear targets throughout the country, including the main underground research site at Natanz in central Iran and another in Isfahan. Targets of the planned U.S. attack reportedly include mosques in Tehran, Qom, and Isfahan known by the U.S. to headquarter Iran's top mullahs.

The Iran attack plan was reportedly drawn up after internal polling indicated that if the Bush administration launched a so-called anti-terrorist attack on Iran some two weeks before the election, Bush would be assured of a landslide win against Kerry. Reports of a pre-emptive strike on Iran come amid concerns by a number of political observers that the Bush administration would concoct an "October Surprise" to influence the outcome of the presidential election.

According to White House sources, the USS John F. Kennedy was deployed to the Arabian Sea to coordinate the attack on Iran. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld discussed the Kennedy's role in the planned attack on Iran when he visited the ship in the Arabian Sea on October 9. Rumsfeld and defense ministers of U.S. coalition partners, including those of Albania, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Iraq, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Mongolia, Poland, Qatar, Romania, and Ukraine briefly discussed a very "top level" view of potential dual-track military operations in Iran and Iraq in a special "war room" set up on board the aircraft carrier. America's primary ally in Iraq, the United Kingdom, did not attend the planning session because it reportedly disagrees with a military strike on Iran. London also suspects the U.S. wants to move British troops from Basra in southern Iraq to the Baghdad area to help put down an expected surge in Sh'ia violence in Sadr City and other Sh'ia areas in central Iraq when the U.S. attacks Iran as well as clear the way for a U.S. military strike across the Iraqi-Iranian border aimed at securing the huge Iranian oil installations in Abadan. U.S. allies South Korea, Australia, Kuwait, Jordan, Italy, Netherlands, and Japan were also left out of the USS John F. Kennedy planning discussions because of their reported opposition to any strike on Iran.

In addition, Israel has been supplied by the United States with 500 "bunker buster" bombs. According to White House sources, the Israeli Air Force will attack Iran's nuclear facility at Bushehr with the U.S. bunker busters in three waves with the radar and communications jamming protection being provided by U.S. Air Force AWACS and other U.S. aircraft in the area.The joint U.S.-Israeli pre-emptive military move against Iran reportedly was crafted by the same neo-conservative grouping in the Pentagon and Vice President Dick Cheney's office that engineered the invasion of Iraq.

Morale aboard the USS John F. Kennedy is at an all-time low, something that may be attributable to the knowledge that the ship will be involved in an extension of U.S. military actions in the Persian Gulf region. The Commanding Officer of an F-14 Tomcat squadron was relieved of command for a reported shore leave "indiscretion" in Dubai and two months ago the Kennedy's commanding officer was relieved for cause. The Kennedy is in the Gulf region along with the Essex Expeditionary Strike Group, which consists of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit which is aboard the USS Essex, USS Juneau, USS Harpers Ferry, USS Mobile Bay, USS Hopper, and USS Preble.

The White House leak about the planned attack on Iran was hastened by concerns that Russian technicians present at Bushehr could be killed in an attack, thus resulting in a wider nuclear confrontation between Washington and Moscow. International Atomic Energy Agency representatives are also present at the Bushehr facility. In addition, an immediate Iranian Shahab ballistic missile attack against Israel would also further destabilize the Middle East. The White House leaks about the pre-emptive strike may have been prompted by warnings from the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency that an attack on Iran will escalate out of control. Intelligence circles report that both intelligence agencies are in open revolt against the Bush White House.

White House sources also claimed they are "terrified" that Bush wants to start a dangerous war with Iran prior to the election and fear that such a move will trigger dire consequences for the entire world. The sources also report that a draft text of a proposed televised Bush speech to the nation to explain the attack has been prepared.

Wayne Madsen is a Washington, DC-based intelligence analyst and a Global Research Contributing Editor.

He served in the National Security Council (NSA) during the Reagan Administration and wrote the introduction to Forbidden Truth. He is the co-author, with John Stanton of "America's Nightmare: The Presidency of George Bush II." His forthcoming book is titled: "Jaded Tasks: Big Oil, Black Ops, and Brass Plates." Madsen can be reached at Wmadsen777@aol.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Email this article to a friend

To become a Member of Global Research

To express your opinion on this article, join the discussion at Global Research's News and Discussion Forum , at http://globalresearch.ca.myforums.net/index.php

The Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) at www.globalresearch.ca grants permission to cross-post original Global Research (Canada) articles in their entirety, or any portions thereof, on community internet sites, as long as the text & title of the article are not modified. The source must be acknowledged as follows: Centre for Research on Globalization (CRG) at www.globalresearch.ca . For cross-postings, kindly use the active URL hyperlink address of the original CRG article. The author's copyright note must be displayed. (For articles from other news sources, check with the original copyright holder, where applicable.). For publication of Global Research (Canada) articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: crgeditor@yahoo.com

For media inquiries: crgeditor@yahoo.com

© Copyright WAYNE MADSEN, CRG 2004